Salvaging Abby (Marks Mercenaries Book 4) Read online

  He pulled her against his hard body, wishing once again that she was naked and not clad in a flightsuit and protective gear. He wished his own battlesuit was gone. What would it be like to feel her flesh to flesh?

  On a groan, he lowered his head and kissed her. Like before, he swept his tongue inward, tasting her mouth. His cock, already at attention, threatened to burst from his body armor. Every cell in his body screamed for more.

  So he took it.

  He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. She pressed her hands against his shoulders. For a brief moment, he feared she planned to push him away. Then she curled her fingers around him and held on.

  Triumph surged through him. She kissed him back, the passion unmistakable. He brought one hand to the back of her head, cradling it, tilting it slightly so he could deepen their kiss.

  Her hands roamed over his body. He damned the battlesuit again, wanting to feel her touch on his bare skin. He was hot, overheated to such a degree he began to sweat.

  Would she let him have her?

  That almost stopped him. He was a man of honor. She was the sister of his… He wasn’t quite sure what to call the Marks brothers. But they were not his enemies. Were allies of a sort. He could not dishonor their sister.

  Before he could summon the resolve to pull away, Abigail pushed on his chest. This time he released her. She took several steps back, raised her arm, and pointed a blaster at him. Not the puny one she’d held on him earlier, but his blaster.

  While he’d been busy kissing her, losing himself in the sensual embrace, she’d lifted his weapon.

  He was disgusted with himself for losing focus so much that he hadn’t noticed. He was also damn impressed with her for managing it.

  “Don’t make me use this?” Her voice was shaky, and she was sweating. So she wasn’t unaffected by their kiss. That made him feel somewhat better. He wasn’t overly worried. The weapon was set to low stun and would not penetrate his suit. The only way it would harm him was if she aimed at his face, but he had no doubt he could evade such an attempt.

  He could disarm her in a heartbeat, but he was curious to see what would happen now that she perceived she had the upper hand.

  Vaden held his arms out at his sides. “What now?”

  Chapter Three

  Her insides trembled and her knees were weak. What the hell was she doing? Kissing him had scrambled her brains and her insides. She’d had no thought about anything but him until her hand had brushed his weapon. Before she’d really thought about it, she’d lifted the blaster.

  Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

  If she shot him, she’d be stuck here. If she didn’t, he’d likely attack her in a rage. No man would appreciate what she’d done.

  Only he looked more curious than pissed. He had more control than any man she’d ever met. Crazily enough, that made her want to push him over the edge.

  Again … stupid!

  She was usually so calm and level-headed. She’d had to be in order to survive and build a life, but he shook her to her very core.

  Definitely time to get away from him. “Open the door.”

  “We’ve already been over this.” His sheer calmness stoked the fires of her anger. He wasn’t taking her seriously. Didn’t see her as a threat.

  Holding the ridiculously large blaster with both hands, she aimed it at his chest. When one corner of his mouth twitched slightly, she raised it to his face.

  His eyes narrowed, and his lips thinned. Not much difference in outward appearance but a huge shift in attitude. This man was expressive, but the changes were so tiny it was difficult to gauge his true emotions. Surprisingly enough, she was already beginning to note minute differences.

  He’d been amused before. Now he was pissed. He was just better at hiding it than most men.

  He didn’t lunge at her or try to take the weapon. He simply stood there and waited. She flicked her wrists and the weapon toward the panel.

  He simply crossed his arms over his impossibly wide chest and stood there. God save her from stubborn men. Her arms began to tremble from holding the blaster up for so long. Taking a gamble, she whirled, leveled the weapon on the door and fired.

  Nothing happened. The metal seemed to absorb the blast. She turned slightly to the panel and fired again with the same results.

  Giving a yell of frustration, she turned back to him, her captor, the man who’d kissed her twice, the man who hadn’t moved an inch during her firing spree. The man whose name she didn’t even know.

  “Who are you?” she demanded.

  “Vaden. My name is Vaden el Gravaso.”

  The name was strong and suited him. “Well, Vaden el Gravaso, we seem to be at an impasse.”

  He shook his head. “No, we are not. You cannot leave unless I allow it.” He held out his hand. “Give me my weapon.”

  She shook her head. “Maybe I’ll just hang on to it for a bit.” A thought occurred to her. “Why don’t we go to my ship? You can check out my storage room and see if I have anything resembling the part you need. You can have it for free if you let me go.”

  Vaden’s gaze seemed to intensify. Abby felt as though he was trying to see inside her, to learn if she was lying. She wasn’t. He could take what he wanted if he’d let her go. “Listen,” she cajoled. “Better for me to make friends with a Gravasian than to piss one off.”

  He glanced at the blaster in her hand and the slight scorch marks on the door.

  “Okay, I don’t want to piss you off anymore than I already have, but to be fair, you’d pissed me off first.”

  He stalked toward her, moving so suddenly she fell back a step before aiming the weapon at him again. But he wasn’t coming toward her. No, he went straight to the control panel and turned so his broad back blocked her view. Before she could step around to see what he was doing, the door slid silently open.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, she almost ran across the short connecting ramp onto her own ship. Once her feet hit the deck of the Dreamer, everything inside her relaxed. She was home.

  But the danger was far from over.

  “Welcome back, captain.” The computer’s electronic voice settled her. This was familiar. This was what she knew and understood.

  “Thanks. Status?”

  “No vessels nearby. All systems running at optimum levels.”

  “Good.” She shut the door of her ship, locking Vaden in with her before motioning him off to the right. “That way.”

  Vaden had to duck through the door opening to keep from hitting his head. The corridors seemed extra tight with him trying to squeeze through them. He really was a big man.

  “To the left,” she instructed, staying behind him, blaster in hand.

  Vaden opened the door in front of him and stepped into the large storage area. It was mostly empty, as she’d just dumped cargo a week ago.

  “I have a parts locker to the right,” she told him.

  For a big man he moved without sound. It was eerie and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. As he opened the locker, she found herself watching his hands. Like the rest of him, they were large. He’d picked her up with ease, even though she wasn’t a small woman. Being slender and standing five foot eight had allowed her to pass for a youth. But Vaden was almost a foot taller and a whole lot wider.

  He picked through the parts and pulled out a couple. “I might be able to use these to make what I need.”

  “You’re welcome to them.” The quicker he was gone, the better off she’d be.

  If that was so, why did her stomach feel so hollow? Maybe she needed some nourishment. It wasn’t as though she’d miss him. Was it?

  He inclined his head slightly. “Thank you. I could use your assistance.”

  She frowned, not liking where this conversation was headed. “We have a deal,” she reminded him.

  “We do. I will not harm you. With your help, I could be on my way quicker.”

  Call her suspicious, but she wasn’t co
nvinced he wasn’t up to something. “What about not wanting me to see your technology?”

  He shrugged, the casual gesture seemed awkward coming from him. “I doubt you’d truly understand it.”

  Now that was downright insulting. She was tempted to take him up on his offer just to prove him wrong.

  But what if that was his intention? “Oh no, you’re not getting me back on your ship that easily.”

  Vaden sighed and for the first time looked frustrated. “Until my ship is fixed, I will not allow yours to undock. We are both easy targets to space pirates.”

  “What do you mean, you won’t allow my ship to undock. I docked so I’m in control. Computer, undock.”

  “Unable to comply, captain. The other vessel has locked on to us.”

  “Full thrusters,” she ordered.

  “That is unwise,” the computer warned. “Catastrophic damage is predicted if such an attempt is made.”

  Abby wanted to scream in frustration. “I should shoot you in the face.”

  “You could do that. Or you could come aboard my vessel, help me with repairs, and then we are both free to go.”

  “I don’t really have a choice, do I?” Bitterness coated each word. So much of her life hadn’t been her choice.

  “No.”

  His calm made her want to blast him. “I suggest you not say anything else,” she warned.

  He proved himself smarter than most by staying silent as they made the journey back to his ship. It hurt her to watch the door close again, locking her inside with him.

  “Follow me.”

  Left with no other options, at least none that didn’t land her in a whole lot more trouble, she kept pace as he went down a short corridor and into the engine room.

  The blaster in her hand slowly lowered toward the floor. Everything gleamed. The room was a thing of beauty. Whatever his engine problem was, it wasn’t due to neglect.

  The damn weapon was getting heavier by the second. Since she wasn’t about to blast the ship with herself in it—the external hatch was one thing, the engine room quite another—and risk an explosion that might kill her, she turned the weapon in her hand and held out the handle. “Here.”

  Vaden retrieved the weapon and slotted it away in its holder on his thigh.

  “So what seems to be the problem?” she asked.

  ****

  The problem was he didn’t want to let her out of his sight. The problem was it wasn’t because she was the sister of a man he considered a friend. No, it was a whole lot more complicated than that.

  He’d told her they would both be free to go when the repairs were done. What he hadn’t told her was that she would be going with him. He hadn’t lied. At no point did he say he would let her leave him. He’d just framed his words to make her assume.

  She would be free to go, but that did not mean she would be going.

  His people always chose their words carefully as a person’s word was their bond. If he’d told her he would let her leave without him, he’d have no choice but to honor that.

  “Over here,” he told her. He lowered a compartment door and heard her indrawn breath.

  “This is amazing.” She trailed her fingers over some of the components. He found himself envying an inanimate object, wanting her hands on him.

  “The stabilizer is damaged. There are usually spare parts, but I was in a hurry when I left and did not realize the necessary components had not been restocked since the last repairs.”

  “Wow, you made a mistake and actually admitted it.”

  He studied her face, enjoying the slight smile. It took him several beats of his heart to understand she was teasing him.

  “Gravasian men are a superior breed.”

  Her laugh delighted him. “Not exactly modest, are you?”

  He shrugged. “The truth is the truth.” He set the parts he’d retrieved from her vessel on the top of the folded down panel, which acted as a makeshift worktable. “I should be able to manufacture a replacement with components from each of these parts. It won’t be perfect.” Far from it as the technology was much older. “But it will get me home.”

  “I don’t get it.” She leaned closer, staring raptly at the part of the engine currently exposed to view. “Why don’t you just message another Gravasian ship for help?”

  When he didn’t reply, she glanced up at him. Her grin was quick. “So Gravasian men have that much in common with the rest of the world, do they? Don’t want to admit to your buddies that you screwed up.”

  “There is no need to pull them off important missions when I can handle the problem on my own.”

  “Sure. I get that.” Her tone was grave, but laughter danced in her eyes.

  Vaden growled in frustration. The repairs forgotten, he stalked toward her. She held her hands up. “Hey, no need to do anything drastic.”

  She was wrong. It was definitely time to do something drastic.

  He dragged her into his arms and kissed her, glorying in the way she returned the embrace without hesitation. His Abby was no longer afraid of him. She teased him and challenged him on every level.

  He’d lost a potential bride to the Marks brothers. They owed him. And now he knew the price he’d ask in return—their sister.

  He’d just found a new bride.

  There might not be any financial or political gain to be had with the mating, but Vaden didn’t care. His entire life had been given over to the betterment of his people. He was long past the age of taking a wife and starting a family. He’d been willing to join with an outsider to benefit his planet, but that had backfired in the most spectacular way.

  Since then, he’d been at loose ends. He truly did want a partner, someone who belonged only to him. Someone he could belong to. Someone with whom he didn’t have to be Vaden el Gravaso, Gravasian commander and crowned prince of Gravas, but simply Vaden, the man.

  And that someone was Abigail Marks.

  Now all he had to do was convince her of the rightness of his plan.

  That decision pushed his passion to a whole other level. Now that he knew he wanted her for life, it was not a dishonor to take her to bed. He’d had other women in his life, but they had been far and few between.

  Never had he taken an innocent.

  Widows on his home planet were free to love whomever they chose. Some remarried, but most enjoyed their newfound freedom, much to the delight of single men. And as a royal, he’d had more than his fair share of attention, but he’d never been sure if he was the attraction or if it was simply the chance to garner some favor from the crown.

  This was different. Abby knew nothing about him and still wanted him.

  He groaned when her tongue stroked his. He let go of his thoughts and focused only on the woman in his arms.

  Their height difference meant he had to bend his head to kiss her. To handle the problem, he lifted her off her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “This isn’t smart,” she murmured as he left a train of kisses from her mouth to her ear.

  “I don’t care.” And he didn’t. So much of his life had been dictated by tradition and his position on his world. This was all for him.

  Smart would be for him to form a political alliance with another planet, or to at least align himself with a prominent family on Gravas. He’d done smart and it had gotten him nowhere, gained him nothing but the pity of his friends. Having your bride choose another man was a blow to any man’s ego. In his culture, the only thing worse would be breaking your bond or betraying your family and people.

  For the first time since the debacle had sent him fleeing the shame and pity that awaited him at home, Vaden no longer cared about his lost bride. He’d never even met her before the engagement was announced, so it wasn’t as though he’d had true feelings for her. This was different.

  “Abigail,” he whispered.

  “Abby,” she corrected.

  “Let me have you, Abby.” Every instinct he possessed was pushing him to claim
this woman before another man could steal her from him. His cock ached to be enclosed in her welcoming warmth. He longed to see her naked, to learn every inch of her skin, to map her curves with tongue and fingers.

  “Vaden,” she began. Alert to every nuance, he heard the beginnings of denial in her voice.

  “Is there another?” he demanded. The urge to find this unknown male and purge him from the world was uppermost in his mind. He didn’t want to think about Abby with some other male.

  “No.” She cupped his face with her hands. They weren’t soft and pampered but strong and callused from hard work. He turned his head so that he could kiss the center of her palm before nipping at the skin.

  She inhaled sharply and locked her legs around his waist. “Vaden, what are you doing?”

  “I want you. I want to strip you from that flightsuit and discover all your secrets. I want to touch you.” He nuzzled her neck. “Kiss you.” Voice deepening, he nibbled on the curve of her jaw. “I want to fuck you until we both scream with pleasure.”

  It was all up to her. As a Gravasian male, he would not take a woman without consent. That was dishonorable. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t do everything in his power to convince her to say yes.

  He cupped her ass in his hands and squeezed, loving how firm it was. “Abby?” He stared into her eyes and knew it would haunt him forever if he didn’t have her.

  She slowly nodded. “Yes.”

  ****

  Jasper was getting closer to his goal. Oh, he had plenty of money and power. Although, a man could never have too much, in his opinion. What he lacked was a woman, a helpmate as it were. Many cultures wouldn’t deal with an unmarried male, seeing him as unsettled. He’d found ways around that problem, but he wanted more.

  He wanted Abigail.

  From the time he’d seen her, he’d known she was meant to be his. All he’d had to do was wait for her to grow up enough, but she’d fled before he’d been able to seal their bond. He’d spent millions tracking down every lead.

  And it had finally paid off.

  She was aboard a ship called the Dreamer, a small salvage ship. It was inconceivable that she’d left him and the world he could offer her on Eden to live in some dump of a vessel that was basically little more than a garbage scow.