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  The silence of the room grew stifling, and Chowd felt the blast of heat from the angry members of the crew. It felt like a knife-edge, sharp and uncomfortable, as the wave moved around the table. He felt the anger of the crew at being pulled away from their substantive mission to play a babysitter role to a civilian. He could understand their feelings. No one wanted to deal with the threat of Crick Sur Banden more than he did, although he certainly understood the necessity to undertaking this mission.

  The door chimed once more before sliding open to reveal Meredith, her hair tucked behind her ears, her brown eyes deep in concentration as she entered information into a palm screen. Her head flicked up to see the holographic image. “Oh, I beg your pardon, Admiral. I would have been here sooner, but I was caught up dealing with a possible new code we believe Crick Sur Banden is using.”

  “Gentry. I have just informed the captain and crew of their new mission. You will also remain aboard the Elector in case there are any transmissions or discussions that require immediate translation. You will continue working on the tactical plans, act as personal translator for the ambassador, and report back as necessary.”

  She nodded while her hands continued to work at her palm screen, and Duvall leaned forward to speak. “Admiral, I believe another ship would be best for transporting the ambassador—”

  The Admiral cut Duvall off, shaking his head. “No, Captain McCord. In this instance, we need something light and with speed, maneuverability, and most of all, a calm head to ensure this mission is successful. I need someone I can trust implicitly spearheading this task. In short, we need you to transport the ambassador and ensure his safety at all times. Stand by for his arrival within the next twenty-four hours. Further detailed orders will be forthcoming within the hour. Elphin out.”

  The holographic transmission winked out suddenly, and Chowd released the breath he unconsciously held. The expulsion of air loosened his mind as much as his tongue. “Captain, do you wish to give us any further instructions, or would you prefer to reconvene this meeting?”

  Duvall shook his head. “We need to make adequate provision for the ambassador. Chowd, I’ll need you to arrange a twenty-four-hour security detail, whatever it takes. Put together a possible team for the safe transportation of the ambassador. Grayson, arrange for accommodation.” Rapid-fire instructions and plans flew around the table, stopping only once the refreshments arrived. The room grew quiet as assorted finger foods and drinks were consumed.

  * * * *

  To Meredith’s eyes, the crew looked exhausted, and Jemma drooped visibly in her chair. They settled into eating with quick snatches as their hunger abated. But Chowd caught her eye, as he always did. Every time she had seen him since that first meeting in her parents’ home had increased her fascination. Some indefinable quality captured her attention when he was around her.

  His fine features and sensuous full lips, high forehead, and dark eyes, with just a hint of gray in his skin tone, told of his heritage, no matter how he tried to disguise it. He wore his black hair long and tied back, slicked away from his almost feminine features. His high-slashing cheekbones and finely chiseled chin attracted her physically, and as always, her body quickened. She knew just how fast and dangerous he could be. His hand-to-hand skills were legendary, and he had a reputation as a man not to cross.

  She liked his height, well over six feet, and it made her feel petite and feminine. It wasn’t that he dwarfed her so much as the sense of protection his nearness always seemed to bestow on her. She knew he considered himself exceptionally tall for a Ru’Edan, and put it down to his human heritage.

  She shifted in her seat. She wouldn’t describe him as muscular like her brother or Raven, but from what she’d seen, he had no issues with definition of his muscles. Chowd also carried an air of command and confidence about him. His physical body was only one aspect of Chowd.

  Meredith knew he didn’t participate in any shipboard romances. For that matter, in the whole time she had known him, not so much as a whisper of his partners had been hinted at, and she found that interesting. More to the point, the concept that he might be asexual intimidated her slightly. What kind of man showed no interest in a relationship? Either that or he kept everything incredibly discreet. “Stands to reason.”

  Elara threw a glance in her direction and she colored, dipping her head. Get your head in the game. When her gaze settled on Chowd again, she realized he was watching her. What did he see behind that shielded gaze?

  Did he realize she prized such discretion? Probably not, but she’d taken great pains to keep her dalliances off radar. She’d only indulged in a single liaison while at the Academy, and since then...nothing. Initially, because she had focused on learning her job, she had shied away from entanglements, intent on proving herself.

  Then after she had met Chowd...well, somehow no one else drew her like he did, and the lack of attraction to any other man had weighed heavily against any romantic entanglements. A sigh rippled out of her lips before she could restrain it, and he looked at her with a question in his eyes.

  “Meredith? Do you need something?” His words slipped like silk over her, and heavens above, she felt the familiar pull of arousal with just those few words.

  “No, thank you, Chowd. Though perhaps there will be time in the morning for you to look over some of the work I’ve accomplished. No one else could really get into his head the way you could.” The instant she said the words, Meredith cringed, wishing she could call them back.

  His eyes turned dark and flat. All the warmth in his face leached away. “Indeed.”

  “Chowd, I didn’t...” ...mean it as it came out. But he’d turned away, dismissing her, and she wanted to close her eyes. Barsha! She should have thought that over before she opened her mouth. She always seemed to say the wrong thing to him.

  Meredith twisted the napkin in her hands, tormented by once more saying the wrong thing. If she kept this up, he wouldn’t even want to know her socially, or, she reminded herself, sexually either.

  Communicating with Chowd always seemed to present a challenge for her. The pressure building in her chest swelled larger than before. Suffocating.

  Meredith remembered meeting him for the first time over a year and a half ago, when Duvall had first brought him, together with Elara, Grayson, and Mellissa, to their home to discuss what had happened at the Admiralty base on Aenna and needing her skills and abilities. Her brother had told her about him and their experiences over the years.

  After that had come the announcement made to the crew before leaving on a mission to the Alpha Star Colony of who he was. While it would have been a shock to the crew, she had already known because of the transmissions she intercepted and decoded for the Admiralty. She refused to let his origins become an issue for her, but for him, it still remained a sticking point.

  She took a deep breath. “Chowd?” She waited for him to turn around. His brow quirked up slightly, and she screwed up her courage. “Would you meet me in my quarters after this meeting breaks up? There is something I would like to talk to you about.”

  More than eighteen months of procrastination would end today. She considered herself intelligent, witty, liberated, and capable. She could ask him if he was interested in an interlude with her. Perhaps once she had that ticked off her list, she could focus on her work and not feel so excited each time he walked by her.

  “Of course, Meredith.” His words may have been cool, but heat stirred within her.

  Stars preserve her! She wanted to lean in—in front of the entire crew—and kiss those full lips. The need to taste him nearly overcame any sense of self-preservation she clung to. Meredith restrained herself and nodded stiffly, starting to look at the behavior he exhibited to see if she could detect a clue to his feelings.

  Oh, for stars’ sake! You’ve got work to do, Meredith. Go do it! Get out of here before you do something incredibly foolish. Meredith pushed her chair back slightly, catching her brother’s eye. “Captain, woul
d you excuse me?”

  He nodded quickly, and she stood, stepping lightly around the chair, in the process brushing against Chowd who’d stood to move a platter to the table behind her. An electric current ran through her, and Meredith sucked in her breath at the shock, which reverberated within her body.

  “Apologies,” she muttered, stepping away from the table and heading to the door.

  “Wait. I’m finished and can come with you now.”

  Visions of them naked and writhing on a bed filled her head. She gulped. Her libido was seriously getting out of hand, and she felt the warmth of her blush rise over her cheeks and neck.

  “Sure.” She didn’t turn around as she muttered the word. If she did, he would see, and so would the others. Not something she really wanted to broadcast at the moment.

  The door opened, and she stepped into the corridor.

  Chapter 2

  Chowd followed Meredith down the corridor, watching the sway of her hips, the way the dark cloth clung to her backside. Barsha! His erection, which had once more made itself known during the meeting, stood uncomfortably erect, brushing against his pants, and he hoped she wouldn’t notice it. He lusted after her, but reminded himself of her off-limits status. She always made it clear with comments like the one just before. Comments that reminded him she knew he was Crick Sur Banden’s bastard half-breed son.

  As the beautifully talented younger sister of his captain, Duvall McCord, Meredith continued to stir his senses as no other ever could. Duvall might be one of his closest friends, but it caused an emotional quandary for Chowd.

  In all honesty, though, it wasn’t her status as Duvall’s sister that concerned him. The woman herself upset his equilibrium.

  Even as he reminded himself that she was Duvall’s sister and knew his dark heritage, his fingers itched to touch her soft skin, to bring her ripe mouth to his, and to delve into her body, seeking release. His chest ached at the effort of keeping his breathing normal, and he concentrated on the length of hair in front of him.

  They reached her cabin, and she swiped her hand over the palm reader. The door slid open, and she stepped inside with him following.

  She groaned and moved forward quickly, gathering up clothing articles from the desk screen and bed, but not before he noted the sexy black underwear. A discarded flight suit sat on the floor next to the bed, and a damp towel hung off the back of the chair.

  His knees locked as the visions of her wearing the flimsy creations spun through his head, causing him to start reciting security protocols, taking his mind off thoughts of stripping the material from her body.

  She gathered everything up and threw them into the sanitary unit with a small laugh before pulling the door closed. “Well, that was difficult.” Her muttered words made him want to smile, but he cautioned himself to keep his amusement private.

  “Don’t be concerned. The last few days have been quite unnatural for all of us with the mission, Jemma, and now trying to decipher all the codes.” He smiled in an understanding manner, or so he hoped. But I’m an alien, when all is said and done. Sometimes these more human behaviors are beyond my ability to decode and understand. He shrugged mentally.

  “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

  She turned to face him, and his breath caught as the lights picked up the shine in her hair. A slight tinge of pink highlighted her high cheekbones. He let his gaze roam over her dark-brown, velvety eyes and lush, pale-pink lips, all framed by her pixie face, angular and small in shape. Perfect in every way. He swallowed the lump that lodged in his throat as she smiled at him.

  “Would you like a drink?”

  “No, thank you, Meredith. How can I be of service?”

  Her eyes rounded, and the color leached from her face.

  “Is something wrong?” Chowd took a step forward, his gaze darting around the small room, looking for danger.

  “Ahh, no. Nothing’s wrong.”

  He relaxed and watched as she twisted her fingers together. Fascination filled him, and he scanned her face. Meredith never seemed nervous, so what caused this response in her now? What on Earth does she want from me that she can’t just come right out and request?

  Meredith sat down with a jerk on the edge of the narrow bed, and he took the seat by her desk screen. Her cabin, a tiny room suitable for visitors, left him with his feet nearly brushing against hers. “So?”

  “Look, this is probably stupid, but...” She turned her face away, flaming pink creeping up her long neck and cheeks, and stars help him, he wanted to go over and touch her. Whatever was concerning her, she was clearly discomforted talking about the situation.

  “Meredith, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what is wrong.” He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.

  “Oh, stars! I can’t believe I’m about to do this...” He could clearly hear the embarrassment in Meredith’s voice as she turned back to him. “Look, let’s not worry about it, okay?” She stood and moved toward the sanitary unit, her movements disjointed and jerky.

  “If I can help you, I will, Meredith.” He kept his words calm and comforting, all the while his stomach churning like a seething mass. What could be upsetting her equilibrium this way?

  “Oh, I didn’t really think this through!” Her voice sounded strangled as she looked away, and she exhaled slowly, obviously seeking some inner calm, before slowly turning back toward him. She stepped forward and looked into his eyes. “Will you kiss me? Please?”

  “What?” His heart stopped beating in his chest, and the warmth in his body seemed to flutter away. “Will I kiss you? Meredith?”

  She turned away, and he knew why...because of his father’s identity.

  “Meredith, I thought better of you than that.” Chowd’s hoarse words escaped while his heart shriveled in his chest, and he stood, stepping back toward the door.

  “Please...don’t go.” Her words were almost silent, and he strained to hear her.

  The crushing pain weighed down on him. She would laugh behind his back—never to his face, he knew that wasn’t her way. No doubt she would think it funny, that she thought he would laugh along with her, but right now, it didn’t seem quite so humorous.

  “I need to leave.” Chowd reached his hand toward the palm reader as her soft hand reached out to him.

  “No, please. Chowd. Please kiss me.”

  Her pleading stopped him in his tracks for an instant. Then Chowd turned, ready to share his distaste at her request, but her face had paled, a tear shimmered on her eyelash, and he felt a responding squeeze in the region of his heart.

  “Don’t cry, Meredith.” Chowd took one step then another until finally they stood so close together he could feel her breath. He wanted to open his arms and enfold her in them, and he clenched his fist against the urgent pull that told him to claim her.

  “It wasn’t inappropriate, Chowd. We could die anytime, now that we are going to be shepherding the ambassador, and I refuse to die without kissing you, at least once.”

  He closed his eyes at her husky words. Dear stars! How he wanted to kiss her, but he needed distance. “Meredith, we’ll come through this, and you’ll laugh at your thoughts one day.”

  He heard movement but reacted too slowly to escape the soft lips that met his. So sweet and so warm. The thought flashed through his brain before it shut down with sensory overload. They felt pliant and opened over his as he moaned. The pressure in his chest exploded with his tenuous control, and his arms moved around her, crushing her to his body.

  At last! His body cried out at the feel of her soft curves against his chest, and he opened his mouth slightly to feel a tentative flick against his lips before her tongue dipped into his mouth.

  His body electrified at the feel of her. He opened his mouth wider. Never had he felt such emotions or sensations. His chest thudded harder than ever before.

  She pulled back. “Oh, Chowd! You do taste so good,” she whispered, and he sucked in a deep breath.

  “Barsha
! We shouldn’t be doing this. You’re—”

  “I am a woman who knows exactly what she wants.” He heard a touch of asperity in her words before her voice softened once more. “Chowd? I mean, you do find me attractive, right?” Her voice ended in a high squeak, and Chowd felt an instant of horror. That she didn’t think he wanted her amazed him.

  “Meredith. I’m not a man. I’m an alien hybrid. Nothing more than a—”

  She stopped his words with a soft finger across his lips. “No more than a what? You are an exceptional man. My brother describes you as loyal, strong, and caring. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.” This time her fierce words married with the glowing light he saw in her eyes. Once more she reached up, her hands now resting on his shoulders, and she moved closer.

  He closed his eyes, waiting for the pleasure to once more fill him. He was almost ready for the shock of her lips across his, slanting and soft, while her tongue invaded more forcefully this time. Stars! He held her close, luxuriating in the silken feel of her mouth, tentatively allowing his tongue to touch hers and groaning into her mouth, pulling her closer.

  They pulled away, their chests heaving for oxygen. He wanted her so badly his entire body ached. But they had work to do. He wanted to shake his head, to clear away the fog that invaded his brain and wouldn’t allow his body to move. He couldn’t show weakness now; otherwise, Eshra help him, he’d start stripping the clothes off her and finding out the joys of loving this amazingly strong woman. But then, neither of them agreed to that or could even remotely call themselves ready for that, he suspected. Not yet.

  Chowd stepped back. “I won’t apologize for that, because you wanted it as much as I did.” He smiled, knowing that she had wanted to kiss him. After all, she initiated it. “But we don’t have time for any of this. Our priority must be our mission.” He let the words trail away.