“Yes.”
“What about…?” She turned in a circle again. “Is there a bed?”
“Yes.” He pointed. “It’s in that wall. To activate it, just say lower bed.”
“Lower bed,” she parroted.
A bed that was as wide as a king-sized bed back home, but longer, folded out of the wall. Thin mechanical arms that held the covers and pillows in place retracted as soon as the bed was horizontal.
Eliana studied the massive piece of furniture, then arched a brow at Dagon. “Do you think it’s big enough?”
“For someone my size? Yes.”
Some imp inside made her wink. “I’m going to tuck that tidbit away for future reference.” Oh crap. She did not just say that!
Before he could respond, she took three steps and leaped toward the bed. Spinning in midair, she landed on her back, arms and legs splayed.
“Ahhhh,” she breathed. “It’s as comfortable as it looks.” Not too hard. Not too soft. Just perfect. Linking her fingers, she tucked them behind her head and crossed her ankles.
Amusement once more stretched Dagon’s lips in a smile that resurrected the warm tingly feelings his touch always inspired. And she couldn’t help but notice that the bed beneath her was definitely big enough for two.
A mental image formed of him prowling toward her, climbing onto the bed and caging her between his arms as he lowered his large, muscled body atop hers.
Desire slithered through her, but she resolutely tamped it down. What the hell was wrong with her?
Dagon smiled. “I’m glad it’s to your liking.”
What was: the bed or his body?
“I’ll leave now so you can rest.”
Swiveling, he pressed his palm to the panel and opened the door.
“Hey, Dagon?” she called softly.
He glanced over his shoulder.
Sitting up, she sent him a smile. “Thank you.” When he turned back to face her, she gave in to impulse, scooted off the bed, closed the distance between them, and wrapped him in another hug. “For everything.”
He slid his arms around her and held her close.
Damn, it felt good.
A long moment passed. Then she forced herself to release him and backed away with a smile. “Good night.”
He smiled. “Good night, Eliana.”
The next day, Dagon stood beside Galen’s console as the navigations officer pulled up the map he’d requested.
“We found Eliana here.” Galen pointed to the hologram. “The Soturi found the empty pod here. And these are the coordinates of the other pods Alliance members have recovered.”
Multiple green dots flared to life on the diagram, all astoundingly far apart.
Dagon shook his head. “That’s a srul of a large field to search.”
Galen nodded. “And the pods will run out of life support in approximately thirty Segonian days.”
“No stations or satellites have picked up stray signals?”
“A few, but not from any of the pods that contain Earth women. Every member of the Alliance is scanning for signals.”
Dagon looked at Janek.
His comms officer nodded. “I’ve heard nothing yet but will continue searching.”
Galen proceeded to display the location of every Alliance member’s ship.
“What’s this one?” Dagon pointed to a gray dot.
“The Akseli pirate, Janwar.”
Janek frowned. “Why is he heading out here?”
“To search like the rest of us,” Galen said with a shrug.
Dagon stared at the dot. Tiran had told him the notorious Akseli pirate was the one who had rescued Prince Taelon and his lifemate, which had come as something of a shock. Janwar wasn’t a member of the Aldebarian Alliance. He was, in fact, scorned by most members. Because he was a pirate. One who frequently operated outside the law. “Janwar is the one who found Prince Taelon and his Earthling lifemate,” he murmured. “But he just delivered them to Lasara. How did he travel so far from there in such a short time?” Particularly with one of the qhov’rums still damaged.
Rahmik joined them. “Rumor has it he has a new ship with technology so advanced that its speed cannot be matched.”
“How did he manage that?”
Janek grunted. “He’s a pirate.”
Rahmik shrugged. “Even so, Prince Taelon now considers him an ally.”
“And he has apparently joined the search-and-rescue effort,” Dagon commented.
“Yes.” Rahmik nodded at the map. “Maybe he thinks the Lasaran sovereigns will reward him well if he rescues more survivors.”
“Or perhaps he intends to ransom them,” Janek muttered.
Dagon shook his head. “Not if he wishes to remain in Prince Taelon’s good graces.” The Lasaran royal family held a lot of sway even among nations like the Akseli, who were not members of the Alliance, something that could prove useful to the rebel-turned-pirate.
The Akseli government had placed an impressively large bounty on Janwar’s head, but thus far no one had attempted to claim it. Tales of the Akseli pirate’s cruelty to those who crossed him abounded. But Dagon had always believed one should judge a man not according to rumor or hearsay but according to his actions. And the man’s actions had all been aboveboard when the two of them crossed paths.
“I met him once.”
Galen looked at him in surprise. “You did?”
Dagon nodded. “The Earth women will fare far better in his hands than they would in the hands of the Gathendiens, so I hope his search will prove fruitful.” And wished he could get his hands on whatever technology Janwar had acquired that bestowed upon his ship such astonishing speed.
“As you were,” Dagon murmured. Returning to his chair, he sank down in it and reached for his data pad. He was just beginning to read through each division’s night shift reports when the bridge access door rose to reveal Eliana.
Staring up at the slot into which the door had vanished, she grinned. “Ha! Take that, Adaos.”
Several crewmen chuckled.
Eliana tossed them all a wave. “Hi, guys.”
All returned her abbreviated greeting.
Smiling, she strolled toward Dagon, her swaying hips once more drawing his gaze. “I shouldn’t tease Adaos. He’s been really nice to me, considering.”
Galen snorted a laugh. “Considering you knocked him on his ass while you were a hair away from death?”
More laughter erupted.
“Hey,” she said, “don’t be so quick to laugh. I can knock every man here on his ass and would be happy to demonstrate it once I’m ready to spar with you.”
The amusement that lit the men’s expressions clearly expressed their disbelief, but Eliana seemed to take no offense.
Dagon rose as she approached him.
Still smiling, she stopped and tilted her head back to smile up at him. “Hi there.”
“Hello. How did you sleep?”
“Very well, thank you.” She motioned to the tablet he held. “Am I interrupting anything?”
He shook his head. “Just catching up on the night shift’s reports.”
“Any updates on the search for survivors?”
He nodded. “More Lasarans have been rescued.”