Simone sighed. “Those assholes on the ship that was taking her to the base kept her in a room so small she could barely stretch out in it when she lay on the floor. It’s why she spends so much time in the park. Kova said the vast openness of it helps her.”
Janwar dipped his head and nuzzled her neck. “Then she can remain with us for as long as she wishes.”
Turning her head, Simone brushed his lips with a kiss, feather-light at first, then deeper and more ardent. “How did I get to be so damn lucky?” she whispered. Her body brushing his, coupled with the touch of her lips and stroke of her tongue, sent heat racing through him.
Janwar pressed her even tighter, aligning their hips. “Hmm?” He buried his face in the long hair she’d left loose tonight, loving her scent. Even a scleruvian aphrodisiac couldn’t affect him as strongly.
“I ventured into space to watch over my friends while they fell in love and ended up falling in love myself instead.”
Raising his head, he met her gaze and found glowing amber eyes assessing him.
“I love you, Janwar. More every day.”
Joy filled him as it always did when she spoke those words. “I love you, Simone.”
She claimed another scorching kiss, then gave his chest a little pat. “Now back your handsome ass up so I can tackle you to the bed.”
Laughing, he took a few steps backward, taking her with him.
But a package resting atop the covers drew her attention.
“What’s that?” Releasing him, she picked it up.
“A gift.”
Her smile stretched as her features lit with pleasure. “For me?”
He nodded.
“Awww. Thank you.” She gave him a quick kiss. “Wait. It is from you, isn’t it?”
He laughed. “Yes.”
“Awww. Thank you,” she repeated and kissed him again before eagerly tearing into the package.
A shirt fell out. Puzzled, she grabbed it by the shoulders and held it up for inspection. Her eyes widened. A huge grin blossomed. Splashed across the chest was an image of Simone riding the Dotharian with the words Simone the Dotharian Conqueror scrawled above it in Earth English.
“I love it!” she shouted with glee. “It’s perfect! You are so freaking awesome!” Still clinging to the shirt with one hand, she drew him down for a more exuberant kiss. “I am so wearing this while we make love.”
“Oh no, you’re not.” Janwar grabbed the shirt and tossed it on the bedside table. When she laughed and lunged for it, he growled and looped his arms around her waist, lifting her off her feet. “You aren’t wearing anything.” He kissed her long and hard, his body already burning for her. By the time he lifted his lips, both were breathless and eager for more. “Beginning in two minutes.”
She nodded. “Let’s make it one. I’ll just have to wear the shirt tomorrow.”
Grinning, Janwar fell back on the bed with her.
EPILOGUE
“Commander Janwar.”
Janwar’s eyes flew open at the faint call.
He glanced down at Simone. Curled up beside him, she slept deeply with a hand on his chest and a thigh draped across his.
“Commander Janwar,” the low voice came again.
Reaching over, he grabbed his ear comm off the bedside table and inserted it. “T?” he said softly.
“Yes, commander. You have an urgent incoming communication.”
Frowning, Janwar carefully extricated himself from Simone’s pliant form and slipped out of bed.
“Did I wake Simone?” T asked.
He stared down at her.
Brow puckering, she slid a hand over the sheets, then rolled into the spot he’d occupied and sighed.
He smiled. “No. Give me a minute and send the communication to my office.”
“Yes, commander.”
Once he donned a loose shirt and pants, Janwar padded barefoot to his office.
A transparent panel hovering above his desk lit up as he sank into his chair.
Incoming Communication
Code 39712
Designation: Urgent
Frowning, he opened communications.
A familiar face filled the screen. The male’s features were Akseli, but his dark hair was cut short. A scar marred one cheek near his ear where he’d either cut or burned away the ident bar he’d been labeled with. A couple of thinner scars formed slashes beneath it to deter suspicion. Though the male was twenty or thirty solar orbits older than Janwar, they appeared to be the same age. Aside from the scars, Wonick hadn’t changed at all since the day Chancellor Astennuh had deemed Janwar and Krigara terrorists and sent Wonick and Savaas to bring them in for execution before they’d fled Aksel.
“Wonick? What’s up?”
The male glanced to one side as though ensuring none were listening.
Janwar had always found the cyborgs who had secretly escaped decommissioning—some with his aid—to be a somber lot. With good reason. If anyone discovered they’d survived, the Akseli cyborgs would be hunted as mercilessly as the Gathendiens now hunted Earthlings and would never know peace again.
But today, Wonick seemed anxious, his expression more animated than usual. “You told us to monitor every communication that passes through our sector and keep an ear out for any mention of Earthlings.”
Surprised, Janwar leaned forward. “Did you find something?”
“Yes. An Earth female in a Lasaran escape pod is headed our way.”
Excitement shot through him. Simone would be thrilled that another of her friends had survived. “Is she well?”
“Yes.” His face twisted in a scowl. “And very loud. If she doesn’t shut the drek up, she will attract every predator in the galaxy.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s broadcasting on every channel—every drekking channel, every drekking night, sometimes for hours at a time. And last night, she dared the drekking Gathendiens to try to capture her!”
That was a lot of dreks. And if Wonick weren’t trying to keep his voice down, Janwar suspected he would’ve bellowed the last.
Interesting. Wonick usually only got this worked up when they failed to rescue one of his fellow cyborgs or succeeded but found the cyborg in horrific condition.
“She did what?” Janwar asked belatedly.
“I told her not to. I warned her that the Gathendiens would kill her if they found her, and the female just laughed and said, They can try.”
“Wait. You’ve been talking to her?” As far as Janwar knew, he was the only one the cyborgs ever communicated with. Understandably paranoid, they kept their location and the fact that they still lived and breathed a secret from the rest of the galaxy.
Wonick clamped his lips together and seemed to wage an internal battle before admitting, “We’ve also been monitoring a Gathendien ship that will soon be close enough to pick up her transmissions. I had to warn her.”
“I’m surprised Savaas let you.”
Savaas was the self-proclaimed leader of the few remaining cyborgs. He had been one of the first soldiers to volunteer for the program. The first to survive the excruciating surgeries. The first to be touted as a success. And the first to refuse to obey orders when he’d been sent to kill Janwar and Krigara but chose to listen to them instead. Savaas had led the ensuing cyborg rebellion. And when the government had hurled so many soldiers at them that even cyborgs with their many enhancements couldn’t hope for victory, he had gotten as many off-planet as he could and led them into hiding.