Chapter Four
MANDY FELT HEATED as she made her way inside. Sitting so close to Zehn, feeling his regard like an actual caress, turned her inside out. She’d felt lust before. Heck, she’d first had sex the day she’d turned sixteen, curious to see if it would interfere with her power. It hadn’t been great, and she’d been in no danger of losing control. But her first orgasm had been a lesson in how quickly her fire could burn.
Since then, she’d had an occasional lover, but no one who’d cared for her. Only men her parents, then her owners, had provided so that their “weapon” remained balanced. The moment she’d learned her past lovers had been bought and paid for, she’d stopped engaging.
Even so, sex had been a pleasant, if not memorable, diversion. She’d sure as heck never experienced an orgasm from seeing other people do it. And certainly not from watching two men. Watching a woman and man go at it, she could pretend she was the woman. But she didn’t have a man’s equipment, so seeing them have sex shouldn’t have titillated her. Yet it had, to the point she’d climaxed.
And without setting fire to anything. She had no idea what to make of that.
Natla whistled. “Don’t you look introspective. So what happened with you and the sexy barbarian?” She lowered her voice. “Did you happen to get a quickie in? It’s private out there behind the tree.”
“Natla.” Mandy blushed. “Stop. No, we just talked. He was…nice.”
He’d flattered her, listened to her, and shocked her by seeming to know more about her than that she had a nice rack. For all his barbaric trappings—good Lord, did the man even own a shirt?—he’d been a perfect gentleman. Though he’d looked at her as if he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and take her someplace private, he’d been sweet with his compliments, honest with his intention.
Andgood night, but that invitation to watch him again. She was seriously tempted to do it.
“You know,” Natla said. “We should—” A tall human man walked through the side entrance. “Hold that thought.” She turned to the man and upped the wattage of her smile. “Hello. How may I help you?”
He blinked at her, obviously fighting the attraction to a Venetian woman in her prime. The man wasn’t wearing a staff uniform of linen khakis and a sleeveless tunic. He must have been new.
“If you could give me your name, I’ll look up your sizes and we’ll get you some uniforms,” she said gently, aware of Natla’s impact on human men.
Showing a strength of mind, he shook himself free of Natla’s beauty. “Sorry about that.” He smiled but didn’t meet Natla’s gaze. Instead, he turned to Mandy. “Well, hello there.” His smile widened. “Are you Mandy Jacobs?”
She didn’t know why her name mattered. And she didn’t like it. He was human, large, and held himself with a guarded purpose. Could Red have sent him? But all the way out here? She was at least four galaxies away from Earth, a planet she couldn’t possibly have escaped from. Surely Red had to still be looking for her on Earth.
“I am. Can I help you?” she asked, polite yet cautious.
“Yes. Jaokkin told me all about you. Said you were a sweetie who’d hook me up.” She didn’t know a Jaokkin. He leaned closer, and she stood stock still, not liking the way he focused on her chest. The man had dark blue eyes, chiseled features, and large hands. She didn’t recognize him as one of Red’s guys, but that meant nothing. Red had often hired out for jobs. Something about him seemed familiar though…
“Sir, what’s your name?”
“Call me Mike.”
“Your full name, Mike. So I can look you up in our system.”
He reached across the counter and grabbed her wrist before she could blink. Then he jerked her toward him, holding her a breath away, his hold on her wrist crushing. Mandy tugged, but her arm didn’t budge. She concentrated to keep herself contained, to stick to the script. She was Mandy Jacobs, a plain little Earther wanting to expand her horizons in a foreign land. Not Mandy Everett, a human weapon gone missing from a major crime syndicate with connections far reaching on and off the planet.
“Hey, let her go,” Natla said.
He ignored her, smiling at Mandy. “I’m not in your system, honey, but I’d like to be.” He released her with a gentleness that didn’t wipe away the sting of his bruising grip. “Oh, yeah. I’d just love to feel your fire.” His dark grin scared the heck out of her, because she felt a power not her own vibrating in the air between them.
Natla must have signaled for help, because Franklin arrived through the south entrance at the same time Zehn stepped in from the north side.
Zehn took one look at the male and seemed ready to pounce. “What goes on here?”
“Just me and the lady talking, asshole. Not your problem. Mandy and I are old friends.”
Zehn’s gaze shot to the wrist Mandy was rubbing. The rage in his eyes was impossible to miss. “Mandy, are you all right?”
She nodded, found it hard to swallow around her fear, but managed. “Mike is mistaken. I don’t know him. And yes, I’m fine.”
“Good.” Zehn took two steps toward the male and looked down at him, which seemed to bother Mike No-Last-Name. Then he lifted Mike by his throat, his large hand capable of crushing the man’s windpipe.
Natla gasped. Franklin started sputtering apologies while demanding Zehn lower the VIP to the ground.
“Touch her again and I’ll crush your throat. Then I’ll rip off your head.” Zehn brought the male closer, ignoring Mike’s struggles as he clawed at Zehn’s arm. “I’ll snap you in half. Understand?” He shook Mike, whose face was starting to turn purple.
