“Now wait just a damn minute,” she stormed behind him.
“I’m not going to argue about this. Sit down and strap in.”
“The hell I will!”
Her defiance sent a wave of anger through him. “You will, or I’ll put you there myself.”
Drake unstrapped himself and stood, staring down at his pint-sized adversary. She’d crossed her arms in front of her, causing her breasts to swell enticingly and peek over the neckline of her sweater.
“I can’t even take you seriously in that get-up,” she said.
His eyes widened. Was she talking about his human disguise? A thrill went through him at the thought that she preferred him in his real form. At that moment he wished he could rip off the suit and take her where she stood.
Getting himself under control, he pointed to the nearest station. “Sit.”
“No.”
“Jamie this isn’t the time for games. I’m taking you home.”
“I’m not leaving!” Jamie grabbed his arm. “You can’t just run off on some mission that will get you killed. You said you were going to help get my sister back. If you leave to invade the enemy base and never come back, then I’ll have lost my only chance to see Sylvie again.”
Drake stiffened. For a moment he’d thought her concern was for him. But, of course, she was worried about getting her sister back.
“Dr. Cohen is safe on Zanthar. My brother would never let anything happen to her.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s not good enough. Take me to her.”
The fantasy of taking Jamie to his home world was almost irresistible. To see her among the waves that were the same color as her eyes would be remarkable.
Almost irresistible. Almost.
“I can’t,” he said. “There’s no time.”
Jamie’s eyes burned. “That’s bullshit. I know how fast this ship goes.”
She couldn’t know about his real reason for haste: accomplishing his mission before the frenzy killed him. “Zanthar’s been infiltrated by the Hareema before, and there’s every reason to believe shape-shifters still roam my planet. I can’t risk them getting wind of my plan. You’re going home.”
She shook her head. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
Drake didn’t know how she was able to read him, even through the falseness of his disguise. He chalked it up to his emotional volatility brought on by the frenzy.
Jamie put her hands on his shoulder. “We have to talk about this, and I can’t stand talking to this fake you. Please, take the suit off and explain what’s going on to me.”
Take the suit off. As if it were that easy.
Still, her words had an insane pull on him. He wanted to strip himself, to reveal himself to his mate and have her accept him. All of him.
“Jamie,” he said, couching his voice low, hoping to convey a tone of calm he didn’t feel, “You have to trust me. This is the only chance I have.”
She put her hands over her ears. “I’m not listening until you take that ridiculous thing off.”
Her childishness caused an answering chord to resonate inside him. He grabbed her, pulling her close. “Knock it off.”
“La la la la!” she said, closing her eyes and leaning away from him.
“Jamie!” he shouted, barely resisting the urge to shake her. “Quit screwing around!”
“I’m not the one refusing to reveal himself. Refusing to help after he’d promised me.”
