Niklas frowned. “Something’s down in the chasm?”
Solomon nodded, and with Niklas’ assistance, got to his feet. “Yeah. There were shadows moving around. I couldn’t make out what they were, but I saw them…and heard some weird noises.”
Niklas stepped closer to the edge, his boots sending sand skittering over into the hole. Nera stepped up beside him.
“I don’t see anything,” he said.
She didn’t either, but that didn’t mean something wasn’t there.
Shouts and voices filled the air. They both turned and saw Avril, Agent Ryant, and a small team of Institute security agents, running down the hill.
“Institute arrives after all the action is over,” Nera said. “As always.”
Niklas put a hand on Jonas’ shoulder. “Come on, kid, let’s get you back to the ship and patched up.”
Nera watched Niklas help the young man up the slope. He was the complete opposite of Alexei Gunn. She’d always believed not getting involved in other people’s business was the best course of action. But Niklas and his brothers seemed to jump in where they shouldn’t all the time. All in order to do the right thing.
She followed the two men up the hill.
Nik pressedthe hail button beside Nera’s cabin door. He rubbed his ass where he’d gotten his latest anti-radiation injection. It appeared the antidote hurt a little more when used too closely together. He’d left Solomon confined to a bed in the medbay, where his broken ribs were knitting under the med scanner.
A few seconds later, the cabin door slid open and he stepped inside. It was a mirror image of his cabin. Spacious, compared to most ships its size. Nera stood in the center of the room, clad only in tight black leggings and a tight tank that showed off her toned arms. She was sparring with a spar-droid.
If the droid had been human, it would have been crying with pain by now.
Nik happily leaned against the wall to wait for her to finish. She was a pleasure to watch. She moved in such a smooth, liquid way, flowing into the fight like she’d been born doing it.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She bounced on the spot. “Yes.” Then she landed a vicious punch at the droid’s head. “Imagining my robotic friend here is Gunn, and I’m burning off the last of the adrenaline from our trip.”
“Gunn is scum,” Nik agreed.
“That’s one word to describe him.” She landed a front kick, making the droid rock.
He winced. “What’s eating you?”
“I’m like Gunn.”
That made Nik push himself away from the wall. As he neared her, she spun to face him. She smelled like warm, healthy perspiration. No fancy scents for Nera. A few strands of her platinum hair were stuck to her temples.
“You are nothing like Gunn.”
“Sorry to disappoint, but I look out for myself. Always.” Something moved through her eyes. She stepped closer until their chests bumped.
Nik made a scoffing noise. “That’s just what you let everyone think.” He leaned down until their noses briefly touched. “I saw you on your knees, digging through the sand to help me save Dathan. You gave me what my cousin needed to save an entireplanet. And all you’ve ever asked for is a few favors from me…which you’ve never called in.”
She rose up and bit his lip. “Maybe it’s time I called in one of those favors?”
God. Heat shot straight to his cock.
“How about we burn off the adrenaline another way?” she murmured.
So many temptations right there. Her colorful eyes seemed to swirl with heat. But he knew he wanted more. It almost killed him to force the word out. “No.”
She stiffened, as if he’d slapped her. “Years of dancing around this, and now you say no?” She turned away.
He grabbed her arm and yanked her back, his face an inch from hers. “Not like this. Not to shake off a bad moment, or to work out the excess hormones racing through your bloodstream.”
