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Chapter 4

“Are you sure Ash isfit enough for this job?” Daisy stepped off the ramp of the small cruiser they’d be using for their mission. “I could always loan you Rexx. He gets grumpy if he doesn’t do something dangerous at least once a week.”

Georgia grinned as Rexx grunted his response and shook her head. “There’s no need to loan me your action alien. Ash was healing fine when I saw him last night.”

Daisy waggled her eyebrows and nudged Eden, who’d just arrived in the docking bay. “You don’t say? What were you doing meeting with Ash late at night?”

“As if we can’t guess?” Eden laughed. “You go for it. He’s great. He’s got the scary alien killer vibe going on with his scars. I like it.”

“Not as much as you like me.” Blaze marched around the ship and caught her in his arms before planting a kiss on her lips.

“Put me down, you brute.” Eden giggled and squirmed. “These Apexians never know when to quit. And they’re so handsy. I love it!”

“I’m never quitting on you.” Blaze continued to kiss Eden until she gave up fighting and wrapped her arms around him with a contented sigh.

Georgia looked away. Public displays of affection weren’t her thing. But at least their make-out session took the heat off her. She needed to be more discreet when hooking up with Ash. This ship was claustrophobic at times, and gossip shot around it like an out-of-control bush fire on a blazing hot day.

Daisy sidled over to her.

Uh, oh! Georgia knew that expression. She was in for a grilling, Daisy style. She may look cute, but she was a brutal interrogator, especially when it came to relationships.

Georgia tried a diversion. “I wanted to run this mission solo. It’s just recon and reporting back. I won’t engage any enemy.”

“Uh, huh! So, you and Ash? Is it official?”

She huffed out her displeasure. That had been an epic fail on the diversion front. “Nope. Unless you mean us working together. That’s official. And Cleo’s made it clear I won’t get solo missions, no matter how many times I ask, so I’m stuck with him.”

“Good. I mean, not about you and Ash, you should go there. But you should never go on a mission alone. And why would you when we have Apexians by our sides? I never want to go anywhere without Rexx looking out for me.”

“Not that he’d give you much of a choice on that,” Georgia said. Rexx used to be a killing machine. He breathed violence and rage. That was until he partnered with Daisy. She’d softened him up and turned him into a hulking great teddy bear who smiled way more than he used to. And all because Daisy loved him. Okay, he still cracked heads when he had to, but he did it for a reason.

“I have choices. I always choose Rexx. And you should choose Ash. He’s an awesome guy.”

Georgia shrugged. She wasn’t going along the route of falling for the warrior assigned to protect her. She wouldn’t be like Daisy and Rexx. Although they were super cute, and they were even talking about having children. Jeez! That was terrifying. If Rexx wasn’t uber protective enough already, he’d go to another level when there was a mini Daisy toddling about.

“Do you care to comment?” Daisy jabbed a finger in her ribs.

“No. I’m mission focused. I’ll comment on that if you like.”

“Maybe you should be Ash focused.”

“I am when we’re working together. We always have each other’s backs.”

“And fronts if the rumors are true.” Daisy leaned closer. “Are they true?”

“Where are your cats? They usually hang out wherever you are.” Heat flared up Georgia’s neck. Of course, people were talking about them. If ELVIS had noticed her creeping to Ash’s room, other people would have done too.

Daisy pursed her lips. “Asshole is looking after them. He’s taken them below deck to hunt for rodents. Not that there are any. Or there won’t be when Asshole and my babies find them.”

Georgia let out a quiet sigh. Maybe they’d finally moved on from Ash. Daisy adored those cats and was always talking about them. She’d rescued them during a mission, and Rexx’s bruiser of a tom cat, Asshole, had turned paternal and marched them around like they were his sires. It was hell of a cute.

Daisy leaned back against the ship. “I’m interested in your well-being. Is Ash treating you well?”

“Quit hassling me.” Georgia turned away, but Daisy grabbed her arm. If it was anyone else grabbing her like that, she’d have gotten mean, but Daisy was too cute to be angry with for more than a second.

“I’m not hassling you. I’m concerned. You’re never off duty. It’s not a crime to have fun now and again.”

“None of us should be off duty. There’s more work than we can handle. I’ve been on Cleo to get more crew. She keeps saying she’s working on it.”