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  They had exactly two non-professional conversations. One, a brief twenty minutes during which she dragged out of him that he had a degree in archeology and hated beets. The other when he found her in the sitting room staring at a newscast.

  The riot in Capital, in the business district, captured her focus so fully, she didn’t even hear Alex come into the room. A group advocating Shifter exterminations met a group against them across a line of Guards. The shouting and yelling escalated to throwing debris over the Guards’ heads, to throwing mini-fire bombs, to an all out riot. Three people killed, twenty injured, rioting spreading throughout the district.

  She hugged herself and wondered if her work would help the situation or make it worse.

  “Are you okay?” Alex said as he stepped into her peripheral vision.

  She shrugged.

  “What’s happened?”

  “Riot in Capital. More rumors the Shifters communicate via telephathy.”

  She faced Alex to ask what he thought, but the expression on his face surprised her. “You’re upset. Why?” she asked. He rarely showed more than a calm, capable façade. At the moment, he looked . . . mad? “The riots or the telepathy?”

  His eyebrows rose a little, as if surprised she’d picked up on his mood. She didn’t want to admit she’d been watching him that closely. But every time they were in the same room, every time his deep voice reverberated across her nerves, she found she couldn’t look away, despite her best efforts.

  She refused to make a fool of herself just because his voice made her knees weak. But that hadn’t stopped her from studying his every expression. Or imagining what that tempting mouth of his might feel like against her skin.

  After a few more minutes of watching the newscast, he finally answered her question. “Telepathy.” He shook his head. “I can’t imagine anything more disturbing or invasive. Would you want a dangerous animal to be able to read your thoughts?” There was something like fear in his voice. He shrugged and his expression lightened as he turned from the screen to face her. “At least they can’t understand what we’re thinking. That’d be worse, having your thoughts read by someone who could actually understand.”

  She bit her lip to keep from saying anything else. Fear as much as professional caution keeping her silent.

  As she studied him, she wondered if he’d ever worked a case involving the Shifters, if there was anything personal in his views. But she didn’t ask. She was afraid she wouldn’t like the answer.

  He left a minute later with a slight nod, and Gina found herself alone again, wanting to trail after him. She focused on the screen instead.

  Alex paused just outside the door and looked back in at Gina. He had things to do, to make sure she’d be safe after he left. But she was like a siren, her mere presence almost impossible for him to resist.

  The look on her face, that concerned, lost expression tapped his protective instincts mercilessly, urging him to hold and comfort. That urge was causing him as much trouble as the urge to push her against the nearest wall and kiss her until she was breathless.

  Since they arrived in the Sapphire Mountains, he’d been trying to avoid too many personal conversations with her. The last thing he needed was to get too know her any better right now, to solidify how much he liked and admired her. She captivated him. Such intelligence and such a temper all wrapped into a sexy, sleek body.

  She kept trying to pick fights with him. He knew it was because she was scared and attempting to distract herself. Her efforts amused him so much, he kept looking for ways to irritate her so he could watch that spark of fire rise. He never took up her challenge and lost his cool, but he found himself thoroughly enjoying her frustration. He was more than happy to be her distraction. Though, if he had his way, he’d choose a different method of distraction—activities involving naked skin and a large, soft mattress.

  Unfortunately, he couldn’t indulge those urges, at least not until after they finished this job. A month had never felt like such an excruciatingly long time in his entire life. And that included the month he’d spent in a Binnean prison during his more . . . misguided youth.

  They had to uncover the person threatening her life soon. He wasn’t sure how long his control would hold out against his rising needs. As it was, Alex was following Gina around the compound like a fucking dog in heat. And Nate was getting pissed. He couldn’t blame the man. He’d be pretty ticked off too if Nathan suddenly started panting after one of their clients, risking everyone’s safety because he couldn’t control his dick. There was a reason for their rule. And Alex had been the one to insist on it when they first formed their business partnership all those years ago.

  Yet, as he stared at Gina while she watched the continuing riot news, Alex had to forcibly stop himself when he took a step back into the sitting room, back toward her.

  With a silent curse, he stalked to the control room.

  Nate looked up when he entered, and his slight frown turned into a full blown scowl. “Alex, you need to stay the fuck away from her.”

  “There’s a riot in Capital,” Alex said in an attempt to avoid another one of these conversations. He’d had to suffer through Nathan’s scowls and lectures enough already. Even if the man was right, Alex didn’t have to take the reminders gracefully.

  “Anything that will affect us?” Nate asked.

  “It was over the Shifters—supporter against haters. Rumors the Shifters communicate via telepathy still causing chaos. It shouldn’t impact this job.”

  Nathan nodded, looking thoughtful.

  And because it took his mind off Gina and Nathan’s off the trouble Alex was in, Alex said, “Would suck if the telepathy part turned out to be true.” He sat at the nearest console and pulled up some of the complex schematics, triple checking the locks that guarded the escape tunnels running underneath the house.

  “Not sure what that has to do with us.”

  “You like the idea of someone reading your thoughts?”

  Nate shrugged. “No. But I’ve got other things to worry about. I’m not really concerned with the Shifter issue.”

  Alex raised a brow. He knew that was a load of shit. But Nathan had been spouting that same line since they’d met in college, and Alex never pushed him or the topic. If Nathan wanted to deny his ties to the Farseakers, especially after the most recent issue with Kira Farseaker, Alex couldn’t blame him. He’d put a lot of his own past behind him when he started working as a mercenary, a life and a negligently disinterested family he was better off without. He wouldn’t deny his partner the same option.

  “Still,” he said, “the thought of something being able to see into my head that way…” He hated the idea. On a very visceral level. The one place he had complete privacy was his thoughts. Someone or something being able to breech that privacy turned his stomach. “Sounds pretty fucking invasive.”

  “Especially with where your thoughts have been,” Nate muttered.

  “Shut the fuck up.”

  Nate raised a brow, and Alex ignored him to stare down at the three-dimensional image of the complex floating above the console in front of him. Neither of them spoke much for the next few hours.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The next afternoon, the two men left. As Nathan packed up their gear, Alex pulled Gina aside for another lecture. She tried hard not to roll her eyes, but his tone set her teeth on edge.

  “You really need to stop talking to me like I’m a child,” she said, interrupting his list of safety rules. “I’m probably one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet.”

  She was only half-teasing, still trying to get some sort of reaction from him. She was restless and nervous at being left alone in the middle of nowhere with only a few droids for company. And despite herself, she kept looking for a fight to defuse the tension. Since he wasn’t cooperating, her irritation hadn’t had a single outlet.

  “I know you’re smart,” he said. Suddenly that deep voice was serious, and somehow far more intimate tha
n before. “I also know you’re strong. But I don’t want anything happening to you. So you’ll follow our rules while we’re gone.”

  “Of course I will.” She licked her lips and started to say something snarky but stopped when his gaze dropped to her mouth. The look was brief, but full of an intensity she hadn’t seen from him before. Her heartbeat kicked up. She might have imagined the heat in his eyes. But she didn’t think so. And for a breathless instant, she thought she’d finally broken through his professional distance.

  “Here, I want you to wear this while we’re gone,” he said, breaking the spell.

  She was both disappointed and relieved as the moment of potential passed and he eased back behind his neutral mask. She was toying with disaster, trying to get this man to react to her. It wasn’t like her to play these games. But something about Alex pushed every button she had, and she couldn’t seem to help herself.

  He handed her a small gadget that was roughly the size, shape, and style of a wristwatch, but the face was blank.

  “What’s this?” she asked, staring at the little devise.

  “A panic alarm. There’s a guard nearby, if something happens. Just hit that and he’ll get here to help.”

  “Who is he? And why isn’t he going to stay inside the house? There’s plenty of room.”

  Alex’s expression was impossible to read when he said, “He has a better vantage from outside the complex. Don’t worry, he’s a close associate. I trust him.”

  She stared at the panic alarm, believing Alex and trusting him, despite how little time they’d spent together. But the alarm was another reminder of the death threat hanging over her. She’d been working hard not to think about that threat. Now a trickle of fear eased through her. The weakness embarrassed her as much as the way she was acting around Alex, so she tried to keep her reaction to herself.

  But Alex must have noticed something. He reached out and touched her shoulder lightly. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Gina. You can count on that.”

  She took a breath and let it out slowly, as a shiver crawled up her spine. She met his gaze and forced a smile. “I’m going to be bored out of my mind without anyone around and with no work to do,” she said in an attempt to sound normal.

  A very slight smile curved his lips. “I’m sure you’ll find something interesting to think about while I’m gone. You’ll have to tell me all about it when I get back.” He nodded a farewell and disappeared down the corridor.

  Leaving Gina once again wondering if he was just being nice or had he actually meant something more by that parting shot.

  Alex had never had such a hard time walking away from anyone before. He wanted to turn back, to give her something to think about while he was away, the kind of kiss that would keep them both anxious for their next meeting.

  He didn’t.

  He couldn’t.

  So, he continued out the airlock into the thankfully freezing weather and headed to his ship, not so much as looking back to see if she watched them leave.

  He didn’t speak to Nathan either as they readied the ship and Alex got them into the air, back toward Capital and the source of the threats against Gina. He was afraid his partner would hear more than he wanted to reveal if he so much as opened his mouth. So they returned to the city in silence.

  The next few days were agonizing. They did everything they could to track and flush out the culprit. And they kept coming up against some serious blocks. Which meant whoever it was, they were a person in power. That didn’t bode well. People in power typically wanted to remain in power and wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever it took to stay there.

  On the third day of futile searching, Alex paced the length of his office while Nate sprawled on the long leather couch. He’d always liked this room with its deep colors, soft leather furniture, and lack of clutter. But right now, it felt like a cage keeping him from returning to Gina.

  “You know what we have to do,” Nathan stated.

  Alex ignored the comment. He knew Nathan was right. But he didn’t like it. “Have you been in touch with Bin’Ral?”

  “All’s quiet at the house. No sign anyone has tracked it.”

  “Good.”

  “That doesn’t solve our current problem, Alex. We’ve been at this long enough to recognize the signs.”

  Alex grunted, a noncommittal noise to give himself time to think of an alternative plan. Anything else. But Nate was right. They’d come up against the kind of blocks and walls only serious money could buy. Whoever they were after was powerful, wealthy, and perfectly capable of hiding behind those resources indefinitely. They hadn’t even had any luck flushing out the mole on Gina’s team.

  They weren’t going to find the ultimate threat if they couldn’t even flush out the smaller threat within Gina’s team.

  But they had bait to bring at least one of the bad guys into the open.

  “Her father won’t approve this plan, Nate,” Alex said as he continued to stalk the length of his office, passing in front of the couch without looking at his partner.

  “Her father doesn’t need to know this part. We do this, though, and we can get our hands on someone with information. We don’t, we’ll be spinning our wheels for the next three weeks, and getting nowhere. You know it. We’ve seen these kinds of blocks before.”

  Taking a deep breath, Alex admitted the truth. “You’re right. But part of our job is to protect her. We have to be on sight by mid-day tomorrow.” That was the only part of the plan that didn’t make Alex’s instincts rebel. By doing this, he’d get back to Gina sooner.

  He’d been thinking about her constantly since they left the safe house. She’d invaded his dreams and haunted his days. And more than once he’d considered taking over for BinRal, being the one to stay in the mountains and protect her while the Binnean and Nathan hunted down the threat. Doing what they needed to do would allow him what he most wanted without Nate accusing him of going soft. It really was the best solution. Their only solution. And it would end the threat to her life that much sooner.

  Everything about the plan should have made Alex happy. But it put Gina in danger. And that part still grated against his every nerve.

  “Well?” Nathan asked, waiting for Alex’s decision.

  “Set it up. I’ll get our gear together for the return.”

  Nate stood and put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “You know this is the best plan, right? This will stop the threat quicker and get her out of danger.”

  “Yeah. I still hate it.”

  ***

  Alex stood around a corner, watching Gina stalk the corridor between her bedroom and the library. His heart beat faster as he watched those long legs pace. Forcing his gaze up, he saw frustration pursing her perfect, full lips and wanted to kiss away her agitation. He’d only been away from her for four days. Yet she was the best thing he’d ever seen in his life.

  She tugged at the hem of the oversized sweater she wore. His sweater. He hadn’t even remembered leaving it here, and he had no idea where she had found it. But the fact that she was wearing a piece of his clothing made his more primitive self growl with approval. She looked good in his clothes.

  She’d look better naked.

  The weave of the sweater wasn’t particularly loose, he couldn’t actually see through it. But the soft cream color gave the illusion of skin visible beneath. And all he could think about was stripping that sweater up over her head and baring all that delectable skin. He wanted to taste her so bad . . . the thought of it kept him rooted to his spot in the corridor, doing nothing but watching her. Because if he went to her at that very moment, he wouldn’t be able to control his reaction. There was still danger. They still had a job to do. She wasn’t safe yet.

  But he wanted her so damned much he couldn’t think about anything else.

  She tossed her hair and grunted in irritation, a gesture that made him smile. What was she thinking about? What had her so restless? Boredom probably played some part in her frustration
. But he hoped there was more to it, like she’d been thinking about him as much as he’d been thinking about her. If she had been, he’d be more than happy to alleviate her boredom.

  Once the job is done, his conscious reminded him. Until the job was done, hands off. If Nate’s plan worked, this job would be finished soon. Then all bets were off. And then he intended to make good on his personal plans for her.

  Another minute passed before he gave in to his need to get closer to her. The reminder of the job at hand gave him some measure of control over his desires. He could approach her now without stripping her naked. Probably.

  He stalked out of his hiding spot just as she turned her back to him, resuming the circuit toward her bedroom. The move gave him a lovely view of her perfect ass. Suppressing a groan, he decided he would probably never have complete control where this woman was concerned.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Gina paced the length of the corridor between her bedroom and the library. She was as restless and bored as she’d warned Alex she’d be. She wanted to work, used to the concentration it took to unravel the biotechnological problems she and her team of engineers struggled with every day. Without that focus, her usually busy brain turned into a bastion of completely inappropriate thoughts about Alex, and she couldn’t find anything to distract her attention long enough to hold those musings at bay.

  She’d tried reading, watching movies, she’d even started checking on the weather reports four or five times a day. Nothing helped. Her boredom always circled her imagination back to the big mercenary with the sexy voice and wouldn’t let her forget about him for long.

  When her thoughts did turn elsewhere, unfortunately it was to remembered details of the death threat against her. So, of course, in her efforts not to dwell on that topic, her mind returned to more pleasant but equally dangerous fantasies of Alex.