A Stellar Affair (16 page)

“I don’t think we have a choice,” she told him. “I think we have to leave this planet.”

Taking his hand, she looked him in the eye as she shared her thoughts.

Jack flinched. “My God! The coordinates for the next attack are for Ryso!”

Chapter Thirteen

Roimiran ship, Ryso’s orbit

Ardra was free. She strode up to the ship’s foredeck and stood in front of the window, but her own reflection obscured part of the view.

“Welcome to the emergency escape ship, Miss Ardra Pierce,” she said aloud.

Although she spoke softly, her voice sounded harsh against the silence. At least that name felt right.
Mrs. Deimos
might sound good eventually, but for now she would stick with Pierce. She had been too quick to make the change the last time.

She sighed as she looked at the universe outside. There were transport ships and freighters framed in every window—refugees from the planet-wide evacuation. Several of Jack’s friends, including Terrah, were on board, and she knew more ships would soon follow. There was no way to know how the Tetch had learned about this planet in the first place, but now that they were aware of its existence, they were definitely coming.

Ardra watched the vessels as they were brought about, and then she stared at the planet beyond. Once again, she saw a sphere of blue and green and white, and for some reason she felt sad. She wanted to belong, to have a home again.

“You will,” Jack told her, reading her mind. He snuck up behind her and held her in his arms. “And I’ll make sure it has a garden too.”

She frowned. Stevin had promised her something similar.

“This is different.” Jack walked around to face her. “This time you saved yourself, and any life you make will be your own and no one else’s. I just hope you’ll let me play a part in your future.”

“You’ve convinced your superintendent to let me remain free?” she asked.

“Well,” he said, “after I assured him you weren’t already gone, I demanded he let me take you with me.”

“Oh really? And what did he say to that?”

Jack stepped closer. “He made a long speech about duty and loyalty and then reminded me that we were on the same side.”

“And you said?”

“I told Walter that there are more than two sides, and I intended to stay by yours no matter what.” He slid his arm around her and pulled her close. “I said it very persuasively too.”

She smiled and leaned into him. “You don’t say. And what made you decide to side with me, Jackson Deimos?”

There was a twinkle in his eyes as he answered her. “I’m sure it was your wit.”

She laughed. “Finally, a man who loves me for my mind.”

He bent to kiss her. As their lips connected, she felt his promise of loyalty as well as passion. Ardra knew he would always be part of her life. He was a lover who would never turn his back on her, and she would never regret letting him in.

She held the embrace even as their ship made the jump and only afterward slipped her hand into his. She led him back to their quarters.

In bed, they joined together as one. This time it was no mere dream, and no nightmares came to spoil their love. Somewhere far away, a binary star shone brightly against a space of infinite possibilities. Ardra fell asleep with nothing but a wonderful future on her mind.

About the Author

Laurel Richards is a fiction author with a passion for shifters, space travelers and other memorable characters. She has gathered inspiration from lots of different sources throughout her life and is here today to share her imagination through storytelling. Laurel writes sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal and the occasional funny mystery, all with various degrees of romance mixed in. Visit Laurel’s website at
www.author-laurelrichards.com
and follow her on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/Laurel_R_books
.

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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

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A Stellar Affair

Copyright © 2015 by Laurel Richards

ISBN: 978-1-61922-666-1

Edited by Heidi Moore

Cover by Kanaxa

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: July 2015

www.samhainpublishing.com