Shielder — A new Science Fiction Romance (Book 1, Shielder Series) (34 page)

"We've all had a lot of surprises," Chase
said dryly. She turned her head as he lifted Brand off his lap and
stood. "Enough, I think, for one day. Nessa looks tired, and I want
her to rest. You can visit her again tomorrow."

She hated to see them leave, but her eyelids
were drooping.

"Good-bye, sister." Jarek leaned down and
kissed her cheek.

The children scampered over for a hug. "Bye,
Nessa," Raven said.

"Bye," Brand echoed.

Sabin surprised her with a quick kiss and a
wink. "Don't forget you owe me." He held out his hands to Raven and
Brand, and they took them without hesitation. "We'll come back
tomorrow."

"Good-bye," she murmured drowsily.

She remained awake long enough to drink some
broth and visit the lav, then collapsed back into the bunk. Her
last conscious memory was of Chase covering her and running the
scanner over her.

A physician, she thought. Imagine that….

Chase declared Nessa well enough to resume
normal activities. She had free reign of the ship, and although she
tired easily, she drew energy from the sheer exuberance of being
alive.

The vaccine had been produced en masse, and
Jarek and Sabin had taken it to a rendezvous point where Moriah's
runners would pick it up. They wouldn't be given exact Shielder
colony locations, so they'd deliver the vaccine at drop-off points.
The Shielders would take it from there. Nessa's mission was drawing
to a successful conclusion.

Now what? she wondered.

Jarek would be returning in a few days, and
she guessed she'd travel to Liron with him. A part of her wanted to
return, to see her home; also to see if her success had altered her
status with her people. Another part of her yearned to remain with
Chase.

A senseless, unrealistic hope. She had
nothing to offer any man. She was still plain and thin—even
thinner, since being ill; still deformed. He certainly hadn't shown
any further interest in her, although he'd been civil enough.

He'd saved her life, taken care of her,
hovered over her, insisting she rest and eat properly. But his
actions had been those of a physician—professional, competent. His
eyes never had that sexual, predatory expression when he’d looked
at her. He hadn't kissed her, had made no advances of any kind.

Perhaps he'd never forgiven her for stealing
his ship, yet he didn't seem angry about it. Heaviness settled
around Nessa's heart. She needed to accept the obvious and move on.
She planned on taking Raven and Brand to Liron with her. Surely
Chase would agree they'd be best off in a Shielder colony.

Right now, the children were sound asleep in
her old cabin. She continued to stay in Chase's quarters. He'd been
sleeping there as well, on a nearby floor pallet.

Nessa looked around the familiar room. She'd
miss this cabin, miss the memories here. She looked at the chair,
the heat rising to her face.
Don't think about it
, she told
herself.
Stop wishing for the impossible to happen
. With a
sigh, she went to bathe. She'd also miss the unlimited electricity
and water.

She took a long shower, the hot water easing
some of her still-aching muscles. Finally, she shut off the water
and stepped from the cleansing stall.

Her heart leaped wildly when she saw Chase
lounging against the sink. He wore a thick robe, belted around his
firm waist. The robe fell to his knees; his strong, muscular legs
were bare below it.

Nessa stared at him dumbly, her heart still
pounding.

"You took long enough," he said huskily. His
gaze swept over her and she belatedly remembered her nude
state.

She looked around and located her tunic,
tossed carelessly by the panel. "I didn't know you were waiting to
use the lav." She edged toward the panel.

He stepped between her and the panel. "I was
waiting for you."

It was there, in his eyes—that predatory
look. Her breath froze. "I—I— for me?"

He reached out and traced a trail of water
tracking down her breast. She bit back a gasp as her breast
swelled, the nipple puckering almost painfully. The water dripping
from her hair and down her face reminded her she was soaking wet.
"I need to dry off." Couldn't she think of anything better to
say?

Chase's gaze moved slowly from her breasts
to her face. Molten silver flames burned in his eyes. Unbelting his
robe, he slid it off his shoulders. He wore nothing underneath, and
her knees went weak at the sight of his powerful body—his very
aroused, powerful body.

She staggered back as he stroked the robe
against her arm. "Steady, now," he murmured. "I'm going to dry you
off."

Unable to think clearly, she pressed her
palms against the corner of the stall for support as Chase dried
her. He did her arms, then her face, then blotted her hair. All the
while his intense eyes burned into hers, until he lowered the robe
to her breasts.

His attention moved to her nipples, and he
rubbed them with the soft fabric. She moaned softly. Kneeling, he
slid the robe to her legs, nudging them apart and bringing the robe
up the inside.

Her legs trembled like leaves fluttering in
the wind, and heat rushed through her lower abdomen. Swaying, she
grabbed at the wall. When he moved the robe to the most acute
source of her heat, she clutched blindly at his shoulders.

"Chase."

The robe fell to the floor and he slid a
finger inside her. Lightning flashed through her. She cried out,
her nails digging into his skin. With a groan, he pressed his lips
to her belly.

"I want you," he grated out. "Now."

Her thoughts tailspinned. No time for
wondering why, or even if she should. She wanted this—wanted
him—desperately. "Yes," she whispered.

Sweeping her into his arms, he carried her
to the bunk. The covers were cool beneath her damp, fevered skin.
Light from the lav filtered into the room, casting shadows on his
face, taut with desire, as he lowered his mouth to her breast.

He kissed and licked away the remaining
moisture from her skin, flowing down her body like Saija silk.
Spirit, but she needed more, needed the bliss of Haven that only he
could give her. The tremors rippling his body told her his need was
just as great.

Caught in the throes of an uncontrollable
urgency, she writhed beneath him. When he spread her legs and
kissed her most private place, the intimacy and the utter pleasure
stunned her.

She dug her fingers into his hair.
"Chase!"

He slid over her, capturing her lips with
his. Holding her face between his hands, he plundered her mouth,
and she responded in a sensual duel of tongues. Groaning, he tore
his mouth away.

"I can't wait any longer. I have to be
inside you." Positioning himself, he entered her in one smooth
stroke. She arched up to meet him.

He plunged deeply, driving both of them
toward the precipice. So fierce was his possession, Nessa could
only hold on and go where he took her. Hard and fast. Again and
again.

High …So very high …

She cried out, her body jerked upward by a
rush of sensation packing more force than a torpedo. Through the
shockwaves, she felt Chase stiffen, heard his groan of release.

He collapsed with a ragged sigh. Limp and
drained, Nessa welcomed his weight. A moment later, he rolled onto
his back, pulling her against his side. His chest rose and fell
rapidly beneath her cheek.

What had just happened? She was still too
new and inexperienced in this arena to understand why Chase had
mated with her. Perhaps uncontrollable lust, or a release from the
stress of the past cycles. She didn't have a clue, although she
wouldn't have traded the experience for anything.

"All you all right?" his voice rumbled
beneath her ear.

She nodded her head. "Yes," she whispered.
"Are you?"

He chuckled and stroked her back. "Oh, yes.
Very much so. You're so soft."

He continued stroking her, and a pleasant
lassitude stole over her. His body felt relaxed beneath her. It
occurred to her this might be the perfect time to share her plans.
Her stomach knotted at the thought, and the heaviness returned to
her chest, but she had to tell him sooner or later. It might as
well be now.

"Chase?"

"Hmmm?" His hand moved to cup her backside
in a possessive manner.

Hot tears stung her eyes, but she blinked
them back. "Jarek will be returning in a few cycles."

"Yes. So?"

She inhaled a quick breath, then said the
words quickly. "I'm returning to Liron with him. I plan on taking
Raven and Brand with me."

His hand jerked, his fingers digging
painfully into her bottom. "No."

Panic swept her, stealing her breath. "But I
must keep Raven and Brand with me! They need me. They're Shielders.
They should be with other Sh—"

"No! Raven and Brand aren't leaving. Neither
are you."

"But— What?"

Chase rolled her onto her back, taking her
chin in his hand. A determined expression molded his face into
stern lines. "Why did you mate with me tonight?"

Surprised, she tried to marshall her forces,
which had scattered to the four corners of the quadrant.
"W-what?"

"You just surrendered yourself to me, let me
do whatever I wanted. Why? Did you hope to gain something from
it?"

"Of course not." She paused, unwilling to
bare her heart to any more pain. He didn't need to know she loved
him, not when he didn't return that love.

His tawny eyebrows drew together. "No? Then
let me ask you this. Why did you come to my cabin the night before
you hijacked my ship? Was your seduction a tactic to distract me
from your thievery?"

She bit her lip, staring into determined
gray eyes. "No," she whispered, the memories of that night
crumbling her resolve. "I—I thought I would never see you again. I
thought it was our last chance to—to be together." She tried to
turn her head away, but his grip on her chin tightened.

"I didn't think so. I did at first, when you
took my ship. But the more I thought about it, I realized you had
nothing to gain by mating with me that night. I was hell-bent on
going to Odera, and that provided all the opportunity you
needed."

He trailed a finger down her breast,
circling the nipple, which beaded instantly. "I also realized your
physical responses to me couldn't be faked. You wanted me, as badly
as I wanted you."

Nessa closed her eyes. So, she wanted him.
That probably stroked his ego to no end. "Lust is not enough," she
murmured.

"At first, I thought physical attraction
might be all there was between us. But then, when I thought you
were slipping away from me …" He shuddered. "If I had lost
you…"

She opened her eyes, her attention fully
riveted on him. Emotion glittered in his eyes. "My life would have
been plunged into darkness."

She stared at him, not comprehending.
"Why?"

A tender smile curved his sensuous mouth.
"Because I love you, Leonessa dan Ranul. That's why."

Her illness must have affected her hearing.
"What?" she asked lamely.

His hand cradled the side of her face. "I
love you. You are
not
going to Liron with Jarek. You're not
going anywhere. As soon as you're completely recovered, we're
getting married. I don't care how—Shielder lifemate vows, Elysian
orgy, Shen joining ritual—doesn't matter to me."

Shock dulled her reaction. Maybe she
was
hallucinating. Maybe this was really Haven after
all.

"Blazing hells," Chase growled. "Don't just
stare at me like I'm an Antek. Answer me."

He loved her?
"A-answer what?" she
stammered.

His expression grew thunderous. "
Will you
marry me?
You can't tell me you don't feel something for me.
Not after tonight."

A flush spread through her body. "Well…Umm,
I do."

Chase scowled. "You do what?"

Please don't let this be a dream.
She
forced air into her lungs and turned her heart loose. "I love
you."

A smug smile spread across his face.
"And?"

"I'll marry you, if you're sure you want
someone like me."

She found herself crushed against his chest.
"Nessa, Nessa. You're beautiful, caring, and brave."

"I already told you. I'm not brave."

"Yes, you are, remarkably courageous. I'm
the coward."

Incredulous, she pushed away to look at him.
"You? You're a shadower. You've hunted some of the most dangerous
criminals in the universe. You're one of the bravest men I
know."

His expression turned pensive, and sadness
filled his eyes. "You’re wrong about that. Facing my feelings
terrified me. I didn't want to feel the pain, so I buried it. To
keep it at bay, I turned to hatred instead. My only focus for the
past three seasons has been hunting down Dansan and her goons."

Compassion and a strong yearning to hold him
in her arms and comfort him pooled in Nessa's heart. "What did she
do to you?"

Chase sank back, pulling her against his
side again. "Not just to me—to an entire people. It's a long story,
but I want you to hear it. I may have assumed too much. You might
not want to marry me after you know about my failures."

Her fingers tightened on his chest in
protest, but he continued on. His voice sounded far away, almost as
if he were entering another time and place.

"Dansan was a brilliant physiopathologist
and geophysicist. She approached the leaders of my colony on Torin
with a plan to speed up the mining of iridon. She had developed a
chemical process that would remove the top layers of shale rapidly,
without damaging the iridon beneath. Until then, it had taken
months to mine even a modest amount of iridon.

She proposed to share the process and
oversee the operation, for an even split of the iridon. She
convinced our leaders of her integrity, and they agreed. Then she
betrayed us."