Thief (24 page)

Deep in the night, shrouded in the darkness of their shared bedroom, Jace awoke on the floor to find Kraft kneeling above him.

She pressed a finger to his mouth before he could speak, lowered her head to his and whispered, “I have a plan.” With that, she crawled on top of him, pulled the cover over her and pressed her body against his.

After a deep groan of pleasure, he managed to whisper back, “And your plan involves straddling my hips?” Not that he minded in the least. So far, it seemed like a grand plan.

“No.” She smiled against his neck. “That’s just a bonus.”

He chuckled softly. “I’m not sure I have enough blood left in my brain to actually think at the moment.” All the blood in his body migrated to his hips.

Snuggling a bit firmer, she sighed. “Actually, Captain, I forgot what I was going to say.”

“Something about a plan?” he prompted, calling on every shred of self-control not to rock his hips.

“Right.”

With her lips invitingly close to his ear, she told him her plan. He argued against it. She insisted the scheme would work. He found new ways to nix the idea. She found a way to allay his concerns. After a long debate, he admitted to himself he was arguing with her only to prolong having her draped over him.

Kraft felt nothing short of wonderful. Her husky voice filling his ear compelled his whole being with a deep longing he hadn’t known in a decade. He didn’t want her to move away. For a few brief moments, he could pretend that she was his.

After he’d dragged out the debate for as long as he could, he said, “Okay, we’ll run with it.”

Kraft lifted her head and smiled down at him. “I know you’re going to have to put a lot of trust in me, but I hope I’ve proved to you that you can.” She moved to go.

“Don’t go yet.” With his hands to her wide and sexy hips, he pulled her right back down.

She whispered something guttural in German then tried to kiss him, but he moved his head to the side.

Kraft tensed and whispered, “What’s wrong?” She lifted her head. “I thought you wanted to kiss me?”

He cupped her lovely face in his hands. “Believe me, I want to kiss you so badly I’m literally shaking not to.” His hands trembled against her face. “But not here, not now, not like this.” He traced his finger across her sensuously full lips. “When you come to me, I don’t want there to be anything between us but…” He didn’t know how to finish because he wanted only love between them but couldn’t bring himself to say those telling words. “I just want to hold you. Please.”

Reluctantly, she settled against him. “I’m not crushing you, am I?”

“No. You feel wonderful.” Lifting his hands, he stroked her back, marveling in how sexy her muscles felt below his hands. He never would have imagined himself so attracted to a woman so much stronger than himself, but that was one of the things that made her so compelling, her physical strength. “Kraft, there is so much I want to say to you, but again, not here, not now, not with so much hanging over us.”

“You are so much more than pretty, my captain.” Lifting up, she touched his mouth. “I’m afraid if I don’t kiss you now, I never will.”

Tears fell down her cheeks and he brushed them away.

“Then maybe that’s as it should be.” He pulled her tight and nestled her face against his shoulder.

“What have you decided?”

Michael once again sat at the head of his massive table as she and Jace picked at their dinners. Michael was the only one who had an appetite. He also had an annoyingly smug smile on his arrogant face that she wanted to slap off. But she remained seated and nodded to Jace.

Jace placed his napkin on the table and stood. “We’ve decided you can keep us both.”

Michael lifted one brow and leaned back. “That’s not a part of the deal I offered.”

“It’s our counteroffer.” Jace shrugged, pulling his battered blue shirt tight across his shoulders. Despite the shadow of his beard and the darkened circles under his eyes, he looked wonderful. “If you want Kraft to stay here, I’m staying here with her.”

“I’m not interested in you, Lawless.” Michael stood, looming his superior height over Jace.

“I’m not interested in you either, Parker.” Jace didn’t back down. “I’m also not selling Kraft to you, or trading her to you, or leaving her with you—deal with it.”

“You think you can protect her from me?” Lifting a brow, dropping his bottom lip to a crooked half grin, Michael smirked as he took a step closer to Jace. “You can’t protect yourself, Lawless, let alone her.”

Jace straightened. “I’ll die trying.”

Michael laughed. “I could take you down without breaking a sweat.”

“I know.” Jace lifted his hands to his shoulders, the universal sign for surrender, then lowered them to his sides. “Give me guns at thirty paces and I might have a chance.”

Jace was playing the situation exactly how they’d discussed last night; be calm, be clear, but above all, offer no challenge.

Michael took a breath and resettled himself, clearly perturbed by Jace’s attitude. Michael wanted to fight. The fact that Jace didn’t unbalanced him. Kraft knew the time was right.

She stood, ignoring the guards behind her. “Think you could take me down without breaking a sweat, Michael?”

“I’m not offering to fight you.” Michael spoke to her but kept his gaze on Jace.

“You were right,” Jace said to her with a shake of his head and a bemused smile. He turned his attention to Michael. “She told me you wouldn’t fight her because you know you’d lose.”

Michael went rigid at the insult and quickly offered one of his own. “Enjoy hiding behind a woman?”

“I’m not hiding behind her.” Jace chuckled and pointed. “She’s way over there with five heavily armed guards.” Jace shifted his gaze to Michael. “I know you’re not afraid of me, but you’re afraid of her, and I don’t blame you. I’m afraid of her too.” Jace winked at her. “Thing is, she’s on my side. She could best every man in this room without breaking a sweat.”

“Not with that bracelet on her wrist.”

Kraft glanced at the bracelet. It would inject her with powerful drugs if she raised so much as a finger against Michael. This was the one problem they could not overcome, but she and Jace had come up with an alternate plan. She’d worried that the very idea would anger Jace, and it had, but he’d finally agreed.

She approached Jace. “I offer a challenge to you, Jace Lawless of the ship
Mutiny
. Will you fight me?”

Jace didn’t hesitate. “Nope. You can have my ship, my cargo—the whole shebang. Knock yourself out.” He bowed formally and took a step back.

Baffled, Michael cast a curious gaze to Jace.

“Thank you, Captain Lawless. That means the challenge Michael offers to you now falls to me.” Kraft peered up at Michael.

“I offered to him, not you.”

“I just commandeered his ship.”

Michael snapped his fingers and pointed at Jace. “Put him in lock down.”

Jace didn’t fight as he was taken away, but he looked back over his shoulder at her, and she nodded—she’d told him to expect this. Her heart swelled with pride that he trusted her enough to let her take the lead, but her heart broke that she’d lied to him. As she watched the guards drag him away, she wished she’d kissed him goodbye last night.

Michael ordered the rest of the guard to leave. Once they were alone, he eyed her shrewdly. “Your plan won’t succeed. I will not fight you, and I will not let you go. If you refuse me, I will torture him to death while I make you watch.”

Kraft didn’t flinch. She’d known this was coming too. “If you harm him in any way, I’ll kill you.”

Michael flared at the threat.

“If you let him leave, I’ll stay.”

Surprise widened Michael’s golden-brown eyes. “You were playing him.” He stepped close.

She nodded reluctantly. “I had to. He refuses to leave without me. Now that I have command of his ship, he’ll have no choice.”

“You know I can’t let him go. He knows what I look like.”

“No matter how much money was involved, Jace wouldn’t turn a sketch of you over to the IWOG. He hates them more than he could ever hate you.”

Michael flashed her a dubious frown.

“Jace is from Tyaa.” She knew that explained everything. Rather than declaring war on the agricultural world, the IWOG unleashed a devastating virus. “The IWOG killed his wife and his three children. Do you really think he’d do anything to help them?”

With a grimace, Michael shook his head. “I’ll let him go if you stay.”

“I’ll stay.” She would stay until she knew Jace was safely away and then she would escape.

Michael smiled with triumph, grasped her shoulders and pulled her close. After a deep breath he stepped back as if burned. Shock then fury twisted his face.

“You love him. I can smell it.”

Her heart lurched. Now that Michael understood the depth of her feelings for Jace, she had no idea what he would do.

“I still can’t believe he just let us go.” Jace sat at the galley table. “Especially after buying all the goods at a fair price.”

Kraft nodded as she cleaned up the dinner dishes. She didn’t feel like talking, especially not about what had happened on Windmere.

“What did he say to you before we left?” Jace asked.

“It’s really not important.” She secured the pans behind the locking galley doors.

“I still want to know.”

Kraft paraphrased it. “Michael said it wouldn’t be long before I figured out how weak you are. That once I did, I would return to him.” Michael had been more explicit than that, more brutal than that, but that was the gist of what he said. Michael also realized that since she was in love with Jace, there was no hope of rekindling a romance between them. Defeated, he couldn’t get them off his planet fast enough. Michael never had been one to linger when he clearly couldn’t have his way.

“How weak I am?” Jace asked curiously.

“Michael apparently still operates under the delusion that might makes right.” She wiped the stove top and counters.

“Doesn’t it?”

“No.”

“You really could have taken him down, couldn’t you?”

Kraft nodded. “Good night, Captain.” She left the galley before he could ask her anything else.

Hours passed. She was settled into her bunk with a paperback when she heard Jace tap twice with his knuckle against her bedroom com.

“May I come in?”

Say no, say no, her mind begged, but her mouth said, “Yes.”

He wore that battered green shirt, the one that matched his eyes, and simple cut flax trousers. He looked scrumptious.

“What do you want, Captain?” She set the book aside.

“You.”

It took all her will not to react on the outside, but her heart pounded triple time in her chest. He had no idea how her feelings for him had changed, and she was determined that he would never find out. As she’d said in the galley, love was a dangerous thing on a ship. Loving Jace made her far too vulnerable. Walking away would be difficult enough with her heart broken. She didn’t need to break his too.

Jace leaned casually against the wall. “You could have taken Michael down. You could level me. Yet you said I could compel you to my bunk by your own honor.”

Swallowing down every carnal need in her body, Kraft boldly returned, “Is that what you want, Captain? Me in your bunk by my honor?”

He considered her question for a long time. His quiet speculation caused her nipples to tighten below her lacy bra and clinging shirt. That he noticed her reaction but didn’t blush or turn away made her flush ever so slightly. After the longest time, he said, “I want you there because I think you want to be there.”

“Just because I want something doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.”

Jace considered again then nodded. “I didn’t say it was a good idea. Just—an idea. You come to me if you want to. I won’t make you, I won’t compel you, I’m offering. You accept or decline on your own.”

Kraft watched the rolling grace of his big body as he strolled away after telling her in no uncertain terms that all she had to do was just show up at his bedroom door.

“Lord on high, he won’t even make me ask.”

Chapter Twenty

Two days later, Kraft waited by the door of Jace’s bunk. She wore all of her gear but her boots. She’d spilled water on them and they were drying out in her room. So, her feet were bare. She’d also left her bra off, but didn’t want to think about why, so she didn’t.

When he came down the hall she quietly said, “I guess you know what I want to talk to you about.”

Jace tapped the com and opened his bedroom door. “You want to flirt with me some more?” He stepped inside and nodded to her.

She followed him in as if they’d done this a thousand times. His room was sparsely furnished. No pictures or knickknacks detracted her attention from the tidy bunk against the port wall.

“Flirting is fun, isn’t it? But I’m a lady with a plan.” She deliberately kept her tone bright. “I have enough script to start working toward getting another ship. I think it’s best if I do it somewhere else.”

“You know, you’re welcome to stay.” Jace closed the door without looking at her. He perused a clipboard of reports.

“I know.” Kraft hesitated. “That makes it real hard to leave.”

“Is it Heller?”

“No.” She laughed. “He’s like Smug—a mean dog I knew back when—just gotta show him who’s boss. Heller’s not the reason.” She dropped her flippant tone. “Your ship feels more and more like home every day. That’s the reason I—you’re the reason I have to go.”

“Me? What have I done?” He cast aside the clipboard of reports he wasn’t really looking at anyway.

“Nothing. Everything.” She met his gaze. “Staying here is like watching my dream die. Honor among thieves is one thing, but a ship can’t have two captains, and I can’t be just a cook.”

“You’ve held on this long.”

“Because I owed you.” She held up her hands to stop him from denying the truth. “I think I’ve more than paid my debt to you. I have to get back to my own life.”

“Maybe this is your life.”

She shook her head. “This is your dance, and I’ve cut in far too much already.”

“Leading or following, you make a mighty fine dance partner.” He smiled grimly once he realized he could not sway her off her chosen path.