Blackness took her then, her mind fazing out into blissful oblivion.
45
Time must have passed because the next thing she was aware of was warmth wrapping around her and a soft murmur in her ear. The cold press of the floor was gone, replaced with a soft support. A mattress?
“Hey, there’s my girl. Went and scared the shit out of me.” Gaz’s voice rang too loud in her ear, the pain making her wince.
“She’s hurt. Let me call med bay and I’ll—”
“I told you, no authorities. They’ll kill her, us and anyone they even remotely suspect as a supporter if they find out.”
Amy’s head was heavy, like a foreign weight had been placed on top. She let it flop to the side, her face now in line with the direction of the voices. Cracking her eyes open, her vision was immediately filled with the sight of Gaz, his large body folded into a small chair by the side of her bed. Sean stood well behind him and off to the side. The scowl she now associated with him was firmly in place. But when her gaze locked on to his, she saw a flicker of something else wash over his face. Relief? Fear?
A low groan slipped from her mouth as she shifted her weight. The pain in her head threatened to knock her back into unconsciousness and she had to fight hard to remain lucid. Gaz shifted, moving closer to her, and she felt the cool press of a cloth to her forehead.
“You’re not so bad, are you? Nothing a nice hit of pain meds won’t fix?”
She smiled. “Water?” Her voice came out little more than a croak.
“Yup. You’ll be dehydrated from the stunner. Let me go get some.” In one smooth motion, Gaz pushed himself up from the chair, running a hand through his blue hair as he went. “Take over, miner. Hurt her and I’ll kill you.”
“Fuck off,” Sean ground out.
If Amy had the strength left she would have laughed. As it was, minute by minute she started to feel more like her old self. It had been a few years since she’d been hit with a stick and not one as powerful as the one they’d used. The fact she still wasn’t a drooling mess was impressive in itself. Gaz looked down at her, winked and strode out of the room.
Sean didn’t move to her side at first. In a way she really didn’t blame him. They’d only known each other a short time and had only had sex the once. So what if he’d helped her out of a scrape when she’d needed it. It’s not like he knew her or owed her anything. Still, as he slapped his open palm against his thigh before he made his way to the chair and sat down carefully, she couldn’t help the small rush of pleasure at his presence. He was here when he didn’t need to be. That had to count for something.
46
“How are you feeling?” The question came out of him almost tentative, like he was asking something almost too obvious.
“Sore. Tired. Water will help.”
Sean nodded. “The big blue idiot was right, it’s just the effects of the stunner. I suspect you’ll be back up to full strength in a couple of hours.”
“How long…?” Her brain and body protested her attempts to struggle back to normalcy.
“Almost three hours. Not bad considering.”
Memories of what had happened, what the men had done to her ship suddenly flashed back into her head. With a groan, she tried to push herself up into a sitting position. Sean was up, his hands pressing her shoulders back down to the mattress before she could get very far.
“Are you insane, get back in bed,” he hissed. “That crazy-ass guy of yours will kill me if you get hurt.”
“My ship?”
“Is fine. Lie down and rest.”
She could tell he was hiding the truth from her, the expression on his face too schooled, too neutral. Gods, she wasn’t going to have the thing in one piece in time for the race. Shit, she may not even get the
Drake
back up in the sky at all if the damage was too extensive. Looking once more into Sean’s eyes, the concern tinted with calloused acceptance, she snorted.
“You are a shitty liar.”
That earned her a chuckle and small grin. “Actually, I’ve been told I’m quite good.”
“Win a lot of
sebac
games?”
“Been known to bring home the occasional pot or two.”
Her throat ached from lack of moisture, the few words she’d spoken enough to do her in. Sean didn’t seem to mind as they lapsed into a companionable silence, taking the opportunity to seek out her hand. She was mildly surprised at the gesture, but didn’t pull back or otherwise give him any reason to shift away. He didn’t move until the
whoosh
of the cabin door opened, barely clearing the way for Gaz to pop through.
“Sorry it took me so long. We really need to reorganize the supplies in the mess.
Here you go. Sit up and sip.”
Gaz crowded in beside Sean, pressing his hip to Sean’s shoulder as he leaned forward to give her access to the straw. The first pull of cool water in her mouth was the best thing in the world. She couldn’t be sure if the sound that escaped her was a moan or a groan, but either way it expressed her pleasure.
“Yeah, that’s what you needed,” Gaz said and grinned.
Amy took an extra minute to catch her breath and let her body absorb the liquid.
She could feel reaction, her mind clearing and the ache dulling. It was enough for her 47
brain to kick into action.
“Gaz, how bad is it? And where in the Gods are those assholes?”
“Oh, we took care of those sons-of-bitches. Fucked them up good and dropped them off in a cargo box. Can’t wait ‘til it gets dropped off on Tyrell’s front door.” He grinned. “Your boy Sean here has a mean streak.”
Amy fought to keep her gaze from shifting over to the man in question. Her memory was potent enough and there were more important things at the moment than her infatuation with the human. “
Gaz
…my
ship
?”
He visibly winced. “
Drake
is bad, hon. They beat her up good. With the two of us working around the clock, I’m not sure if we could get her up and running in time. It would be close. And that’s if I actually had the parts.”
Amy didn’t want her disappointment to show, so she closed her eyes and let gravity pull her head back onto the thin pillow. That was it then. They’d been taken out of the race, and now she’d have to find another way to support herself and Gaz, without the use of a ship. What the hell good was a cargo pilot with no cargo hauler?
Maybe her dad would have an idea.
“I can get you the parts you need.”
Her eyes snapped open before Sean’s words had a chance to fully register.
“Pardon?”
Even Gaz shifted so he was looking down at Sean. “Bitch, you didn’t tell me that.”
Sean rolled his eyes. “You didn’t ask. Just get me a list of what you need and I can make discreet arrangements for the supplies. I have a few people outside the official channels who owe me a few favors. And just to be perfectly clear, I’m no one’s bitch.”
“And a damn shame.” Gaz winked at Sean before he reached down and ran his hand through Amy’s hair. “I’ll go see what we need to replace and what I can fix up.
We’ll get her up there and run this fucking race if we have to use twine and putty. Just want to see how pissed Tyrell will be when we’re first out of the gates.”
“It’s not fixed yet. Don’t get cocky,” Sean said, sounding far too much like Amy’s dad.
Gaz laughed, but raced out of the room without another word. Amy watched him go and took another big sip of the water. “I hope to Gods you can get those parts. Gaz loves this ship almost more than I do. It will break his heart if we can’t run the race.”
“I’d be more concerned with your neck.” Sean shifted his seat closer, his hand returning to hers. “If your
friend
finds out I’m helping you and you don’t have some sort of security in place, he’ll send even more of his crew over to shut you down. Only next time it won’t be stunners and pipes they come at you with. If this bastard is anything like I suspect he is they won’t find any of our bodies.”
Amy wanted to protest, tell him he didn’t have a clue how things worked in her world, but she knew he’d call her on her bullshit. He wasn’t some overstuffed bureaucrat who’d never worked a day in his life. Even without knowing he’d spent the 48
last few years in the Eurus mines, she’d have recognized the sharpness of his gaze, the distrust in his voice as he spoke. So she knew his warning came with understanding.
“What do you suggest, then? I’m not going to let them win.” She knew she sounded stubborn. She
was
stubborn. Still, she’d yet to let anyone push her around, make her feel any less in control of her life than she actually was. There had to be a way she could run this race, get the money and somehow manage to avoid running the dust shipment for Tyrell.
Sean didn’t answer right away, instead examining the fringe on the blanket that had fallen around her waist. Amy waited, knowing he used silence as a way to collect his thoughts, get a handle on the situation at hand, before he moved forward. She understood how he worked, respected it.
“The parts aren’t an issue. I think I even know another engineer who would be willing to sign up for the race, if not longer. Ryan has been stuck in the mines for the past six months trying to hide away from a bad home life. Getting out into space would do him good.”
“I’m still left without a copilot.”
She knew the solution to that little problem—Sean had given it to her on a platter the other day. Still, the idea of being confined to a small space with him, his heat, smell and body crowding in on her senses, winding her up. Despite being battered, lust threatened to surge back to life. If she was reacting this strongly to him now there was no way she’d be able to control herself after prolonged exposure. And a half dose of her inhibitors weren’t going to cut it. She wanted this man almost as much as she wanted to win the race, which went against everything in her personal code. Don’t mix business and pleasure.
But it wasn’t like she had a whole lot of options.
Sean frowned, shifting his gaze to hers. “Look, I know things between us aren’t exactly easy. In fact, I really don’t have a fucking clue what the hell happened between us the other day. That’s not like me. I don’t randomly find women who are in trouble, invite them back to my place and have them suck my cock.”
The harshness of his words had her blood on fire, her nipples hardening and her clit pulsing with pleasure. She wiggled her hips and bit on her bottom lip in an attempt to get control of herself.
Yes, do it again! Your mouth on me now. Your cock slamming into me
hard!
Amy shivered.
“It wasn’t your fault. I told you, it has to do with me, the pheromones.”
He nodded, but didn’t back down. “Still, I try to have more control than that over myself. I’d hate for you to give up your chance at winning this race because you don’t think I can handle being near you. Now that I know what it is, I can fight against the urges.”
“You wouldn’t be able to. It’s not a matter of willpower, just biology.”
Shit, she really hated
biology
at the moment.
49
It didn’t seem to stop Sean, though. He leaned forward and Amy caught the flash of pale skin, his throat and collarbone exposed and begging to be kissed. His heartbeat thudded against the side of his neck, solid and alive. She had to swallow hard and ignore the sudden urge to twitch forward and lick him just there, bite into his flesh as she dug her nails into his sides. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to claim this man, keep him locked up in her quarters until they fucked each other senseless, satisfying their mutual lust.
“Listen, I can talk to my friend Davin and see if there is something he can do to help. If not, maybe Sara can get you some more of the inhibitor you mentioned.”
Amy shook her head. “Why are you so determined to help me with this? I don’t know you, you have nothing at stake. It’s not like you are out there on the circuit.”
Sean opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He closed it, gave his head a hard shake as he sat back in his seat. “Just need the change.”
They sat there staring at each other, the only noise a light banging and muffled cry from outside. It was then she clued in to where they were—her
bedroom
on the ship.
Sean was by her bed, his hand resting on her mattress, his scent filling the cabin. And for once in a very long time, Amy didn’t have the urge to run screaming. For some reason, she was comfortable with him. That in itself was more than she’d experienced from any of the other men who she’d been attracted to.
Drawing in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and nodded.
“Okay, let’s give it a shot. If you can get the parts and another engineer, I’ll agree to let you copilot.”
* * * * *
Sean didn’t know why he was so hell-bent on helping Amy. Shit, he’d just met her a few days ago. Still, whether it was the fact someone was trying to bully their way into this race or simply because he admired anyone who was willing to stand up for what they felt was right, it didn’t matter. For the first time in years, Sean actually gave a shit about something other than his own self-pity.