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Their eyes widened. “Mechanic?” They glanced up, finally noticing the state of their pod and surrounding repair bay. “Shit.”

The weight of their body vanished. Kori shivered, slowly righting herself to peer at the stranger. They caught her rubbing her wrists and looked away, a faint pink staining their pale face.

“I apologize. I fear I’ve made a terrible mistake,” they murmured, tracing their ringed fingers along the crumpled outer paneling of their craft without looking at her. “Could you please tell me how I came to be here?”

Kori cleared her throat and shuffled closer to the damaged ship, eyeing the interior to see what clues it might offer. A charred control panel answered why it had been careening through space. “Your automated guidance system appears to have shorted out. I won’t know more without examining the crash data, but your craft was about to be torn apart by Vega Surong’s atmosphere.”

Her gaze snagged on a more curious object tucked against the interior. Although the metal case itself wasn’t noteworthy, the familiar symbol etched on its side was. The blooming ferienne, a suggestive petal and protruding stamen arrangement, was a well-known symbol for those who practiced a certain profession. Realization caressed her senses. Now she knew why the stranger was so very alluring. Courtesan houses were common throughout the galaxy, boasting many reputable establishments, but not all of them followed the set code of humane conduct. That she didn’t recognize the Consortium was telling. She breathed in a delicate floral scent, aware the stranger drew closer, their heat radiating against her back.

“What would overload the system like that?” Their arm brushed against her as they reached out to pry open the blackened panel. The melted mess of wires and circuits made them both wince. “I don’t suppose you have transport to the planet’s surface from your station?”

Kori shook her head before they finished speaking. “We’re operating on a bare bones crew right now for extended shore leave. Won’t return for another sixty-nine rotations, give or take.” She’d managed a scant amount of sleep before everything went sideways, and now that the rush of adrenaline was fading from her system, exhaustion dragged her hard.

“Stars, I still need to log all of this. We don’t exactly have guest quarters in this part of the ship.” She rubbed a hand over her face, trying to scrub the sleep from her eyes. “But you can stay in my bunk for now. Sheets are clean.” She glanced up to find the stranger hovering far closer than expected, causing her to flinch.

Those intense silver orbs logged every micro movement in her features. “Log? Is that a report? Who would read this report?”

Kori cleared her throat. “A report would be sent to the station commander. She will probably send out a general transmission to make sure there are no ships in distress or other escape pods that need to be picked up.” A standard procedure, though she had a suspicion that was not the case. There had been no other debris or signs of other pods. A lone ship, spiraling through space.

They pulled back a step. “There are no other pods.” Their gaze shifted back to the open pod, where the metal case gleamed beneath the bay lights. “You said you were alone here. Perhaps, we could discuss the nature of your report first?” Suggestion wove through the delicate curve of their brow and Kori’s mouth went dry.

“I don’t even know your name,” she murmured, shocked by the flush of heat that flooded her system. That indistinguishable floral scent intensified as the stranger reached for her, their thumb caressing her lower lip. Golden circuitry lit up under their skin, rippling up their arm as their face drew closer. Close enough to kiss. Why shouldn’t she? Theywerealone.

That sobering thought made her jerk back. She huffed, flapping her hand in front of her face to disperse whatever pheromones were currently cloying her senses. Kori glared at the stranger. “I know what the symbol on that case means.” She crossed her arms, ignoring the sensitive brush of her nipples against the inside of her shirt. Little she could do about that now. “Does this Consortium hold your contract? Is that why you tried to roofie me to keep me from reporting your escape pod?”

They blinked, a flash of calculation crossing their features before they bowed their head. “I apologize, Miss...”

Shit, she hadn’t bothered to introduce herself either. Embarrassment pinkened her cheeks. “Kori.”

“Kori.” They licked their lips as if they savored the taste of her name in their mouth. Something dangerous and wild fluttered in her chest. The strength of her desire worried her, and she could tell by the gleam in their metallic gaze they saw it too.

chaptertwo

wrex

Wrex studiedthe biological metrics feeding through their sensors. Not that they truly needed them. A short-sighted skiskant could see the female’s body was responsive, from the delectable peek of her nipples through her thin nightshirt to the way her skin flushed that alluring pink when they spoke her name. The pheromone glands implanted beneath their collar bones pulsed, sensing her arousal, eager to enhance her pleasure. They gave off a pleasant odor, but only an aroused individual could scent them.

“I assure you; I am not attempting to ‘roofie’ you,” they said, lips turned up in a knowing smile.

This interaction required a more tactical approach, because Wrex could not abide it if her report somehow reached the Consortium. How much distance had they managed to travel from their station? The Consortium’s reach was far, and fear twisted Wrex’s morals into shades of gray. They would never go back to that living Hell, no matter what they had to do to ensure otherwise. Though they didn’twantto hurt the female to do so. This woman, Kori, was far pleasanter fare compared to others they had been forced to service under the Consortium’s brutal grip.

The sight of her biceps alone made their mouth water, a body toned and built for endurance. Kori nearly matched them in height. Banked desire glazed her bright blue eyes and plumped her full lips. Her sleep-tousled hair was as black as the space between stars, and rose in a messy crest, the sides shaved short.

A scent teased their sensors, and Wrex clenched their hands behind their back. Receptive, yes, and the right amount of suggestion could sway this delicious female to their perspective.

“My designation is Wrexler Trivane, but you may address me as Wrex.” They properly bowed to her, hiding their grin when she nibbled on her soft bottom lip. A single touch would be enough to confirm how pleasant it would be to kiss those lips. They kept their proximity to the female, enjoying the little huffs and puffs she emitted in her vain attempts to maintain decorum. Wrex wondered what she would look like undone and what it would take to tip her over that edge.

“Wrex,” she breathed. They liked the sound of her voice speaking their name. To their surprise, she closed the distance first, taking their hand in a firm hold, calloused fingertips massaging the smooth skin of their wrist. “Can you help me understand your situation? Tell me what happened?”

Her touch created sparks of desire beneath their skin. Wrex leaned in, skimming the tip of their nose along the curve of her ear. Kori froze.

“Will you report the pod if I don’t?” Their breath fanned over her face, stirring the short black strands of hair at her temples.

“I—I, wait, this is?—”

Wrex captured her mouth, swallowing her words and the groan that followed, drawn closer by soft lips and slick tongue that they wanted to suck and nip at leisure. They moved further into her space until their clothed chest brushed against her. By the glory, they could feel the peaked buds of her nipples straining through the layers of fabric between them. A problem Wrex planned to remedy momentarily as they reached for the hem of their shirt, breaking the kiss to whip the garment over their head.

The brief break in contact was a mistake. “Whoa, hang on there, stud,” Kori wheezed, slapping her palm against their naked chest. “I need answers.”