Page 12 of Touch the Stars (Ghara Empire #1)

Kaitlyn.

S he stared at a small console-top view screen, watching for any change in direction of the Bajiki freighter’s trail.

Yup, even with something to do, space was still boring.

It’d been two fucking hours of focusing her attention on the artificially enhanced trail of neon-green specks displayed on the screen.

Even the yawns she’d been fighting to keep suppressed had started overriding her will.

There was also the unresolved ache between her legs for the badass alien warrior sitting in the command chair. She shifted her butt from side to side in her seat. What she’d give for some time alone to relieve herself of that ache, since Baatar had too much honor to help her with it.

“What do ‘fuck’ mean?” His voice broke the silence.

A small jolt shot through her, and heat crept up her neck. It was great and all that he attempted to speak English to her, but where’d that question come from? If she had to talk about sex with him right now, she’d probably orgasm.

She glanced over at him and gave her shoulders a shrug. “It’s, uh, just a random descriptive word we use to emphasize our feelings.”

Sort of.

“I comprehend.” He jutted his chin forward.

No, you really don’t .

This topic needed to go away, fast. “So, what about your family? I guess you have sisters, too?”

If he did the talking, she could focus on his words rather than her unsatisfied lust. And the yawns.

Baatar smiled, and his gaze drifted to the distant stars displayed on the main view screen. “Three sisters. One older and two younger. Ulaani, Naari, and Zaali.”

“Those are beautiful names.” She turned her attention back to her viewer. “Tell me about them. What are they like?”

“Ulaani achieved warrior class with me. Naari be a gentle soul. Education of younglings be a natural choice for her.”

“And Zaali?”

Baatar barked a laugh. “Hard to tell. She be a youngling, still. Too soon for her to commit to a life-path. My parents be wise enough not to try.”

A lump rose in her throat. Did he have any idea how lucky he was to have had such a normal life? A family?

She swallowed. “What about your parents?”

Silence.

“Baatar?” She turned her head to meet his gaze.

“Does it bother you to hear?” His words were gentle, full of caring and concern.

She stared at him with her mouth open. No one had ever asked her that before, yet here was this alien from God-only-knew how many light-years away, giving enough shits to find out. Something in her heart shifted, flooding it with a delicious emotion she hadn’t experienced enough of in her life.

Fucking hell, she was falling for him. No question about it. The kicker was that, no matter which way things went, there couldn’t be a happily ever after for them.

Bing .

Whew. Saved by the ship’s AI.

“Bajiki freighter statis change,” the disembodied voice announced.

Baatar squared his shoulders but did not look away from her. “Report.”

“Freighter location: six-hundred-seventy-four million galactic leagues. Freighter speed: stationery. Power level: zero.”

He frowned. “They are dead in space.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” She caught her lower lip between her teeth.

If they weren’t moving, it’d make catching up with them—and Kris—easier.

“It depends. Cruiser, are there any other ships in the area?”

“Negative.”

Baatar rubbed his hand over his chin. “Something is not right.”

Please don’t say we’re not going .

If he did, she’d still find a way. She’d steal one of the escape pods if she had too. How difficult could it be to fly one of those?

“Kaitlyn?”

She startled and blinked at him. “What?”

“I asked, what do you wish to do?”

He was letting her make the choice? “You know what I want to do, but if anything happens to me, then Rocky the Grand Asshole will kill you and your family.”

He jerked his chin out again. “I accept that risk.”

“You do ?”

“As a warrior, I have learned to listen to my inner voice.”

“What about your family?”

He chuckled. “I believe my mother would agree. She is also a warrior.”

“Your mother ?” Didn’t see that one coming.

“It is she who inspired me, and Ulaani.” He flicked his gaze down her body, then back up. “You too are a warrior, Kaatlyn.”

The ache between her legs flared hotter. Damn and hell, every time he pronounced her name like that, it was like an aphrodisiac. If she didn’t haul ass out of here, she would jump his bones.

“Thank you, Baatar.” Her voice sounded like a dying frog, even to her. She wet her lips with her tongue, then swallowed. “Uh, so, how long until we get to the Bajiki freighter?”

He blinked a few times in rapid succession, as if coming out of a trance. “Roughly five hours.”

“That long?” More than enough time. “You think I could go take a quick nap? My eyes are burning from watching that screen for so long.”

His expression softened. “Of course. Traveling through space can be exhausting for someone who has never done so before. Please, sleep well. I will be here when you awake.”

“Okay.” Too bad he hadn’t offered to come with her, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. “Be back later.”

Baatar.

It should not be possible that after over three hours without Kaitlyn’s inexhaustible presence in the command center, he would be so eager for her return.

Impatient for it, almost to the point of walking down the corridor to join her.

Which would be rude after all she had been through since he had taken her from her planet.

That is not the real reason.

He reached down to make a slight readjustment to his semi-hard cock, then refocused his attention on the tiny, unmoving gray-and-black image of the Bajiki freighter now on the main view screen.

They were still two hours away, but it appeared far closer.

The advanced technology of the live visual feed aboard the cruiser surpassed any he had ever seen.

“Cruiser, scan for other ships within range.” He should wake up Kaitlyn soon and prepare her for the rendezvous.

“Scanning.”

In most cases, other ships would not pose a threat, as the imperial cruiser could outrun all but a more powerful imperial ship. Yet, the cruiser’s speed would not protect Kaitlyn if he were caught unaware while aboard the pirate’s freighter.

“No ships within range,” the cruiser reported.

So, why was it floating free out there? Had it been attacked? It was not unheard of for pirates to attack one another, the winner absconding with the other’s ill-gotten goods. He had not dared mention this possibility to Kaitlyn earlier. That knowledge would have caused her unnecessary angst.

The other option was that this was a trap. But, for whom? Certainly not them. No one expected them, as his mission was secret.

“Bajiki freighter’s status?”

“Unchanged.”

As expected. No power, no lights, and no other ship trails.

Most disturbing. If the Bajiki had been attacked, the evidence should be plain to see with imperial technology, even at this distance.

He rubbed his fingers over the stubble of his chin.

It was tempting to abort this side mission, take Kaitlyn somewhere safe, then deal with the grand emperor’s ultimatum himself.

That will not happen.

As perplexing as the situation was, he must see his imperial mission to its conclusion, with Kaitlyn. And that was the most difficult part—Kaitlyn. The Ancient Ones had tasked him to protect her from every threat. Given what had happened, the grand emperor was now a threat.

I would protect her even without imperial orders.

He moved his fingertips over the center of his chest in a tight, circular motion to ease the tension growing in his heart. When had the little human female come to mean more to him than his own life?

The pressure of the air in the command center shifted, and he turned his attention to the doorway.

Kaitlyn stepped through into the room, smiling.

Her Earth garments had been replaced with snug-fitting white pants and a matching short-sleeve, scoop-neck shirt.

She was a vision, every bit the empress the Ancient Ones had chosen.

Her smile widened, and she twirled in a circle. “You like?”

He tried to swallow, but his saliva glands had dried up. “Yea, much I do.”

Enough to try to impress her by speaking English. By the stars, the material conformed to her luscious curves like a second skin.

“I wondered why there wasn’t any furniture in my room.

” She leaned against the arm of the command chair, putting her breasts a hair’s breadth from his right biceps.

“But then I discovered that if I pressed any of the little blue lights on the wall, drawers come out or cabinets open. And , most of them are full of clothing.”

He should have explained that to her after she came aboard.

Eyes up. Do not look down.

“It took me a while, but I found a few things that fit okay.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Bummer that they’re all white, though. It’s not exactly my color. Anyway, did I miss anything?”

“Nay, Emp…Kaitlyn.” Now he was stumbling over his own words?

This must stop. He straightened his spine and waved his left hand in the direction of the main screen.

“We be arriving at the freighter in less than two hours. If there be no response to our hails, I will put on an environmental suit to go aboard.”

Her short laugh drew his gaze back to her. “I’m coming with you, you know that, right?”

“Nay. Stay you here.”

“I don’t think so.” She pushed away from the chair and crossed her arms under her breasts.

Do not look down.

“Kaitlyn—”

“She’s my sister, dammit.”

There was no argument about that. “It be too dangerous.”

“More dangerous than staying here?” She made a snorting sound. “I doubt it. What if Rocky calls while you’re gone? There’s no way you could get back before he bellowed me to death.”

The argumentative words died in his throat. The grand emperor was more of a threat than a dead-in-space pirate freighter.

He leaned back in the seat with a long sigh. “So be it.”

“You mean I can go with you?” She bounced on her toes, making her breasts jiggle enticingly.

“Yea.” Just stop bouncing.

She emitted a small cry and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you.”

It was a grudging compromise, with a pleasant outcome. And with her this close, he did not need to struggle to keep his gaze from being drawn to her breasts. Yet, as nice as it was to have her soft, warm curves pressed against him, they still had to prepare.

“You are welcome.” He gently touched her arms, and she released him. “Now, come with me. We must find an environmental suit that fits you.”