Read Online Light of Kaska by Michelle O'Leary - Free Book Online
Authors: Michelle O'Leary
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out her wrist.
The purpling bruises in the shape of fingers caught him by surprise, twisting something inside him. Had he really done that to her? He remembered the feel of her bird-like wrist in his hand, how the bones seemed to grind together when he tightened his hold, pulling despite her resistance. He lifted a hand to touch the bruises, but she jerked back, curling away from him as much as she could. Her retreat caused an odd sensation just under his ribcage, like sickness or pain.
“If-if you could just drop me off at the nearest Exchange, I’d appreciate it,” she said without meeting his eyes.
“Can’t.” He rose to his feet. She jumped, staring at him. With a twist of his mouth, he turned away. For something to do, he dragged the crate of food out from where he’d wedged it against the hull and began to unpack it, stowing the foodstuffs in the ship’s storage. “The Collectors would be on me in a heartbeat.”
“S-so just drop me at the nearest spaceport. I can find my way.”
“You seem awful eager to be rid of me, farm girl. Wonder why that is?”
She said nothing.
Stryker twitched a corner of his mouth with dry humor. “You wouldn’t last ten seconds in the outlands by yourself. I know kids who are tougher than you. You might as well hold up a sign that says, ‘Dinner is served.’”
She was quiet while he finished emptying the crate and stowed it away. Then she asked, “What will you do with me?”
He turned to look at her and she dropped her gaze, freckled cheeks tinting the faintest pink.
Eat you for dinner,
his primitive side growled, but he figured she’d leap out into space if he said that aloud. The image of his hands sliding down the tender skin of her open thighs ambushed him again and he drew a swift breath, turning away from her.
Acknowledging the hot rush of blood through his body, he shook his head in bewilderment. This wasn’t gratitude—it was pure lust, on a scale that was all out of proportion to the circumstances and the woman herself. He liked women with more meat on their bones, not little bird-like creatures he could snap in half with one hand. Or bruise without knowing it. She didn’t fit any of the usual criteria that sparked his lust, so what the hell was going on?
“Haven’t figured that out yet,” he answered both of their questions. “You hungry?”
Without waiting for her to answer, he began heating meat pies. A few moments later, he had the steaming pies in containers and filled two drink pouches with water from the ship’s recycling unit.
Sukeza accepted the food and drink with trembling fingers and a wary expression. Stryker pretended not to notice, unfolding a passenger seat from the hull and settling into it. He forked a bite of pastry into his mouth and decided it tasted even better when he wasn’t dehydrated and chained to a wall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her begin to eat and suppressed the urge stop and stare. Watching her slip anything into her mouth wasn’t going to help subdue that lust.
“I know some people. They might find you safe transport.”
She stopped eating, and he lifted his head to see her staring at him with what looked like surprise. “Y-you mean you’ll let me go?”
He snorted. “What’d you think I was gonna do, keep you as a pet? Or maybe sell you to the highest bidder?”
She flushed and dropped her gaze without answering.
He sighed and continued eating. Of course that’s what she’d thought. He was a known criminal. An escaped convict. He’d broken more laws than he could count. So what was selling off one nervous little female? “Shouldn’t put ideas in my head, farm girl,” he growled with a surge of irritation.
She nearly dropped her food on the floor. He watched her recover the container, watched her shake, and could’ve kicked himself.
“Relax, I wasn’t serious. You should work on your sense of humor.”
“That didn’t sound like humor,” she said in a low
The purpling bruises in the shape of fingers caught him by surprise, twisting something inside him. Had he really done that to her? He remembered the feel of her bird-like wrist in his hand, how the bones seemed to grind together when he tightened his hold, pulling despite her resistance. He lifted a hand to touch the bruises, but she jerked back, curling away from him as much as she could. Her retreat caused an odd sensation just under his ribcage, like sickness or pain.
“If-if you could just drop me off at the nearest Exchange, I’d appreciate it,” she said without meeting his eyes.
“Can’t.” He rose to his feet. She jumped, staring at him. With a twist of his mouth, he turned away. For something to do, he dragged the crate of food out from where he’d wedged it against the hull and began to unpack it, stowing the foodstuffs in the ship’s storage. “The Collectors would be on me in a heartbeat.”
“S-so just drop me at the nearest spaceport. I can find my way.”
“You seem awful eager to be rid of me, farm girl. Wonder why that is?”
She said nothing.
Stryker twitched a corner of his mouth with dry humor. “You wouldn’t last ten seconds in the outlands by yourself. I know kids who are tougher than you. You might as well hold up a sign that says, ‘Dinner is served.’”
She was quiet while he finished emptying the crate and stowed it away. Then she asked, “What will you do with me?”
He turned to look at her and she dropped her gaze, freckled cheeks tinting the faintest pink.
Eat you for dinner,
his primitive side growled, but he figured she’d leap out into space if he said that aloud. The image of his hands sliding down the tender skin of her open thighs ambushed him again and he drew a swift breath, turning away from her.
Acknowledging the hot rush of blood through his body, he shook his head in bewilderment. This wasn’t gratitude—it was pure lust, on a scale that was all out of proportion to the circumstances and the woman herself. He liked women with more meat on their bones, not little bird-like creatures he could snap in half with one hand. Or bruise without knowing it. She didn’t fit any of the usual criteria that sparked his lust, so what the hell was going on?
“Haven’t figured that out yet,” he answered both of their questions. “You hungry?”
Without waiting for her to answer, he began heating meat pies. A few moments later, he had the steaming pies in containers and filled two drink pouches with water from the ship’s recycling unit.
Sukeza accepted the food and drink with trembling fingers and a wary expression. Stryker pretended not to notice, unfolding a passenger seat from the hull and settling into it. He forked a bite of pastry into his mouth and decided it tasted even better when he wasn’t dehydrated and chained to a wall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her begin to eat and suppressed the urge stop and stare. Watching her slip anything into her mouth wasn’t going to help subdue that lust.
“I know some people. They might find you safe transport.”
She stopped eating, and he lifted his head to see her staring at him with what looked like surprise. “Y-you mean you’ll let me go?”
He snorted. “What’d you think I was gonna do, keep you as a pet? Or maybe sell you to the highest bidder?”
She flushed and dropped her gaze without answering.
He sighed and continued eating. Of course that’s what she’d thought. He was a known criminal. An escaped convict. He’d broken more laws than he could count. So what was selling off one nervous little female? “Shouldn’t put ideas in my head, farm girl,” he growled with a surge of irritation.
She nearly dropped her food on the floor. He watched her recover the container, watched her shake, and could’ve kicked himself.
“Relax, I wasn’t serious. You should work on your sense of humor.”
“That didn’t sound like humor,” she said in a low
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