station. His body was found in one of the mines. Anto called it a tragic accident.”
Expressions chased each other across her face, fear shadowed her eyes, and his long suppressed protective instincts chose that moment to make themselves known. Pushing himself off his desk, he crossed the short distance to her. Squatting, he took her small, clenched fists in his much larger hands, offering comfort as he rubbed his thumbs across their back.
“Tell me the rest, Tru,” he ordered in a gentle tone.
“When I got back to my rooms someone had been there. Everything was tossed about. My clothes were in ruins. I knew whoever had been there was looking for information, but I never left my data drive in my rooms. It was always with me.” Her voice trembled, and her pulse raced under his fingertips.
“I knew I had to get back home, but whenever I tried to contact anyone the channels were blocked. I couldn’t even get a transport off-world. I wasn’t sure what to do, whom I could trust. I was scared to death.”
She raised fear-dilated eyes to his, the bruising on her temple dark against her pale skin. “I waited until it was full dark and managed to get out of my rooms unseen, and once the shift changed at the space port offices, I was able to sneak in and find an unoccupied room. They don’t fully staff during the off hours and security is a little lax so it wasn’t hard to do. I was able to gain access to an unblocked haloviz. I’d heard rumors you were coming to Lodestone when no one thought I was listening. It seemed to make people very nervous for some reason.”
“It seems like Geotern Mining isn’t as good at keeping secrets as they thought,” he murmured. “What were the rumors you heard?”
“There weren’t many really–rumors of a new mineral, speculation on why Rayven Security would be involved, but nothing concrete. Your name kept coming up. Even my grandfather had shown some interest in your company. I knew you were going to be my best chance to escape, so I waited and hid, praying the rumors were true and you would help me get home.”
Nick released her hands and stood. He crossed to the window, his back to the room. “Finding me didn’t prove to be such a bargain though, did it?” He glanced over his shoulder when he heard her leave her chair and cross the room to stand beside him. Her touch was hesitant against the rigid muscles of his back.
“If you hadn’t arrived when you did, Nick, I would probably be dead,” she said simply. “I owe you for saving me...and for helping me now.”
“Do you still have the drive?” He turned enough to see her, but not enough to force her hand from touching him. Tru had been rubbing his shoulder in a soothing circular motion and he enjoyed the contact. He suspected she wasn’t even aware she did it, but he would take what he could get.
With her free hand, she slid her fingers under a thin chain around her neck and pulled the end of it from under the shirt she wore. It looked like an ornamental piece of jewelry until he looked closer and realized it was a cleverly camouflaged data drive.
“May I?” He indicated the necklace with a lift of his chin.
She nodded and reached behind her to unfasten the dainty chain. He forestalled her by cupping her shoulders and spinning her around so her back was to him. He skimmed his palms along her tense shoulders until he reached the velvet skin of her neck and took his time tracing the fragile links of the chain with his fingertips, moving with the lightest of touches from her collarbone to the fastening at her nape. He slipped his fingers under the links and lifted the chain away from her warm, fragrant skin.
She caught her breath.
Slower than was necessary, he unlatched it, enjoying the softness of the curls clinging to her nape and wrapping themselves around his fingertips. Her breath trembled as she exhaled, and he struggled to keep himself from doing more than removing the necklace.
He cleared his throat
Expressions chased each other across her face, fear shadowed her eyes, and his long suppressed protective instincts chose that moment to make themselves known. Pushing himself off his desk, he crossed the short distance to her. Squatting, he took her small, clenched fists in his much larger hands, offering comfort as he rubbed his thumbs across their back.
“Tell me the rest, Tru,” he ordered in a gentle tone.
“When I got back to my rooms someone had been there. Everything was tossed about. My clothes were in ruins. I knew whoever had been there was looking for information, but I never left my data drive in my rooms. It was always with me.” Her voice trembled, and her pulse raced under his fingertips.
“I knew I had to get back home, but whenever I tried to contact anyone the channels were blocked. I couldn’t even get a transport off-world. I wasn’t sure what to do, whom I could trust. I was scared to death.”
She raised fear-dilated eyes to his, the bruising on her temple dark against her pale skin. “I waited until it was full dark and managed to get out of my rooms unseen, and once the shift changed at the space port offices, I was able to sneak in and find an unoccupied room. They don’t fully staff during the off hours and security is a little lax so it wasn’t hard to do. I was able to gain access to an unblocked haloviz. I’d heard rumors you were coming to Lodestone when no one thought I was listening. It seemed to make people very nervous for some reason.”
“It seems like Geotern Mining isn’t as good at keeping secrets as they thought,” he murmured. “What were the rumors you heard?”
“There weren’t many really–rumors of a new mineral, speculation on why Rayven Security would be involved, but nothing concrete. Your name kept coming up. Even my grandfather had shown some interest in your company. I knew you were going to be my best chance to escape, so I waited and hid, praying the rumors were true and you would help me get home.”
Nick released her hands and stood. He crossed to the window, his back to the room. “Finding me didn’t prove to be such a bargain though, did it?” He glanced over his shoulder when he heard her leave her chair and cross the room to stand beside him. Her touch was hesitant against the rigid muscles of his back.
“If you hadn’t arrived when you did, Nick, I would probably be dead,” she said simply. “I owe you for saving me...and for helping me now.”
“Do you still have the drive?” He turned enough to see her, but not enough to force her hand from touching him. Tru had been rubbing his shoulder in a soothing circular motion and he enjoyed the contact. He suspected she wasn’t even aware she did it, but he would take what he could get.
With her free hand, she slid her fingers under a thin chain around her neck and pulled the end of it from under the shirt she wore. It looked like an ornamental piece of jewelry until he looked closer and realized it was a cleverly camouflaged data drive.
“May I?” He indicated the necklace with a lift of his chin.
She nodded and reached behind her to unfasten the dainty chain. He forestalled her by cupping her shoulders and spinning her around so her back was to him. He skimmed his palms along her tense shoulders until he reached the velvet skin of her neck and took his time tracing the fragile links of the chain with his fingertips, moving with the lightest of touches from her collarbone to the fastening at her nape. He slipped his fingers under the links and lifted the chain away from her warm, fragrant skin.
She caught her breath.
Slower than was necessary, he unlatched it, enjoying the softness of the curls clinging to her nape and wrapping themselves around his fingertips. Her breath trembled as she exhaled, and he struggled to keep himself from doing more than removing the necklace.
He cleared his throat
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