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Authors: Catherine Spangler
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her this cabin had been redesigned to act as a brig, so the actual panel had been removed and a force field unit installed in its place. He didn't make it a habit of advertising the fact that he was a shadower, even though in this case, a healthy dose of fear might help keep her in line.
On the other hand, considering that she appeared to be involved in illegal activities and probably had a bounty on her head, knowing he was a bounty hunter might make her more desperate to escape him. He'd keep quiet about his shadower status for the time being, even though he had no intention of turning her in. The Controllers had so many damn ordinances that virtually every citizen committed an infraction sooner or later. Probably half of the population in this wretched quadrant had bounties on their heads. Moriah might willingly be on the wrong side of the ordinances, but it was obvious she wasn't in the same league as vicious criminals like Galen.
Sabin refused to participate in persecuting every citizen who broke the law, especially those who did so in order to survive or best the Controllers. He couldn't accept that kind of blood money. He saved his energies for the criminals who preyed on the innocent, the ones who truly deserved to be punished.
Except now he had to decide what to do with Moriah. He couldn't restrain her with a force field, which meant he either had to keep her shackled or give her free access of his ship. She stared at him silently. Probably plotting her escape. Great. He absolutely didn't trust her, so the shackles might be best. Still, she hadn't done anything to him, except for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He decided to hold off on the restraints—for now.
"Come on," he muttered, stepping back and gesturing for her to walk ahead of him. "To the cockpit."
"But you just told me to come in here."
He clamped a tight rein on his temper. "I changed my mind. I'd rather keep you in sight. Get to the cockpit."
She flashed him a look of disdain. Tossing her hair over her shoulders, she strolled past him and down the corridor. The sway of her nicely rounded hips only fueled his agitation further. He forced himself to focus on the back of her head. When they reached the cockpit, he ordered her to strap in while he began takeoff procedures and notified the colonists of his departure.
Moments later, they broke free from the planet's gravity field and headed away. After setting the coordinates for Elysia, Sabin leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the armrests. Unsnapping her harness, Moriah rose and leaned toward the navigational screen. He switched it off. "Oh, no, you don't."
Straightening, she leveled a golden glare at him. "Where are we going?"
He rose. "You don't need to worry about that."
She chewed her bottom lip, a surprisingly vulnerable gesture. She probably didn't even know she did it, he reflected, his attention drawn to her lush mouth. He thought of the kiss he'd commandeered on Calt, the feel of her lips, the taste…Damn, why did the force field have to shut down now ?
"I need to know our destination," she insisted.
"All you need to worry about is keeping your word not to give me any trouble."
"But we're obviously headed somewhere. I want to know what you have planned!"
"We're going to take care of a little business." He again noted the circles beneath her eyes and remembered she needed to eat. "Come on. Let's go to the galley. The least you can do is make yourself useful while you're on board."
She stood very still, and he could almost see her composure slip back into place, like a shield against him. But the wariness remained in her eyes. "How so, Travers?"
Her refusal to use his first name or the proper title of captain amused him. "By replicating our meals, Cameron. At least I assume that's your real last name, and we do seem to be on a last-name basis here. Lack of manners, and all. I hate to cook, so you can have that duty now."
She gave a small shrug and
On the other hand, considering that she appeared to be involved in illegal activities and probably had a bounty on her head, knowing he was a bounty hunter might make her more desperate to escape him. He'd keep quiet about his shadower status for the time being, even though he had no intention of turning her in. The Controllers had so many damn ordinances that virtually every citizen committed an infraction sooner or later. Probably half of the population in this wretched quadrant had bounties on their heads. Moriah might willingly be on the wrong side of the ordinances, but it was obvious she wasn't in the same league as vicious criminals like Galen.
Sabin refused to participate in persecuting every citizen who broke the law, especially those who did so in order to survive or best the Controllers. He couldn't accept that kind of blood money. He saved his energies for the criminals who preyed on the innocent, the ones who truly deserved to be punished.
Except now he had to decide what to do with Moriah. He couldn't restrain her with a force field, which meant he either had to keep her shackled or give her free access of his ship. She stared at him silently. Probably plotting her escape. Great. He absolutely didn't trust her, so the shackles might be best. Still, she hadn't done anything to him, except for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He decided to hold off on the restraints—for now.
"Come on," he muttered, stepping back and gesturing for her to walk ahead of him. "To the cockpit."
"But you just told me to come in here."
He clamped a tight rein on his temper. "I changed my mind. I'd rather keep you in sight. Get to the cockpit."
She flashed him a look of disdain. Tossing her hair over her shoulders, she strolled past him and down the corridor. The sway of her nicely rounded hips only fueled his agitation further. He forced himself to focus on the back of her head. When they reached the cockpit, he ordered her to strap in while he began takeoff procedures and notified the colonists of his departure.
Moments later, they broke free from the planet's gravity field and headed away. After setting the coordinates for Elysia, Sabin leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the armrests. Unsnapping her harness, Moriah rose and leaned toward the navigational screen. He switched it off. "Oh, no, you don't."
Straightening, she leveled a golden glare at him. "Where are we going?"
He rose. "You don't need to worry about that."
She chewed her bottom lip, a surprisingly vulnerable gesture. She probably didn't even know she did it, he reflected, his attention drawn to her lush mouth. He thought of the kiss he'd commandeered on Calt, the feel of her lips, the taste…Damn, why did the force field have to shut down now ?
"I need to know our destination," she insisted.
"All you need to worry about is keeping your word not to give me any trouble."
"But we're obviously headed somewhere. I want to know what you have planned!"
"We're going to take care of a little business." He again noted the circles beneath her eyes and remembered she needed to eat. "Come on. Let's go to the galley. The least you can do is make yourself useful while you're on board."
She stood very still, and he could almost see her composure slip back into place, like a shield against him. But the wariness remained in her eyes. "How so, Travers?"
Her refusal to use his first name or the proper title of captain amused him. "By replicating our meals, Cameron. At least I assume that's your real last name, and we do seem to be on a last-name basis here. Lack of manners, and all. I hate to cook, so you can have that duty now."
She gave a small shrug and
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