At stars end, p.15
At Star's End,
p.15
She lifted her chin. “It’s you I want, not your damn moon or ship.”
He paused in front of her. “We had a good time—”
She rose. “Don’t you dare give me the damn speech you give all the women you push out of your bed after a casual lay.”
One brow rose. “Why not?”
Eos slammed her hands against his chest. “Don’t you lump me with all of them. You’re in love with me, damn it!”
All she could hear was her ragged breathing. She swore she saw something move through his eyes, but he turned away.
“You have a fancy new job to go back to. Your mother would be proud.”
“Dathan, please, look at me.”
He turned, reluctantly.
“I love you. I want you, just the way you are.”
He reached out, his fingers brushing her face. “You’re something special, Dr. Rai.”
She closed her eyes. He was saying goodbye. Her hands clenched on the Mona Lisa. Once she’d thought it was one of the most important things in the galaxy.
Now, while her heart was breaking she realized that yes, it was important, but it was just a fragment of the past. The present and the future mattered most.
“Tell me you don’t want me.”
His face tensed. “Doc, there’s no room in my life for a woman—”
“Say it.”
“What I do is too dangerous. Surely you realize—”
“You’re a coward.” She moved to pull away but he held her fast.
“What did you say?”
“You’re a coward. Just like your father.”
Dathan hissed in a breath.
The horrible pain urged her on. “He gave up on life, on love, on everything after your mother left. You gave up on it without even giving it a chance.”
“Hang on.” Dathan’s hands slid over her shoulders. “You’re too good for me. One day you’d wake up in my bunk and wonder what the hell you’re doing here. You’d become bitter and twisted.”
“I’m not your mother.” His past was still there, a huge black void that wouldn’t let him go. Just like hers had been...up until this treasure hunt.
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything else. Then his lips were on hers. His kiss was urgent, rough. She clung to him, gripping him as she returned the kiss, pouring all her churning emotions into it.
He groaned, his hands cupping her jaw, his teeth sinking into her bottom lip.
Then he pulled back. “Take care of yourself.”
Her heart shattered. A million tiny pieces.
“Don’t go ending up on any more slave blocks, okay?” He headed for the door.
From somewhere she dredged up some strength and forced herself to function. “Wait.”
He turned.
There was so much she wanted to say, but she knew it was pointless. Instead, she held out the Mona Lisa fragment. “This is for you.”
He stared at it for a minute, then slowly raised his arm. He was careful not to touch her fingers as he took it.
“You earned it,” she said.
“Didn’t think you’d part with it.”
“I always honor my promises. No matter what.” She held out another small parcel wrapped in protective cloth. “This is for you too. Open it after...after I’m gone.” She looked into his eyes, committing that beautiful color to memory. “I learned an important lesson these last few days...the pieces of the past are important, but living our lives, not being afraid to love, that’s precious.”
There was a loud clang and the ship gave a slight shudder.
Eos scooped up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “That’s my ride. Goodbye, Dathan.”
She walked past him and down the corridor without giving in to the overwhelming urge to run back and fling her arms around him.
She had a future to plan and it didn’t include Dathan Phoenix.
Tears slid down her cheeks.
* * *
“Breaking orbit. One minute to interstellar speed.”
Dathan sat slumped in the copilot’s chair. He kept his gaze averted from the windows. He didn’t want to watch Beta7 or the Odyssey disappear from view.
Zayn engaged the singularity engine and they shot away. Dathan unstrapped and shoved his boots on top of the command console.
“Watch it,” Zayn snapped.
Dathan ignored him and plucked an object from his pocket.
A small cloth-wrapped item.
With a churning stomach, he opened it.
He sucked in a breath. The Terran timepiece.
He rubbed a thumb over the cracked face. The little thing wouldn’t get as much as the Mona Lisa, but he knew a private collector who had a fetish for old Terran technology and he’d pay a huge sum for it.
Instead, Dathan shoved it back into his pocket and lifted a bottle of kila from the floor beside his chair. He took a long swig. It burned all the way down to his belly.
“You know what? I don’t want to look at your brooding face.” Zayn nudged Dathan’s boots so they thunked onto the floor. “Get out of my cockpit and take your stomach-burning booze with you.”
“Shut up.” Dathan took another swig even though it hurt.
Zayn rolled his eyes. “You’re like a lovesick puppy that got tossed out in the yard. If you didn’t want Eos to leave, you shouldn’t have let her.”
“I said, shut up.” Dathan didn’t want to talk about her. He rubbed the heel of his palm over his aching chest. He didn’t want to think about anything. He wanted another swig, but he worried he really might burn a hole in his gut.
Zayn let out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. Kill yourself, see if I care.”
Blessed silence. Dathan leaned back and closed his eyes. But an image of a smiling Eos, her cheeks flushed, her golden eyes glowing, was seared into the back of his eyelids.
He opened them and stared out the windows. The stars were blurry trails smudged on the black of space.
“Why’d you let her go?”
Dathan sighed. “She’s too good for me.”
A snort. “You got that right.” Zayn’s tone lost the joking. “But she’s crazy about you. Seemed to me she fit our merry little band just fine. She even talked about going on other treasure hunts.”
She had? Dathan shook his head. “She’d hate it eventually. Wish she had that important job at the Institute.”
“Eos isn’t like that.” Niklas came up behind Dathan’s chair. “Do you think I want my Institute job back?”
Dathan glanced over his shoulder. “You hate the Institute. She might be happy for a while but then she’d leave.” He wouldn’t survive.
“She’s not Mom, Dathan, and you aren’t Dad.”
He hunched down in the chair and lifted the bottle.
“Hunting gave her something the Institute never can, the freedom to pursue the digs she wants, adventure...you.”
Dathan lifted his head.
Niklas shook his. “She loves you. Don’t know why, but I’ve never known Eos to love anyone. And I have to say the same about you, little brother.”
Dathan blinked and lowered the bottle. “I don’t know what love is. Mom and Dad were hardly a good example.”
“You’ve spent a lifetime trying to prove you aren’t like our father. This is the first time I’ve seen you follow in his footsteps.”
Jesus. Dathan’s gut churned, Nik’s words hitting hard. He stared at the bottle in his hand in horror.
“Where’s the Mona Lisa, Dathan?” Nik asked.
Hunching his shoulders again, Dathan looked away. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Where is it?”
Dathan let out a breath. “I snuck it into Eos’s bag.”
“You gave away a trillion e-cred artifact?” Zayn’s eyes goggled. “The legendary treasure hunter Dathan Phoenix gave away his greatest prize.”
The piece of painted canvas hadn’t been his greatest prize. “We still have the treasure hidden on the ship. That alone is worth billions.”
“Giving up the Mona Lisa.” Niklas clamped a hand on his shoulder. “That, my man, is love.”
The kila bottle fell from Dathan’s fingers and clattered on the grating. “I messed up.”
“Yep,” Zayn said cheerfully.
“I should never have let her go.”
“No,” Niklas agreed.
“We have to turn around.” Dathan shot to his feet. The heavy weight holding him down lifted. He felt bursting with energy. “I have to go get her.”
BEll made a huffing sound. “About time.” The ship started a wide turn. “It’s been excruciating watching you be an idiot.”
Dathan dropped back into his chair. “What if she won’t have me back?”
Nik slapped Dathan’s back. “Brother, you’re the best in the galaxy for hunting down treasure. My money’s on you for finding this one.”
* * *
Eos watched the Infinitas leave.
She bit down on her trembling bottom lip, her chest hollow. She felt another piece of her heart had been carved out.
She stared blindly around her spacious cabin on the Odyssey before her gaze was drawn back to the window. Beta7 filled the view. A team of astro-archeologists and a security detail were on the surface with the treasure.
She’d been invited to join them but hadn’t been able to muster much enthusiasm.
Yes, because moping and feeling sorry for yourself is a much more productive use of time.
She shot to her feet and grabbed her bag. Unpacking might take her mind off things.
She opened the bag. She gasped.
Slowly, she withdrew the Mona Lisa.
Oh, Dathan. She hugged it to her chest. The stupid man did love her.
Clutching the fragment, she strode down the corridor. She had zero chance of convincing Diego to break orbit and abandon the treasure of the New Louvre to follow the Infinitas.
She reached a fork. One corridor leading to the cockpit. The other to the escape pods. Fully programmable pods.
Her heart pounded. She had to make a decision. For the first time, she ignored her head and followed her heart.
She was crazy. Eos clambered into the small escape pod and set the pod to track the trail of the Infinitas.
She was planning to give Dathan Phoenix a huge chunk of her mind.
The idiot didn’t deserve her, but she was going to convince him they belonged together. She’d hunt him across the galaxy if that was what it took.
She launched the pod.
Ignoring the hails from the Odyssey, she watched on the small viewscreen as the ship and Beta got smaller and smaller. Now rational thought interjected. What if she got picked up by some scum following Darc’s call? She swallowed. Or worse, slavers.
Suddenly the pod spun to the right in a wild swing. Eos screamed, bracing herself on the console.
She was caught in a ship’s tractor beam. “Pod Two, identify ship.”
“Cannot comply. I do not have sufficient programming.”
Great. Her pulse racing wildly, she waited until the pod was hauled aboard. The pod door opened with a hiss.
Dathan stormed inside. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Any damn space brigand could have picked up this pod. You want to end up—”
She jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist. “If you weren’t so stubborn, I wouldn’t have had to be so reckless.”
His arms clamped around her. He pressed his face to her hair. “Don’t you dare risk your life like that again.”
She rubbed her face against his shirt, drawing in the scent of him. “I’m not sure I can help it. Some of your recklessness must have worn off on me.”
He held her harder, his heart beating rapidly under her cheek. “Eos, I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“You’re not going to make it easy for me, are you?” He pulled back. His glorious blue-green eyes were bright. “I deserve that. I’m sorry for pushing you away.”
“I’ll think about forgiving you.” An apology wasn’t what she wanted to hear from him. “Why were you here? You should be miles away by now.”
“I was coming back for you.”
Something bright unfurled inside her. “Why, Dathan?”
His lips touched hers in the gentlest kiss. “Because I love you. Every adventure I’ve ever had pales in comparison to you.”
Her lips trembled. “I love you too.”
“Don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing that.” His hands tightened on her arms. “I have something for you.” He carried her out of the pod, down the hall and into his cabin.
He set her on the bunk and pulled an object from the drawer at his desk.
Eos gasped. It was a beautiful piece of engraved metal the same color as her eyes.
“If it reminds you of Lucifa, I’ll get rid—”
“No.” She ran a finger over the Eiran torquis. “It’s beautiful.”
“I want you to be mine.” He gently slipped it onto her upper arm. “I want you to belong to me. But I’ll also belong to you.”
She stared into his eyes. “You got this on Souk.”
“Yeah. Not sure why.” He shot her a lopsided grin. “I guess some part of me knew I’d need it.”
She toyed with the top button of his shirt. “Not afraid I’m going to run off sometime in the future?”
“Maybe. Just a little.” He gripped her hands in his. “But we both know you can’t let the past rule your life. I’m just going to have to work damn hard to keep you happy.”
“No complaints from me.”
He pushed her back onto the bed. “Screw the past. And right now, I don’t care much about the future either.” His big body came down on hers, one strong thigh sliding between her legs. “I’m all about what I plan to do with you right now.”
Desire was a bright burn over their love. “Here’s to the present.”
~ Official Document ~
Galactic Institute of Historical Preservation
Treasures of the New Louvre Records #117
Subject: Unlimited Access
The Galactic Institute of Historical Preservation would like to acknowledge Dr. Eos Rai-Phoenix as the discoverer of the Terran colony of significant historical importance, Star’s End, and the Treasure of the New Louvre on the moon of Beta7 in the Amori System. On her insistence, the Institute also extends gracious thanks to her husband, Dathan Phoenix, and his brothers, Niklas and Zayn Phoenix, for helping to uncover and preserve the treasure.
Unlimited access to the Treasures of the New Louvre is granted to Dr. Rai-Phoenix. While no longer employed by the Institute, the doctor will be allowed full access to all artwork and artifacts for historical study and preservation.
The Institute would also like to acknowledge the Phoenixes for their aid in the continued search for the still-missing remnant of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
* * * * *
About the Author
Mining engineer by day and writer the rest of the time, Anna Hackett grew up an avid reader with no dreams of being a writer. Her career in mining has taken her all around the world and sparked her desire to write.
As a teenager, she raided her mother’s romances and her father’s action-adventure books, so it’s no surprise that her stories combine both. When she isn’t wearing boots and a hard hat, she’s at her computer drinking too much Diet Coke and working on her stories.
Anna loves hearing from readers. You can find out more about her and her latest releases at www.annahackettbooks.com.
Where no great story goes untold.
The variety you want to read, the stories authors have always wanted to write.
With new releases every week, your next great read is just a download away!
Keep in touch with Carina Press:
Read our blog: www.CarinaPress.com/blog
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CarinaPress
Become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarinaPress
ISBN-13: 9781426898105
AT STAR’S END
Copyright © 2014 by Anna Hackett
Edited by Bryon Quartermous
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.CarinaPress.com
Anna Hackett, At Star's End
