Star Crossed (2 page)

Way too long.

“Leaving us already?”

Her gaze locked with his and the heat of a blush moved up her cheeks. She could tell by the mischievous glint in his eyes he knew exactly what she’d been staring at. He watched her in silence while he rubbed at his wet hair with a towel.

She swallowed. “I need to get back to Earth. Taron’s giving me a ride.”

“Taron’s an excellent pilot. You’ll be in good hands.” She nodded and licked at her lips. All she could seem to think about was how his mouth had felt on hers.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he said softly.

“No you’re not.”

A tiny smile lifted the corner of his lips and her breath caught in her throat. How could any one man be so gorgeous? Normally she wasn’t attracted to men with long hair, but his gave him a sexy look and his storm cloud gray eyes held her mesmerized, making her wish for things she never even knew she wanted. Like this man having his way with her.

That would be such a stupid thing to do. What if things went badly? She would feel too uncomfortable to come back and see her friend for fear of running into Stefan again.

Mikayla was all she had left and much more important than a fling.

“You’re right. I’m not.” He lowered the towel and stepped closer. She smelled the slight scent of musk and the soap he’d used. With determination, she resisted the urge to inhale deeper. “Come on, Kris. Admit it. You enjoyed it just as much as I did.” She tilted her head and scowled up at him. “You’re an arrogant ass, do you know that? And my name is Krista.”

“What’s wrong with Kris?”

Only her mother had called her Kris. “I don’t like it.”

“All the more reason to use it. I like it when you’re angry. Your eyes get darker and flash fire.” He smiled, the gray in his eyes darkening. “It makes for quite a picture.”

Krista rolled her eyes at his gall. “Why don’t we both do ourselves a favor and steer clear of each other.”

“But sweetheart, we’re family,” Stefan reasoned, the playful glint still evident in his gaze. The man was going to drive her crazy. She would do well to avoid him.

“You don’t kiss family in front of over eighty guests.”

“Would you prefer I kiss you in private?”

“I would prefer you not kiss me at all.”

“Now who’s lying?”

She opened her mouth to tell him exactly where he could go, when Taron’s voice interrupted them. “There you are. Ready?” His deep brown stare traveled between her and Stefan before a knowing grin spread his lips. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” Krista snapped.

“Yes,” Stefan drawled.

“I see,” Taron replied, his shoulders shaking in quiet laughter. “I can come back—”

“No.” Krista quickly stepped forward and handed Taron her heaviest bag. “The sooner I get home the better.”

More like the sooner she got away from Stefan the better.

Senate Building, capital city of Rhenari, Rineah System, One year later

Senator Stefan Marcone turned his attention from the list of expected senators for the planetary vote scheduled later that week and gazed toward the window that ran along the far wall. The incredible view was one of the reasons he chose this particular space. He could see all the way to the desert wasteland that bordered the capital city of Rhenari.

It had been over a year since the battle that had freed the galaxy from Prime Minister Rigora and his dictatorship. Winning the battle had only been the beginning.

Their most difficult challenge—reconstructing the Senatorial Government—came after.

Stefan released a tired breath and rubbed at his dry, overworked eyes. He couldn’t remember when he’d last had a day off, and the constant demands of his job had caught up to him. As he stood, he closed the file and set it on his desk. Walking over to the window, he gazed out at the city spread below him.

He loved the view at night. Most every evening he watched the setting sun turn the sands of the wasteland red as it slipped below the horizon. But at the moment all he could see was the never-ending pile of work he needed to finish, the constant demands on his time and his ever-shortening temper.

He knew he’d spread himself too thin, but every time he turned around another problem needed to be solved. Now they had a new problem. Someone was killing the senators.

“Stefan.” Taron’s deep voice brought him back to the meeting at hand.

“Damn it, what?” Stefan sighed and dragged a hand over his face. “I’m sorry.” Taron didn’t deserve his temper, no matter how tired and irritable he felt.

“Do yourself and everyone else a favor. Take a vacation and get some rest before I wring your neck. You’ve been snapping at way too many people lately.” Stefan turned to face the man he considered his best friend. “I have too much to do.

And now, with this assassin picking off senators, I need to be here.”

“What you need is to learn how to let other people take care of things. I can handle the investigation. If for any reason I need you, I know where to find you.” Taron pinned him with a glare. “I mean it, Stefan.”

“All right,” Stefan said with a sigh, pretending to give in for the time being. “I promised Mikayla I would deliver Krista to Daego for a visit after I meet with Senator Blake, so I’ll stay there for a while myself. Happy?”

“Immensely.” A small grin tugged at Taron’s lips and Stefan braced himself for the ribbing he knew was forthcoming. “Speaking of Krista, have you seen her since the wedding?”

And it starts
. “No.”

“It’s probably a good thing. Surely a year is plenty of time to cool off. Maybe you should make sure there are no punch bowls around for her to dump on you.” Stefan sent him a tight-lipped smile. “Maybe you should kiss my ass.”

“Not my type, sorry,” Taron remarked with humor as he lifted his coffee cup to take a sip. “I can’t believe Krista actually agreed to your escort.”

“I’m not sure she knows.”

Taron choked on his coffee and Stefan grinned.

“Damn, what I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall when you pick her up.” Stefan shrugged. “It’s been a year, maybe she’s forgotten all about the incident.” He certainly wished he could. The woman invaded his dreams day and night. He hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind.

“Somehow I doubt it. She was pretty pissed.” Taron’s brown eyes suddenly turned serious. “I want you to take an escort with you.”

A grimace scrunched up his face and he scowled. “Hell no.” With a shake of his head, he moved back to the desk. “You know I hate having people tail me like that. I can handle myself.”

“Stefan, as your security advisor, I’d feel a lot better if you took an escort.”

“Why?” he demanded with a frown. Why was Taron so concerned about his safety all of a sudden? Needles of apprehension snaked down Stefan’s spine. Something must be up if Taron was worried.

“Let’s just say it’s a bad time to be gallivanting around the galaxy alone.”

“Unless you can give me a better reason than that, alone is exactly how I’m going.”

“What about all the assassinations? How do you know you’re not next?” Stefan narrowed his eyes and watched Taron fidget with the file on his lap. “What are you not telling me?”

Taron sighed and stood, slapping the file against his leg as he paced. “I have reason to believe the assassin is ultimately after you.”

“Care to elaborate?”

Taron met his gaze head-on. “Not at the moment.”

“So that’s what all this vacation talk is really about?” Taron nodded his bald head in acknowledgment.

“You know damn good and well I don’t hide, Taron.”

“I’m not suggesting you hide. I’m suggesting you take a much-needed break while I try to find the man responsible.”

“And what if you don’t find this man? Am I supposed to continue on this break indefinitely?”

Taron snorted. “When have you ever known me to fail?” One side of Stefan’s lip lifted in a grin. “Point taken.”

“Good. Now go get Krista, and try not to kiss her this time.”

* * * * *

Krista Sinclair placed her favorite blue blouse in the suitcase as she prepared for her first vacation since returning to Earth. She looked forward to seeing Mikayla and Sidious again. The last time she had seen them—other than by video communicator—

was at their wedding on Daego.

Leaving them behind to come back home had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but had also been one of the smartest. Returning to Earth to help with the rebuilding process was the best thing she could have done for herself.

Besides, Earth could use all the help they could get. The war with the Imperial Militia only lasted a few months, but the devastation had been worldwide and unlike anything they’d ever experienced.

Cities like Atlanta and New York no longer existed. The smaller towns now served as the new capitals and the midwest region of the United States, once sparsely populated, soon became overpopulated. Cleanup would take years, but the process provided much-needed employment for millions of people.

Sidious had done her a huge favor and pulled some strings to get her a job. It was a management position for one of the charities responsible for finding and building housing for displaced families. She loved her work and would forever be grateful. For the first time in her life, she’d found something she excelled in.

But it was time she took a break. She’d worked herself ragged trying to put her past hurts behind her. Mikayla had offered to send someone to pick her up, and she’d jumped at the opportunity. One month of relaxation and visiting her friend was just what she needed. And there was no better place to relax than Daego. The planet was a paradise.

A loud knock sounded at the front door and she jumped in surprise then glanced at her watch with a frown. She’d assumed Mikayla had sent Taron to play chauffeur, but was relieved of that notion the second she opened the door.

Stefan stood with one hand resting on the doorframe, the other on his hip. Her eyes widened in surprise and her heart pounded in her chest at the sight of his sexy body before her. She’d seen him on the news being hounded by reporters numerous times but nothing compared to his masculine presence.

His thick platinum hair hung just past his collarbone and with it worn loose he looked more like a sexy calendar stud than a galactic leader. His eyes were soft gray now, but she knew from experience they would darken to black when aroused or angry. Her gaze moved over his full lips and she remembered how they had felt against hers, how his erotic kisses had made her weak in the knees. Aggravated with herself for letting her thoughts trail in that direction, she snapped, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Is that any way to talk to your ride?” he asked in amusement.

Sighing, she stepped aside. “No, of course not. I thought Mikayla was sending Taron.”

“Actually she was going to, but I volunteered instead.” Krista stared at him in surprise.

A tiny grin touched his lips. “What’s that look for?”

“What look?”

“The look that says you can’t believe I said such a thing.”

“Sorry, it’s just with our history…” Her voice trailed off as he walked by.

With an inward groan, she couldn’t help but admire how nice he looked. He wore a white denim shirt unbuttoned at the neck. The sleeves were rolled up and showed off tanned, muscular forearms. The lack of hair made his skin look smooth and her fingers itched to skim over that softness, to feel the warm texture of his flesh beneath their tips.

The jeans hugged his hips and thighs and she had to bite back the sigh that threatened to slip out.

With the clearing of his throat, her eyes snapped back to his and she tried to control her thundering heart. He raised an eyebrow and his mouth spread in a suggestive grin.

He looked devilish and seductive and oh so dangerous. “We do have quite a history, don’t we?”

She frowned.

Clearly amused, his eyes roamed over her in a way that made her feel exposed.

Shaking off her increasing desire, she moved aside.

“I’ll be ready in a second. I just need to pack my laptop so I can get some paperwork done while I’m away.”

“I’m in no hurry, take your time.”

The rushing of her blood sounded loudly in her ears. Trying her best to block it out, she quickly packed her computer. She glanced over and noticed him studying her bare apartment and felt the need to explain the lack of décor. “This place is only temporary, so I didn’t spend a lot of money fixing it up. I wanted to save as much as possible to buy my own place.”

He nodded. “That’s a good idea. I haven’t seen my home in so long I’m not sure I even remember what it looks like.”

“Don’t you have a place on Rhenari?” Since he worked there, she assumed he lived there as well.

“I have a small apartment next to my office, but I don’t consider it home.”

“Well,” she said as she took one last look around, “I think that’s everything.” He picked up her suitcase and held the door open. “After you.” She stepped outside and waited for him to shut the door. Her hand shook as she slid the key into the lock and she scowled at it, hoping to make it stop. Taking a deep breath, she tried to get herself more under control. With determination, she steeled her spine against him and the things he made her feel. She refused to be another one of his many forgotten conquests.

Turning around, she found herself staring straight into his wide chest. With a gasp, she pressed her back against the door. Her gaze moved up to his, over his wide shoulders and strong neck. She swallowed a lump as desire screamed through her body. His eyes darkened to charcoal as he stared at her, his hand resting on the door by her head.

For the life of her she couldn’t utter a word as they continued to watch each other.

“I suppose I should apologize for what happened at the wedding,” he whispered.

Her heart fluttered so hard she couldn’t breathe. “We should just forget it happened.”

“There’s just one problem with that.” His head dipped even closer and his musky scent surrounded her, seeped into her bones. “I can’t.”