Adiron (Corsair Brothers #1) - Ruby Dixon Page 0,149

me, that sounds really hot."

I smack his chest. "Focus, Adi."

"Oh, I'm focused. Give me a moment and I'll be ready to go again."

This man has ridiculous stamina. I just roll my eyes—but I'm secretly pleased. I love that he can't get enough of me, because the feeling is mutual. "So where are we headed once we leave? Any ideas?"

His hand drops to my stomach. "First, we'll head to a nearby station and get some additional fuel cells and supplies. We'll load up on protein cakes and some alternatives to noodles, because I don't want you wasting away. You need to eat."

"And fruit?" I ask hopefully.

"All kinds of fruit," he agrees. "Jerrok says he's got a few contacts at Three Nebulas Station. They'll be able to help us out." He rubs my arm thoughtfully. "Once we're done there, I think we'll head back into Slatran space. An escape pod's supposed to chart a course for the nearest habitable planet or closest station, so we'll head to the Buoyant Star's last location and see what we can find."

It sounds reasonable. "What if we run into Shaalyn again?"

Adiron chuckles. "Well, that would be some luck, wouldn't it? It'd be your call again, though. We'd do with her as you want."

I think about what Zoey told me. How Shaalyn killed her crew to save her own ass. I think about how she stabbed Adiron in the gut and left him to die, too. I think about the baby inside me, too. I might never be as stone-cold as some of the corsairs, but Zoey was right. I do need to stop thinking like a human and expecting the laws to be fair and just.

They weren't exactly fair and just on Earth, either.

The soft heart can stay, but it can't interfere with the life I'm building out here. The next time we meet Shaalyn, I won't feel like a monster if her execution is in my hands. I'll remind myself about her stabbing Adiron.

"Once we find my brothers and your friends, well, there's just the matter of the sleepers on the Star. Jerrok's promised to keep them safe on the Star until sa'Rin comes for them."

"They'll be safe on his planet?" I ask again, though I know I've asked it a dozen times since I first heard about it.

"Absolutely. I've been there a few times myself. Humans everywhere." He chuckles. "And lots of crops. Maybe if you and me ever get tired of the corsair life, we can take our kid and head out that way."

I smile up at him. "I think I'd like that. But for now, I'm just happy with you."

He touches the tip of my nose. "Not scared of raising a baby in space anymore?"

I've seen Fran handle things for the last few weeks and while a ship isn't an ideal situation, I feel at home in one after spending the last three years in confined halls. And if I learn how to operate one, so much the better. "Not at all. Especially if you're going to teach me how to fly."

"I will teach you anything and everything you want, Jade." Adiron taps the tip of my nose again. "Just as long as you love me."

I slide my hand lower, to where his messy, half-hard cock rests on his thigh. "You couldn't get rid of me if you tried. Haven't you heard? We humans are a clingy, filthy lot."

His eyes flare with interest. "How filthy?"

I lick his nipple and give his stirring cock a squeeze. “The filthiest.”

Adiron gives a sigh of pleasure. “My favorite.”

Mine, too.

Author’s Note

Hello there!

Whew, what a year this has been! 2020 has definitely been one for the books….and we call it the black moment. ;) That’s the moment in plotting a romance where everything hits the fan and everything is terrible and it seems as if nothing will work out for the hero and heroine. So yeah. 2020. It needs a collective punt out the door.

This is a series I’ve meant to do for a long time. Those of you that have followed me on Facebook for a while know that I have PLANS! GREAT PLANS! And not all those plans come to fruition because my eyes are too big for my plate. I’ve wanted to write about Adiron, Kaspar and Mathiras ever since they showed up in Zoey’s book (Deceiving the Corsair). I also had an idea for a ship ‘abandoned’ in space but a few humans were left behind on it and they lured pirates to their doom, just like space sirens.

(Sidenote: I totally should have called this Space Sirens. Hello, missed opportunity.)

The two ideas collided and I couldn’t wait to get started on the Corsair Brothers…except I’m already writing a jillion things. Sigh. So it got pushed. And pushed. Every January I make my tentative schedule for the year and wiggle things around as we go, and Corsairs always got wiggled off because there were dragons to write, or Icehome books, or what have you.

BUT! With the pandemic raging, I started doing serials. I know how brutal it is to wake up and see nothing but terrible shit everywhere you click, so I wanted to keep the serials going. I like the idea of having something shiny and fun to look forward to on the ‘net every day. I threw up a poll and asked people what story they wanted for the serial after WHEN SHE BELONGS and Corsairs won!

Thus, I was finally able to start the books. :)

You’ll notice at this point not everything was wrapped up. Is Shaalyn gone for good? Where’s Kaspar? Where’s Mathiras? What happens with Straik? How *did* all those humans get there? Since this will be a series that’s very closely tied together, I’ll be answering them throughout the books. By the time we hit the end of book 4, all questions will be answered, but I might dance around them for a while first. :)

Adiron was truly fun to write. It’s so nice to have a hero that doesn’t take himself (or anything else) too seriously but is still head over heels for his heroine. He’s a simple man with simple pleasures, but still gets shit done and wrecks things if his woman is in danger.

I did get a little flack from people who didn’t like Jade nearly as much as Adiron. Some readers thought Jade was too boring, too responsible, or that Adiron needed someone more fun. I feel that a relationship works best when both parties bring something special out of their partner. In my opinion, Jade works well with Adiron *because* she’s thoughtful and serious and responsible. She doesn’t try to change him, either, just offers another perspective. Likewise, Adiron loves that Jade cares about others and pulls him back from making foolish decisions. He needs that gentle guidance or he’ll go around the universe half-cocked. I thought they were well-matched, personally. Adiron makes Jade feel a little reckless at times, and Jade helps Adiron remember to have a damn plan.

(Also, let’s be real. A heroine as fun-loving and careless as Adiron would be a recipe for disaster paired with him. It would make you crazy to read it. Think of 300 pages of Adiron paired with say, Bethiah. You get the idea.)

I had several people disappointed that I didn’t show Sophie’s reunion with Adiron and Jade on the serial itself. I didn’t say anything on Facebook but the truth is, I’d already written the epilogue of them together! I hope it answers any burning questions you had. :)

Kaspar and Alice will be up next. What will it be like to read about a daredevil alien paired with a neurotic sidekick heroine? WE’LL ALL FIND OUT TOGETHER!

I’ll be starting this serial mid-January. If you want to follow along, I’ll be posting daily chapters on Facebook. If Facebook isn’t your thing, I’ll also be posting the chapters daily on my website, so you can follow along there!

Stay safe and let’s get 2021 here already!

<3

Ruby

Want more to read?

All of my books are in Kindle Unlimited, so borrow to your heart’s content! Here are my suggestions if you’re looking for more to binge on.

Want to read the other Corsair books? Start with:

The Corsair’s Captive

…or just Zoey’s book?

Deceiving the Corsair

Or maybe you’re in the mood for the first serial? An epic slow burn with some sweetness and a cat-alien gladiator hero?

When She Purrs

Or maybe Sophie’s book (and the second slow-burn, extra long serial) in which she meets a junker named Jerrok?

When She Belongs

Enjoy!