Break Out - By Nina Croft Page 0,28

an emphatic shake of her head. “I’m going to be contacting some people I’d rather you didn’t know about. Stay here and keep Rico out of trouble. Besides,”—she winked at her—“he looks hungry.”

Skylar wanted to argue, but there wasn’t a lot she could say. Rico was still seated when she turned around, his arms clasped behind his head, a hungry, almost sleepy look in his half-closed eyes.

“Now, where were we?” he murmured.

“I think I’ll go and do some research of my own,” she said.

He rubbed his chest absently, a small smile curving his lips. “Come here.”

Skylar had to force herself not to move, but her legs ached with the need to go to him. Was this another of those weird, vampire seduction skills?

When she didn’t move, he raised an eyebrow in query. He placed his feet on the floor, pushed himself up, and took a step toward her. She had the distinct impression she was being stalked.

Picking up her hand, he lifted it to his mouth and kissed her fingertips.

Her legs trembled. She opened her mouth to say something, though she wasn’t sure what yet. Someone tapped on the door, and they both turned to look. Al’s slight figure sidled into the room. He blinked.

“Skylar—?”

“Yes?”

“You said you wanted to see the engine rooms.”

She smiled. “I did, didn’t I?”

Rico was staring at Al, his lips pursed, but he didn’t speak.

“Well,” she said. “Seems I have to go. I’ll see you around.”

She thought he was going to argue, but he still said nothing as she pulled her hand free, turned, and followed Al out of the room. She let out her breath as the door slid shut behind them. Whether from relief or disappointment, Skylar honestly wasn’t sure.

She reached out and tousled Al’s hair. “Good move, kid.”

He grinned, for a moment his expression unguarded, and she looked at him sharply. There was something not quite right about Al, something different, but the details eluded her. She shook her head. Whatever it was, it could wait.

Al caught her staring and ducked his head. “Do you really want to see the engine rooms?”

“Nah, I’m going to slip off to my shuttle, catch up on a few things.”

“Okay.” Al nodded solemnly. “And don’t worry—I told you—I won’t let the vampire eat you.”

“Thanks, kid.”

She made her way through the ship, back to the docking bay. She entered her shuttle, locked the doors behind her, and sank into the only chair with a groan of relief.

She needed some time alone. Her head was a mess, and she needed to sort it out. She scowled. Who was she kidding? Her head was the least of her concerns. It was the rest of her body she had to worry about.

Oh, God, she’d wanted him back there. She rubbed her palm over her nipple, still sensitive from his touch, and a shiver ran through her. She squirmed in her seat as she remembered the feel of his big hands caressing her. The taste of him when he kissed her.

It had taken all of her willpower and ingenuity, not to mention a few bribes, to keep out of Rico’s clutches for this long. Could she survive another five days?

And if she didn’t, would he really be able to tell so much from her blood?

She banged her head against the back of her seat and ground her teeth. She couldn’t believe she was even thinking like this. She’d never had a problem keeping her mind on a job before, though this was the first time she’d ever been alone and cut off from the rest of her people. On the whole, she liked it. She hadn’t realized how much the intrigue and politics had riddled every facet of their existence. She supposed it was inevitable given their natures, but it was wearing. There were no politics on El Cazador.

Just a very sexy, very hungry vampire. Whom she wanted. More than she had ever wanted anything.

But it was more than that—she liked him. Since that first evening, he’d joined them every night after supper and she’d found, once she could relax in his presence, he was amazingly good company. In his deep, rich voice, he would tell them tales of Earth in times before space travel and of how men had finally conquered the skies. He’d taught them poker and was teaching them several other card games, though he hadn’t mentioned strip poker again. It was fun, and fun was something that had been missing from her life for as long as she