Hanna and the Hitman - Honey Phillips Page 0,34

had enough credits to build my own house. I made a lot of credits as a fighter, but I didn’t want to spend my life doing it, so I looked for alternatives. I decided I preferred less obvious challenges.”

“What kind of challenges?” she asked tentatively.

“People hire me to remove their problems.” He looked down at her, his face hard. “I am an assassin, Hanna. A very well-paid assassin.”

Given the events leading up to their presence on the ship, she wasn’t entirely surprised, but she still shivered.

“You kill people? For money?”

“Yes. I prefer to think that I act on the side of justice, but make no mistake. I am a killer.”

His face was still set in that ruthless expression, but she caught a hint of worry in his eyes. He cared, she realized. He cared what she thought of him.

“Okay,” she agreed and snuggled back into his arms.

“That’s all you have to say?”

“It wouldn’t change anything that’s happened if I objected, would it? And besides, I lo—care for you. I trust you.”

Her heart beat rapidly as she realized that she had almost blurted out that she loved him. It was ridiculous. It was too soon. But no matter how much she tried to deny it, she didn’t doubt her feelings. Yet this was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. He wouldn’t want to be saddled with a helpless human, would he?

She snuck a peek at him from under her lashes. He looked shocked at her words, but she could also see the heat growing in his eyes. She half expected him to carry her back to the bed, but instead, he brushed an all-too-brief kiss across her lips and asked her about her childhood.

When they went to bed that evening, he curled his body around her and buried his nose in her hair, but he made no attempt at anything more. The slight soreness between her legs had faded, and she wanted more of his touch, but she didn’t quite have the courage to ask him. He adjusted his position, and the heavy weight of his cock—his very erect cock—came to rest between her buttocks. She waited expectantly, but he didn’t move again, and eventually she drifted off to sleep.

The next few days followed the same pattern. Aidon would resist touching her until he was overcome by tremors and would finally give in—attacking her with a relentless, passionate determination that always left her satisfied, sore, and confused. As soon as their lovemaking was finished, he would be clear-eyed and oddly sad. He always treated her affectionately, holding her on his lap and wrapping himself around her as they slept, but he never initiated sex until the illness weakened his control. She tried to gather the courage to talk to him about it, but it was obvious that his condition was deteriorating. The lucid periods became shorter and shorter, and neither the few remaining drops of sothiti nor her touch helped for long. Now, as the planet finally came into view, he had been unconscious for a full shift.

She watched anxiously as Pardor grew ever larger, the surface a swirling mass of blues and greens and golds that was both close enough and different enough from Earth to cause a pang of heartache. She would never see her planet again, but right now, that seemed less important than the big male tossing restlessly in their bed.

The ship descended with astonishing speed, and she prayed that the autopilot would actually bring them in for a landing, since she didn’t have the slightest idea how to land a spaceship. To her immense relief, it did, setting the ship down on what appeared to be a large stone slab surrounded by jungle. Why had he chosen to come here? she wondered as she peeped cautiously out of the window. She had expected to land at another spaceport like the one on Hothrest, but there was nothing here. No other ships, no buildings. No people, she realized with a sinking heart. Who was going to help Aidon?

Checking on him, she found him lying quietly for a change, but he was shivering, and an endless stream of colors danced across his skin. For all the times he had mentioned the need to return to Pardor, she suddenly realized he’d never told her just what he would need to do once he arrived to cure his sickness. She had foolishly assumed that just being on the planet would be enough.

Was it something in the environment? The air, perhaps?

Returning