Mara stepped inside the air lock. A steel door hissed shut behind her, followed by a whoosh of air that clogged her ears. Another door slid open on the opposite side. She strode out into the late afternoon sunshine, shivering from the sudden drop in temperature.
Stopping in her tracks, she stared at the fat, cumbersome spacecraft standing on the launchpad.
“Great suns, what kind of ship is that?”
Instead of the sleek vessel she’d expected, the Celeste reminded her of a manatee, an Earth mammal she’d read about in her studies. Maneuverability for a ship this size and shape had to be minimal. She took in the reflective black surface. Maybe its purpose was to provide some sort of protective camouflage. With its odd design, the ship seemed more suitable for hauling cargo than for taking a crew into a potentially dangerous situation.
Not that she thought they’d run into hostilities from the Yanurans. On the contrary, the amphibians were sure to welcome the Coalition team, since this visit would give them the chance to prove their claims about a miracle drug. Fromoth Trun had left Bimordus Two to make the necessary arrangements for receiving an official inspection team.
Actually, it made sense for them to arrive in a civilian vessel. If they showed up in a warship, it would alert the Yanurans that more was at stake than a mere scientific expedition. Still, considering the hazards of space travel, she’d have felt better if the ship had been designed for speed and maneuverability. Pirate attacks may have diminished since the Souk slave runs had ended, but the thought of pirates still unnerved her. There were other rogues and thieves out there unrelated to the Souk conflict.
A security detail checked her in and directed her up the gangplank to board the Celeste. The embarkation area was located near the cargo hold on D deck. She spotted a schematic diagram of the ship on a far wall and hastened over to figure out where to go.
The bridge was located on deck A and the engineering section on deck C. Staterooms were to be found on deck B, two levels up. There were six private cabins, she noted. How would she know which one had been assigned to her and Hedy? Deck B also had a holovid lounge, a physio lab, a dining and conference facility, and other public areas that weren’t labeled.
Anxious to explore, she entered the turbolift. “Deck B,” Mara commanded, and the door slid shut. Hopefully someone was around who could tell her which cabin was hers. Odd that there wasn’t any reception committee to greet the civilians.
The lift rose, and a moment later, it came to a smooth halt. Its steel door opened to reveal a long, narrow corridor with soft lighting and ivory painted walls.
Balancing the packages in her arms, she stepped into the corridor. As she moved forward, a door to her right shot open and a tall, dark-haired man walked directly into her.
Crying out, Mara dropped her bundles and teetered backward. His arm shot out, catching her at the waist.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he snapped.
Pulled against him, she found herself staring into his face. Nearly a head taller than she, he reached a good six-feet-two-inches in height. They were so close she could smell the musky scent of his aftershave.
“I was just getting out of the lift.”
His glance drifted to her slightly parted lips. “You should watch where you’re going.”
“So should you,” she retorted, flustered.
Her senses flared as she regarded him, unable to move away. The man’s features were angular and even, sculpted like one of her art forms. He had heavy brows, a straight nose, and a perfectly chiseled mouth. His jawline was firm with just the hint of a shadow.
Imagining what it would be like to smooth her fingers over the planes of his face, her artistic persona itched to touch him. With that desire came the stirrings of something unwanted deep inside her. Her heart hammered in a rapid tempo of response.
“Ships have confined spaces,” the man said in a low, suave tone. “There isn’t room for tight maneuvers.”
“I can see that.” Her breath came short as she felt every point of contact between them.
“Try to be more careful, or we might run into each other again.” His mouth curved into a grin as though it would be a pleasurable event.
Gods, when he smiled, his brown eyes warmed like melted chocolate and two adorable dimples appeared in his cheeks. Never in all of her twenty-eight annums had she met a man this handsome.
“Who are you?” she demanded, barely recognizing the husky tone as her own.
His grin widened. “Lieutenant Commander Deitan Sage at your service. You can call me Deke.”
He was Commander Sage? She’d expected him to be a stiff soldier, not a rakishly attractive devil with a smooth tongue. Warning bells rang in her mind. This voyage might be more dangerous than she’d anticipated.
“Release me,” she ordered. Struggling to free herself, she tilted her neck back and found his mouth hovering centimeters above hers.
“This could prove to be an interesting journey... Mara.” His eyes danced as he continued to hold her without any apparent inclination to let her go.
“How do you know my name?” She tried to ignore the sudden weakness in her limbs.
“I’ve read your dossier. I know quite a bit about you.” His arm tightened. “But not as much as I’d like to know. You feel quite good in my arms.”
Someone cleared their throat behind them and Deke let her go. She sprang back with a guilty expression. Hedy stood grinning at them in front of the open turbolift car. Her arms were loaded with bundles.
“Pardon me for interrupting,” she cooed.
“Hedy, this is Commander Sage,” Mara said, struggling to regain her composure. “Can you tell us which cabin is ours?” she asked him, her tone icy.
“Your stateroom is the third one on the left,” he told her, tugging his maroon and gray uniform into place.
Her skin heating under his scrutiny, she stooped to pick up the bundles she’d dropped. He bent over to help, and their heads collided.
“My, you do enjoy personal contact, don’t you?” he said, picking up the scattered packages.
Her heart somersaulted as he gave her another disarming grin. If he kept displaying those dimples, she’d be lost.
“Thank you.” She took the remaining bundles from him.
Deke nodded at Hedy. “You must be the medic. That stateroom is yours.” He pointed to the closed door opposite Mara’s.
“We have our own cabins?” Mara exclaimed. This bonus was unexpected.
“Yes, we want our guests to be comfortable. What is all this stuff you’re bringing aboard?”
“I went shopping,” Hedy replied. “Wait until you see the travel games I bought. We’re going to have a great time. I picked up some snacks, too, along with extra music chips.”
Deke’s brows drew together. “This is not a pleasure cruise, ladies. I suggest you use the next couple of hauras to stow your gear and familiarize yourselves with the ship’s interior. We’ll be meeting in the conference room at eighteen hundred hauras for a mission briefing.”
With an abrupt turn, he strode toward the hatchway at the opposite end and disappeared into another compartment.
“Whew,” Hedy said. “If this isn’t a pleasure cruise, he sure has a strange way of greeting his new crew. You two didn’t waste any time getting acquainted.”