Born of Fire

He didn’t know how she’d gotten into his bed but he enjoyed the soft curves that fit snugly against him, even if they were covered in an armored battlesuit. The tiny hand that rested on his bare chest . . . And especially the long leg that rested between his knees. She felt good in his arms. Too good.

Shahara stared into those dark, searching eyes. For the first time, she didn’t see what his bounty had listed about him. She didn’t see a filch or a traitor or a convict. She didn’t even see a man.

What she saw was a human being who’d been betrayed and hurt by everyone around him.

And I’m no better than they are.

Because in the end, she was going to betray him too.

For what? The name of justice? Or was that the same noble sort of excuse she’d used for Gaelin?

But right now, lying here with him, she didn’t see anything except someone she wanted to know. To understand how he could carry on with a kindness toward others that she’d lost.

How could he do it?

How could he even trust another person? Even Digger? Never mind put all of his assets in someone else’s name after his wife had already stolen everything from him.

Unable to fathom it, she placed her hand on his whiskered cheek.

Syn was afraid to move for fear of scaring her. Something was different about her now. She looked at him, not with fear or anger or pity.

But with . . .

Understanding.

And before he could move, she closed the distance between them and kissed him. Growling at the taste of her, he carefully pulled her into his arms and held her close as every hormone in his body fired.

Shahara lost herself to the feeling of his body against hers. Of his bare skin under her hands. She’d always wanted to be like a normal woman.

Unafraid of trusting a man in her life.

He’s a convict. How can you trust a convict?

He shifted and she felt his arousal against her stomach. In that instant, involuntary horror flooded her as she remembered Gaelin holding her down by her neck and tearing at her clothes.

Panic tore through her. “Let me go!” she snapped. “Don’t touch me!”

Syn understood that anxious tone and knew it wasn’t directed at him. Instantly he let her go and moved as far away from her as he could so that no part of him was touching her.

That had been the irrational cry of someone whose past had just risen up and tackled them to the ground.

“You okay?”

Shahara scowled at his question, but even more baffling was the concern on his face and the tender note in his voice. She’d expected him to be angry or offended.

But he wasn’t. “Yeah, sorry.”

“Hey, don’t apologize. We all have shit to deal with. I have the same reaction sometimes, too.”

She scoffed. “I find that hard to believe.”

“It’s true. You ever want to see me really wig out? Hand me a candy bar.”

She rolled her eyes. That was ridiculous. “A candy bar?”

“Yeah. A bad thing happened to me over a candy bar once when I was a kid. Never got over it. I break out in a sweat just at the sight of one.”

She gave a short, sarcastic laugh. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

He held his hand up and gave a Ritadarion gesture of honor. “I swear it. To this day I won’t even look at chocolate. Breaks me out in hives.”

A slow half smile curved her lips. “I think you’re just trying to make me feel better.”

“Is it working?”

It really was. “Thanks.”

He scratched at the dark whiskers on his face. “So how did you get in here last night? Don’t get me wrong. It was a great surprise, but I would have thought you’d rather sleep with our lizard friend from yesterday than bed down with me for even a nap.”

“I don’t know . . . lizard man or you . . . Nah, you’re right, the lizard would have won it.”

He laughed. “Seriously, what prompted you to come in?”

“Well for one thing you were pretty harmless and you were drugged. But mostly I couldn’t let Digger sleep on the floor while I took the couch, even though he insisted.”

Syn didn’t know why, but that touched him. It seemed out of character for her tougher-than-nails facade. And it had been a decent thing to do for an old man. In his world, decent acts were rare enough that they always shocked him whenever they happened.

But now it was morning and they had a lot to do. He couldn’t afford any more down time. Sooner or later, the Rits would remember he’d had an uncle and come here to check.

Shahara frowned as he moved away from her. The sheet fell away and she realized he was completely naked. Her face flamed at something she hadn’t realized when she’d crawled into bed with him. That would have definitely made her reconsider her actions . . . Sheez!

Oblivious to her mortification, he retrieved his clothes from the other side of the bed. Most of the bruises from yesterday were gone, making the sight of his bared flesh all the more yummy.

Delectable.

Her cheeks blistered. Turning to face the window, she heard his low laugh.

“Sorry, I wasn’t planning on company.”

“Don’t you ever wear bed clothes?”

“No.”