Born of Ice

Devyn stared at her in disbelief. The blasé tone of her voice told him more about her than the words themselves. Her father had been a real bastard. Even so, she hadn’t let him hold her back. A surge of admiration ran through him. “I bet you fixed it like new.”


She gave an undignified snort. “No. It went out before we could even complete the launch. Ended up busting one of the cargo bays and losing half our shipment. Not one of my finer moments or memories, to be sure.”

Devyn studied her halfhearted smile. “I’ll keep that in mind if one of ours ever goes out.”

She gave him a guarded look that made him regret his words. He’d meant them as humor, but obviously she didn’t appreciate it. So he filed that away as a topic to never mention again, even in jest.

As she stayed beside him, he stared at her eyes. They were such an unusual shade, probing, intelligent, and pain-filled. For some reason, he wanted to soothe away the agony that blazed in defiance of him and the whole universe.

In spite of her rough, prickly defenses, she was an attractive woman with a quiet assuredness he found refreshing.

The women he’d known had all played major head games, but she didn’t seem to. She was very straightforward and professional. He liked that.

Unlike Clotilde . . .

It was all he could do not to wince. Even dead, she wasn’t quite dead enough. Her viciousness lived on in his memory and made him want to dig her up just so he could kill her again.

And right now, he knew he should walk away from Alix. She was a member of his crew, and business and pleasure shouldn’t mix. But he couldn’t seem to stop himself from touching her soft cheek, or brushing her lips with his thumb.

This is sexual harassment. You’re going to get sued.

Yet right now . . .

He really didn’t care.

Alix opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Her cheek burned under the weight of his fingers. She wanted his kiss, and a small voice inside told her it was more than mere want. She needed it.

Her experience with men had been severely tainted by her “duties” with her father’s crew. None of them had ever kissed her worth a damn. But she suspected Devyn Kell wouldn’t be clumsy with his attempt. Nor would he try to give her a tonsillectomy.

She would lay money that his kiss would be the stuff of legends . . .

His hand paused on her cheek. He closed his eyes and dipped his head toward hers.

“Dev? Where are you?”

Silently, Alix cursed Sway’s Hyshian hide for the interruption. Just a few more seconds and he could’ve called without her wanting to strangle him.

Was one decent kiss in her life too much to ask?

Devyn blinked in confusion, as if he were waking from a dream, then dropped his hand from her face and took a step back.

Her skin still tingling, Alix wanted desperately to return to the mood, but it was too late.

Sway had destroyed it.

She sighed in disgust. Luck would never be her friend.

Devyn moved to the wall intercom. “What do you need?”

“I need you to get your ass up here and assure Claria that Alix is human and that you’re not going to leave me alone with her. She’s stroking over stupid jealousy. I swear I should have lied to her.”

Devyn rolled his eyes in obvious frustration.

Alix laughed.

“I’m on my way.”

She stepped away from him. “Ever wish subspace transmissions were impossible?”

“Only every time my mom or Claria calls.”

Her smile widened.

They remained silent the whole way back to the main deck. Devyn stepped out of the lift first. “The galley is all the way down the corridor on the left. Search through the cooling unit until you find something you like.”

Alix stared after him as he walked toward the bridge, amazed he’d remembered her thirst.

Her throat tightened as longing raced through her.

You’re not here to hook up with him.

No, she was here for something sinister, and the guilt of it was unbearable.

Maybe you could trust him . . .

Yeah, right. People were crap and they betrayed. She knew that better than anyone. If she told him what was going on, he’d kill her and let her mother and sister burn.

She’d lived her entire life under dire, soul-wrenching threats, and that had been from the man who fathered her. The man who was supposed to love her.

Just imagine what a stranger would do to her.

With a determined stride, she crossed her arms over her chest and headed to the galley.

What she wouldn’t give for the type of friendship Devyn and Sway shared. Someone she could talk things over with, release the darkest secret of her soul.

Don’t. As long as you keep your mouth shut, no one will ever know what you are. You’ll be free.

Free. It was the one thing she’d always wanted. And if it was the last thing she did, she would be emancipated.

Even if it meant Devyn’s life.



“What are you doing?”

Alix jumped at her desk as Vik’s booming voice startled her. It came through the speaker in the ceiling above her head. “Nothing.” Gah, she hoped he didn’t hear the panic and fear she felt in her voice.