Page 43 of Stealing the Star Stone
She mumbled around a mouthful of soup, “Sure is.Pity he can’t whisk us out of this.It’s been two days, and I’m done with waiting.”
“It goes against everything in me to let them do ‘tests’ on us.”He chose a bowl of fruit, picking out slivers of apple, and dropping them onto an empty plate.“We’re co-operating to stay alive, but it still grates.”
“Okay.”She waved her spoon in a circle.“What if we could escape now?Let’s run through the scenarios.”
“Ah, planning is better than surprise, right?”He moaned when he bit into a strawberry.
She dipped her chin, trying not to react to the blatantandcliché sensual imagery, but nope, his cock responded as if on cue.Stupid thing revealing her emotions so willy-nilly.She kept a glass of orange juice over her groin, hoping to hide a semi hard-on.
Desperate for a distraction, she said, “We’re in a shuttle; let’s not dwell on the how.”
“Heading to Lethara.What are we looking for?”
“A cave system of sorts.”She nudged her chin at the stack of books where she’d been sitting.“I earmarked a crudely drawn map of where they’ve looked.We start on one they haven’t visited, yet.”
“I’m loving this…planning our adventure.”He chuckled, licking cream off a spoon—the lucky bastard.
She shifted on the couch, raised her glass, and crossed an ankle over a knee.The full erection was making demands she desperately wanted to ignore.“We need to land somewhere and head into the cave.”
“Sounds simple enough,” he said, then met her gaze.“But it won’t be.We’ll need the proper gear, a light source, a weapon…” He pointed with his spoon at a discarded stiletto.“Not much good against cave monsters.”
She slumped.He was right.Even if they managed to steal a shuttle, that didn’t guarantee they’d make it to Lethara, land safely, find a caveanda star stone inside it, or flee the moon unscathed, having swapped their bodies.
But they had to try.
A moan snapped her back to their dismal reality.Thorne had dropped the top of the summer dress and removed the bra.He cuppedherbreasts, giving them a good rub.
Her mouth dried at the sheer bliss in his expression.“Thorne,” she spat.
“Feels so damn good.Let me be, Nova…”
“Quit it,” she hissed.
“That thing’s a torture device,” he said, tossing the bra aside before fixing his dress.“This experience has opened my eyes, Nova, seriously.”
“Right,” she scoffed.“Like you’ll stop thinking a woman in a bra’s sexy.”
Even though it was with her lips, he flashed his signature smirk.“True.”
She pulled her fruit salad closer, thankfully without cream or ice cream.Food wasn’t the top priority, not when a knot had twisted her gut.But she’d need her strength.
Something had to give, because letting Orien get away with this gritted her teeth.No matter what happened, the ass had to pay.
But so far, he’d outwitted and outplayed them.
That smarted, too.If she had to be brutally honest.Losing her free will hit a primal instinct within her to rebel.And damned if she would lay down and take this…without a fight.
Chapter Thirteen
Laurus Research Vessel
Not all bad things happen in the ‘dark.’
Day Three.
AloomingshadowyankedEli awake.He blinked, not sure what he was looking at in the softer lighting.Nova snuggled into him, a solid arm wrapped around his waist.So who—
Frederik!
