Ignite by Tana Stone

Chapter Twelve

Zoey

By the time I tracked down Kalex, I was highly irritated and breathing hard. It had taken me long enough to get Serge to leave my quarters without emphatically kicking him out—that I would have never heard the end of—and then the captain hadn’t been in any of the places I’d expected. I’d tried his quarters, the bridge, and even the Drexian canteen where most of the warriors took their meals. And he had his personal comms device turned off, which further annoyed me. After rushing around the station for what felt like ages, I’d finally stopped one of the Drexians I knew flew security patrols.

“Jaxon, right?” I’d asked when I’d stopped the flight-suit-clad alien outside the hangar bay.

The tall Drexian with dark, loose hair eyed me with curiosity. “Jaxon, but my friends call me Jax.”

“Okay, Jaxon. I’m looking for the captain. You wouldn’t happen to know where he is, would you?”

“Kalex?” His grin widened. “You’re sure you want that moody Drexian?”

I felt like I’d been caught with my hand in the cookie jar, wondering how he knew that I wanted the captain, before realizing that his question was more general. “It’s a construction issue.”

Jaxon let out a breath. “He won’t be thrilled to hear that.”

“Yeah, well,” I said. “I do need to find him, and he doesn’t seem to be anywhere.”

The pilot glanced at the dimmed lighting in the corridor that indicated the station was in the night cycle. Even though there were no days or nights in deep space, the station set illumination to mimic Earth days. “It’s after hours. Maybe he snuck off to the officers’ club.”

I frowned at him. “That’s not open yet.”

Jaxon grinned at me, giving me the sense that he was used to charming females. “Not officially, but he is the captain.”

“Thanks,” I’d called over my shoulder as I spun on my heel and headed toward the inclinator, annoyance flashing fresh within me. It wasn’t that the officers’ lounge was dangerous—it wasn’t a construction zone anymore—but, like most of the station, it wasn’t staffed or fully stocked. It hadn’t occurred to me that anyone would sneak in before it officially opened. Then, again, Inferno Force warriors were notorious rule-breakers. The thought both irritated and thrilled me.

When I reached the door and swiped my hand over the panel to open it, I had to stand in the doorway for a few moments as my eyes adjusted. Compared to the bright-white hallways, the officers’ club was dark and shadowy, the gray carpet and glossy black surfaces seeming to suck up light as soon as it entered. Faint blue light glowed from recessed alcoves in the ceiling but, even so, I barely made out the shapes of the Drexians sitting at the bar.

“Captain?” I called out, hoping the pilot hadn’t sent me on a wild-goose chase.

There was a shuffling sound as the figures stood and approached, then I saw that it was Kalex and Vekron, both looking worse for wear.

“What are you doing here?” Kalex asked, his deep voice scratchy.

It wasn’t a bad question, but it annoyed me all the same. “I could ask you the same thing. This lounge isn’t cleared for use.”

“As captain, I authorized my use of it.”

I jutted one hip to the side as I eyed him, his face still partly in shadow. “Of course, you did.”

He flinched at this, but clenched his jaw as he stared me down

“I think I’m going to let you two fight this one out,” Vekron said, his voice cutting through the crackling tension as he sidestepped me to reach the doorway. Then he glanced back at Kalex. “Unless you need a referee.”

Kalex growled, flicking his gaze to him for a beat.

Vekron held his palms up as if in surrender. “Clearly not.”

He ducked through the wide doors, and I stepped farther into the lounge, the double doors swishing closed behind me. Once they’d shut, cutting off the light from the corridor, the lounge was even darker.

I blinked a few times, hoping my eyes would adjust faster. Being alone in a dark room with Kalex was doing nothing for my fluttering pulse. “I’ve been all over the station looking for you.” I hadn’t meant for it to sound like an accusation, but the sharpness of my words sliced the air between us.

The captain released a long breath. “I needed to think.”

Even from a few feet away, I could smell the liquor on him. “More like you needed to drink.”

I tried not to take it personally that he’d kissed me and then rushed off to get drunk, but it wasn’t exactly the reaction a girl wanted. Did he really want to blot out the memory of it so badly?

“It seemed appropriate to have a drink after I’d destroyed my career.”

“What are you talking about?”

He stepped closer to me, and I could see that his face was contorted in some sort on internal agony. “I never should have kissed you. I’m your commanding officer, and it was wrong of me to force myself on you.”

“Yeah, you probably broke a bunch of rules.”

“I understand your anger at me.” He lowered his eyes to the floor even though he kept his shoulders squared. “I intend to submit my resignation at first watch.”

“Resignation?” I cocked my head at him. “You think I’m mad at you because you kissed me, and I want to see you kicked off the station?”

His head jerked up. “You don’t?”

I put my hands on my hips and scrunched my lips to one side. “I’m mad at you all right. But not because you kissed me. I’m mad because you stopped.”

His mouth gaped, and his eyebrows lifted.

My heart pounded as I closed the distance between us. I still wasn’t sure if this was my best idea, but it was better than being matched up with some rando by Serge. At least this way, I knew there was no danger of falling hard and getting hurt. This was just about sex, and I was so ready.

“I never thought you were the type of warrior who got a girl all worked up and then left without satisfying her,” I snapped.

If his eyes could widen any further, they did.

I’d never been shy with men, but I’d also never been the aggressor before. I’d never had to. Men had usually pursued me, and I’d been happy to let them. Besides, I’d had to fight so hard in every other part of my life to get ahead, it had been nice to have one thing I didn’t have to chase. Not that I’d ever been passive about my own pleasure, but I’d never set my sights on someone for the sole purpose of getting laid.

Looking at the baffled Drexian, I felt a rush of power that made me lightheaded. There was something to be said for taking what I wanted when it came to sex. And it was an even bigger thrill to be demanding it from a big, tough Drexian.

“What?” He was clearly confused since my tone was sharp even though I was basically telling him I wanted him.

I almost giggled at his stilted words and his stunned expression, but I kept my expression fierce. What Kalex and I did best was fight, and if I was going to keep emotions out of this, that couldn’t change.

“I thought Drexians were known for their stamina, but you ran off. You afraid you can’t handle me in bed?”

A growl rumbled in his chest. “I can handle you just fine.”

“Oh, yeah?” I challenged him, tilting my head and licking my lips. “Prove it, tough guy.”

Another rumble emanated from him, and a vein on his neck pulsed. “You don’t know what you’re asking for. You should walk away.”

Despite my heart hammering, I closed the remaining distance between us, peering up at him defiantly. “I’m not walking away, and I’m not asking. I’m ordering you.”

His dark eyes flashed. “You’re ordering me?”

My mouth was dry, and my hands trembled but there was no going back now. “That’s right, Captain. I’m ordering you to finish what you started and fuck my brains out.”

With a roar, Kalex scooped me up, wrapping my legs around his waist as he thundered to the long bar and set me down on it hard. “No one orders me around, but I am going to fuck you so hard that you beg me for mercy.”

I tremor of trepidation slid down my spine, but I ignored it and fisted my hands in his shirt. “Not a chance, Captain. I don’t beg for anything.”

“You will for me,” he said, before crushing his mouth to mine.