Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“It wasn’t your fault, sweetheart.” Justyn ran a hand down Nissa’s back.
She was lying face-down on the bed in her cabin. Had been for hours. She hadn’t cried, but dammit, he’d seen how deep the admiral’s betrayal had cut.
He wanted to help her, but didn’t know how. All he could do was show her she wasn’t alone.
Nissa rolled over. “I’m fine.” She ran a hand over her smooth head. “Okay, not fine, but I know we did the right thing.”
He studied her face, and decided she wasn’t lying. He tipped her chin up with his finger. “There’s my girl.”
She managed a small smile. “Where are we headed?”
“Back to Galaxy’s Edge. Figured you’d want to get the Constitution secure and handed over to the authorities before someone else tries to kill us.”
She nodded. “What about the convoy?”
“After they drop us at the Edge, Dare and Ry will head back to Hydrae and continue on.”
“Okay.” She got to her knees and slithered onto Justyn’s lap.
“Well, hello.” His grin widened.
“Hello.” She tugged at his shirt until he helped her slip it over his head.
For the first time, their loving wasn’t rushed or hurried. He let her explore his chest, flick her tongue over his hard, flat nipples. Before long, they were stretched out on the bed, exploring each other.
Savoring, enjoying, taking their time.
“Fuck, your mouth should be illegal.” His hands clenched in the sheets. He lifted his hips as her nails scratched over his stomach and she tugged at the fastening on his trousers. The desire he always felt for her flamed hot.
She pulled his trousers off. “You have a fantastic, lickable body, Justyn.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the center of his chest.
He groaned. “Nothing like yours.”
She laughed. “I hope not.” She traced the ridges of his abdomen. “I like you hard and firm.” Her hands dipped lower and cupped his cock. “Really hard and firm.”
His groan was more strangled this time. “Nissa, sweetheart, I won’t last?—”
“So don’t last.” She licked her lips, leaned down and engulfed his cock.
“Jesus.” His hips surged up.
She looked up the length of him, their gazes meeting.
“You look so hot,” he bit the words out.
She worked him hard, sucking deep, keeping the suction tight.
“God, yeah, sweetheart. Just like that.” He slid his hand down to cradle her head, urging her to take him deeper.
She swallowed him down, then pulled out, tongue licking the underside of his cock before swallowing him again.
“Nissa…can’t stop…” His groan was long and loud as he came, flooding her mouth with his release.
When he was slumped back on the bed, dragging in deep breaths, she sat up and licked her lips.
He groaned again. “Don’t do that…it’s too sexy.”
She crawled up and lay down beside him. “Watching you come in my mouth is sexy.”
He slid his arms around her and held her while he recovered. With a naked Nissa beside him, it didn’t take long. He rolled her beneath him and slid inside her with one deep thrust that had her crying out. “Now it’s my turn to watch you come.”
After they’d taken each other again, with long moans and gentle sighs, they slept. The adrenaline from their space adventure and the extreme excitement of discovering the Constitution having long ebbed away.
He pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. “I love you, Nissa.” But her even breathing told him she was already asleep.
It was the chime of the comm that woke them.
“Yeah,” Justyn mumbled, slapping at the panel beside the bed. “What?”
“There’s an incoming long-range trans for Nissa,” Rynan said.
She groaned. “Hopefully no more double-crossing admirals.”
Rynan snorted. “Can’t promise anything. It’s from the GSS.”
She sprung off the bed. “Okay, I’ll be there shortly.” She grabbed her clothes and yanked them on. Justyn did the same.
On the bridge, Justyn watched Nissa face her second admiral for the day.
“Admiral Hiraku,” she said, her back straightening. “What can I do for you, sir?”
“I’m looking for information, Captain Sander. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but I was informed Admiral DeRuyter had commandeered a ship and left the galaxy in pursuit of you. I was sent to investigate. The admiral’s increasingly erratic behavior is becoming a serious concern for the GSS.”
As Nissa silently studied the man, Justyn did, too. Over the years, he’d learned to judge people quickly. Admiral Hiraku had a solemn face, with straight black hair and narrow, dark eyes. Something in the man’s steady, solemn gaze told Justyn they could trust him.
Nissa obviously reached the same conclusion. Her shoulders relaxed a fraction. “Well, sir, Admiral DeRuyter’s behavior will no longer be a concern. I guess I should start at the beginning. I was chasing an…alleged smuggler out by Galaxy’s Edge Station when?—”
“This would be the man beside you, correct? Justyn Phoenix.”
When Justyn gave the man a two-fingered salute, he heard Nissa groan. Out of view of the admiral, she kicked Justyn’s shin.
“Like I said, Admiral, it’s a long story.” She recounted the entire adventure in detail.
Well, not all the details. Justyn was happy she left out the more personal ones.
On screen, Admiral Hiraku blew out a long breath. “That is quite a story. And you’re sure Admiral DeRuyter was killed?”
“Yes, sir. I was responsible for firing on the ship. The Phoenixes had nothing to do with it. They have provided me every assistance?—”
Oh, no. She wasn’t going to shoulder all the blame. He stepped closer to her. “Well, it was our ship. And we would have fired on the admiral anyway, the same way we would on any crazy people trying to kill us.”
Nissa shot him a narrow look and lowered her voice. “I’m trying to make sure you and your brothers don’t get arrested?—”
Admiral Hiraku cleared his throat. And was possibly hiding a smile behind his hand at the same time.
“You’re well outside GSS jurisdiction. Besides, firing on Admiral DeRuyter’s ship sounds like it was justified.
Captain Sander, rest assured, I have no plans to arrest you or Mr. Phoenix.
” A pause. “May I see the Constitution?”
The quiet reverence in Admiral Hiraku’s voice reaffirmed Nissa’s decision to trust the man. She’d suffered too many betrayals to blindly trust anyone anymore.
“Yes, sir.”
Justyn handed her the cylinder, and together they pulled out the document and unrolled it.
The admiral was quiet for several minutes.
“Keep it secure, Captain. I’ll arrange a ship to rendezvous with you at Galaxy’s Edge to take custody of the document.
I know the Director of the Galactic Institute of Historical Preservation will be very happy to see it.
” The admiral’s gaze moved to Justyn. “Mr. Phoenix, the GSS thanks you and your brothers for your assistance in the reacquisition of an artifact of historical significance.”
Justyn winced and saw Nissa didn’t even bother to hide her smile.
“Ah, thank you, Admiral,” Justyn choked out.
“You will, of course, be rewarded with the finder’s fee.”
A funny look crossed Justyn’s face and a warm feeling filled Nissa’s chest. He’d forgotten about the finder’s fee.
Admiral Hiraku continued. “Contact me when you’re back in charted space. The sooner the document is in Institute hands the quicker the GSS can put to rest all the troubles its notoriety has caused.” He paused. “Captain Sander?”
Nissa straightened. “Yes, sir?”
“Good work. I’ve already personally approved a promotion for you, and the commendation for your father.” With a nod, the Admiral ended the transmission.
She stared at the blank screen and waited to feel elation at getting what she’d always wanted. And waited some more. Nope, just as she suspected—nothing. She was happy about her father’s commendation, but the promotion…well, she felt oddly blank.
Strangely enough, she thought of Anderson Chan. He may have died on an unnamed planet in uncharted space, but she had no doubt he’d died doing exactly what he wanted to do. He’d grabbed life and adventure with both hands.
It was time for Nissa to do the same.
Beside her, Justyn was quiet, his body stiff. “I’d better go and…check on some things.” He strode off the bridge.
She stared after him. Stupid man. She slipped her hand in her pocket, felt the now-familiar shapes of the tiny airship and dog he’d given her. She moved to follow him.
“Nissa? There’s another trans for you.”
Air whistled through her teeth. “Rynan, you have to be kidding me.”
One of his slow smiles. “Nope.”
She dropped into a chair. “I’m a popular woman.”
“Appears so. Putting it through now.”
The screen flickered. “Dad?”
“Nissa. You look fine, considering some of the shenanigans I hear you’ve been up to. Are you okay?”
She smiled. “Dad, no one uses the word shenanigans anymore.”
“I do. Don’t avoid the question.”
“I’m fine.” She gave him an abbreviated version of the story.
After she’d finished, her father was quiet. “You did all this for me?”
Nissa swallowed. “Not all of it. Some of it I did for myself. Dad, I’m not going back to Patrol.”
She sensed rather than saw Dare and Rynan pause and look her way.
Her father frowned. “You’re going to take up with a smuggler?”
“Dad—”
“Don’t think I can’t read between the lines of that story you just told me. I’m your father, I can read everything on your face.”
“Then you know I’m serious. And that smuggler, he saved my life multiple times, and he loves me.” Goddess, she liked saying that aloud.
Her father sighed. “While the commodore in me is disappointed that you’d walk away from a promising career, the father in me is happy.”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
“Nissa, I know so much of what you’ve done in your life was for me.”
“Dad—”