Marcun (Sky Warriors Book 1) Read online

  Even if home was growing less and less appealing by the day.

  “You said you needed your head read.”

  “Yeah, you know, it’s a saying. It means I’m crazy. That I need to be examined by a psychiatrist.”

  “A psychiatrist.” He looked alarmed.

  “Yep. Sorry, I probably sound like I’m talking in riddles. Are you having trouble breathing? Any itchiness?”

  She longed to reach out and touch his skin, but forced herself to hold back. Not yours to touch, Eden. “I don’t know where you come from but you can’t go walking around outside in the middle of the day here. At least not without a protection suit, do you have one of those?”

  He shook his head.

  “Did you live in the countryside? In the city the pollution is too high to be outside during the hours of eleven until at least three. Everyone stays inside during those hours. I shut the bakery by ten so my workers can get home before the worst of the pollution hits. I can’t believe no one told you all of this. Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”

  She couldn’t resist. She reached out and touched his skin. It was really hot. She pulled her hand back in surprise. “I have some cream that can provide relief for any itches.”

  “Itches?”

  “From the pollution. It irritates the skin and can cause breathing problems. Are your eyes stinging at all?”

  He shook his head. “No. My eyes are fine. As is my skin and lungs.”

  She let out a deep breath. “Good. That’s really good. Didn’t any of the women you…um…never mind.”

  “What women?”

  “Ah, I shouldn’t have said that.” Idiot. Last thing she wanted was to bring up his sex life again.

  She could not have that conversation a second time.

  “There is a red mark on your forehead.” He reached out and touched her head gently. The heat of his finger sent blood rushing through her body and she swayed slightly. He grabbed her upper arms, holding her steady. “Are you certain you are well?”

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” She forced herself to move back, having him touch her … well, it was way too potent. “Why are you here, Marcun?”

  “For the job you offered me.”

  Oh shit.

  She hadn’t actually thought he would take her up on that.

  “You want a job?” she squeaked.

  “Yes. Was that not what you offered the other night?”

  “Yes, yes of course.” She guessed she should be thankful that was the offer he’d taken her up on and not her stupid offer of dinner. What had she been thinking? That he might want to be her friend? Something more? The man had women in his bed every night, all night. He wouldn’t be interested in having dinner with her.

  “Are you sure you want to work here? It doesn’t pay that much, I’m afraid.”

  “That is fine.”

  “We also start early, usually around four a.m. It won’t interfere with your other…um…activities?”

  “Activities?”

  Oh God, did he really want to her to say it? From the confused look on his face it seemed he did.

  Really, Eden, if you can’t be brave enough to just come out and say it then just shut the hell up and stop humiliating yourself.

  “Do you mean the sex?” And now she was so hot she was about to self-combust. “I am not a sex worker.”

  “Y-you’re not?”

  “No, nor do I pimp out females for sex. I am not certain where you got this idea from, but it is incorrect.”

  Right, so he was just super horny. With stamina. A lot of stamina.

  “Okay, that’s good.” She needed to get them off this topic. Quickly. “And you’re okay with minimum wage? It’s the best I can offer, I’m afraid. I’m in a little bit of trouble with the IRS at the moment, so we have to be careful. Otherwise they’ll hand me my ass on a platter and I really will not look good in orange.”

  He appeared alarmed. “They will cut your buttocks off and die them orange? Then force someone to eat them?”

  “What? No! Why would you … right.” She was starting to think it wasn’t just a language thing. He was very literal. Still, she needed to make more of an effort.

  “I’m just saying that paying you without putting you on my books could get me in a lot of trouble. So I would appreciate it that you did not say anything and if anyone were to ask you that you tell them that you are an unpaid apprentice.”

  That should work.

  And she’d take the money out of her own pocket so the IRS would never know. Guilt swirled inside her guts. This wasn’t her. She was generally a law-abiding citizen. Hell, she couldn’t even say no to her mother and here she was about to break the law and for what? Some man she had just met? Who kept her up half the night because he had an incredibly insatiable libido?

  A man who made her body sit up and take notice. Who seemed a little lost and alone.

  I cannot believe you feel sorry for the sex maniac, Eden.

  Yep, she definitely needed her head read.

  “You would get in trouble for giving me a job?” He seemed shocked.

  “Well, yeah, because you’re not actually supposed to be here. You need a social security number and citizenship to work here.” How did he not know this?

  “Who were you speaking to?” he asked abruptly. Okay, seemed that part of the conversation was over.

  “Oh, ah, no one.”

  He frowned slightly. “You were speaking to yourself?”

  “Sort of. I’d been talking to my mother. Those conversations never go well. I was just muttering stuff to myself.”

  “Why not?”

  “Why not? Oh, why do they not go well? Because she thinks I should get married again, have children, and live my life out in the suburbs eating cucumber sandwiches and drinking tea while gossiping about the affair my next-door neighbor is having with the pool boy.”

  He just blinked. “Your next-door neighbor is having an affair with a pool boy?”

  “I don’t know, are you?” she teased.

  Nothing. No reaction. Yep, he was hell on her ego.

  “Guess I won’t be earning any extra cash from my comedy act, huh? I’m thirty-two years old and my mother wants me to move back home because my husband ran off and deserted me.”

  And now she’d said too much. Idiot. No one wanted to hear about Barry the bastard.

  “Your husband left you?”

  She sucked her lip between her teeth. “Let’s talk about you, okay? I feel like I spend all my time over-sharing. I know your name but little else. Have you got any family?”

  “I have my pack.”

  “Right.” Pack? “Is that a gang or something where you come from?”

  Brilliant, Eden. You just offered a gang member a job. When would she learn not to be so impulsive?

  “They are my family.”

  “Right. And what do you and your family do?” Please don’t say launder money through small businesses like bakeries who were running on the bones of their ass. Made being a pimp seem quite harmless.

  “We help recover missing items for their owners.” She got the feeling it was more than that, but she wasn’t willing to question him further. The less she knew the better. As she’d told him, she didn’t look good in orange.

  “I don’t want any criminal activities going on in my bakery.” She straightened her shoulders. Why had she told him she was here on her own? What kind of idiot was she? A naïve one. Hadn’t Barry told her that often enough? That one day she’d meet a bad end if she went through life thinking the best of everyone.

  Well, he’d been right. Look at where thinking the best of him had gotten her.

  He nodded. “You wish me to protect your business.”

  “Ah, no, that’s not exactly what I—”

  “I can do this. I will guard your place of business for you when you are here.”

  She just gaped at him. “We really don’t need protection.” Although there had been a spate of robberies lately
that were making her nervous. They hadn’t been robbed, but she was still nervous. She glanced down at the barcode imprinted on her wrist. One swipe on a scanner and it deducted the amount of a sale from her bank account. Only problem was the scanner cost alot and like most small businesses around here she couldn’t afford one, so she mainly dealt with cash.

  She glanced down at Marcun’s wrist. No barcode. She frowned. Some countries didn’t use them, mainly in Africa and the Middle East. Was that where he was from?

  She couldn’t use Marcun to guard her business. What if something happened? He could get hurt. Just because he was big and muscular didn’t mean he could fight, and what if someone drew a weapon on him? No, if he was working for her then she had to take care of him. Same as anyone else.

  “Marcun, I don’t need protection, but thank you for the offer. I’m really after someone to do the heavy lifting. My back starts to ache after a while.”

  Sad fact was she was getting older and her body was growing tired. The sleepless nights lately didn’t help. Maybe starting early would cure him of the late-night parties next door.

  He frowned slightly. “You should not be lifting heavy items. You are delicate.”

  Delicate? Her? She snorted. Even knowing that was a line he probably unleashed on every woman he came across, a small tendril of pleasure unfurled inside her. What would it be like to be considered delicate? All her life she’d been the chubby one. The strong one. The sensible one.

  Oh well. Wasn’t like she could go changing who she was. Most of the time she didn’t even want to. Sure, she could stand to lose a few pounds, but in her job dieting wasn’t exactly an option. And she’d never had much luck sticking to any.

  Lately, her mother had been giving her some pointed hints about getting her face lasered to get rid of any wrinkles.

  God help her.

  She sighed and pushed her mother from her mind. She’d worry about her later.

  “Did you enjoy the brownie?” she asked Marcun.

  “Yes. Will you make more?”

  “Sure. I’ll be making some tomorrow. You can be my taste tester.”

  “Why, do you expect it will taste bad?”

  “No, I just thought you might like to try some.”

  He gave her a sharp nod. “I would. Is it a common food you eat?”

  “Not unless I want to end up huge.” She grinned. “It’s more of a treat. You don’t look like you eat many of those. Or are you one of those horrible people who can eat whatever you want and never gain weight? I’ve always envied people like that. All I have to do is look at a donut and I gain five pounds. I tried that diet once where you give up carbs. I gained five pounds in one week. Apparently living on bacon, eggs, and cream is not conducive to losing weight.” She knew she was babbling. Somehow, she couldn’t figure out how to make herself stop.

  He frowned slightly. “Why would you diet?”

  “Ah, well, you know, I’ve got a few pounds to lose.” Time to change the subject before she completely humiliated herself. “So, since you’re here now and you can’t leave until the pollution levels drop would you like to start work?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. I’ll show you where the supply room is. I need some things moved around so I can get to them easier. Does that sound okay?”

  “Yes.”

  Right. He was using one-word sentences. Was that a good thing or not? Probably meant he was getting impatient, tired of her babbling on and on. Eden took a deep breath to calm herself. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was about him that got under her skin. He was gorgeous, sure. A little intimidating at times. Other times he seemed like a puppy she just wanted to pick up and cuddle.

  A puppy, really? Eden, you are definitely losing your mind.

  Marcun watched the female walk in front of him, trying not to notice the way her hips swayed from side to side. Or that her buttocks bounced with each movement. From the moment he had caught her scent after entering the building, his shaft had grown hard, his balls painful with need.

  He frowned slightly. Before he announced his presence, he had taken a moment to study her. She had seemed almost sad. Upset. But after her initial shock of seeing him standing there she had greeted him with a smile.

  She talked a lot. He had thought it would annoy him, especially as he could not follow half of what she said. Instead, the lilting tune of her voice was almost soothing. She walked into the supply room and led him around, explaining what everything was and what she wished him to do. With one part of his brain he filed away everything she was telling him. But most of his concentration was centered on her. He watched the way her hands moved as she spoke, how her whole face displayed whatever emotion she was feeling. It was almost difficult to believe that she was part of the scheme to steal the Lichon jewel.

  But this could all be part of an act. The dejection he’d seen when he’d first arrived earlier, her concern over his health when she had discovered he had walked here. He did not wish her to know that he had been watching the bakery all morning, waiting until everyone had left to approach her. He had noticed an increased pollution in the air at midday however he was used to ignoring discomfit while on a job.

  “So, does that make sense?” she asked him.

  He stared down at her. “Yes.” None of this was difficult.

  He did not like that she was here on her own. Were he a criminal, this would be the time he would strike. If he was in charge of security … but no, he was not. She had told him she did not wish for his protection. It had stung his pride slightly. As though she did not think him capable. But he was not here to protect her or her business. He was here to keep watch over her until the courier arrived with the Lichon jewel.

  “Good. We can get started moving things in from the drop-in bay to the supply room. Usually it takes me a few hours and I didn’t get time to do it this morning because I slept in. Here’s the flour. Grab a bag, careful though, they’re heavy and I don’t want you to hurt …” she trailed off as he grabbed two bags resting them on each shoulder. He could have carried more but it would be rather awkward and he wished to be able to free his hands quickly if there was a need.

  “Okay then,” she muttered, grabbing one bag and dragging it along the ground. “Guess all those gym sessions are working out for you.”

  “What are you doing?”

  She paused, breathing somewhat erratically. Some of her hair fell across her face. He found her hair fascinating. It was the color of fire, at the edge of the flames where the red was deepest. She blew a breath out, trying to move the curl out of her eyes. He was grateful he had his arms full, otherwise he might have been tempted to reach over and see if that strand of hair was as soft and silky as it looked.

  “I’m moving the bag of flour. I don’t have the muscle you do so I drag them across the floor one at a time.”

  “Of course you do not, you are a female.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “I’m starting to think that you’re a bit sexist.”

  Sexist?

  “You don’t think men are better than women do you? Because I can do anything you can do, buddy.”

  Of course she could not. He very much doubted that she could pilot a shuttle at high speed through space rubbish or fight off half a dozen Coizils on her own or even lift one of these bags of flour. He did not understand why she seemed so angry. Did she wish to be able to lift the flour?

  “Males are better than females at some things.”

  She started to tap her foot. Was she having some sort of muscle spasm? A tic had also developed by her right eye. And earlier she had been banging her head against the desk. It alarmed him that this female was allowed out on her own when she obviously had many, many issues.

  “Females are superior at other things males cannot do well.”

  “Hmm. I suppose that’s a good enough answer.” She started to drag the bag across the floor again.

  “This will be much quicker for me to do. Alone.”

  She paused agai
n and he pointed at the bag of flour. Why she thought to pull it around when he could easily do it in a quarter of the time, he did not know. It seemed to him that males on this planet did not care for their females as well as they should. Perhaps that was why so many females were willing to move to Zerconia. He guessed they were desperate. One would have to be to mate with a Zerconian. They were so filled with honor and rules.

  They never did anything without their Emperor’s permission. Such boring lives. Although from what he understood, the human mates had shaken up their ordered lives.

  She eyed him, then the sacks of flour he easily held. Then she nodded. “Fine. I’ll get started on some bookwork. Sing out if you need some help.”

  He was not certain why he would need to sing if he required help, but since he was certain he would not need any, he shrugged off her comment and went to work.

  Eden yawned, the words on the screen blurring. Her eyes drifted closed and she could feel herself drifting off. It would be so easy just to rest her head back against the chair and go to sleep.

  “You have fallen asleep.”

  Her eyes shot open and she sat up. “Holy hell. You have got to stop doing that. You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

  “You were asleep. Do you not reopen soon? Should you not do your sleeping at night?”

  Yes, she should. She sighed, leaning back and placing the palms of her hands against her eyes. She would not snap at him. That wasn’t who she was. But really, why did he think she was so tired?

  She removed her hands and looked at him. He frowned slightly, looking annoyed.

  “Right, yep. I definitely should do my sleeping at night. I might get more if my next-door neighbor didn’t keep me up half the night.” There, pointed but not outright rude. Surely, he would get the hint.

  “Do you wish me to speak to him?”

  She laughed then sobered quickly. “Oh God, you have no idea why I’m laughing, do you?”