When she looked into his eyes, she could see it. He loved her. Despite their differences, he'd fallen in love. Jenna felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Well, isn't that touching."

They both turned their heads in time to see Rick standing in the doorway. A laser pistol pointed directly at them.

131.

Chapter Fifteen.

Ben instinctively pushed Jenna behind him. He knew Rick wouldn't hesitate to shoot either of them. But he also knew he enjoyed the games, the taunting. They had a minute for him to figure out how the fuck to get out of this.

"How the hell did you get out?" Ben said, using his anger and fear at almost losing Jenna to good use. He needed to keep Rick talking.

Rick sneered and took a step into the room. "When all hell broke loose out there, my men came looking for me. I figured you would have run away by now, Ben.

Heroism isn't your style. No profit in it."

The comment stung. He suddenly felt Jenna's hand squeeze his and realized Rick didn't have any power over him any longer.

"I'm not going to let you destroy this colony." Ben kept his eyes on Rick and his gun. Jenna moved again. She'd taken hold of his shirt and began to tug him backward.

Back towards the device. Not needing to know what she had in mind, he followed her lead.

"Had the government given me what I wanted, it all would have worked out fine.

But you went and fucked that up on me now. And that wasn't very nice of you."

Ben took another step back and watched as Rick moved even closer to him. The rush of desire he'd felt earlier began to build in his again. His cock sprang to life, making it hard to focus on anything other than stripping Jenna and taking her right there and then. She bunched her fingers, squeezing his shirt into a tight ball. Sighing, she pulled him back even closer against her.

"So you were the one who took the devices away from each other?" Jenna asked in a loud voice, almost too loud.

What the hell was she up to?

"Are you fucking stupid?" Rick laughed. "Of course it wasn't me. I pay people for that shit."

Jenna didn't seem fazed by the insult. "But you were responsible. You moved them, separated the devices?"

Rick's laughter died down instantly. "I think I'm going to kill you now."

Ben watched in horror as Rick raised the pistol up and prepared to fire. He didn't think. Ben launched himself at Rick, letting out a primal scream. It was enough of a shock to make Rick pause. By the time he realized what was going on, Ben was on top of him.

The last time they'd fought, Rick had the upper hand. Ben was wiser now. He knew Rick was weak. Jenna had shown him that and he'd be damned if he'd let anything 132 happen to her now.

Ben threw a punch, connecting with Rick's jaw. Pain shot up his arm and his hand went numb, but he wasn't about to stop. Again he took a swing, but this time Rick ducked and landed a blow of his own on Ben's stomach.

He doubled over in agony, the air rushing from his lungs. Ben dropped to his knees as Rick turned to face Jenna.

"Now it's your turn, bitch."

Ben felt a sudden injection of rage and he threw himself once more at Rick. His shoulder connected with Rick's back with enough force to push them both forward, landing squarely on the device.

Unlike his earlier approach, Ben didn't feel the effects this time. He was able to back up enough to put a small distance between them. He was about to grab Rick and pull him off the device when Jenna's hand gripped his shoulder.

"Don't," she simply said.

But he couldn't stop. Ben stepped forward and rolled Rick around. What he saw drained the anger from his body.

Rick's eyes were rolled back into his head, as Jenna's had been the last time she'd touched the device. Like Jenna, Rick's face had lost its color. He looked to be in agony, his mouth open in a silent scream. Rick didn't, or couldn't, move.

"What the hell?" Ben whispered.

"It's not a probe like we thought. It's an escape pod. Two, actually."

Ben turned to look at her. She was shaking, but managed to hold her emotions in check.

"What do you mean, escape pod? It's not big enough."

"The last time I touched it, he talked to me. The alien trapped inside. He was looking for the other half. The part with his mate."

"But it was set to explode."

"He was angry. Somehow, they've been in that thing so long it's become a part of who they are. I told him I'd give him the one who was responsible. And that I'd get his mate back to him."

"Ben!"

He turned at the sound of Matt's voice. "In here!"

Matt and Kyle came barreling into the room, blasters drawn.

"Are you two okay? When you didn't come out, we got worried," Matt said, his eyes moving quickly over both of them. When he spotted Rick, he raised his gun. "Ben, move."

"It's okay, Matt." Ben looked over his shoulder. "He's not going anywhere."

"What the fuck?" Kyle shook his head and made his way over to where Rick stood.

"Don't touch him," Jenna warned. "He's been given a taste of his own medicine."

133.

"What the fuck does that mean?" Kyle snapped.

"There is an alien inside. Rick hurt his mate."

"Payback's a bitch. Go, alien guy."

"Matt, we need Gareth to get the second half of the device and bring it here. Is it safe to do that yet?"

Matt peeked out into the warehouse. "Kyle brought in the troops. They're still cleaning up out there. I'd give it a bit yet."

"Apparently, the chief of police didn't want to be responsible for your death, Mr.

Hawthorn," Kyle chuckled.

Ben would have to remember to buy the chief a drink next time he saw him.

"It will take Gareth and my people some time to get the other half of the device here. We should tell them to get moving," Jenna said and slipped her arm through his.

Everything felt right about the contact. He smiled and moved her hand down so he could wrap her fingers in his.

"You mind looking after that, Matt?"

Matt looked at Kyle and chuckled, "Pay up."

"Damn," Kyle groaned and handed over a currency chip.

"I don't want to know what that bet was about, do I?" Jenna sighed and shook her head.

"Nope. And I'll get Gareth moving." Matt winked at Jenna.

From out of nowhere, Rick moaned and dropped in a heap to the floor. Both Matt and Kyle had their pistols on him in a flash, but Ben knew it wouldn't be necessary. He could feel the alien's satisfaction and he knew it had exacted its revenge. Did what he would have done in his place-hurt the man who hurt his mate. Hurt the woman he loved.

"I don't think he's going to cause you any problems," Ben said softly.

As if to further add to Ben's point, Rick curled up into a ball on the floor, moaning.

"How about I take this garbage out for you?" Kyle said in an extremely cheery tone and radioed for some help. Within a few minutes, three armed police officers came and dragged Rick away.

Matt and Kyle drifted out of the room as well, leaving Ben finally alone with Jenna.

He turned and pulled her into his arms.

"Gods, I was so scared. I thought he was going to kill you," he said and placed a single kiss on her temple.

She turned her face into his, her mouth igniting his body until he was shaking with need. He held his passion in check instead, wanting to show her how much he cared.

How much he loved her.

Unrelenting, he drove his tongue into her mouth. Every repressed, pent-up scrap of love he'd ever felt for her, he poured into that kiss. He needed her. Now, next week, 134 forever. Jenna pulled back, her eyes wide and questioning. She ran a finger down the scar on his cheek.

"He can't hurt you anymore." She smiled and leaned in to kiss his scar.

"I know. You saved me."

Jenna chuckled. "I think we saved each other."

"Look, I know I'm not perfect. I can be an arrogant ass most of the time, but I swear I'll love you until you can't take any more."

He could tell from the shocked expression on her face he'd actually said it. It felt like a weight, a heavy burden was suddenly gone. Everything was okay for the first time in a long while.

"You love me?" she asked, her voice catching.

"I do," he said and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"I love you too," she whispered and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest.

"As soon as Gareth gets the second half of the device here, I'm taking you home."

"He'll need help."

"And you'll be here. But after that, we're going into hiding. For at least a week."

Jenna shifted her body so her hip was pressed up hard against his stiff cock.

"Maybe two weeks," he muttered.

"Who am I to argue?" She raked her nails down his chest.

"I was hoping you would. That way I'd be able to tie you up to convince you."

Jenna chuckled. "Who am I to ruin your plans?"

Jenna frantically combed her fingers through her hair, trying to make it look half decent. Ben would be back any second and she wanted her surprise to be ready. Her mind raced, unable or unwilling to settle. So much had happened in such a short time- gods had it only been a month since her life had changed completely?

She'd slept most of the day after she and Gareth managed to reunite the two sides of the device. Thankfully, the self-destruct deactivated. She'd actually felt the relief and satisfaction as the alien and his mate were reunited.

She shook her head as she looked at her image in the mirror. That had been two weeks ago now. At the time she'd talked to the alien, she didn't know what he'd meant by his offer to help. But with all of the changes, his intervention was the only explanation.

The soil around the escape pods was fertile.

Not just filled with tiny microbes, but rich with minerals that hadn't existed before.

And it was spreading. The atmosphere inside the dome was changing too. As the soil 135 changed, more and more natural oxygen was being produced. She didn't know how he done it, but the alien had healed the planet. It was beginning to live again. They predicted at the current rate of transformation, there would be a breathable atmosphere outside the dome within twenty years.

Ben and Gareth then carefully took the device back to CalCorp. Until they could figure out a way to free the aliens, Ben wanted to make sure they were someplace safe.

He would be back from his last meeting with Gareth, which marked the end of their project.