"You don't like that?" she heard Zain say through the haze of a really good seduction.

"Don't.. . stop," she gasped.

He chuckled softly against her breast. Then he slid over her body, straddling her. With a hand behind her neck, he pressed her back on the blanket.

"I won't stop, Lacey," he promised. The light from his two torches shone evenly on his face, banishing the shadows that usually resided there.

"No more don'ts," he said, a split second before he kissed her lips, sealing them. No more don'ts, she agreed silently, and opened her mouth to his. He took possession, and with that went cohesive thought.

Her hands reached for Zain as he stretched out over her. His lips smoldered against her lips, face, and neck. Under her touch, the solid planes of his muscles tightened as she explored the wonder of his body. He nuzzled her ear, whispered urgently, and ground his hips against her. The language he spoke escaped her, but she understood his desperate desire completely.

She was vaguely aware of him lifting off her for a moment to discard his pants, his lips never breaking from hers. Seconds later, her palms flattened against his belly, sliding lower until she could wrap her fingers around his thick erection.

He groaned, and she reveled in the reaction. With a feathery stroke, she explored the length of him, velvet skin over steely muscle.

His guttural growl sent shivers down her spine. She wasn't the only one being seduced. He didn't deny her anything, didn't play games, or shun risk. Heat and tension radiated from his body as she caressed him. In her ear, his words had turned edgy and terse.

Had she become the seducer?

Without warning, his hands slipped beneath the waistband of her pants, jerking them down with very little finesse and even less patience, leaving her naked. A demanding thigh wedged between her legs, driving them apart, and was quickly replaced by his fingers. She gasped at the contact, her hands moving to his shoulders for support. Her eyes closed, accepting him with absolute trust. His technique was perfection, as if he knew exactly what she needed, and within minutes, her body-primed and ready-surrendered. A churning climax rolled over her, leaving her breathless in its wake.

"Yes," she heard Zain breathe through the aftershocks. He settled himself between her legs, pushing her thighs further apart. She felt his tip as it pressed against her, teasing and tempting.

She opened her eyes and, through tears that appeared from nowhere, looked at his taut face a few inches from hers. He propped his elbows by her head and wrapped her face in his big hands.

"Zain," she begged, mindless as she struggled to draw more of him inside her.

"Remember this," he said roughly. "This is real. I'm real."

His hands tightened around her head, his mouth besieged hers, and he thrust into her with a violent need she matched. The possession was complete, leaving no room for doubt. Hips rammed together, bodies roiled, limbs tangled, and Lacey was lost. No beginning, no end, no rules. Just their fiery passion burning up the night.

A roar erupted from Zain's lips, torn from deep inside, and he drove into her one more time. She clutched him until he collapsed on top of her, gulping air into his lungs.

For a long time, she held him. Above them, gentle green filigree netted the stars. Lacey felt alive, but it wasn't just from the risk she'd taken. Risk didn't make a heart soar. It didn't fill her with this bittersweet kind of joy and anguish that would last forever. Only love could do that.

Did he know that in the end, he hadn't just seduced her body? He'd seduced her heart as well.

Chapter Twenty-three.

T minus one day and counting. . .

Schuler was about to shut down his computer for the evening when the chime sounded. He checked to make sure his office door was closed before he accepted the call.

The holodeck sprang to life, sprouting Ferretu's familiar stance. The assassin began. "I have traced Zain Masters's location. Planet P254-3 34-5 in the Bogeeta Region."

Schuler stared at the holo-image in disbelief. It couldn't be. "Installation 93 is on that planet."

"I know," Ferretu said. "But I don't have an exact fix on his location. Perhaps he hasn't found anything."

Schuler glanced at his monitor and the amount of time remaining: less than a full cycle. "Prepare a team to check the installation. If Masters is inside, I want him. Alive," he reminded the assassin. He knew how much Ferretu enjoyed killing.

"Of course," Ferretu replied, a little too benignly. "Out." The holo-image vaporized.

Schuler hailed Everard, who answered promptly. "Yes, sir?"

"Masters is on the same planet as Installation 93."

Everard looked momentarily stunned. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." He moved closer to the holo-image. "Is he inside?"

"I. .. don't think so," Everard stammered. "As I said before, most of the sensors at that installation do not work correctly. However, the chances of him surviving the defense systems to even gain access to the control dome are very slim."

"So are the odds of Masters sitting on the same planet as one of our facilities. I'm sending Ferretu with a crew to apprehend him."

Everard balked. "Apprehend? Why not kill him?"

Schuler leaned back and steepled his fingers. "Because I think Masters would be an excellent addition to our operation."

"He will never agree to work with us. There is too much InterGlax in him. You are wasting your time," Everard sneered.

Schuler controlled his temper, despite his ops chief's blatant insolence. "You let me worry about that. Your job is to make sure there are no more surprises. We have one day left, Everard. I don't need to tell you what will happen if we miss this opportunity." The man stiffened. "Yes, sir."

Zain placed a ravaged and sated Lacey onto his bunk and watched as she curled up in a dead sleep. For a while he watched her, committing her to memory for all time. Whether or not tomorrow went well, she would be gone.

And that would be a problem.

He moved silently to the back of the ship. Opening a cabinet, he withdrew his painting supplies and set up a canvas.

"Is everything all right, sir?" Reene asked quietly.

"Fine, Reene. You can go on standby." He wasn't in a chatty mood tonight. He wasn't in an introspective mood either, but a man about to be alone again didn't have a lot of choice. Particularly a man who had recently discovered that he'd fallen in love.

He started the painting and, as he worked, his mind drifted to what had just happened. Lacey had asked him to seduce her, and he had. And, if he had his wish, he'd do it every day for the rest of his life. He was addicted to the way she gasped in his arms, the sweet sounds she probably didn't even realize she made, and the perfect fit of her body to his.

Tonight hadn't been simple lovemaking, though, and he knew it. She'd given him the control she was so desperately trying to hold on to. She'd bared her body and her soul. She'd trusted him with everything she had, and offered him a gift he couldn't accept: her love. Yet he didn't know if he had the willpower to refuse.

He worked for hours, his thoughts revolving around Lacey and how he was ever going to forget her. Before he knew it, the painting was finished. It wasn't his usual style or subject matter, but he was convinced it was the best piece he'd ever done. He stowed it away in a cabinet for safekeeping, a stolen moment to remember Lacey by when she was once again on Earth and he was exploring the galaxy-if he wasn't dead.

Reene announced, "Sir, the lower teleportal is activating."

Quickly, Zain looked at his console. The platform holo-cam below captured three men walking through the portal. And they all had guns.

"Damn. They aren't supposed to be here until tomorrow!" He pulled a rifle from the rack and donned his headgear comm. "Open the door." He bounded out the hatch and made his way through the darkness to the dome. He took up a position outside the entrance, where he had a clear shot inside.

"Can you tell what they are doing down there, Reene?" he whispered into his comm.

"They are activating the lift, sir."

Zain went very still as he watched the elevator drop silently away. There was only one explanation for the early check-in and the immediate use of the lift: They knew he was here. He readied his rifle, aiming it at the spot where the lift would return. The only advantage he had was that they didn't know he knew.

"Reene, go dark. They are coming after us. I'd like at least one of them alive, but if I give the order, take everyone out."

"Order accepted. Scanners indicate the lift has reached the bottom and is coming back up. It will appear in twenty seconds . .. ten seconds ..."

Warrior calm stole over him, driving Zain's senses to their peak. Three heads appeared through the hole and he waited. Shoulders, bodies, and weapons lifted into sight. The three men glanced around. Two wore InterGlax uniforms, looking like standard-issue guards. The other one wore street garb and a golden head cover. He gave the orders. That was the man Zain wanted.

The leader spotted Zain's ship through the doorway and led the charge. Zain pressed against the outer wall and watched them. The leader silently signaled to split up. One of the guards shouldered a powerful laser cannon that could eat a hole through Reene's hull in a few short minutes.

"Shields up. They mean business, Reene," Zain warned. He slipped behind his mark and whispered, "Weapons ready. On my command, all lights on and take out the two standard-issue InterGlax stiffs. I'll deal with the helmeted one myself."

Ahead of him, the leader raised his hand and dropped it. All three intruders opened fire on Reene.

"Now," Zain said.

The immediate area was flooded with blinding light, and in a flurry of laser fire, Reene's guns dropped the two standard-issues. The leader was surprised, frozen just long enough for Zain to lunge up behind him. The man spun, nearly catching Zain in the head with a metal-covered hand. Zain deflected the strike and shoved his rifle into Goldie's gut. The man gave a pained oomph and doubled over. Zain brought the end of his rifle up and under the helmet, sending it flying and breaking Goldie's nose. Blood spattered across the man's face and eyes, and he roared. Zain kicked Goldie's weapon from his hands, and it landed with a thump in the sand.

"Hands where I can see them," Zain warned, his rifle ready. "I hate wearing a uniform with holes in it."

A murderous gaze met his, and Zain recognized the face beneath all the blood. This was no InterGlax operative. This was an assassin.

"Welcome to Death Valley, Ferretu," Zain said with a smile. "How's it feel being on the other end of the gun? I know I'm enjoying it."

"You are a dead man, Masters," Ferretu hissed.

"Don't waste all your best lines on me. Who are you working for these days?"

The man just stared. Zain squinted. "I'm not a very patient man, and I really don't think IG is paying you enough to die."

The man scowled, but he wasn't talking. Zain would have liked to interrogate the bastard, but he knew Ferretu wouldn't crack. Besides, Zain needed his clothes clean.

"Reene, can you hear me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you catch the lower portal sequence?"

"Affirmative. There are six access points on Avakur for this portal. I have downloaded the commands into your datapad. You should be able to place yourself on Avakur at will."

Excellent news. "From this point on, block Avakur's commands to the portals. I don't want any more uninvited visitors."

"Done."

Zain addressed Ferretu. "I guess if you won't tell me, I'll have to find out for myself." Zain studied his outfit. "Hope you don't mind if I borrow your clothes for a while."

Lacey had never seen a dead man before. Well, except at a wake, but these guys were freshly dead and in big chunks all over the sand. It made a difference.

She helped Zain into his disguise by Reene's lights. She'd slept through the whole mess. Thankfully. Any misgivings she'd had about not going to Avakur with Zain were gone. She was in over her head and she knew it.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked as he turned to face her.

"No, but it's the only one I've got. And if I don't stop them, no one will."

Out of the corner of her eye, Lacey saw their captive on the ground against the outer wall of the dome. His hard, cold eyes had watched her every move since she'd come outside. This was the kind of man that Zain was about to face hundreds of, all alone.

"Maybe there's another way," she blurted. "We can throw a bomb through the portal or-"

Zain slid his hands around her waist and pulled her close. Her heart jumped, and he leaned down and skimmed her lips with a kiss. "I'll be back."

She clung to him. "You better. You aren't sucking me through space and then deserting me."

He grinned. "Still upset about that, are you?"

"And don't you forget it."

His expression sobered. "Well, just in case I don't make it back, Reene has orders and instructions to send you home through the VirtuWav."

She shook her head. "Forget it. If you don't come back, I'm coming after you."

He sighed. "Lacey, you said it yourself. This isn't your world. You have your own battles to fight. This one is mine." He eased his fingers around her face and lifted her eyes to his. His gaze warmed her soul. "Promise me you will go home if I'm not back in three hours."

She knew he wouldn't be satisfied with anything less. She'd make his promise, but it was one she couldn't keep. "Fine."

He gave her one last kiss that burned her lips. She tightened her grip on his biceps, not wanting to lose contact. He pulled back and pressed his forehead to hers. She heard him say something softly in the alien language she'd come to realize must be his native tongue. The words didn't matter. All that mattered was that those sweet words he uttered were for her and for her alone.

Then he released her, stepped back, and donned Ferretu's helmet. He was a dead ringer for the assassin.

Zain looked at their scowling captive. "Reene, I restrained Ferretu, but if he moves, shoot him."

"Understood. Good luck, sir."

His metal gaze turned back to her for a few moments. She gave him a little smile, just in case it was the last. With her heart twisting in her chest, she watched Zain pull on the gloves and head to the dome. Then tears clouded everything else.

Zain moved through the sleek hallways of the Avakur compound. Some serious funds had gone into this venture, and he really wanted to know who it belonged to before he blew it up.

He flattened against a wall as he neared a corridor intersection and peered around the corner, his weapon ready. It was night at the base, and he'd only seen two other guards since he materialized inside one of the compound's portals. They had both simply nodded at him as he walked by in his borrowed uniform.

A lone metal panel of flashing lights up ahead held promise. He checked the empty hallway before taking a good look at it. InterGlax information console. Excellent.

He holstered his pistol and slipped his datapad from his pocket, activating the transmission function before plugging it directly into the panel. Then he proceeded to access systems using Ferretu's pass, and downloaded the entire base schematics into his unit while simultaneously transmitting the information to Reene.

He scanned the wall panel display. The control center was located on Level One in the heart of the compound. It figured. In his cloak, he carried enough detonators stolen from the Well to take out half the building, and he hoped it would be enough. Then he'd get back to Lacey.