"Display current stats, Reene."

Lacey moved up behind him quietly, sensing annoyance and tension like a cloud around him as images popped up on his console.

"I don't suppose you want to talk about it?" she ventured.

"No."

For a whole second, she actually considered shutting up, but something really terrible had happened to him and she couldn't very well leave him like this.

"Bad dream? I happen to have a lot experience with those."

"I'm fine." His voice was hoarse and not at all sociable.

Tempting danger, she slipped into the chair next to him, facing his faint profile against the black of night through the viewport. He didn't even look at her, working instead with utter concentration. Then she noticed his hands in the glow of the panel lights. Blood oozed from his knuckles.

She reached forward and grabbed his hand. "You're bleeding."

He pulled away. "I'll clean up later."

"No. You'll clean up now," she said, fumbling around in the dark to retrieve the kit he'd used on her feet a few hours before.

"Bullshit," he muttered, mimicking her earlier response.

She finally located the kit, sat back down, and opened it. "My, my. What a grumpy cowboy. Now where are those wipes?" She rummaged through the kit's contents until she found a packet and ripped it open.

"As a matter of fact," she said, grasping his hand. "How is it that you and the computer conveniently speak my language?"

"Reene downloaded your dialect, and I did a neural language-translation interface," he said, sounding a little more civilized as she swabbed the blood from his knuckles.

"Which would mean what to us mere Earth mortals?" she asked. His hands weren't bad, but she could make out old scars. Had he been through this before?

"I underwent a few hours of intense language education, a common procedure. I figured it was easier for me to learn your language than for you to learn mine."

Darkness masked his features, but she could feel his tension easing as she washed his hands, fingers, and palms. Much to her dismay, he felt absolutely human.

"So, there are a bunch of human-looking aliens flying around out here in space?"

"Trillions, from one end of the galaxy to the other."

She gave a short laugh. "That's going to be a huge blow to all the Earth men who think they are the center of the universe."

He had beautiful hands, she decided. Big and warm and strong. His fingers were long and callused, a little rough. She remembered Robert's hands- perfectlymanicured and neat. No strength. No character.

"I think that one's done," he said softly, saving her from her memories.

"Sorry," she mumbled and reached for his other hand. Just as she touched him, he wrapped his fingers around her hand, engulfing it.

"You don't have to do this," he said in a hoarse voice. "I've been taking care of myself for a long time."

She could feel the heat radiating from his skin into hers. It moved through her like a slow, crackling fire, igniting her senses one by one. He was relaxed now. She could hear his steady breathing, feel his eyes upon her. But there was more-a sensual hum radiating from him. She didn't want to let go, drawn to him like a solitary fire in a dark forest. The ridges of his fingertips imprinted her skin, branding her with his heat.

Fear accompanied an unwelcome tendril of desire that wrapped itself around her belly. She recognized it instantly. Every man she'd ever been drawn to was trouble. She had a better chance of winning the lottery than picking a good man.

She freed her hand from his warm, sexy, and totally promising hold, and blew out a silent breath to cool her inner flames. She definitely needed a date.

As clinically as possible, she cleaned his knuckles. "I know you're a big boy. Must be my maternal instincts kicking in."

"You have maternal instincts? I wouldn't have guessed."

She could hear him grinning and grinned too. "I don't get to use them much."

"That's too bad. You're good at it."

She squinted at his darkened face to see if he was mocking her, but there was no hint of sarcasm in his statement.

"Thank you. We're even." She gave him his hand back.

He withdrew it slowly and returned to the ship's control panel. "You really should get some more sleep, Lacey. Tomorrow is going to be a physical day."

She closed the kit. "And what about you?"

He turned his face slighdy. "I got a few hours, that's all I need."

She had so many questions about him and his world buzzing around in her head, but she was suddenly beyond exhausted, too tired even to try to get him to talk about the scars on his knuckles or the episode in the back room. She rose and stowed the kit. Besides, he seemed over it, whatever "it" was. At least, she hoped he was. She'd had nightmares before, but nothing like that.

As she crawled back into her bunk, she wondered- what kind of nightmare made you bleed?

Morning broke warm and clear on planet P254-334-5. In the corridor, Zain stuffed another food ration into his pack. It had been a long night and he would have liked more sleep, but that was impossible with Lacey so close. It was bad enough she'd heard him and seenthe injury to his hands. But at least she hadn't seen the angry and unhappy man he could become, and he vowed she wouldn't.

He heard her in the lav, singing something that sounded like O.K. Corral at the top of her lungs, and despite his grumpy mood, he smiled. She'd made such a fuss over a few bloody knuckles from flailing around in his nightmare. He could still feel her small hands on him, gentle but firm. Warm caresses, tender care, a soft voice. He had to pause in the middle of loading his pack to take a deep breath. Evidently, it had been too long since he'd been alone with a woman.

She hit a horrendous high note with gusto and he chuckled. Not only was she a major visual distraction, she had spirit. And a way of smiling that made a man want more. Unfortunately, he wasn't in any position to even think about it. Both their lives depended on him not getting distracted.

"Reene, while we are gone, work on figuring out how to stop the power drain from the ship. If we lose the cells, I lose you." He paused and then added, "I don't want you shutting yourself down to route power to the critical systems either."

"I can be reactivated if I discharge," Reene reminded him.

"Forget it. And that's direct order."

"Order accepted."

"And watch Lacey's cat, too."

There was a hesitation. "Sir, what does that entail?"

Reene had an excellent question. "I have no idea. Just don't piss it off." Zain glanced over his pack to find Oliver sitting at the end of the corridor staring at him. "So what is it you do?" he asked. The animal yawned for an answer.

"He catches mice," Lacey said from behind him.

He turned. She looked bright and fresh and sexy as hell. She wasn't doing a thing for his sleepless nights.

"What are mice?" he asked, trying to divert his mind from more entertaining thoughts.

Lacey gave a shudder. "Little furry rodents that eat my food and mess in my cupboards." She nodded toward the viewport. "Kind of like those things out there."

He sealed a bag and handed it to her. "They're harmless. He pulled another pack over his shoulder and walked to the rear cabin. "I've already scouted the entire basin and had no problems."

"Yeah, well, I don't think Bobzilla is harmless."

He laughed at her name for the beast. "No, I'd say Bobzilla is hungry."From a cabinet, he grabbed his rifle and checked the charge. At least he had firepower. When he looked up, Lacey was watching him.

"Tell me you know how to use that."

He nodded grimly. "I know how to use it."

"Good answer. I like a man who can take orders." She smiled at him, taking his breath away. He wondered if she knew how amazing her smile was. "That's one of the reasons I got out of military. Too many people telling me what to do."

Lacey batted her eyelashes. "Well, never fear. You only have me to worry about."

He patted the pistol in his holster and the laser blade strapped to his calf. "Is that all? I'd rather take my chances with Bobzilla."

She looked clearly offended. "And what does that mean?"

He leaned toward her, grinning. "I can shoot Bobzilla."

She wrinkled her nose. "I had no idea aliens were so funny. You should go on tour."

Zain moved toward the door, and Lacey stopped him. "Will Oliver be safe here alone?"

"Safer than we will. I don't think Bobzilla is as interested in the ship as he is in us."

"Great. I feel tons better now," she muttered. "How far do we have to go?"

"The dome is only eight kilometers away."

"Only?" She gazed down at her feet. "I hope my slippers hold out. It would have been nice if you'd sent along an itinerary for this little adventure. You'd make a lousy travel agent."

"Don't worry, we aren't walking. Reene, stay in communication."

"Understood." Reene paused. "Adios, amigos."

Zain chuckled at Lacey's stunned expression.

The air lock opened and they were blasted with the planet's hot, dry ambiance. An early-morning sun hung red in the sky. The desert terrain stretched all the way to the surrounding mountain ranges. Zain lowered his visor over his eyes. Distance and topographical statistics popped up along its edge and multiple distance ranges displayed.

He jumped out of the ship and scoped the vicinity. Satisfied it was clear, he turned back to help Lacey. Her eyes darted around the landscape in search of the beast, no doubt.

"I can take care of Bobzilla," he said as she stood next to him.

She peered at his visor. "I hope so. I'm only here for brain power, remember?""I doubt I will ever be given the opportunity to forget.""Be nice to me, or I'll tell all Earthlings how positively tyrannical aliens are."He palmed his datapad for bearing. "And here I thought I was just another beautiful man." His gaze flicked to hers. "In a Wild West kind of way, of course."

Her eyes widened in horror as he repeated her own words. He explained, "Reene downloaded some of your American History information for me last night while you were sleeping." He tipped his goggles and drawled. "Ma'am."

"Oh great. Now the aliens know," she muttered and followed him around the back of the ship. She'd unleashed a space cowboy. The universe would never be the same again. "So, you said we aren't walking. How are we getting there?"

He pulled the survey speeder off the ramp that Reene had lowered, and mounted it.

He smiled. "Ready to ride?"

Chapter Six.

They hadn't been riding for very long, and already sweat and sand stuck Lacey's tank top to her breasts. She was sure she looked like death warmed over. Goggles protected her eyes from the sting of wind and sand, but her hair had become a disaster.

Zain, on the other hand, looked magnificent-in a Wild Wild West kind of way. The man had an excellent memory. She'd have to remember that. Anything she said could and would be used against her.

It was a smooth, quiet ride, since the speeder was something like a hovercraft. The functions were the same as a motorcycle though-seat, steering, and- she hoped-brakes. It didn't go very fast, but it sure beat walking. Besides, wedged between Zain's rock-hard body and the back of the seat on a speeder built for one wasn't necessarily a bad place to be. She could feel the six-pack abs beneath his shirt where shegripped him and had the strongest urge to feel around and see if the rest of him was so well... defined.

But since sex was definitely not on the agenda for this year, she surveyed the landscape-or what she could see of it beyond Zain's broad back. Red desert stretched around her in all directions, ringed by imposing maroon cliffs. She was on an alien planet. Well, as far as she knew. What had Zain said? Three hundred light-years? How far was a light-year again? Darn. She should have paid more attention in high school astronomy class. This is what she got for ogling Paul Watson for an entire semester. Who would have ever guessed someday she'd actually need that information?

She licked her lips and adjusted the goggles Zain had given her. "So, does this planet have a name?"

He glanced over his shoulder. "Just a catalogue number. You want to name it?"

"How about Death Valley?"

She felt a laugh rumble through his chest. "Let's hope not."

Ahead of them, a break in the landscape caught Lacey's attention and sunlight flashed off a solid object. She squinted her eyes. It looked like ...

"A ship!" she blurted out. "Zain, stop!"

He replied over the engine noise, "You don't want to see it."

"If it's a ride home, I do. Pull over!"

Zain brought the speeder to a halt, and she vaulted off the seat. But as she drew closer, she realized this craft wasn't going to be her ride home. Metal ribs poked out of the sand like a carcass picked clean. The skin had been ripped and shredded and was streaked with deep gouges. She slowed, taking in the crumpled, charred wreckage scattered over the ground. Zain came up beside her.

She whispered, "They crashed."

"At least a year ago," he concurred. "Brought down the same way I was. I found three more crash sites around the basin."

"Survivors?" she asked with very little hope, and glanced at him. His visor was up, his eyes concerned.