“That’s all right, boy,” Calvin smoothly. Able blinked at him in confusion, but Sarai’s face blanched in terror. Calvin turned back to Seth, his expression crafty.
“What he means is I sometimes work guarding ore shipments for the miners at Bethesda,” he said. “But like I said, they ain’t been by for a while. I gots some raw materials, though. Jansenite, about fifteen kilos of it. Should bring in a pretty penny with the right buyers, if you catch my meaning...”
Seth caught his breath. Jansenite was rare, one of the most powerfully explosive elements known. What the hell was Calvin doing with Jansenite? He was almost afraid to know the answer.
“That’s a pretty specialized commodity,” Seth said slowly. “Mind if I ask how you happened to come across it?”
“Now that ain’t none of your business,” Calvin said, taking another long pull of his bakrah . Seth estimated the man had drunk almost half the bottle in the short time they’d been talking. “Do you want it or not? If you take us outta here, we’ll split the profits, fifty-fifty.”
Seth nodded slowly, calculating the best way to transport the volatile material. As if reading his mind, Calvin said, “It’s in block form, sealed in boxes in a viscous polymer. Shouldn’t give us no problems.”
Seth wondered if Calvin had any idea how ridiculously inadequate such packing was for Jansenite.
Probably not–the man was a fool. The Jansenite had to belong to someone else. That person was probably the cause of the rumors. If he could get enough information out of Calvin, he’d be able to make his report to the High Council.
“We’ve got a deal,” Seth said, setting down his spoon. “Devora, you help Sarai pack things up. Calvin and I will see to loading the Jansenite.”
Calvin grinned darkly at him in response.
Watch your back, Seth told himself, because this guy is going to be trouble.
Chapter 7
“Seth?” Calla called cautiously, looking up into the cockpit. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him since that morning, when they’d said such hurtful things to each other. The enormity of the family’s situation had overwhelmed her; she’d been working non-stop to help Sarai and her children get clean and settled in.
Calvin had been more difficult. He refused to wash, although, fortunately, the ship’s air filters were powerful enough to counteract the worst of the odor. As long as she stayed away from him it wasn’t that bad.
“Seth, can I come up?” she asked.
After a moment’s hesitation, he replied. “Yes.”
Calla pulled herself up next to him, settling in the co-pilot’s seat. He was studying a star chart intensely, punching numbers into the navigation panel by hand. She widened her eyes in surprise. Usually the computer took care of that.
“I have to do this because where we’re going isn’t mapped,” he said in response to her quizzical look.
“Calvin wants to go to Bethesda station. He’s worried about his people there. That’s where we’re going to sell the Jansenite and drop the family off.”
“Seth, do you think Sarai and the children will be safe with him?”
Seth glanced over at her briefly, eyes shuttered. She could tell he hadn’t forgotten their conversation that morning. He had cut himself off from her.
“What a man does with his family is his own business,” Seth said tightly. “I won’t let him hurt her on this ship, but I’m not going to stand between them.”
Calla stared at him, aghast. She’d thought he’d have more compassion than that.
“I can’t believe you don’t want to help them,” she finally whispered. “I really think we have to do something about their situation.”
Seth swiveled his chair to face her, his face dark.
“I think you need to be quiet and remember your place here,” he said finally. “You are here to take care of my needs. Calvin and I have a business arrangement. Don’t try to interfere in things you don’t understand. I need you to just have some faith that I know what I’m doing.”
“I think I understand perfectly,” Calla said in a small voice.
“Good,” Seth said, his voice harsh. He stared at his charts a little more. “Come here.”
“Why?” Calla asked cautiously. She didn’t like the look on his face.
“Why?” he replied in a smooth voice. “Because I said so. Because I hired you to serve me whenever I want, and I want you now.”
“But Calvin and Sarai are right downstairs,” she whispered. “Besides, I don’t want to right now.”
Seth glared at her.
“You work for me, remember?” he snarled. “You signed the contract, I’m paying you good money to be here. Come over here and service me.”
Miserably, Calla did as he said. He was correct, she signed the contract and had no right to complain. It hurt, though. She hadn’t thought Seth was the kind of man to force a woman.
“On your knees,” Seth said tightly. Resigned, Calla dropped before him. Seth leaned back in his chair, watching her coldly. She reached over to the front of his pants, which strained from his erection. It sprang free, and he sighed heavily as she wrapped one hand around him. She started moving it up and down, and his shivered under her touch. After a several minutes he spoke.
“Use your mouth.”
It wasn’t anything she hadn’t done for him a hundred times, Calla told herself. This is no different. But it was. Those other times she’d wanted to pleasure him, and knew he would pleasure her in return. This wasn’t her Seth, the Seth who had been so kind and loving. Had she hurt him even more that morning than she realized, or had she simply built him up in her mind? Maybe her Seth had never existed, she thought sadly.
Closing her eyes, Calla wrapped her lips around his hard length. She would do as she was told; she would earn her money.
* * * * *
Seth stared down at Devora’s head, bobbing back and forth in his lap. The feeling of her lips on his c**k was exquisite. Just the sight of her was enough to make him hard, ready to go any time, any place.
Her touch was beyond description and he couldn’t imagine getting tired of her. But that was an illusion, he reminded himself coldly. He had to push down any sympathy and tenderness her felt for her.
She was a paid companion; she had no loyalty to him. He was a Saurellian, genetically incapable of forming a long-term bond with a woman outside his own race. He’d started thinking of them as partners, imagining they were on a mission together. Hell, she didn’t even know they were on a mission. He wanted to tell her that he was only using Calvin, that he’d protect Sarai and the children, but the stakes were too high for such revelations. Unless he could trust her absolutely, he couldn’t risk the security of the Saurellian occupation by telling her everything. It would be criminally irresponsible, and despite their closeness he had only known her a few months. There were lives at stake, for love of the Goddess!