Brianna Read Online Free PDF Page A

laced his fingers behind his head. “He hasn’t seemed that discontent to me.”
    Lorilana shook her head. “He’s no longer actively pursuing women.”
    “He doesn’t have to,” Miklan muttered.
    Her laugh filled medical. “Just because women fall at his feet and he takes most of them to bed, doesn’t mean he’s content.
    Besides, he’s been completely abstinent since we left Drakan.”
    Miklan shook his head. “He never cohabitates with members of his crew.”
    Lorilana crossed her arms over her chest. “At every one of our stops, he has avoided women.”
    Miklan’s eyebrows rose. No healthy Drakian of legal age practiced abstinence.
    “This woman, though,” Lorilana continued, “has roused his interest. He’s allowed her into his quarters. Normally, he’d simply post guards outside of Medical and deny Bakom access.
    He’s never given a damn about rules and regulations.”
    “So, you’ll force the issue, eh?”
    Lorilana stared at the grinning Miklan. “You’re getting rather impertinent with your superior officer, lieutenant.”
    “Only because I can get away with it, Aunt.”
    *
    Groaning, Brianna opened her eyes then gasped at the sudden ache in her shoulder. Befuddled at first, she tried to focus her eyes in the dim light. Frowning, she lifted her head and looked around. Where was she? The last thing she remembered, she’d been in that clearing with the aliens.
    Her eyes widened. Aliens—and soldiers.
    A memory of Mark pointing a gun at her appeared before her eyes.
    Her temper flared. “That son of a bitch! He shot me! What the hell did I ever do to him? He was the one who tried to rape me!”
    Again she looked around the small room. Nothing looked familiar. Where was she? She continued to search her memory.
    A bright beam of light. Miklan! He’d grabbed her wrist and pulled her into that bright light.
    She felt the blood drain from her face. My God, I must be on a spaceship.
    Heart leaping into her throat, Brianna gasped and choked.
    Shivers raced up and down her body. A spaceship? Oh God!
    What was she going to do?
    Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to slow her panicked breathing. Fists clenched, she reasserted command over her trembling body. “I will not panic. I will not lie here shaking and crying like some too stupid to live heroine in a bad romance novel. I can handle this. I will handle this!”
    She sat up and immediately grimaced at the twinge of pain in her shoulder. How badly had she been hurt? Moving slowly, she carefully raised her arms and legs. They moved the way they were supposed to, although there was a definite tenderness in her right shoulder.
    Except for the white bandage covering her wound, she was naked. “Where the hell are my clothes?”
    Wrapping the blanket around her torso, Brianna swung her legs over the bunk and pushed herself to her feet. Moving carefully, she gained her equilibrium and worked the slight stiffness out of her legs. How long had she been unconscious?
    Brianna pulled the blanket more tightly beneath her arms and walked to the door. Tentatively, she placed her palm upon the handprint in the middle. It slid open with a slight whisper, revealing an empty room.
    When she stepped cautiously into the larger room, the quiet hiss of the door closing caused her to spin about. A handprint identical to that on the inside was also affixed to this side.
    Pressing her palm against it, she was relieved when the door glided open. At least she could get back in. But was it a refuge or a cage?
    Turning once more, Brianna took stock of her surroundings.
    This room was much larger with sparse but what looked like comfortable furnishings. A table with ten chairs was to one side while a sofa, overstuffed chair, and a smaller table sat on the other side. A large plant, with pale blue leaves and flowers of a darker blue, stood next to a closed door to her right. However, the huge window on the opposite wall drew her attention. There were drapes of a sort, pulled