Farthest Space: The Wrath of Jan Read Online Free PDF Page A

lust.
    Even if they were going to be trapped alone here for a long time.   Or possibly forever.
    “Whatever,” Steven said at last, with a shrug, as if the relative size of his anatomy was of no consequence.   Despite his pretense at indifference, she was pretty sure it would nag at him for days, and that gave her a feeling of evil satisfaction.   “I do want you to get out of those wet clothes, Vaish.”
    “I am fine,” she said with lofty dignity.
    “That was an order, Commander.”
    She sputtered with rage.   “You—you can’t—“
    “Actually, I can.   You’re going to catch cold, or some odd virus floating around in the air on this planet, and then where will we be?”  
    She refrained from pointing out the obvious fact that if there were lethal viruses on this planet, she would likely contract them whether she was dry or wet.   She didn’t feel much like arguing at this point.   The fact was, she was damned cold, and her teeth were beginning to chatter.
    “Fine,” she snapped.   “If you insist.”  
    She lifted her hand to the static zipper at her neck.   Steven lifted an eyebrow.
    “But you will turn around,” she added hastily.
    “Is that an order?”
    She saw the amusement in his eyes and flushed again.   “It is a… request.”
    Steven’s white teeth flashed in a grin.   “It’s ridiculous to be so modest, Vaish.   We’re going to be living in a space only a little bigger than a breadbox.   We might as well get used to seeing each other naked.”
    Oh, she could definitely get used to seeing him naked.   That was the entire problem.   She lifted her chin.   “Nevertheless, I must insist on as much privacy as possible under the circumstances.”
    Steven turned around.   “That’s not fair,” he grumbled.   “I let you look.”
    “I didn’t want to look,” she lied.
    “Uh-huh.   Yeah, I noticed that.   I guess all that staring was just an accident.”
    “I was not staring!”
    She dropped her black jumpsuit to the floor, hoping against hope that her undergarments would be dry enough for her to keep them on.   No such luck. She was wet all the way to the skin.   She muttered a heartfelt curse under her breath and stripped off her underwear.
    Fred whistled.
    “Fred,” Steven reproved.   He turned around and looked at her.   She felt her skin grow hot as he looked her up and down, long and thoroughly.   And then he let out a long whistle that echoed Fred’s.
    “Told you,” Fred said.
    Vaish lifted her chin in the air and turned her back on Steven.   She heard his low chuckle.   “It’s a nice view from this direction, too.”
    “Captain,” she said, trying very hard to ignore the warm flush of pleasure that spread through her veins at the admiration in his voice, “we may be in this situation for a long time.   Could we please try to behave like grownups?”
    “I’m admiring a beautiful woman,” Steven said in a reasonable tone.   “A woman who’s so beautiful she’d make any grown man look twice.   How precisely is this not behaving like a grownup?”
    “You’re behaving like a hormonally charged adolescent,” she responded, hating the prissy tone in her voice but unable to squelch it.   “Just as you always do.”
    Steven sighed.   “Fine.   I’ll try to keep my eyeballs in my head.   All right?”
    She gave a short nod of acquiescence.
    “Since our hunting expedition didn’t go too well, let’s have dinner.”
    *****
    Sitting next to Vaish in the crowded space and watching as she ate a small portion of emergency rations didn’t do a thing to curb Steven’s lust, even when she found a blanket, which the terrorists had kindly not removed, and wrapped it around her lovely curves.    He was still painfully aware that beneath the blanket, her gorgeous body was totally nude.
    Odd, but the lovely blue “communications officer” hadn’t caused half as strong a reaction.   Except for the lack of body hair typical of Canvul