Tani's Destiny (Hearts of ICARUS Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

she said, then stepped inside and closed the door. 
    Steel stared at the door for a moment, then leaned against the wall and sighed.  Never had he wanted a woman the way he wanted Tanjelia Dracon.  From the moment he’d seen her on the view screen in the control room, he’d been unable to get her out of his mind.  She looked so delicate with her petite build and pale skin, and so young, with her short red-gold hair and the scattering of freckles on her nose.  And yet, beneath that delicate exterior she had the heart and courage of a warrior.
    And her battle skills!  What he wouldn’t give for just a fraction of her ability.  He’d watched the vid of her attack on the Nomen repeatedly over the past few days, and it never failed to astound him.  Oddly, it also filled him with pride. 
    Even so, he’d hoped that, when she woke up, her personality would cool his interest.  But it hadn’t.  Just the opposite, in fact.
    She’d processed everything he’d told her with a calm acceptance that frankly shocked him.  She hadn’t even gotten upset when he’d denied her request to contact her family, or to take her home.  She’d understood and accepted his reasons far better than he would have done in her place. 
    He’d tried, half-heartedly yes, but still, he had tried to find something about her to dislike, but he’d failed utterly.  Even her scent was intoxicating, like warm pears with a touch of spicy ginger.  The urge to bury his face in her neck and just inhale her was so strong that he’d had to cross his arms to hide how tightly his fists were clenched with the effort of keeping his distance while they talked.
    He shook his head.  Princess Tanjelia Dracon of Jasan was completely out of his reach and he could not allow himself to forget that for a moment.  What little he knew about the Jasani he’d learned from Astra during their journey to EDU-12, and she’d made one fact about them perfectly clear.  Clan Jasani females always mated with Clan Jasani males.  It was bitter knowledge, but he had no choice other than to accept it.
    It was bad enough that it appeared as though he’d kidnapped a Jasani Princess.  If he did anything to dishonor her while she was in his care, he feared that ICARUS would never help his people.  They’d be more likely to destroy what little remained of them instead.
    He heard the water begin to flow through the pipes to the shower, and before he could stop himself he imagined Tani naked, standing beneath the water as it flowed down her body.  He raised his head so fast it slammed into the wall behind him, but he barely noticed as he turned and headed for his quarters, and a very quick, very cold shower.
    ***
    Tani opened the cabinet over the bathroom sink and smiled with relief to find a box of disposable toothbrushes.  A peek in the shower stall revealed body wash, shampoo, and a dispenser full of disposable body sponges.  Next, she turned her attention to the clothing Steel had given her. 
    She set the jeans aside, knowing they’d be at least a foot too long for her.  She was surprised and grateful, if a touch embarrassed, to find three pairs of clean underwear.  Astra was much taller than Tani, and larger in the bust, but they were both slender.  Tani was sure that the underwear would fit well enough to serve, though the bra was far too large.  Well, she’d just rinse her own out before going to sleep at night.  Problem solved.  The other items were two white cotton t-shirts, a soft pink sweater, and three pairs of clean socks.
    The tops would be too big, but she didn’t care.  They were clean.  That was enough for now.  She tore open the protective sleeve on a toothbrush and brushed her teeth until all of the pre-applied toothpaste was used up.  Then she pulled her sweater off over her head, revealing the necklace she’d worn since receiving it for her birthday a couple of weeks earlier.  She reached up and wrapped her fingers around the ruby