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An Excerpt From BJ McCall's: Cosmis Cops Dark Pleasures

© Copyright B.J. McCall

  ***

Sada Prentiss spotted her boss, Brace Ryn, sitting at his favorite table at the far end of the lounge. Beer in hand, he stared out the window at the shimmering desert landscape of Bezal Moon Six. Ryn, the commander of the Galactic Enforcement Agency outpost, had requested a transfer without so much as a hint of his intentions.

After serving a couple of years stationed in the Bezal quadrant, any sane officer would request a transfer out of the blazing heat. Spread out between ten outposts and a command center, two hundred officers served in the sector they’d nicknamed Hell. No surprise the lieutenant wanted out.

Before Sada got within six feet of him, Ryn lifted a booted foot and shoved a chair away from the table.

“Join me for a drink, Sergeant?”

Although the lieutenant had had his back to her, he’d sensed her approach. Maybe he’d felt her anger.

She dropped into the seat. “What gave me away?”

He turned away from the reinforced plastic capable of deflecting laser strikes and pulse mortars as well as keeping the intense surface heat at bay and looked at her. A slow sexy grin curled his lips.

“Your perfume.”

At least he’d noticed. “You’re shit-faced, Lieutenant.”

“Not yet, but on my way. What gave me away?”

“You only grin at me like that when you’ve been drinking.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m a woman and not your second-in-command.”

“There isn’t a man on this station that isn’t aware you are a woman.” His gaze drifted to her mouth. “You make it damn hard to forget.”

Like she wasn’t aware of him as a man. Even shit-faced, Ryn exuded confident, alpha male sexiness. Since her assignment to Moon Six, Sada had wanted Ryn. She’d waited for the respected commander to give her an indication the attraction was mutual. Although he’d only grinned at her once or twice while in his cups, that rare grin had given her hope. Day-to-day he addressed her by her rank and treated her with respect. As the months passed Sada had managed to keep her focus on the job and tried to ignore her growing feelings. It hadn’t worked.

Why hadn’t he transferred months ago? No, Ryn had to wait until her feelings had slapped her hard across the face. Nothing like a close call to bring you nose-to-nose with your emotions!

“Want a beer?”

Over the last few years she’d acquired a taste for the Earth brew. Ryn loved the stuff, but his offer surprised her. As the station’s commanding officers, Sada and Ryn had a standing agreement. While one relaxed the other acted as watch commander. She glanced at the empty shot glasses lined up alongside the empty beer containers.

“I’ll have the same.”

Ryn raised his arm and extended two fingers. Within seconds a serving droid slid silently toward them and deposited two cold beers and two shots on the table.

Sada downed the shot and slammed the glass on the table.

“You’ve got something to say, Sergeant, so say it.”

The anger rose inside her, hot and heavy. She loved him and he’d decided to transfer without giving her a heads-up. The fact that he had no idea how she felt about him didn’t excuse his actions. As his second-in-command, she felt he owed her an explanation.

Holding onto her emotions with a razor-thin edge, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about your transfer to Special Ops?”

He took a long pull on his beer before answering. “I thought you wanted a promotion. Congratulations, Lieutenant, Bezal Six is your command.”

“What?”

“Rescuing the daughter of the Riidan Prefect from the Ibathians made HQ stand up and take notice.”

“HQ should have slapped a security silence on the details of the raid instead of broadcasting our actions throughout the galaxy. Men like Kradic don’t take kindly to losing ransom. Putting our team front and center on the news reduces our effectiveness. The bad guys watch and learn.”

“I don’t like the media attention either, but seeing you in action resulted in a twenty percent increase in new recruits.”

And let Kradic know where I am.

“HQ rewarded both of us.” He pointed his index finger at her. “Part of Hell belongs to you. Didn’t HQ notify you?”

She hadn’t gotten past the first paragraph announcing Ryn’s transfer. Sada had requested assignment in Hell sector. The Bezal wormholes served as galactic crossroads. Officers assigned to Bezal hated the heat and loved the action, but Sada had personal reasons for wanting to work in Hell.

Once on Bezal Six, Ryn had become one of those reasons. She’d wanted a promotion and getting it after one year put her ahead of the game, but she also wanted Ryn.

“Thanks for the recommendation.”

“You’re a good cop and the team is lucky to have you. But you work too hard. Sleep is a good thing.”

Since the raid, sleep had eluded her and Kradic had haunted her dreams. Her anonymity had disappeared in a thirty second broadcast.

“When are you leaving?”

“I’m hitching a ride on the supply transport.”

“But that’s in four hours.”

“Make me a promise, Sada.”

He’d never called her by her first name.

Sada figured his request would have something to do with his team. The Bezal Six Tactical Assault Team had the best hostage-saved record in the quadrant. Many pirates found hostages more profitable than stealing cargo. Political groups had adopted hostage taking as a preferred method of funding their causes. While under Ryn’s three-year command the team hadn’t lost an officer. She intended to maintain that record.

“Name it, it’s yours.”

He leaned toward her and curled his hand around her neck. The caress of his thumb against the skin beneath her ear sent shivers down her spine.

“Promise me you’ll remember this.”

Her anger melted away, but the heat inside Sada intensified as his lips touched hers. Answering his kiss, she opened her mouth. Slow and tender, his lips melded to hers, exploring, tasting, testing her response. A moan eased from her throat as his tongue performed an erotic slide against hers. His fingers tightened and the kiss ended with a deep, throaty moan. Opening her eyes, she met his gaze. The hunger in his dark blue eyes told her he wanted her. How long had he held his desire in check?

“Why now?”

“You don’t work for me, Sada. It’s a technicality, but for the next four hours the commander’s quarters belong to both of us.”

She hadn’t thought about the loophole created by her promotion and his reassignment. Picking up his untouched shot, she downed the liquor. “I’ve never been one to waste time.”