Athena’s Ashes (Star Thief Chronicles #2)(31)
Author: Jamie Grey

Myka frowned. “Well, yeah, it’s cool. But I thought the captain said you weren’t going to do that stuff anymore. He and Viktis got in a fight about it last week.”

Renna glanced up at Finn and raised an eyebrow, but he looked away. “Guess I’ll have to see what else there is out there for a washed-up thief, then,” she said with a smile. “Don’t worry about me, kid. We’ll figure it out. Now, I’m starving. What do you recommend?”

“Miss Mary made up a big pot of stew. It’s the best.”

“Then I’ll have that. Why don’t you go ask her for a bowl?” She needed to have a little chat with Captain Finn about her future.

Myka darted away to the kitchen.

Renna leaned back in her chair and tilted her head to study Finn. He glanced away and tugged at his collar as he leaned against the table.

“Care to tell me what that was all about?” she asked.

“It was just a discussion Viktis and I had. I didn’t know Myka overheard us.”

“And what did you two gentlemen—” she emphasized the word slightly, “—decide about my future?”

Finn cleared his throat. “Nothing, really. I assured Viktis you were done with mercenary work and wouldn’t be interested in any other contracts. That you had given up that sort of thing. That MYTH could trust you.”

“You assured him, huh?” She raised an eyebrow. “And how did you know that?”

Finn tugged at his collar again. “I thought… since you were working for MYTH…”

“That I’d give up the only job I’ve ever been good at?”

“I…”

“Save it, Finn.” She shook her head. “Neither you or Viktis know anything about my future plans. And to be honest, right now my only plan is surviving this mess. After I know I’m not going to die, I’ll think about what comes next.”

She’d spent most of her life planning what would come next—an early retirement on a vacation world. But she knew no matter what happened, that could never work for her now. If she was really honest with herself, she was hardly the type to settle down. Either in life or relationships. Which made her current situation all the more confusing. Part of her wanted to see what happened with Finn. Part of her wanted to run the moment this was over. She wasn’t sure which part would win at the moment.

Finn’s voice deepened, and he leaned forward to rest his hands on the table across from her, his gaze at her eye level. “I’ve been thinking about what comes next since we went on the run.” He looked like he wanted to devour her for lunch.

Renna swallowed.

“I hate that you left as we were getting to know each other again. I missed you, Renna.” He smiled wolfishly. “Obviously you missed me, too, if you took control of the Athena to get us back here.”

Heat blossomed in her face. “That had nothing to do with you,” she protested, getting to her feet. “I was unconscious. I didn’t even know what I was doing.”

Finn circled the table, and Renna backed away from him until she hit the wall. The expression on his face made heat pool between her legs and her mouth go dry. He stopped, just far enough away that he wasn’t touching her but close enough she could feel the heat from his body.

His blue eyes bore into hers. “Look at that. The Star Thief’s afraid,” he said softly.

She shook her head, her tongue darting out to lick her suddenly dry lips. Finn’s gaze dropped to watch. Once upon a time, she would have used that to her advantage, to seduce him and turn the tables. To take control of the situation. What the hell had happened to her?

She inhaled Finn’s scent—citrus and sandalwood. Damn him, he was right. She had missed him. But with everything going on now, she couldn’t afford to let him distract her. She couldn’t think about the future. There was only the present.

Damn, she wanted him, though. Now. On the freaking mess hall table.

Finn’s gaze trapped hers as he caressed her jaw with one of his long fingers, letting it drift lower down her neck to brush butterfly-light against her collarbone.

Renna’s skin tingled with fear and desire and lust until she could barely see straight.

And then he lowered his lips to hers. Just a soft brush of skin at first, but heat zapped through her and she sucked in a breath.

Finn took that as an invitation, smiling before he kissed her again softly. The feel of his mouth against hers sent a blaze of fire through her. Renna curled her hands into his arms, and he jerked her to him, deepening the kiss. He forced her mouth open, stroking her tongue, teasing her until she moaned.

“Finn,” she whispered, pressing herself against him, her fears forgotten for the moment. His hands tangled in her hair, and he kissed her until she was dizzy, until her knees trembled—along with other, more intimate parts of her.

He pulled away slightly to press kisses to her jaw, sliding his tongue against the sensitive skin beneath her ear. They were tangled in each other, his hard strength holding her against the wall. And she felt an even harder part of him pressed against her.

Another surge of heat shot through her. Gods, she’d missed him. She didn’t care what it meant at that moment. “I want you.”

“I know.” He nibbled on her earlobe before capturing her mouth again.

“Hey, what are you guys doing?” Myka’s voice made them shoot apart so fast that Renna grabbed the wall, using its strength to hold her up so she wouldn’t slide bonelessly to the floor.

“Why do you always have to kiss like that? It’s gross. It’s like you’re eating her face or something.” He grimaced at them and then dropped a bowl of stew on the table. “Miss Mary said she’d bring out some biscuits in a minute, and you’d better eat before it gets cold.” He put his hands on his hips like a mother hen, his gaze shifting between the pair.

Finn ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. “Better do what he says, Ren. You don’t want Myka and Miss Mary to gang up on you. You need to eat to keep your strength up.” A feral smile curled his lips. “For later.”

TWENTY

Renna ate her stew and tried to ignore the desire burning in places she didn’t even want to think about. Somehow she was able to hold a halfway coherent conversation with Myka, but that might have been because he was full of stories about being on the run. She just had to nod her head and look interested.

She wanted to kiss Miss Mary when the cook called the boy back to the kitchen to help with dinner.