Shielder — A new Science Fiction Romance (Book 1, Shielder Series) Read Free Page B

panel towered
over her, but he wasn't an Antek. The apelike Anteks were stupid
brutes. She sighed in relief, realizing her rescuer's obvious
intelligence should have negated that possibility. The innate
ability to sense her own kind—which all Shielders possessed—told
her he wasn't a Shielder either.
    He was large, with broad shoulders and an
impressive chest. The black flightsuit stretched taut across his
muscled frame emphasized his size. Cold gray eyes pinned her to the
spot, glaring at her from a harsh, chiseled face. Dark blond hair
brushed against the top of his shoulders. Distracted by his
appearance, she realized belatedly he had an activated stunner
trained on her.
    He moved quickly for his size, striding to
her and skimming her with a hand scanner. His sudden loud sneeze
sent her heart pounding even faster. "Blazing hells, the dust in
here! Your air filtration system must not be working properly."
Scowling fiercely at her as if that were her fault, he resumed
scanning. "Remove your weapon."
    Defiance was risky, but Nessa hesitated
giving up her only protection. "What weapon?"
    His eyes narrowed to silver slits. "The
weapon in your boot. Don't play games with me. One more challenge
from you, and I'll leave you here to rot. Is that clear?"
    She nodded, slipping the dagger out and
offering it to him. He slid the scanner into his flightsuit and
took it, his large hand engulfing hers. He sneezed again.
    Muttering under his breath, he whirled and
strode to the engineering bay. She followed and watched as he
squatted beside the open stardrive. He studied it a moment, then
released a low whistle. "The primary driver coil is cracked right
down the middle. The whole unit will have to be overhauled. This
ship isn't going anywhere."
    He rose and sneezed again. "By the fires of
the Abyss, your polluted air is going to suffocate me. We'll finish
this on my ship. Come on, get moving." Picking up Nessa's bag of
supplies, he swung behind her, prodding her toward the airlock.
Well aware of the weapon still trained on her, she tried to move as
fast as she could.
    But her leg, stiff from her first crouching
in front of the stardrive, then standing too long, refused to
cooperate. It gave out, and she pitched forward. The man snaked an
arm around her and yanked her up before she hit the floor.
    "What's wrong?" he demanded.
    His arm pressed upward against her breasts
like a steel band. Nessa balanced on her good leg and tried to pry
his arm away. He didn't budge.
    "Nothing's wrong," she gasped, still
tugging. "I tripped."
    He released her and she almost stumbled
again. "Try to be less clumsy. Let's go."
    Her leg held the weight this time, although
she couldn't control her limp. He didn't comment, but then, he was
too busy sneezing—three times—before they got through the airlock
into his ship.
    He closed the hatch and lowered her supplies
to the floor. His relentless gaze settled on her again. "What's
wrong with your leg?"
    Nessa didn't discuss her injury with anyone,
not even Jarek. "Nothing. I'm just stiff from standing so
long."
    He sneezed and shook his head angrily.
"That's what I get for stopping," he muttered, taking her arm.
"Over here. No one enters my ship without going through
decontamination first."
    "What's that?" she asked warily, digging in
her heels.
    He gave an impatient jerk, pulling her
toward a panel. "Just some sterilizing rays that remove germs and
dirt." He stopped in front of the panel, pointing to her tunic.
"Take that filthy rag off. I'll clean it in the conclave. If that
doesn't do the job, it's refuse."
    She clutched her tunic. She had never bared
her body to anyone. "I will not. You can't destroy this. I have
nothing else to wear."
    He started to speak, then sneezed again
twice. She noticed his eyes beginning to water. "By the gods!" he
snarled. "You try my patience, lady. And you brought that polluted
air in here with you. Either that, or something on you is
irritating my allergies." He jerked up her bag