Steel Coyote Read online

  She could blame Max or Cooper or the inspector or even Jean. It wasn’t one person’s fault, but together they seemed determined to make her lose her fucking mind. She closed the screen and stood, trying to stretch out the kinks. Her neck ached, along with her head.

  A knock at her cabin door made her groan. She didn’t want to talk to anyone for at least a few hours.

  “Go away.”

  Knock, knock, knock.

  “Are you an idiot? Go away.”

  Knock, knock, knock.

  “Damn it, if that’s you, Fletcher, I swear to God—” She ripped open the door and found Katie wearing her earpieces and walking down the corridor. The little redhead jumped and squawked when she saw Remy.

  “You scared the shit out of me.” Katie pulled the earpieces off and pressed her hand to her chest. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Nothing. Sorry. I, uh, it’s been a long day.” Remy felt bad for scaring her engineer and now her head pounded even harder.

  “Is everything okay?” Katie leaned against the doorframe, concern in her eyes.

  “No, but perhaps after this job, it might be.” Remy let out a sigh. “I don’t know how I let us get this far down the shithole.”

  Katie’s mouth kicked up at one corner. “Reminds me of when we met ten years ago. Desperate and stupid.”

  Her friend had been a stowaway who’d snuck on board at one station or another. Remy had found her cold and near starving. They’d spent the next week avoiding the rest of the crew while Remy fed her. Gunnar had found out and punished Remy.

  Yet, he hadn’t kicked Katie off the ship. He’d made them both do ridiculous chores for the next month, but they’d done them together. It was the beginning of a decade of working on the ship as a team. Remy couldn’t have survived Gunnar’s death without Katie by her side.

  “Maybe you need to actually sleep instead of pretending to.” Katie hugged her quick and hard then left Remy to her thoughts.

  Remy closed the door and blew out a breath of frustration. She was walking a tightrope, and a slipup in either direction would leave her flat on her face. Maybe Katie was right. Some sleep would do her good. It might clear her thoughts, and it sure as hell would help the dark bags under her eyes.

  She pulled the tie from her hair, took off her gun belt, and yanked off her dirty clothes. The night dress she wore was no more than a big men’s shirt but it was comfy. She kicked the discarded clothes to the pile in the corner and sat cross-legged on the bed. On a cargo ship full of bunks, the bed was an indulgence she almost hadn’t accepted. It had been Gunnar’s cabin, the captain’s quarters. She’d moved in three months earlier, and only because Katie pushed and pushed until Remy caved in.

  They’d found some indulgently soft sheets to put on the bed, and Katie had found a woman to make Remy a quilt. There wasn’t much in terms of personal touches to the room, with the exception of her mess. She kept her life simple and preferred it that way.

  A soft knock sounded at the door. Katie must have come back for something. Remy pulled the door open, this time with a smile.

  Only it wasn’t Katie. It was Max.

  Her body tightened at the sight of him, that tight black shirt up close made her fingers itch to tear it off him and see what lay beneath. His gaze traveled down her body and then back to her face. She belatedly remembered she wore nothing but a thin shirt. And her damn nipples were standing at attention, pointing at the pilot she needed to avoid.

  “Good evening, Captain.” He stood in the doorframe and crossed his arms, emphasizing the muscles she was wanted to taste. The hologram whistled and Max tapped the band on his wrist, turning off the Moral Compass.

  “Fletcher. What do you want?”

  “I forgot.” His mouth kicked up in a grin.

  She started to close the door but one big hand stopped it. “What?”

  “I was enjoying the view.”

  Remy growled at him. “Why do you have to act like a boy with a hard-on?”

  He looked startled. “I guess because I’m a twenty-six-year-old boy with a hard-on.”

  She couldn’t stop the ball of laughter that burst from her throat. “You have an annoying charm.”

  “Does that mean you find me charming?” The grin was back.

  “No, it means your charm is annoying.” She started to shut the door again.

  “Wait. I did come here for a reason. Can I come in?”

  “Tell me right here.”

  He glanced to his left and right. “I’d rather do it in private.”

  She hesitated. He appeared to be genuine but she still didn’t trust him. The man had a myriad of sides to him, and she suspected she didn’t know all of them yet. What she knew for certain was they were the reason he’d saved her ass.

  “Please. I need to tell you something.”

  “Fine. You’ve got two minutes.” She swung the door wide and let him in. He swept in on a rush, his scent tickling her nose. He smelled of soap, something spicy, and man. It was not unpleasant at all. Remy cursed her annoying body’s reaction to him and pulled the quilt over her shoulders.

  He stared at the bed. “That’s a big bed. Biggest I’ve ever seen on a ship.”

  Remy took a deep breath. “Gunnar was a big man, so he’d had it special made and now it’s mine.”

  “He was a giant. Gunnar Hawthorne was a legend.” There was a smidge of hero worship in his voice.

  “You knew him?”

  “Only by reputation. I saw him a few times at various ports, too. Hard to miss him with that bright red hair, usually in a cloud of chaos or sometimes…”—he reached out toward her and then dropped his hands—“in an elegant queue.”

  She tightened the quilt about her shoulders, determined to stop talking about the bed before she was tempted to test its bounce factor.

  Max gave the quilt a dubious glance. “Looks toasty.”

  It was actually hot, but she wasn’t going to admit that. “One minute and fifty-five seconds.”

  “I wanted to explain about Haverty.”

  Now she was listening. “Speak.”

  “It’s a colony, but it was also, or still is, a dictatorship. It was started by a man named Bradley Coddington. His son now controls everyone and everything there. Cooper is sending us in blind, but I expect Coddington to be involved in this business.” Max sat on the edge of the desk. “We need to be prepared for whatever he’s got planned.”

  Remy wondered why and how he knew so much about Haverty. The pilot had secrets, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know them.

  “What do you suggest we do?” She sat on the bed cross-legged.

  “Have a plan, be armed and ready to get the hell off of that moon before anything goes wrong.” He frowned. “The mysterious twins put a wrinkle in that.”

  “Jean blackmailed me into picking them up.” Remy was pissed, but she couldn’t let her marker go unanswered. She’d been in a bind a month after Gunnar died, and Jean had gotten her out of it. Instead of credits, he’d accepted her marker. She regretted that decision immeasurably.

  “I can’t be seen in Haverty when you drop them off.” He spoke in a rush, as though he wanted to get the words out of his mouth as fast as possible.

  “And why is that?”

  He stared at the wall. “I just can’t.”

  Remy got to her feet, leaving the quilt behind, and stood in front of him, her own arms crossed. “Oh, you’re going to have to do better than that, Fletcher.”

  “I’ll help any way I can, but don’t push me on this.”

  She moved a few inches closer, pleased to see him shift as though he were trying to back away from her. “I’ll drag you out of that ship with a goddamn banner over your head and a brass band at your back.”

  His eyes darkened. “You’re cold.”

  “And you’re hiding something.”

  “Hello, pot. My name is kettle.” His smirk annoyed her.

  “Everyone has secrets. I can respect that, but this
is different. We’re hurtling through space with an illegal cargo. Keeping a secret now is dangerous to me, my ship, and my crew.” She poked him in the chest with one finger. “I refuse to set foot on Haverty without every scrap of information I can get.”

  He opened his mouth then closed it. Instead of answering her, he leaned forward and kissed her.

  Sweet heavenly saints.

  His lips were softer than she expected, sliding against hers with hot, desperate movements. He didn’t touch her or reach for her. His tongue lapped at her until she opened her mouth, allowing him entrance. Sweet heat coiled low in her belly, pulsing through her core. She squeezed her legs together and groaned as a tiny shaft of pleasure bolted through her.

  Remy hadn’t allowed many men into her bed since Hogan—it was a good policy and one she stuck to. Until now. Until Max Fletcher kissed her, and then she wanted to throw her policy in the incinerator. She knew he would be good, even amazing, in bed and so did her traitorous body.

  She ached, oh how she ached, for more. When she reached for him, he broke the kiss, pulling away. Remy bit back a groan of frustration. Max looked shocked, almost embarrassed. His lips were red and wet from the kisses they shared. She clenched her hands to keep from grabbing him.

  Fucking hell.

  She didn’t need a complication like wanting to bed her pilot. His job was to fly the ship, not satisfy her sexual needs. Yet there it was, an attraction she couldn’t deny. Much as she’d already tried.

  “I, uh, didn’t mean to do that.” His gaze slid to her tits, where her nipples were trying to poke a hole in the cotton. They ached for so much more than the fabric.

  “Yes, you did.”

  “Maybe I did, but I still didn’t mean to.” His nonsensical response told her he was as rattled as she was by the kisses.

  “You will tell me about Haverty.” She didn’t forget the reason he’d tried to distract her. Not for a second.

  He stiffened, his mouth tightening into a thin, severe line. Yet she now knew just how soft those lips were. No doubt she’d remember that little tidbit every damn time she saw him.

  “I’ve told you everything I can.”

  “Bullshit. You’ve told me what you want to tell me. That’s not enough.”

  “It’s gonna have to be.” He tried to brush past her, but she slammed a hand into his chest, a very firm chest, and stopped him.

  “No, it’s not.” She pushed him with both hands and he stumbled, his ass coming down onto the desk built from the wall. The tablet she’d been using rattled, loud in the quiet of the room, broken only by the breaths pumping out of her mouth.

  He tried to stand but she crowded him, giving him no room to move. His nostrils flared as she slid up against him, his heat like a furnace on her skin. She burned with a lethal mixture of unsatisfied need and anger at herself and at Max. Why did he have to stick his nose in her life and turn everything inside out?

  “I don’t like you.” She kissed him hard, a bruising clash of teeth and lips.

  “I don’t like you, either,” he ground out before he grabbed her by the waist and yanked her between his legs. His hard cock pressed into her belly, sending a shiver through her.

  Yes. Oh yes.

  No matter what he said or did, he wasn’t immune to this. His body betrayed a hunger, as did hers. She leaned into him until her aching nipples pressed against him, easing her need a smidge. He wasn’t leaving this cabin without satisfying both of them.

  If she’d thought being under the quilt was hot, now she was on fire. His hands seemed to be everywhere, caressing, teasing, squeezing. She needed much more than stolen kisses. It was time to move this encounter along.

  Remy reached for the hem of her night shirt and pulled it off. Max’s eyes widened as he looked over her nude form once, then twice. She wasn’t perfect, but she had nice tits and curves to hang on to. And at this angle, he couldn’t see her ass. He swallowed hard enough for her to hear it.

  “Holy shit.”

  She didn’t justify his whispered curse with a response. There were more important things to be done. Like get him naked.

  Remy yanked at his shirt, pulling it from his waistband until her hands found warm, firm skin beneath. It was his turn to groan as she explored him. A few scars here and there, one nasty one on his right side beneath his arm, otherwise he was perfect. Damn perfect. She had to taste him.

  With his shirt pushed up to his neck, she leaned forward and licked his copper-colored nipples, flicking them until she felt his cock leap against her belly.

  More.

  She kissed and licked her way across his chest and down. He was lean muscle and ripples of beautiful skin. Her blood pounded through her veins, needing to feel that delicious body against hers, within hers.

  “Bed. Now.” She yanked him forward until he stumbled into her. Occasionally, Remy’s height had its advantages. Such as when seducing a man. He made a grab for her, and they both landed sideways across the bed facing each other.

  He reached for her breasts and she leaned into his hands. They were warm, callused, and definitely knew how to please a woman. His thumbs grazed her aching nipples while his palms weighed them.

  “So soft. Unlike the rest of you.”

  “Your charm is still annoying.” She reached for his shirt and tried to pull it off.

  “Don’t tear it. Let me unhook the holster first.” He let her breasts go, much to her dismay, and reached up to his shoulders, fiddling with something until she heard a snick. “Okay, now you may remove it.”

  She raised her brows and growled at him. “I’ll cut it off in a minute.”

  This time the sensuality of his smile wasn’t lost on her. “I might like that.”

  “Take it all off now. I’m done waiting.” She was used to being in charge, goddamn it.

  “I figured that out all by myself.” In a flash, his shirt landed with a thump on the floor, followed quickly by his pants.

  Why was she not surprised he was wearing nothing under them?

  “Do you ever wear drawers?” She could hardly think straight after he turned back toward her.

  The man was magnificent. Long, muscular legs framed a pair of balls and the most beautiful cock she’d ever seen. Long and thick, pulsing and hard as blue steel. She licked her lips. Next time she’d taste him, bring him to his knees. For now, she needed to feel that lovely rod inside her.

  She pushed his shoulder until he landed on his back. Her body thumped for release, for pleasure, for more. She straddled his hips, her hungry core inches from his straining staff.

  “I’m going to dream about this for the next hundred years.” He leaned up and captured a breast in his mouth. Sweet heat roared through her, making her entire body clench.

  The man had a talented mouth, licking, nibbling, suckling her until her heart beat with his movements. She slid lower and lower until she finally touched his straining cock. Two groans split the air.

  Her nipple popped from his mouth, shining with wetness in the mellow light of the cabin. “Move. Please.”

  She loved to hear him say please, begging for something they both wanted so very much. He captured the other breast with his teeth, and the pleasure was near pain. She reached between them and grasped his swollen member. It was hot within her hand, full of life and heat. She teased her entrance with the tip.

  “Remy.” His husky whisper danced across her sensitive skin.

  She slid down his shaft, inch by inch, teasing both of them mercilessly. Every inch, she drew him back out then sank down, only to repeat the process again. And again. And again. Until he was sheathed inside her, balls deep, hot and hard.

  Remy paused, overcome with the need to move but wanting to savor the moment. It was perfect, absolutely fucking perfect. It had been so long since she’d been close to another human being, if ever. She closed her eyes and shivered with the onslaught of sensation.

  “Move,” he growled with a nip to the side of her breast.

  Remy wasn
’t going to argue with him. She rose up until he nearly left her body then slid down, down, down. After two slow passes and torturing them both, Remy couldn’t hold back any longer. She needed more, craved it.

  She picked up the pace, slamming down onto him until her breathing was ragged and her body trembled on the verge of a monumental release. Every fiber of her body vibrated and trembled with life, with intensity. He reached up and pulled her down until their mouths meshed together. Tongues slid together, mimicking the movements of their lower half.

  She ran her hands along his chest, tracing the contours of muscle and bone, the crisp hairs tickling her fingers. When she grazed his nipples, he hissed. So she did it again. And again.

  He growled. She purred.

  The cabin grew steamy around them, filled with the scent and sounds of their mating. She breathed in deep, reveling in the sensations ricocheting around her. He cupped her ass and angled himself to move even deeper into her core. Remy’s eyes rolled up in pleasure.

  His hand crept between them and he pinched her clit, hard. It sent her over the edge of the abyss in exquisite ecstasy. The waves of pleasure washed over her and she screamed her release, pulling him deep into the recesses of her body. He pulsed with his own orgasm, his hands tight on her breasts, pulling her nipples, prolonging her own bliss.

  Remy trembled with the force of what she’d just found with Max. She collapsed against his chest, gasping for breath and wondering if she’d lost more than her control. After a few more shaky breaths, she moved off him, a boneless heap of satisfied woman.

  Although she wasn’t a virgin, the encounter with Max was so far beyond anything she’d ever experienced, and it shook her to her core. She’d lost control and that frightened her. Remy had to rein it back in and remember who she’d just lost herself with.

  With deliberately slow movements, she got to her feet and stepped away from the bed. He lay there watching her with a lopsided grin, his damn cock still hard. Her body stirred to life, wanting, needing to find bliss again. She could become addicted to this man very easily, but she couldn’t let that happen. Remy dug deep for the will to do what she had to.