Page 25 of Lost in Barbarian Space

Inside, he wasn’t feeling his usual warrior calm. He was equal parts unsettled and eager about a trip to the stars.

And it wasn’t just about going into space. It was because of the woman he’d be with.

She’d haunted his dreams. A golden-haired, warrior-woman riding him, loving him with a wild passion.

There was heat in her. He sensed it. Felt it. She’d given him a taste of it, and then locked it up tight. He wasn’t sure why his little warrior denied it so hard.

His steps slowed and he heaved out a breath. But he wasn’t sure if dancing with Honor was a good thing anymore. He wanted her, but he was worried she could be the one thing that threatened his control.

And if his control broke…

No. He was a warrior. His jaw tightened. And right now, he had a job to do for his warlord.

When he reached the bottom of a ramp at the side of the ship, the door at the top slid open. Honor was waiting for him. She was wearing another neatly pressed uniform.

“Good morning,” she said.

He nodded, letting one fist curl. He wanted to touch that golden hair, stroke her soft cheek. “Good morning, Agent Brandall.” He paused beside her, the inch of space between them filling with tension. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. Like a baby.”

The little liar. He could see the shadows under her eyes. “Really? I didn’t.”

Her gaze flicked up.

He leaned his head a little closer. “I dreamed of you, sitting astride me, riding me hard.”

She sucked in a breath. “Warrior Mal Kor, we have work to do.”

“And we’ll do it. Me telling you the truth won’t stop that.”

“You are so stubborn.”

“Determined.”

She stepped back and waved him inside. “No argument there. Come on, I’ll show you the cabin where you can leave your bag, and then give you a quick tour.”

As they navigated a sleek corridor, Colm noted the gleaming metal, sharp edges, and slick feel to the ship. It was nothing like the ragged furs, rough stone, and open spaces of Markaria.

They passed some more uniformed people. He recognized Dr. Lev’nan and Agent Wu. Honor introduced him to the others. More astro-archeologists and different types of scientists. Scholars. He was interested to see a few with scale-like skin, and another with skin of a pale blue.

“This is our library.” She waved her hand to the doorway. Colm saw a compact room with many books lined on shelves, several flat screens he guessed were computers, and a large flat table.

“You enjoy history?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’ve always studied combat, but I minored in astro-archeology at the academy where I studied. I’ve always been fascinated by history, I guess because of my homeworld.”

He detected something wistful and a little sad in her voice. “I cannot imagine losing my world. My people are connected to Markaria, for all its harsh landscapes and wild beasts.”

She smiled. “It’s silly, really. I don’t even remember Predia.” She stopped at a door. “Here you go.” She pressed a palm to a plate on the wall and the door slid open.

Inside was a small room with a large bed, built-in desk, and an adjoining room he guessed was for washing. He set his bag down. The cabin smelled of cleaning products and steel. He fought a grimace.

When he turned, he breathed in and smelled Honor’s spicy scent.

As they stepped back into the corridor, he detected a faint trace of Honor’s scent farther down the corridor. Without thinking, he followed it.

“Hey, warrior, where are you going?”