Hauk preceded her into the cabin and crossed it to put the baby, who by that time had roused enough to fuss, in a crib that had clearly been set up specifically for him—further proof if she’d needed it that they’d come to rescue the baby. Settling the infant, he patted his bottom solidly—which seemed to soothe the baby, to Emma’s surprise. She’d more than half expected an indignant wail in response.
Hauk paused to study the woman when he turned away from the child, feeling his belly tighten as he did so.
She indeed looked pale and weak from blood loss, giving rise to some concern that she might not recover from what he’d deemed a fairly unthreatening wound as quickly and easily as he’d first thought.
No doubt she would benefit from rest if she could be convinced to do so, he thought wryly.
She seemed to lean toward a surprising tendency toward stubbornness, however, considering her frail appearance, he thought with some amusement.
“There is a bunk there. Settle before you fall down and I have to scoop you off the deck.”
Emma gaped, partly because she still had trouble understanding what he said, and partly because his ‘concern’ was liberally tinged with ‘callous’ and she didn’t know how to take it.
But maybe it was just rough joking?
He did look vaguely amused.
She dismissed it, wobbling to the bunk he’d indicated and plopping down on it gratefully. “I want to stay with the baby,” she said with as much conviction as she could manage considering she felt more than a little unwell and also terrified at the leap she was taking.
He nodded. “I had thought that best. This is why I pointed out the bunk.”
Emma frowned, deciphering. “No! I mean go with him. If y’all are taking him, I’m going with him!”
His brows rose. “We had already agreed that we would need to take you. It is as well you feel the same. We are leaving shortly.”
It only took a moment for Emma’s surprise to give way to outrage, but Hauk had already departed by that time.
* * * *
Hauk was so enveloped in the thick haze of lust as he left Emma that it took time and distance for it to clear enough to allow actual thought. He was mildly annoyed and alarmed when he did emerge to discover that he was in an unfamiliar part of the ship.
He had certainly not been guided by ‘auto pilot’ he thought with disgust as he paused to look around and try to get his bearings—struggling to dismiss the uneasiness that Kadin might have been right about that kiss being a serious miscalculation.
Because he had felt the magnetic pull to kiss her again—and considerably more—the moment he was in her proximity again.
He shook those thoughts, assuring himself that he was not surprised and the magnitude of his lust was certainly nothing to be concerned about. He was a healthy, virile male and it had been a hell of a long time since he had been within sniffing distance of any female at all, let alone one he found very much to his taste.
And he could not deny that Emma fit his predilections exceptionally well.
Whatwasdisturbing was the fact that he had allowed himself to become so wrapped up in it as to become deaf and blind to his surroundings.
Which was not something any warrior of merit allowed himself if he had a desire to outlive the preoccupation.
It made it worse that it took no more than a moment of clarity to accept that his raging hunger for her was not reciprocated because, try though he might, he could not recall even a spark of interest in her eyes at any point.
Only …. He shrugged.
Horror.
He thought he could understand when she had never seen any beings, he assumed, beyond her own people, but that did not actually make it any easier to swallow.
He was still grappling with the blow to his ego when he finally made his way back to the bridge where the others waited.
Kadin gave him a narrow-eyed, speculative onceover that made him long to punch him in the face. “You were gone … a while,” he commented coolly. “Did you have trouble finding your way back?”
The comment was so close to the truth, though miles from the reason he had become disoriented, that Hauk felt discomfort heat his skin and wondered if it showed. “I took the time to check the ship out,” he muttered after a moment.
“Did you find the damage?” Gaelen asked with sharp interest.
More discomfort poured through him. He gritted his teeth. “I did not see anything.”
“Well there is a very great deal to see if this machine is to be believed!” Gaelen snapped.
“The machine cannot lie,” Kadin retorted dryly.
Gaelen narrowed a look at him. “It did lie,” he ground out. “It said the shields were up and would hold!”
Kadin rolled his eyes. “It miscalculated. That is not the same …. Never mind. I have a fair idea of where to look. I will go.”
* * * *
It was just as well she didn’t get the chance to vent about Hauk’s highhandedness, Emma thought later, because it took a bit longer for a sense of survival to kick in and uneasiness to replace her outrage about his highhandedness.
There was confusion, too. She wondered if she’d somehow played into their hands and maybe the decision hadn’t really been hers after all.
Well, according to him, it certainly hadn’t, but manipulation?
She dismissed that as paranoia after only a moment. They’d simply grabbed her because she had the baby when they were faced with the attack.
She just wasn’t sure why they’d decided to take her along and that was what made her feel really uneasy.
She lay down after a few minutes, not because she thought there was a chance in hell that she could actually relax and sleep, but because she felt lightheaded and dizzy.
It
