Wren pressed closer and kissed Fallon’s earlobe. “You’re my favorite person to be naked with, the only one I love beyond reason, no questions asked. And if you really wanted to go back to monogamy we could. But I think we’d both be happier if we didn’t. Don’t you, Lady Spy Shit? With all of your stunts and intrigue, don’t you want to be able to live on the edge without worrying about petty jealousy?”
“Well, when you put it that way, it does sound more convenient.”
Wren leaned in for a feather-soft kiss. “Why do humans measure different loves against one another, then limit themselves to only one? Why not take all the passion you can get? Our lives are short. Shouldn’t we enjoy all the love we can while we have the chance?”
It sounded kind of familiar, if Fallon replaced “love” with “adventure.” And in some respects, the two weren’t that different. “I guess I can work on it.”
“Would anything you did mean you loved me any less?” Wren dropped a line of kisses along Fallon’s jaw.
“No.” Fallon’s answer came out on a soft breath. She steadied herself and spoke deliberately. “Wren, you’re a better person than I am. Always have been. You’re kinder, warmer, and so full of love that you’re like a pillow and a supernova all at once. And you’re so strong. You’ve bounced right back from every hard thing that’s ever come your way. You’re everything I’m not, and being with you makes me better. Even Raptor said so.”
Wren’s lips parted and her eyes grew shiny. “You’re better than you think. You could have refused to believe me after what I did. I should be in a brig, not here with you. Don’t think I don’t know that. You have more heart than you let on.”
Fallon found the bottom seam of Wren’s lounge shirt and slid her fingers beneath, feeling the soft warmth of her skin. “I don’t think you have an accurate perception of me.”
“I do,” Wren breathed against her neck. She pressed her lips to Fallon’s pulse. “And you know what else?”
“What?” Fallon was as fascinated as she was apprehensive.
“You’re going to be late to work for the first time in your whole, damn, disciplined life.” She cupped Fallon’s face and drew her into a deep and entirely disorienting kiss.
And she was absolutely right about that one.
Fallon skipped her morning run, enabling her to make it to work only a few minutes late. She preferred to maintain a routine, but she lived in strange times when her enemy turned out to be her lover and the person who felt like her other half wasn’t talking to her. Not to mention that her government was tearing itself apart, her uncle was a monster, and the captain who had hated her now chugged drinks with her at the pub. Up was down, down was sideways, and what the hell. She was just riding the tide.
She’d barely begun her morning tasks when she received a call from the Deck One security office.
“Chief, we’re getting a strange request to dock. No flight plan filed, no previous intent to dock received, and this ship’s registry isn’t on record.”
Fallon sat up straight. “What did the message say?”
Her officer’s face scrunched up. “Just a docking request. No data, none of the normal protocol. It’s like he’s never done a docking before.”
“A refugee?” Fallon suggested. They occasionally ended up at Dragonfire.
“Maybe.” The officer frowned. “There was something about it that felt odd.”
“Give him permission to dock, but don’t open the airlock until I arrive.”
“Understood.” The officer gave a quick bow and her image blinked out.
Fallon stood and smoothed her uniform. “Well, this should be interesting.”
Fallon sat in Deck One’s security office. Her staff stood nearby as she connected to the communications system of the mysterious cruiser. “This is Chief Fallon, head of security. What is your purpose for visiting Dragonfire Station?”
The response was immediate. “I’m looking for someone. I heard he might be there.”
Someone tracking a criminal, maybe? A law enforcement official would know proper docking protocol, so perhaps a bounty hunter? “What’s his name? Perhaps I can be of assistance.”
“He doesn’t seem to have a last name. People just call him Hawk.”
Fallon kept her face expressionless. “Unidentified vessel, a security team will come and admit you through the airlock. Be aware that Dragonfire’s security is second to none. We will tolerate no infractions.”
“Believe me, Chief, the last thing I’m looking for is trouble.”
Fallon closed the circuit, puzzled. “All right. Orowitz and Chen, you’re with me.”
They were two of her higher-ranking staff. Good weapon accuracy. Chen had a particularly high aptitude for code breaking, while Orowitz had a knack for languages.
They followed her down to Docking Bay Six. As she entered, she could see their visitor on the other side of the airlock, peering through. He appeared to be a few years older than her, human, and a little rough around the edges.
She touched the voicecom panel. “I’m going to open the airlock, Mr…” She let a pause draw out, inviting him to fill in his name.
“Lim.”
“Mr. Lim. Then—”
“Just Lim. No Mr.”
“Fine,” she continued. “I’ll let you through, Lim, and then you can tell me why you’re here.”
He nodded, and she activated the airlock’s opening sequence.
He stepped through, his wariness clear in his stance and expression. He wore fine clothes, but his hair was unkempt and he had a generally haphazard look about him. Her instinct told her there was something peculiar about this guy.
She bowed.
“Oh, right. Bows.” He bent at the waist, a little too deeply for the circumstances.
“Welcome to Dragonfire Station, Lim. I’m Security Chief Fallon, and these are two of my staff, Lieutenants Chen and Orowitz.”
Lim nodded to them, but his eyes remained on her. “Just Fallon? No other name?”
“Yes. Why didn’t you transmit your credentials prior to docking?”
“I lost them.”
Fallon frowned
