Mercenaries by Angela Knight

off.”
    She smirked and sauntered over to meet him, mischief bright on her pretty face. “Depends on the bad guy.” The impish grin widened. “Speaking of which, Captain—I don’t suppose we could make a little trip to Orville’s Paradise?”
    Nathan thrust his tongue into his cheek. “Now, why, I wonder, would you want to do a thing like that?”
    â€œUmmmm . . .” Trin pretended to consider as she rose on her toes and looped her arms around his neck. “I’m homesick? No? Ummmm . . . I want to thank them for all their years of kind instruction in the Way of Orville?”
    â€œHow about”—he tilted his head back and pretended to think—“you want to kick their fat asses all the way into orbit.”
    Green eyes widened with mock innocence. “Me? Engage in petty revenge?”
    â€œYou. Engage in petty revenge.”
    Trinity smirked. “Okay, you’ve talked me into it.”
    â€œBloodthirsty little wench.” He took her mouth in a long, sweet kiss.
    No matter how many times Nathan had kissed her—and he’d done that a lot over the past three weeks—he never got tired of the taste of her lips, or the way her body melted into his.
    Though he had to admit, it didn’t melt half so comfortably in fifteen kilos of combat armor.
    Still, they made the best of it. The kiss went on and on, an intoxicating duel of licking tongues and gentle bites. By the time Nathan drew back, they were both panting.
    â€œYou know, all of a sudden this armor isn’t as comfortable as it was a minute ago,” she told him in a husky voice. “Want to go back to your quarters and get naked?”
    â€œI love you.” There. He’d finally said the three words he’d been thinking since he watched her confront Elder Jones and the rest of the Orvillian lunatics.
    Trin’s green eyes widened. She looked utterly stunned. “What?”
    â€œI love you.” Saying it felt so good, Nathan suspected he’d be repeating it a lot. He threaded his hands through her silken red hair and caressed her delicate cheekbones with his thumbs. “Marry me.”
    She blinked rapidly, searching his eyes, as if trying to determined if he was playing some kind of cruel joke. Slowly he watched the belief grow as she read the truth in his face. “You mean it.”
    â€œI’ve never meant anything more.” Resting his forehead against hers, he looked into her eyes. “Put me out of my misery, Trin. Please.”
    â€œI love you.” The words were a faint whisper. Then she, too, said it again. “I love you!”
    Obviously forgetting her strength, Trin threw herself against Nathan so hard both of them tumbled to the floor. Unabashed, she started pressing kisses against his mouth, his cheek, his eyebrows.
    Chuckling, he grabbed her shoulders and managed to pry her off. “Does this mean you’ll marry me?”
    â€œYes! Maker’s Beard, yes!”
    Relief made him close his eyes. He’d thought she cared for him, too, but he hadn’t been sure. Now he was. The joy and love on her face was unmistakable.
    Long fingers clamped over each of his wrists. Startled, Nathan looked up at her as she straddled him and forced his hands to the deck. “Hey, what’s this?”
    â€œI was just thinking,” Trinity drawled, her green eyes bright with laughter and wicked passion, “that it’s past time I tied you up.”
    After a startled moment he grinned. “You know, I guess it is at that.”

    THEY were married a week later in the Starrunner ’s primary landing bay, the ship’s chaplain doing the honors as the entire crew watched.
    Nathan wore his dark blue dress uniform, his tall boots gleaming as brightly as the medals on his chest. Trinity, too, wore brand-new dress blues, and was much prouder of them than the frilly wedding gown she’d have donned back on Orville’s