Free Sweet Starfire by Jayne Ann Krentz Page A

voice.
    "In addition to the fact that it costs three times as much to ship that way, Quench wasn't sure it would really buy him any protection. There's no method of keeping that kind of shipment secret. He was hoping that if he sent the sensors with me on a normal private mail hop, no one would notice. It was a risk, but that's how you make good credit."
    "Well, someone did notice." Cidra began to breathe again as Severance's fingers moved upward. A part of her felt strangely disappointed, but another part was appalled at her own sensual curiosity. She had been so sure she had outgrown the very un-Harmonic desire for physical knowledge that had tormented her socially as a young girl. "Do you know who?"
    "Who knew the shipment was traveling with me? No. I have no idea."
    "Those men who came into the ship..."
    "Were probably mercenaries. No telling who hired them."
    "What did you do with them?"
    "Stuffed 'em into a storage locker outside the terminal at Lovelorn." He finished his self-appointed task and sat back on his haunches to survey the effect. Cidra's soft red-brown hair flowed in a cape over her shoulders. He stared at it for a moment, and then his eyes shifted to catch her questioning gaze. "They're lucky I didn't leave them with something more permanent than a killer of a headache."
    The coldness in him reached Cidra in a wave, chilling her to the bone. For the first time since she had left dementia she allowed herself to remember that murder was not an unheard-of crime among Wolves.
    A movement around her ankles broke the spell. Grateful for the small interruption, she turned her head to see Fred undulating into a more comfortable position across her legs.
    "Fred was quite a hero. You should have seen him go after that one guard," Cidra said with a weak smile.
    Severance's attention stayed on her profile. "I saw what he did to the renegade's leg."
    "I wondered earlier if Fred might bite. I guess I know now."
    "He did a little more than bite the bastard. Fred's got three layers of teeth. When he starts chewing on something, he makes a real meal out of it." Severance stood up beside the bunk. "Think you'll be okay?"
    Hastily Cidra nodded. "My head is much better, thank you."
    Severance leaned forward, his face suddenly very intent. "It wasn't Fred who was the hero. He was only acting out of instinct. You were the one who had to go against some fairly strong conditioning to try to stop those two renegades. I know Harmonics normally don't get mixed up with safeguards. I owe you, lady."
    Cidra realized that she was feeling inordinately pleased by his words. She smiled for the first time since she had awakened with the awful headache but offered the formal response to his praise. "It was as nothing. No sense of obligation is required."
    Severance stared at her for an instant and then grinned. "That's a Harmonic for you: Polite to the last drop of blood." He turned from the bunk. "Feel like a cup of coffade?"
    "Yes, thank you." Cidra lay back carefully on the bunk, aware that she now missed the comfort of his touch. It said a lot about her weakened condition that she would have liked to have him continue to hold her.
    She watched as he dialed open the compact preserver and removed the container of green crystals.
    He poured the coffade into two mugs and shoved both into the heater. The machine added water and brought the mixture to a quick boil. Severance opened the heater and brought one of the mugs over to Cidra. He held the other one in his fist as he watched her cup her hands around the pleasantly wanned mug.
    "When you're feeling better, we're going to have a talk."
    She inhaled the fragrant steam. "I realize that. You'll probably want to outline my duties for the next two weeks. I'm really feeling much better already. We can talk now if you like."
    "Your duties," he repeated, sounding as if he were repressing a groan. He dropped down onto the bunk beside her, staring at the bulkhead. Leaning forward, he rested his