Free No Quarter (Bounty, Book One) by Christine d'Abo Page A

the heating element. He was so engrossed in his task, he failed to notice Gar’s arrival.
    “What…in the Gods’ names…are you doing?”
    Faolan looked up and grinned. “Cooking.”
    Gar frowned. “Why?”
    “I was hungry. Why else would I cook?”
    “There is a perfectly good food replicator in the corner. This—” he waved his hand around in a wide, frantic circle. “This mess wasn’t necessary.”
    Faolan snorted. “Of course it was. I can’t make a proper meal without getting a few pots dirty. Trust me when I say you’ll love it.”
    Gar moved into the room slowly. Faolan tried not to stare at him or give any indication just how sexy the rolled-up shirtsleeves looked on the younger man. It also made Gar look relaxed in a way Faolan hadn’t seen before now. It suited him.
    Stopping a few feet shy of the cooking element, Gar rose up on the balls of his toes and peered into the pot. “What is it?”
    “Doesn’t have a name other than Faolan’s catchall. My crew loves it, so it can’t be too bad. Mind you, they only ever eat it when we are stuck dead in the middle of space, so it’s not like they have many options.”
    “Poor them.”
    “You have no idea. Still, might want to consider trying it before you flush it out the airlock.”
    Holding up a spoon, Faolan waited to see if Gar would take the bait. The younger man scrunched up his nose but leaned forward and gave the contents a sniff.
    “Spicy?”
    “Can’t handle it, bounty hunter?”
    Gar rolled his eyes before opening his mouth and snatching up the sample. Faolan chuckled when Gar’s eyes snapped open wide and returned to his stirring. “See, it’s worth it to try new things.”
    “That’s good.”
    “I’m aware. How long do we have until we hit the next dimension gate?”
    Grabbing two plates, he didn’t give Gar the option of turning down a meal and filled them both. He shoved one into Gar’s hand and made a point of ignoring him as he proceeded to stuff his mouth with food.
    “You’re going to choke if you don’t slow down.” Gar lifted a spoon and took a small bite. “The ship will be in position in twenty minutes. I just came to make sure you were okay.”
    Faolan paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
    “I thought you looked a little off earlier, is all.”
    “Rested and ready to go, Stitt. Once I finish eating that is.” Faolan wasn’t about to share anything more with Gar.
    The silence that fell over the room had none of the awkwardness Faolan normally experienced with people he’d slept with. It was also lacking the earlier tension of their first encounter. As they stood eating, he noticed Gar would occasionally glance at him, only to look away when Faolan tried to catch his eye. They played that game until the food was nearly gone and Faolan had enough of the back and forth. He stared at Gar until the other man was blushing.
    “What?” Gar poked a reconstituted vegetable with his spoon.
    “What, what ? You look like you have something you want to ask me.”
    “No. I don’t.”
    Faolan let out a huff. “You’re pissing me off, Stitt.”
    “It’s just when you fell asleep, you went down hard. I couldn’t move you.”
    Faolan stiffened. He knew he had nightmares, but normally he was wrung out after having suffered through a bout of them and this morning he felt well-rested. He didn’t think it had to do with his lack of medication, which he wasn’t about to bring up. “Well, that’s not unusual for a sleeping man.”
    Gar shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.” He held up his now-empty plate and smiled. It wasn’t the kind of grin Faolan would have expected, but something far more sincere. “Thanks for this.”
    “Least I can do. Consider it repayment for you not shooting my ass back on Tybal.”
    “About that—”
    “Don’t you dare. I set myself up to get caught. Just thought I’d have a chance to fuck someone before Jason sent you to collect me.”
    Gar frowned, but