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testily, keeping his gaze on the navigation console. He moved his fingers over the keys, making small alterations to their course, inching the ship’s nose up.
    Closer to the ground, their airspeed was more noticeable. The land became less thickly wooded, giving way to gentle hills and valleys. Houses played peek-a-boo in the ever-changing landscape and farmland stretched like a brown scar through the brilliant colors of the trees.
    Polished metal glinted in the sunlight. A handful of ships similar to Messenger occupied an immense landing pad and held little interest for Tru. The same couldn’t be said for the sleek, small craft that attracted and held her attention. Narrow and clearly designed for only one occupant, they gleamed with predatory intent. They looked like weapons waiting to be fired. Why would he have such machines?
    She turned to Nick to ask. The answer materialized right before her, reflected in the harsh beauty of his face. Here, barely contained, existed the same power and the same deadly potential. He was as much a weapon as the craft resting on the landing pad. A shiver rippled down her back.
    His absolute concentration gave her the opportunity to admire the masculine grace and economical movements of his body as he prepared the ship for landing. Grateful the landing gear engaging camouflaged her soft sigh, Tru quickly turned her head and nibbled her bottom lip. She felt a powerful mix of uneasiness and attraction in his presence.
    He set Messenger down with hardly a bump, engines hissing as they shut down and began to cool. With a flick of his wrist, he unbuckled the shoulder harness and rose while she fumbled with her own buckles. She stayed seated, because the tight confines of the bridge would bring their bodies uncomfortably close. She already struggled with her awareness of him and the idea of being near enough to feel the heat radiate from his big body sent a different kind of shiver down her spine.
    He retreated a little and motioned for her to precede him to the back of the ship and the outside door. “We’re just a short distance from my home. I maintain my business interests there.”
    She gave him as wide a berth as possible while rising from her chair and leading the way. His gaze drilled into the back of her neck, and her heartbeat kicked up a notch. She tried to keep her unease at his closeness hidden. Instead, she concentrated on keeping her pace languid and graceful while hampered by heavy clothing and clumsy boots. Who knew all the training in deportment she’d endured would prove useful? Remembering the lessons, she straightened her spine and raised her chin a bit more, finding courage enough to let a tiny smile tease the corners of her mouth.
    When they reached the main hatch, Nick slapped a hand against the control panel and door seals hissed as they released. The panel opened and a ramp extended to the ground. Hot, humid air washed over her, redolent with the scent of growing things and the mingling overlay of machinery and fuel fumes. Squinting against the bright sunlight and even brighter flashes glinting off the metal surfaces, she fought a sneeze.
    His hand at the base of her spine urged her forward. She swallowed a gasp as its heat danced seductive sparks up her back. Distracted she forced herself to watch her feet as she moved. Metal grillwork of the landing pad echoed as he hurried her toward the end of the tarmac. Stone stairs curved to a pathway bordered by flowering shrubs and unobtrusive lights. The juxtaposition between the harsh environment of the landing pad and the garden path before her was unexpected. Intrigued she glanced at Nick, but didn’t have the nerve to ask questions.
    By the time they reached the bottom, moisture prickled along her hairline and dotted her upper lip. Tru fumbled with the tabs on her heavy jacket and wished she dared stop long enough to remove it. Its weight suffocated her in the heat, but the impatience stamped on Nick’s face convinced