Tempting Tabitha Read online

  “Why? Wasn’t it the truth?”

  “I-I thought it was at the time. But that’s no excuse. Our father brought us up to respect females, especially those with whom we feel a special connection. A part of me forgot that lesson over the last few years, and like an idiot, I said those things.”

  He’d said horrible things. Things he shouldn’t be able to take back, but somehow, she knew he was going to do just that, and she was going to let him.

  Chapter Eight

  Deno could have kicked his own ass for saying the things he had when he’d first met Tabby. The only excuse he had for his deplorable actions was the fact that the act of meeting her had practically knocked him square on his ass.

  He’d never expected to meet his mate so quickly. Not after three of his brothers had found their mates within months of each other, it was unheard of for four males in one family to find mates within a score of years of one another, yet he and his three brothers had all found mates in a bit more than two years. How was that even possible?

  After three of his brothers met their mates, it was a statistical impossibility that he, or his other two brothers, would meet their other halves any time soon. In their galaxy, women were rare and mates, even more so. It had been a bit of a protective mechanism for his sanity to become the man-whore he’d become.

  Usually, it was that or lose one’s mind. Their males weren’t wired to spend decades alone, looking for the love of a lifetime with no hope of locating a mate before they were too old to procreate. It was common for only one or two males of a single line to be lucky enough to find females who were compatible with them.

  Their father had been nearly seventy when he’d finally found their mother. Then, when Deno’s mother died giving birth to his youngest brothers, their father had resigned himself to spending the rest of his life alone. It wasn’t impossible for a Zolon male to discover a second mate after the death of the first, but it was so rare as to be more a legend than a fact.

  “I know I can’t take the hurtful words back.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. Her skin was so smooth, it was almost like silk. He wanted to be able to do that every day. To have the right and the privilege to touch her anytime he wanted. “I can only tell you that I said those words out of frustration, perhaps even desperation. I never thought to be lucky enough to find a woman like you.

  “Becoming the cad that I had become was more of a protection mechanism for my sanity than anything else. As wrong as it was to take advantage of anyone, I thought that at least being able to spend time with a woman, no matter how little, was better than being alone for the rest of my life.”

  He closed his eyes on a short prayer of thanks when her smaller hand covered his.

  “I know what it’s like to have to spend so much time alone. It wears on a person. Even when you’re close to someone, you can still be alone.”

  She must have been referring to her years as a house cat. Her eyes softened as she looked into his. A tear tracked down her cheek, and he longed to lean close and take that tear into his mouth, to taste her sadness and make it his own.

  “Will you give me another chance?”

  “I really shouldn’t.” She smiled and looked down at her plate. “But how can I resist a man who can describe my feelings so well?” She set her fork on her plate and reached up to cup his jaw. “Pushing people away is something I’ve become an expert at over the last several years. Even as a cat, I sometimes had to make people angry enough at me that they’d kick me back outside so I could continue searching for my sister. The longest I’ve ever spent in one place other than with Charly was in the winter. No one wants to spend the winter outside.”

  He stared into her eyes. They were such a deep violet, it was almost as though someone had painted the portrait of a beautiful woman and pressed deep purple pansies into her face. She blinked slowly, and her long dark lashes brushed her cheeks.

  Deno found himself leaning closer, wanting her soft, full lips pressed against his. He needed to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close. The urge to feel her body fitted tight against his was almost a compulsion. He reached up with his free hand and began sliding it around her waist.

  Just as his hand touched her side, the ship lurched, and several alarms began to shriek. Ronin or Rowen—he wasn’t sure which, only their father could tell them apart—paused in the doorway.

  “We’ve hit an asteroid, or it hit us. I’m not sure which. I saw it from the observation lounge. We’re losing compression. We’re going to have to repair the ship as soon as possible, or none of us will be returning to Earth.”

  He ran off after his outburst, and Deno turned his attention back to Tabitha. He didn’t want to leave her. He’d finally managed to make some real headway with her, and the last thing he wanted to do was to go and let her think about what an ass he’d been and change her mind about getting to know him better. Hell, he’d been about to kiss her, and it had appeared as though she was going to let him.

  What would happen if he left her to her thoughts? Would she change her mind, or would she decide that he deserved the second chance he’d almost gotten before they’d managed to hit an asteroid in the vast emptiness of space?

  Leave it to one of his brothers to find debris in space and then ram their ship into it.

  “I have to go help.” He grasped her hands in his. “Can we continue this conversation after we repair the ship?”

  Tabitha searched his eyes for a moment and must have seen something there she liked.

  “Yes.” She nodded. “I think I’d like that.”

  Then, before he could move, she grasped his face in both hands and pressed a quick kiss against his lips.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to get that out of the way. That way, if you decide you don’t want to continue this conversation, after all, I’ll at least know I had the courage to kiss you.”

  “Baby, you just made the continuation of this conversation a certainty.” He leaned toward her. “But before I go, I’d like to return your kiss with one of my own.” Quickly, before she could protest, he pressed his mouth against hers, his tongue slipping between her lips as she leaned into him, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders.

  Tabby moaned into his mouth just before he pulled back and stared down at her closed eyes. She was so beautiful with her thick lashes forming dark crescents on her flushed cheeks. Her full, red lips still glistened from their kiss, and at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and do it again.

  “Come on, son. As much as I like seeing you and Tabitha getting along, there’s work to be done, and we’re going to need your help.” His father slapped him on the back on the way past.

  “I have to go.”

  “I know.” She lowered her lashes and sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. “It seems as though you’re always heading in another direction.”

  “Tabitha, I can’t—”

  “Let’s get going, boy. There’s no time for that now.”

  “He’s right, Deno. Let’s go.” Reno grasped his arm and dragged him from the room.

  “Shit.” He shook his head as he let his brother haul him from the dining area and into the main corridor. “Every time I make headway, something calls me away, and I have to start all over again. I’m never going to get through to her.”

  “You’ll manage.” Reno continued to pull him toward the breach in their hull. “If there’s one thing I’ve discovered about women, it’s that they will listen to a good explanation and they’ll always come around as long as you’re telling the truth.” He cocked the corner of his mouth in a half grin. “I don’t know how she does it, but Birgit always seems to know when I’m full of shit. I’m sure your Tabitha will know as well.”

  “I hope you’re right.” He rubbed the back of his neck when Reno finally released him. “It seems as though I’m always making up excuses for Tabby. Even when I don’t want to.”

  “Well... The way I see it is th
ey’re not excuses if they’re the facts, and somehow, someway, your woman will have a way of knowing if you’re honest or if you’re just bullshitting her. My advice is don’t bullshit her, not ever. That way, you’ll always have the truth on your side.”

  It was sound advice Deno supposed. Still, how would he ever make any progress if someone called him away or locked him in a fucking cell every time he scratched the surface of her resistance?

  Chapter Nine

  Tabby watched as almost all of the men left the dining area and then sighed. When would she and Deno ever be able to get to know each other? Every time they came close, something happened and he would disappear.

  Was it all some elaborate ruse to keep her from becoming attached to him? If that were the case, all he had to do was tell her to get lost when they returned to Earth. There was no reason to even think about trying to make things work out between them.

  “I guess it’s just us now.” Clyde stood and moved toward the entertainment device. One of the brothers had rigged it to play DVDs. “What do we want to watch while we wait for them?” He rubbed his hands together. “How about a comedy?” He reached for a disk.

  “Why don’t we play cards instead?” Sela stood and moved to a round table. She touched a spot on the surface, and a door slid open, revealing a large collection of playing cards. “Who’s up for a game of Murder?”

  “Never heard of it,” Charly said from just behind her. “What do you say, Tabby? How about we learn a new game while we wait for the men to repair the ship and save everyone’s lives?”

  “Why not?” Tabby shrugged, slid away from the table, and joined the rest of the women and Sela’s grandfather at the table which appeared to have been designed specifically to play games. “You’ll have to teach us. We have no idea how to play.”

  “That’s easy.” Sela grinned. “It’s sort of like a multiplayer game of Solitaire.” She frowned. “Though, I suppose it wouldn’t be Solitaire if there is more than one player.”

  “I guess not,” Tabby agreed with a smile. “But it sounds a lot more fun.”

  Six games of Murder, two games of Gin, and four hours later, Reno walked into the room, his face smeared with a dark greasy substance. “We’ve managed to finish the preliminary repairs, and we’re all exhausted.” He swiped his dirty forearm across his face. “It was a meteor that hit us, not an asteroid. Rowen needs to go back to school.” He grinned, his white teeth practically glowing through the dirt on his face.

  “At any rate, the meteor hit one of the port-side engines and knocked it out, and it also took out part of the hull near our quarters. Luckily, no one was in any of the staterooms, but three of the compartments have been rendered useless, and it’s slowed us down considerably. We won’t be home tonight. It’s going to take us at least two more days to get back to Earth.” He slumped down in the closest seat and rested his head in his hands. “We’ve managed to seal the breach and lower the force field protecting the ship, but some of us are going to have to double up.”

  “Tabby and I can share a cabin.” Charly twisted her fingers together. “I just moved in with Xeno, but I can move out to share a cabin with my sister. I don’t want Tabby to have to share with someone she doesn’t know.”

  “I can share with Geno if he doesn’t mind a little snoring,” Clyde chimed in. “It’ll give me a chance to learn how you guys fly this thing.”

  “Deno and Xeno can share, and Rowen and Ronin can share. It’s only for a few more days, and then, everything will go back to normal.” Reno grabbed someone’s glass of water and downed it in one tip. “Does anyone have any objections?”

  “I do.” Deno moved the rest of the way into the dining area, his twin hot on his heels. “It’s not fair to Xeno and Charly. They shouldn’t have to stay in separate cabins. They deserve their privacy, just like the rest of the couples. I’ll bunk in with Rowen and Ronin, and Tabby can keep her cabin to herself.”

  “Well...” Reno paused before continuing, “Tabby’s cabin was one of those compromised.”

  Well, that figures, doesn’t it?

  Tabby fought the urge to cry. Why couldn’t her life ever be stable? Just when she thought things had become settled while living with Charly, Xeno had entered their lives and turned everything upside down.

  “She can have my cabin then.” Deno crossed his arms. “I’ll bunk in with Rowen and Ronin.

  “No.” Tabby stood, almost unable to believe she was about to suggest something so unlike her. “I’ll share with Deno. There’s no reason to break up a couple for me or to crowd out the younger twins.” She wiped her sweaty palms on her legs. “That is if he doesn’t mind.” She glanced his way, hoping he wouldn’t reject her proposal.

  “I don’t mind.” Deno stepped forward.

  It appeared as though he’d begun to reach for her, but he stopped and shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “In fact...” He paused with a smile. “I’d be happy to spend time together, getting to know you better.”

  “Then it’s settled. Charly and Xeno can share his cabin, and I’ll share Deno’s with him. I’m sure everything will work out fine. Even if we find we can’t get along, I have no doubts that we can both be adults until we reach Earth and go our separate ways.” Tabby was proud of herself. Her voice hadn’t broken once, and she was still standing tall with her head up. Hell, her hands hadn’t even started to tremble, and that was saying something.

  Later in the evening, she stood just outside Deno’s quarters with her bottom lip between her teeth. Lifting her hand, she waved it over the electronic pad, expecting it to announce her arrival. Instead, the door whooshed open, and she was staring straight into his personal space.

  “Deno?” She leaned forward with a frown.

  Why had his door slid open when she waved her hand over the pad? It should have told him he had a visitor. It shouldn’t have slid open as though she lived there. Though, come to think of it, she was going to be living there for the next few days.

  “Deno, are you here?” She stepped inside the outer room and jumped when he came from the bedroom, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

  Tabby did her best not to stare. He was blue all over. Well, what she could see of him, anyway. Darker blue stripes covered his lighter blue skin, and his body was like something out of a bodybuilding magazine.

  His large, muscular arms bulged as he finished rubbing a second towel over his head and shoulders. The motion drew attention to his defined pectoral muscles and chiseled washboard abs.

  “I’m here.” He slid the second towel he’d been using to dry his hair around his shoulders. “I didn’t expect you so soon.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I’m sorry. I’m not dressed.”

  “I... um... that’s okay. These are your quarters, after all.”

  “No.” He moved a couple of electronic devices off the sofa and picked up a few dirty dishes. “These are your quarters, as well. I should have taken more time to pick it up a bit before you got here.”

  The condition of Deno’s quarters hadn’t surprised Tabby a bit. It was good to know that he shared a few traits with his counterparts on Earth. His cabin seemed like the stereotypical male apartment. At least there weren’t old takeout boxes stacked everywhere with half-eaten pepperoni pizzas in them.

  “How are we going to do this?” A part of her had been dreading that question. She wanted him to offer to take the couch, but she also wanted him to want her enough to suggest they find a way to share the bed. With no hanky panky, of course. Not that it was likely any platonic efforts they took would work if they shared a bed.

  “Well... You can have the bed, and I’ll sleep on the med bed just outside of the kitchen.”

  “Med bed?”

  “Oh, right. You don’t have any idea what that is, do you? Follow me.” He led her into the kitchen to an area on the other side. There was a small, empty room, its walls filled with flat consoles with blinking lights.

  Deno moved to one of the conso
les on the far wall and keyed in a few numbers. After a moment, a long, pad-covered shelf slid from the wall. When it was just a bit wider than a twin-sized bed, it stopped, and a holographic display lit up about three feet over the surface.

  “Please climb onto the med bed and prepare for physical analysis,” said a disembodied voice. “Your medical statistics will be displayed over the unit when scanning is complete.”

  “No need for a scan. Bed needed for rest only.”

  “Order received. Complying.” The holographic display disappeared, and there was nothing left but the long, uncomfortable-looking bed.

  “These are for use when we have muscle aches or other minor injuries. The ship has a full medical bay for serious medical assistance.”

  “I could sleep here.” Tabby eyed the bed. It looked hard and not a bit cozy, but she would endure it—for Charly.

  “No. I will sleep on the med bed. It’s bad enough that I treated you the way I did when we met. I will not continue to insult you, nor sully my family’s good name by taking the soft bed while you sleep in discomfort.”

  “If you insist.” She wasn’t about to suggest they share the one bed. She wasn’t desperate. If he wanted to share the bed, he could suggest it.

  “I do.”

  “Do you mind if I watch a video?” She held up the disks Clyde had insisted she watch before she left the mess deck. The man would be irritating if it weren’t for his endearing ability to adopt everyone. Though he didn’t look old enough to be anyone’s grandfather. Perhaps he was a little special. Still, it had been years since Tabby felt as though she belonged anywhere. Between her sister and that charming thirty-something man who insisted everyone call him Gramps, Tabby felt as though she’d come home.