between the ship and the shuttle. She wondered how big the cyborg vessel was, wondering if it was larger than the space station she’d just spent two weeks visiting, since the lift Flint had tugged her into had gone up quite a few levels.

“Shit,” the gray-haired cyborg hissed. “They are fully powering up. Didn’t you tell them to only do a short burst?”

“Yes,” Flint said softly.

Mira stared at the screen, watching as the shuttle’s thrusters burned brightly, flaring from the back, and a second later the shuttle exploded. She was horrified as she witnessed it blow apart. Pieces flew in all directions.

“Blast away,” Flint roared.

Mira had the air knocked from her lungs as the large cyborg suddenly turned, throwing his body at her, taking her flat to the floor under him when he tackled her. Her back hit the metal surface as his weight crushed down. The ship vibrated roughly as the engines revved around them. Her body slid a few feet even with the massive man on top of her, pinning her down. Long seconds passed where she couldn’t breathe under Flint’s weight. He pushed up to get off her when the shaking under them ceased. Flint climbed to his feet, not even sparing her a glance, as he glared at the viewing screen.

“Did we escape the debris?” He sounded pissed.

“We did,” the redheaded cyborg cursed. “The idiot humans full blasted, making their tank explode .”

“Damn fools,” the gray-haired cyborg spat. “If we knew they wanted to die we could have salvaged the entire vessel.”

Mira lifted her chin to observe Flint as she pushed up to a sitting position. She knew he’d saved her from really getting hurt when they’d suddenly had to blast out of range of the exploding shuttle. Without his weight she would have been thrown across the room. Her back hurt a little but she was relieved that he’d done it. Flint looked furious as he shook his head.

“What a waste. Head home. I’ll be in my quarters.”

The redheaded cyborg eyed Mira. “Should I even ask why you brought her off the shuttle?”

Flint leaned over to hold out his hand to Mira. She didn’t hesitate, letting him pull her to her feet. She noticed Flint’s irritated expression as he shot a dirty look at the man who’d questioned him.

“It’s none of your business. You have Control, Iron.”

The cyborg chuckled. “I’ll change the shift assignments so you won’t be needed until we reach home, Flint.”

Flint sighed. “Understood. Come along, Mirasia Carver. We are going to go talk.”

He kept hold of her hand as he led her away from the control room. They were walking back to the lift.

Their bodies were almost touching as the doors shut. Mira hated the sensation of the floor under their feet falling so she grabbed the wall for support and clutched Flint’s hand harder. He turned his head to frown down at her.

“You do not like fast movement?”

She shook her head. “It makes me feel sick.”

“You will adjust.”

The doors opened when the lift stopped. Flint gripped her hand tighter, leading her into a dim hallway.

He walked three doors down before he stopped in front of an electronic pad installed by the door. He reached up to press his palm on the device. It beeped once before the door slid open. Flint released her hand, motioning with his head.

“Go inside.”

Mira walked through the doorway and automated lights flared on. She stopped a few feet into the room, swallowing hard, eyeing the small sleeping compartment. It was similar to the one she’d just spent two weeks living in on the space station. The room was a box with built-in storage along one wall and a bed in the corner. Another corner held an open bathroom unit. She wondered why no walls separated bedroom from bathroom. Her former quarters hadn’t been quite like this after all. She turned, giving her full attention to Flint, as the doors slid shut behind him.

“This is mine,” he said as he glanced around the room. “They are built for one person. I apologize for the close living arrangements but we’ll be at my planet soon.” His gaze finally met Mira’s. “Remove your clothing.”

“What?” She’d never expected that to come from his lips in a million years. She was absolutely stunned, her heart pounding as she took a step back only to bump the bed, with nowhere else to go. “What did you say?”

He arched an eyebrow. “I said, remove your clothing.”

“Why?”

He calmly watched her. “I want to see