Corsairs: Adiron (Corsair Brothers, #1)

by Ruby Dixon

follow her back out of my room and put a hand to the small of her back to guide her. Jade jerks in surprise, watching me, but relaxes when I don't touch her more than that.

Me, I just grin like a fool…kind of like I am right now. Not that I've ever really cared about getting a lady-friend, but now that I do, my goofy smile isn't doing me any favors.

Her lips twitch, and a hint of a smile curves her lush mouth. All right. If we can't be friends right off the bat, then maybe I can win her over with jokes. Maybe what Jade has needed all her life is a big goofy idiot like myself who doesn't take anything too seriously and loves a good time. Maybe she needs someone like me so she can have a good time, too. So she can relax a little bit because she knows I've got her back.

At my side, Adiron shrugs, handing the weapon back to me. "Jade wanted to make sure it worked."

Adiron gestures at him. "Excellent point. I'll get her one later."

Adiron, who drops into his chair beside me as if we're on a date and I'm his girlfriend. He even puts his arm on the back of my chair.

He's watching me, and there's that weird mixture of pride and affection in his eyes as he regards me. I don't know what to make of him…but I wonder if he's the one I can trust. After all, he DOES have a terrible poker face.

"Well shit, I didn't ask for tongue kisses," Adiron chimes in. "I should have asked."

At my side, Adiron shoots me an admiring look, as if he approves of my ballsiness.

The cities have fallen, the humans have more or less disappeared, and rumor has it that a few misplaced drakoni just run around burning everything.

"You can trust me. You know you can." Her eyes soften as she looks at me, and I see the fear and hope in her gaze. She wants to trust. She does.

It's a good thing she has someone like me. I'll make sure she never takes things too seriously. I'll make sure she smiles. And I can massage the stress out of her shoulders every night. Kef me, I think I just gave myself a boner. I shift in my seat, uncomfortable. Now's not

"So send a bodyguard with us," Jade says quickly. "You mean a hostage?" Lord Straik asks. Jade's expression tightens. "He's only a hostage if someone's a hostile party." Spending all night with Jade? In her natural environment? Sounds like a slice of “Yes” to me. Before another argument can break out, I gesture at myself. "I volunteer."

He seems to be fascinated with me. He also seems to not be bothered by anything at all, so I guess he's a good choice. I'm just glad it's not Straik, though it might have been easier for me if it was one of the other two brothers. Adiron just…watches me all the time. And smiles. Like…he's having a blast just being around me.

"Nothing but underpants in his bag. And these." I turn back to Adiron, who flutters his lashes as if he's oh-so-innocent. "Come on, you," I say, and do my best not to smile. "You're MY guest tonight."

"You can't wait to be alone with me again," he says, delighted. "I accept." And he holds the crook of his arm out like we're going to go for a promenade. "I'd love to take a stroll."

but I'm slowly becoming charmed by his irreverent attitude. He doesn't take himself seriously, that much is clear, and he brought fruit for the girls after seeing how much I enjoyed it. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Because I let you stay in mine?" There's a boyish eagerness to his expression that turns my irritation into laugher. It's hard to get mad at a man who approaches the world with such puppyish enthusiasm. "Nice try, but no." "Can't blame me for trying." He shrugs, still grinning. "I like hearing you laugh, by the way."

"You will," Adiron promises me. "You're with me now."

His expression falls. "I know you don't trust me, but it really isn't safe. Your best bet at any sort of life is to come with us. I promise you, no matter what happens, you're safe with me."

He pauses for a moment and then the impish grin returns. "So can I see your room anyhow?"

"If you say ‘family,’ I'm going to be very sad." "…like a really pesky neighbor." "I'll take that. You can get romantic with a neighbor." And he winks at me.

Adiron's expression just becomes more and more delighted. "You. I'm very serious about you, Jade. It may not seem like it, but I take your safety—and your need for control over the situation—very seriously. That's why I'm here." "You volunteered." "Well, yeah. Because I know I can keep you safe." He gives me a look as if to say the answer is obvious.

"Oh, I imagine they can, but this way, I get to be around you all night long. There's no way I'd give up this opportunity for one of those chuckleheads." "So this is about me?" He blinks. "Of course it is. I thought I made that pretty clear."

"You acting like you're half in love with me after we just met." Adiron beams at me. "Glad you noticed. And I'm not acting."

That he likes me. That he's in love with me. We just met this morning. But there's something about Adiron that makes me think that he falls in love as completely and enthusiastically as he seems to view everything…and he's sincere. And good lord, I just don't know what to think.

But if I did, I think Adiron would be one. I step closer to the table and pretend to examine one of the pieces of fruit, but I'm really watching Adiron.

And I know it's all for my benefit. He wants me to trust him.

They look to me to solve problems. Adiron has made it clear that whatever I choose, he's going to support it and me.

I'm going to sleep worried that my female—because Jade is definitely mine—is going to be stubborn and demand to stay behind. If she does, I'm going to have to kidnap her and her friends, because I'm not going to let her get stuck out here. Walking away from her is not an option, no matter how much she might think it is. She's mine now. She just doesn't realize it yet.

Can you please just do this for me?" Her tone is weary, her smile tired. Damn it. She knows just how to get to me. I can spar with a teasing Jade all night long, but weary Jade just makes me want to take care of her. "Of course."

"Go sleep. There'll be plenty of time to harass me in the morning." That sounds promising. "Because you'll be coming back with us?" "I didn't say that," Jade replies quickly. "Yeah, you did."

My head is full of Jade and her smiles, Jade and her wariness, Jade and her need to protect those around her. She's so smart and responsible. I like that in a female. I like that she cares about others.

The protective feeling in me surges once more, and I want her to get a good night's sleep. I want her to get her rest. She deserves it.

Now that I'm actually tired, I'd like to just rub one out while thinking of Jade and her delightful amber eyes, and then sink into sleep (also hopefully filled with Jade).

take a steeling breath and decide to try Jade, instead. I jog (okay, I run) toward her quarters and rap on the door. "Hey, Jade? Wake up. Wake up, please."

Sure enough, Jade looks disheveled and utterly terrified. Her soft-looking, kinky hair floats around her head like a cloud and she clutches a thin plas-film blanket to her body. It hides practically nothing, outlining her rather magnificent breasts and the abundant curves of her hips.

When I continue to dumbly stare at her chest, she reaches up and lightly taps at my jaw.

"Oh." I shake myself, forcing my brain to stop picturing me peeling that too-flimsy blank...

watch her go, fascinated by the sway of her hips. I need to focus, but somehow her movements are distracting all of my parts, especially the ones below the belt. There'll be time to stroke one out later, I tell my cock. If we're truly stuck here, there's gonna be a whole keffing lot of time.

I plummet down the hall and turn the corner to see her racing back toward me, a look of sheer panic on her face. "What is it?" I ask. "What's wrong?" Panting, she skids to a stop in front of me, the blanket about to fall off her gorgeous brown body. The look in her eyes is sheer terror, though.

"Adiron?" I ask. "What do you think?" He seems to brighten visibly as I mention his name, and I feel warm when he straightens.

"When I said we should use the escape pods, I meant we should pair up." Adiron gestures at me. "One female, one male. So we can protect you." My face flushes and I can just imagine who Adiron wants to pair up with.

I glance down the table at Adiron. He just grins. "You already know me so well, Jade. There's no way I'd leave you alone on this big derelict ship by yourself. The way I look at it, my brothers are going to come back, and I get a month of bonding time with my new ladylove." He leans back in his chair, hands behind his head, and beams at me as if this has been his plan ever since he mentioned the escape pods. Maybe it has been. There's one thing I'm learning about Adiron. He plays stupid, but he's absolutely not.

I'm trying not to blush, but…I did know Adiron was going to stay the moment I said I would. Oddly enough, I trust him, and it fills me with a comfortable sort of sensation to know that I wouldn't be here all alone.

My words die in my throat as she turns and buries her face against my chest. A low sob escapes her, and her arms go around my waist. Oh. I hold her tight as she cries into my uniform, rubbing her back and murmuring positive-sounding stuff to her.

"Hey now," I murmur, resisting the urge to bury my face in her fluffy hair and just drink in her scent.

I move back to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. I want her to get used to me touching her, because I absolutely intend on touching her in the next while…as long as she lets me, that is.

I fight the urge to grab her and kiss the kef out of her like

Most mesakkah are horrified by mouth-on-mouth stuff, but I think it'd be keffing grand. I'm certainly ready to tangle tongue...