Star Falling: City of Hope, Book 2
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White. Everything in the city is one startling shade of white—the walls, the floor, the furniture, the clothes—and Star Donavan is over it.
Before the destruction of Earth, Star had been a highly-respected fashion designer. On Aleucia, she’s nobody, assigned to the laundry room on the lowest level of Hope. The one bright spot in her otherwise monochrome existence is the sinfully gorgeous captain of the guard, but he’s one temptation she’s determined to resist. It’s been months since Captain Valen Otar has even looked at another female besides Star. She’s his last thought before falling asleep, and the first person he seeks out each morning. Star is his—or at least she would be if she’d stop being so stubborn. Aleucian warriors don’t beg, and they certainly don’t grovel, but he’ll do both if that’s what it takes to convince Star his feelings for her are more than just a passing fling. |
Excerpt
“Star, you’re late,” a deep masculine voice boomed inside her mind.
Having her mind invaded had been a hell of a trip when she’d first arrived on the new planet, but now, it barely fazed her. Thankfully, the telepathy only worked one way. The Aleucians could understand and speak any language after hearing it only once, and while they could speak aloud, most chose telepathy as their primary means of communication.
“I am not,” she yelled through the closed door of her pod. “Go away, Valen.”
“Your morning routine is inefficient.”
“Go. Away.”
“Is that what you really want?”
She could practically hear the cocky smirk in his reply. For her, Captain Valen Otar was the one bright spot in her life underground on an alien planet. Tall and muscular, with long, thick hair so black it looked almost blue in the light, she’d been intrigued by him from their first meeting.
She’d never admit it to anyone else—especially not Valen—but knowing he waited on the other side of the door made her pulse race and her stomach flutter. Still, she took her time going through her morning routine. Once she’d dressed in a loose, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of flowing pants, she toggled the switch twice more, rotating past the closet, her tiny shower, and finally back to the vanity. Then, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and stared at herself in the mirror.
“Well,” she told her reflection, “this is as good as it gets.”
“Are you finished yet?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.” Pushy bastard.
Settling her features into a carefully constructed mask of indifference, she pressed her fingertips to the bio-pad on the front wall. The door slid open with a quiet whoosh, and she used the sound to cover her slow exhale before stepping out into the wide, surgically white corridor.
“See? I’m here.”
Valen’s bright blue eyes narrowed, his gaze raking down her body as he dragged his tongue over one elongated canine. “Good morning, Star.”
“Get out of my head.” She folded her arms across her chest and glared. “It’s just weird.”
“My apologies,” he answered, his voice somehow deeper and even more appealing when used aloud. “I’m here to escort you to breakfast.”
His dusky, fitted uniform top hugged every dip and bulge of his powerful frame, and the matching leather bottoms clung to him like a second skin. Star swallowed hard to dislodge the lump in her throat. Her heart beat too fast, her palms slicked with perspiration, and a familiar ache throbbed between her thighs. It was the same every time she saw him, but as always, she held her impassive expression, unwilling to let him see how much he affected her.
“I can find my way to the mess hall just fine.”
“I know you can.” His predatory gaze strayed to her lips, and a deep rumble vibrated through his chest. “Maybe I simply wanted to ask you more questions about Earth.”
“Again?”
She didn’t know why he was so interested in her planet, but during the past few months, their routine had been as regular as the alarm that sounded in the morning. He arrived at her pod to walk her to breakfast, and on the way, he’d keep a steady flow of questions coming. He wanted to know about the mountains, the oceans, and the sand. He’d asked about cell phones, televisions, and microwaves.
While she enjoyed talking about Earth, mostly, she just enjoyed talking to Valen. He seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say, and he nodded his head at all the right times. He made her feel special, like he wanted to know her, and the way his eyes softened when he looked at her made her want to tell him anything…everything.
Nearing a curve in the hallway, a woman with short, dark hair and heavy shadows under her eyes caught Star’s attention, mostly because of the way she was staring at Valen. And that right there was why she kept the icy barrier between them, why she couldn’t let herself fall for the captain.
The woman watching them looked familiar, but not because Star knew her. She recognized her as one of the several women she’d watched Valen flirt with, take to his bed, then never speak to again. Oh, he was charming, and with the body of a god, she imagined he didn’t have to work too hard for what he wanted. Star couldn’t go down that path. She couldn’t open herself up that way, only to have him vanish from her life the next morning.
She needed him too much.
Having her mind invaded had been a hell of a trip when she’d first arrived on the new planet, but now, it barely fazed her. Thankfully, the telepathy only worked one way. The Aleucians could understand and speak any language after hearing it only once, and while they could speak aloud, most chose telepathy as their primary means of communication.
“I am not,” she yelled through the closed door of her pod. “Go away, Valen.”
“Your morning routine is inefficient.”
“Go. Away.”
“Is that what you really want?”
She could practically hear the cocky smirk in his reply. For her, Captain Valen Otar was the one bright spot in her life underground on an alien planet. Tall and muscular, with long, thick hair so black it looked almost blue in the light, she’d been intrigued by him from their first meeting.
She’d never admit it to anyone else—especially not Valen—but knowing he waited on the other side of the door made her pulse race and her stomach flutter. Still, she took her time going through her morning routine. Once she’d dressed in a loose, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of flowing pants, she toggled the switch twice more, rotating past the closet, her tiny shower, and finally back to the vanity. Then, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and stared at herself in the mirror.
“Well,” she told her reflection, “this is as good as it gets.”
“Are you finished yet?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.” Pushy bastard.
Settling her features into a carefully constructed mask of indifference, she pressed her fingertips to the bio-pad on the front wall. The door slid open with a quiet whoosh, and she used the sound to cover her slow exhale before stepping out into the wide, surgically white corridor.
“See? I’m here.”
Valen’s bright blue eyes narrowed, his gaze raking down her body as he dragged his tongue over one elongated canine. “Good morning, Star.”
“Get out of my head.” She folded her arms across her chest and glared. “It’s just weird.”
“My apologies,” he answered, his voice somehow deeper and even more appealing when used aloud. “I’m here to escort you to breakfast.”
His dusky, fitted uniform top hugged every dip and bulge of his powerful frame, and the matching leather bottoms clung to him like a second skin. Star swallowed hard to dislodge the lump in her throat. Her heart beat too fast, her palms slicked with perspiration, and a familiar ache throbbed between her thighs. It was the same every time she saw him, but as always, she held her impassive expression, unwilling to let him see how much he affected her.
“I can find my way to the mess hall just fine.”
“I know you can.” His predatory gaze strayed to her lips, and a deep rumble vibrated through his chest. “Maybe I simply wanted to ask you more questions about Earth.”
“Again?”
She didn’t know why he was so interested in her planet, but during the past few months, their routine had been as regular as the alarm that sounded in the morning. He arrived at her pod to walk her to breakfast, and on the way, he’d keep a steady flow of questions coming. He wanted to know about the mountains, the oceans, and the sand. He’d asked about cell phones, televisions, and microwaves.
While she enjoyed talking about Earth, mostly, she just enjoyed talking to Valen. He seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say, and he nodded his head at all the right times. He made her feel special, like he wanted to know her, and the way his eyes softened when he looked at her made her want to tell him anything…everything.
Nearing a curve in the hallway, a woman with short, dark hair and heavy shadows under her eyes caught Star’s attention, mostly because of the way she was staring at Valen. And that right there was why she kept the icy barrier between them, why she couldn’t let herself fall for the captain.
The woman watching them looked familiar, but not because Star knew her. She recognized her as one of the several women she’d watched Valen flirt with, take to his bed, then never speak to again. Oh, he was charming, and with the body of a god, she imagined he didn’t have to work too hard for what he wanted. Star couldn’t go down that path. She couldn’t open herself up that way, only to have him vanish from her life the next morning.
She needed him too much.