Import Quarantine by Cassandra Chandler

Author:Cassandra Chandler [Chandler, Cassandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cassandra Chandler

Chapter Ten

“You’ll need to put your hair up.” Marq finished making the last adjustments to Caitlin’s bracer, locking down its functions. They were nearly ready to disembark. “Our helmets automatically deploy in the event of depressurization, and you don’t want anything in the way if it does.”

“Depressurization, huh? Does that happen often?” Caitlin was smiling, but her voice trembled.

“Not at all,” he said. “But it’s regulation to wear our hair in ways that won’t interfere with our uniform. You’ll stand out less if your hair is up.”

She crossed to the large black bag she’d brought with her and started going through its contents, then stood when she’d found a tie. As she reached behind her head to pull her hair into place, the material of her uniform strained against her breasts.

She was going to be conspicuous enough as it was.

And if he kept staring at her chest, he was going to become conspicuous himself. Already, he felt his body stirring. He quickly turned away, finalizing their arrival procedures.

The skimmer had landed in the main hangar bay without incident. A soft orange glow covered the viewport.

“What’s with that light?” she asked.

“Decon procedures. The outer hull is being purged of random radiation and any contaminants it might have picked up on Earth.”

“I guess that makes sense. Do we need to be decontaminated, too?”

“Our uniforms take care of that.”

“What if you pick up something on Earth? A germ or a sickness or something internal?”

“I and my crew have been inoculated against any pathogens that might do us harm. We’ve also been purged of anything that might be harmful to Earth’s life forms.”

“Good to know,” she murmured.

She finished with her hair, putting it in a ponytail high on the back of her head and looping the long strands into the band so that it was gathered together in something akin to a loose bun. He missed seeing it flowing around her shoulders and rippling down her back.

She tilted her head at him. “Is it okay?”

“Yes, it’s—”

“Adequate?” She smirked.

He had a feeling he was missing something, but couldn’t figure out what it was. Giving up on that particular mystery, he said, “I can help you with your bag.”

“I’ve got it.”

They both reached for the handle, their hands colliding. They rose at the same time, standing close and still holding on to the bag.

“I appreciate your help,” he said.

She arched an eyebrow at him. “It’s going to cost you.”

His heart felt as though it plummeted through his stomach and into his belly. Earth was still dominated by commerce-based cultures. What would she even find of value? He was a soldier, not a merchant. Life on his ship was all he’d known. This was yet more new territory for him.

“I will see to it that you’re compensated for your time.” He relinquished his hold on her bag and stepped back. “I have ample resources with which to trade.”

“I don’t want your resources. Well…” Her gaze slid over his body like a caress, and her smile broadened.

His body responded once more, energy pulsing through him, heat flooding his abdomen.

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