At Drogan’s Command (Hades Helmet Crew) Read Online Free Page A

teleconference was finished and she stood up quickly to leave.
    “Rena,” Drogan began.
    Her shoulders slumped, nipples painfully hard nubs, panties soaked, and she wished that the air con was on because she was feeling feverish. She didn’t think she could bear a one-on-one conversation just now.
    “Is something on your mind?” he asked. “Something wrong? I noticed that Jason Mercy has been paying a lot of attention to you lately. Is he bothering you?”
    Rena held back a smile. Drogan had noticed Jason flirting with her, and this filled her with giddy happiness. But her euphoria was brief. She remembered that Drogan was the captain, and the regs clearly stated that if crew did get involved with one another, he would have to step in and deal with it. She realized he was just doing his job.
    She cleared her throat. “No, sir, he’s not bothering me.”
    “Are you sure? You’re not just saying that to be nice or not cause trouble?” He placed his elbows on the desk and clasped his hands together, bringing his head forward and resting it on his fists. She shook her head, trying to get this conversation over with.
    “Yes. I’m sure.”
    “Because as you know…”
    “I know the regs.”
    “He’s quite the Casanova around here.”
    “I know it’s against policy to get involved with other crew members,” she said.
    Drogan cleared his throat and unclasped his hands, letting them fall to the desktop with a soft slap that echoed off the walls of the small office.
    “Um, it’s just I don’t want you to get hurt, should you decide…” His voice trailed off.
    “I know of Lieutenant Mercy’s reputation.”
    “Yes, well…” Drogan seemed to shift uncomfortably in his chair, not meeting her eyes.
    “Sir?”
    He cleared his throat again and swiveled his chair away from her. All Rena saw was the side of his face. His long, dark brown hair was pulled back, his profile clearly defined. For the first time she noticed a tattoo of what looked like a skull right below his ear. She raised an eyebrow. She had never noticed that before. She thought back to her days in school, and tales of Earth pirates floated to the top of her mind.
    There were rumors of how Drogan’s family had gained their wealth and prominence. Drogan didn’t need to be a captain. Hell, he didn’t need to be anything. His family was rolling in money. People whispered that most of it came from pirating and looking at him now—with the scar through his eye and his strong square jaw, sharp cheekbones, slightly hooked nose, and hooded blue eyes—he sort of looked like a pirate. Could the skull be a sign that those rumors were true?
    Rena didn’t have time to dwell on that thought. Drogan turned to her, a tenderness in his eyes that caught her off guard and caused her heart to melt. It had suddenly become difficult to breathe.
    “I don’t want to see you get hurt. You mean a lot to me. I consider you more than my assistant. I consider you my friend. I’ve known Jason a long time. He doesn’t strike me as the man you deserve to be with.”
    And what man should I be with, exactly? she wanted to ask, but her mouth and brain were not communicating. She was speechless, unsure how to respond. He was looking at her with tenderness, his face full of emotions she couldn’t identify.
    Rena felt herself tearing up. She turned her head away, afraid she would embarrass herself by crying. She valued his friendship so much, and yet he had no idea the impact his words had on her heart. She wanted to be more than just his friend and knew that that could never be.
    Regs aside, Rena knew in her heart that she wasn’t his type. Never in a million years would he go for her. He went for tall, willowy women who were curved in all the right places and full of vibrancy and fire. Rena preferred nights in her room curled up with a good book or quiet games of chess. She loathed crowds. She wanted intimacy without the fear of interruption. Drogan, on the other hand,