Chapter : Emma

At Emma's exclamation, Rafe whirled. "You?" He frowned. "How did you get here? I left strict orders that no other vessels were to descend. Was the ship attacked?"

"Nope. I stowed away with my good friend Fred."

The answer only caused Rafe's expression to darken. "You weren't part of the chosen landing party."

"An oversight on your part, I'm sure. As your closest male relative, I couldn't let you face this dangerous place alone." Mikhail smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

The tension between the guys mounted, and Emma knew she had to intervene.

"Tuck your balls away and save it for later. In case you haven't noticed, we're on an alien planet with a city that looks like no one has lived here for thousands of years. I think we should concentrate on that fact."