Neal James is a space station navigator whose lover, Dylan Teague, left him for a starmapping mission. But when Dylan radios in a distant signal one night, Neal discovers that he hasn't managed to put the relationship behind him in the two months they've been apart. When he's one of the crew members sent to investigate the signal, he finds that his ex-lover feels the same.<br><br>The source of the signal is a lost colony ship. Only a handful of the original colonists remain, survivors of a deadly disease that killed most of their fellow shipmates twenty years ago. To keep the threat of disease to a minimum, the colony adheres to strict laws, including the prohibition of same-sex relationships.<br><br>When the same fatal virus seems to appear again, Neal and Dylan find themselves in the midst of an irrational panic and hate that threatens to destroy everything the colonists have worked so hard to attain.

Operation Starseed

They don’t need to hear whatever we say to each other. “You


His reply fills my whole world, it’s so loud


in my ears. I sit back in the seat and press the headset close,


savoring each word. “I’m here,” he sighs. “I was hoping you’d be on


duty. God, Neal, I know you’re recording this—”


“It’s off,” I whisper. When he doesn’t


answer immediately, I close my eyes and feel the hint of a smile


tug at my lips. “It’s just you and me, babe. What’s on your


“You.” It’s a breathy rush and I know


Dixon’s wrong, Dylan didn’tdump me for this mission, he


didn’t. There’s a grin in his voice when he says, “I miss


Tears sting my eyes and I don’t trust myself


to reply. “It’s lonely out here,” he continues, soft in my


“Shh,” he admonishes, and I bite my


lower lip to keep it from trembling. “Let’s not talk about that


Chapter 8