Universe War (Mission Activated)

Galaxy-Hopping Bad Boy

Eliza took advantage of his distressed state to link one long, lovely, and deceptively strong leg around his waist, used Jasper's own weight against him, and to his surprise flipped him as neatly as he had her a few moments ago. Smirking slightly, she relieved him of the cool beverage. He gazed up at her as she took a sip, not at all unhappy with the moment. Eliza was at once both completely dependable and highly mercurial—a neat trick, one he'd never seen anyone other than her master. They had worked together for two years, and in that time, she had blown all his previous partners out of the water. There was quite literally nothing he didn't admire or respect about her. Even as he had the thought, he amended it; Eliza appeared to be completely immune to Jasper's charms, which were considerable, even if he did say so himself.

But for the present moment, all was well in his world. Eliza made no move to change her position, continuing to sip her drink and peruse him with blue eyes bright with humor. "They say memory blanks are the first sign that you're getting old," she said. Her eyes narrowed, focusing in on something. "After gray hairs," she corrected. With the comment, she reached out to stroke his hair—and plucked one.

"Ouch!" he yelped.

She brandished it toward him like a weapon, with a triumphant, "See?" His hair was dark brown. The treasonous hair she showed him was most definitely not. He stared at it for a moment, then his gaze slid to Eliza, dark with suspicion.

"You dyed it while I was sleeping!" Jasper said.

Eliza laughed. "Right," she said, still grinning. "Like I've got nothing better to do."

Gray hairs. He was getting old at twenty-seven. It was not a happy thought. He returned his focus to the gorgeous woman in front of him, her own hair shining in the sun, glorious and most definitely not gray. He reached up and brushed a small, rebellious strand from her face, lingering on her skin. "I feel horrible that I forgot," he said. Then, with a slightly lascivious smile, he asked, "What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Beginning descent in three minutes," came a clipped, polished voice. Next to them, a small black pod started to flash a red light. Jasper closed his eyes in misery. Talk about bad timing, he thought.

"Nothing that you can get done in three minutes," quipped Eliza, her grin broad as she slipped out of his grasp.

Jasper reached out, both playful and pleading. "Come on..." he wheedled, under no illusion that she would acquiesce but, apparently incapable of not trying anyway.

Eliza scolded him, pretending to be serious, though her slight smile betrayed her. "Now, now, don't start something you can't finish!"

"Who taught you a dumb saying like that?"

"My mother."

"Oh... sorry." He was batting a thousand today, wasn't he? Gray hairs, forgetting her birthday—how the hell had that happened?—accidentally insulting her mom...

Eliza pressed the flashing red light, and reality intruded upon their private paradise. The languidly waving palms and the ocean itself ceased their motion instantly. Clouds paused and the seagulls that had been wheeling froze in mid-flight. The blue sky that arched above splintered, like ice that had been struck, melting away swiftly to reveal the familiar black metallic interior of their spaceship, the Intruder XB982—or, as Jasper liked to quip, "Alex's House."

Still in their swimsuits, the two agents padded barefoot along the Intruder's hallways, Eliza striding briskly, ready to get to work, and Jasper tagging along after her like a still-hopeful puppy.

"Come on, Eliza," he wheedled as they passed rows of monitors, empty space suits, and various pieces of equipment. "I know you're attracted to me. Why deny the obvious?"

She shot him a look that was both scathing and mirthful. He never knew how she managed it. "It's obvious?" The acidic sarcasm that dripped from the words could have eaten its way through the bulkhead.

But Jasper was uncowed. "Sure," he continued. He was joking, of course. Well, a little, at any rate. "Don't feel too bad. It's only natural. Little goody two shoes with an Ivy League education are always attracted to galaxy-hopping bad boys like me."

"My Ivy League education taught me to steer clear of bad boys like you," Eliza retorted, having no visible problem sticking to what she had allegedly learned.

But Jasper continued like a used shuttle salesman who knows he has about thirty seconds left to make his pitch. "You won't find better than me on the market," he promised. "Straight up. Take a good look."

He darted in front of her, but as she refused to slow, he had to walk backward while he tried to interest the potential customer. He spread his arms, indicating his regulation-fit physique. "Handsome, smart—"

"Modest!" exclaimed Eliza. He noticed that she was smiling despite herself. This was a game they played... well, almost constantly. Jasper always enjoyed it - even if it never ended with what he wanted - and he knew she did too. Eliza was no pushover. If she disliked the game, she would have put an end to it the first time he started flirting. With, say, a right hook that left no question as to her sentiments.

So he continued. "Brave," Jasper reminded her in a serious voice, striking a heroic pose - which, damn it, was impressive considering that he was walking backwards, fast.

"Suicidal," Eliza corrected.

"Determined." She could not possibly argue that one, given what he was doing this precise moment.

"Pigheaded."

Yeah, okay, he supposed he had to admit that one.

"Faithful," he said.

The word was there, lobbed out by some impulse Jasper was now utterly flummoxed by. It hadn't been what he had intended to say. It had come out, unbidden... real. For a moment, they both dropped the act and stared at each other, their eyes wide.

Then Eliza lowered her eyes and pushed past him, muttering under her breath, "To yourself."

Jasper was annoyed and angry. He wasn't sure why. With her? With himself?

"Why don't you speak with your heart, not your head, for once?" he asked.

She threw him a cold look over her shoulder. "Because I don't feel like being just another name on your list of conquests."

"Who are you talking about? What list?"