Explosive Affairs

By D.L. Jackson

When Tyson Rivers, the Gold Digger’s ordnance officer, and Jenna Klar, Captain Jayson River’s aide, are forced to go out into space to scrape a party patty off the side of the ship’s hull, things go from bad to worse.

The suspected frozen sewage turns out to be a bomb. The two narrowly escape the blast, only to jump from the proverbial frying pan into the fire.
Now suspects in a galactic bomb plot, Jenna and Tyson must jump ship and go to the planet below; evading the authorities in space and hostiles on the surface while they dig for information to clear their names. If they can’t find the bomber and stop him, thousands of lives could end in the press of a trigger.

Problem is, it’s not only the danger heating up around them. An explosive attraction has developed between them, one that could have fatal consequences if they can’t keep their thoughts on the mission and their hands to themselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Decadent Publishing
• Release date: Dec 8, 2017
• ISBN: 9781683611936

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Blown Away: Explosive Affairs

Copyright 2010 by D.L. Jackson

ISBN: 978-1-68361-193-6

Cover art by AlleyCat’s Creations

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

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www.decadentpublishing.com

Blown Away was one of my first novels, and one of my favorites. The idea came several years ago as my son was enlisting in the Marines and was considering EOD, Explosive Ordnance Disposal.

Book two, Explosive Affairs, takes the series off the planet and into space with a new hero, a cocky ordnance officer and heroine, the captain’s aide, discover opposites attract, and when they come together, the results could be quite explosive.

Hang on, the ride’s about to get bumpy.

Best,

D. L.

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Also by D.L. Jackson

Carnal Desires

Carnal Attraction

Carnal Denial

Cinderella Wore Combat Boots

Seducing Liberty

This Endris Night

Her Boogie Woogie Bugle Guy

Being Prince Charming

Beauty and the Brigadier

Rebel Souls

Last Flight of the Ark

Courtesan Boot Camp

Prepper Romance

Finding Mercy

Shockwave

Slipping the Past

The Willfully Wedded Virgin

Moon Crazy

Dangerous

Bringing Down Romeo

Wedding Moon

He Sphinx I’m Sexy

Blown Away: Detonate

Explosive Affairs

When Tyson Rivers, the Gold Digger’s ordnance officer, and Jenna Klar, Captain Jayson River’s aide, are forced to go out into space to scrape a party patty off the side of the ship’s hull, things go from bad to worse.

The suspected frozen sewage turns out to be a bomb. The two narrowly escape the blast, only to jump from the proverbial frying pan into the fire.

Now suspects in a galactic bomb plot, Jenna and Tyson must jump ship and go to the planet below; evading the authorities in space and hostiles on the surface while they dig for information to clear their names. If they can’t find the bomber and stop him, thousands of lives could end in the press of a trigger.

Problem is, it’s not only the danger heating up around them. An explosive attraction has developed between them, one that could have fatal consequences if they can’t keep their thoughts on the mission and their hands to themselves.

Dedication

To all those who choose to face their fears head-on, running into the danger.

Blown Away Book 2

Explosive Affairs

A Series of Explosive Novellas

By: D. L. Jackson

Chapter One

Happy trail: That sexy little strip of hair running from a man’s belly button to his—towel. Jenna stared at the fluffy white barrier blocking her view from traveling any farther south. She’d enjoyed the scenic route, visually devoured the hard ridges of his six-pack abs and the way the water trickled over his flesh while it took the path of least resistance. She shouldn’t stare. It was inappropriate to ogle the higher-ranking beefcake, but she couldn’t stop. What woman in her right mind would be able to?

He cleared his throat, and Jenna remembered her mission. She looked up. Captain Rivers…. Gods he could stop a stampede with his stare. Jenna dropped her focus to something safer and began to examine the decking under his feet. Hard metal, gray. Nothing special. Sir, I…. She swallowed, and her gaze drifted up, stopping on his midsection. He watched her, she could feel it, but Jenna couldn’t manage to bring her eyes up to his, no matter how hard she tried. So, she stared at his naked stomach, dying a little from embarrassment with each passing second.

What an uncomfortable predicament. She’d been ordered to find the explosives ordnance officer, and find him she had. For the last fifteen minutes, Jenna had searched the ship, from the galley to the indoor gym. The Gold Digger’s head had been her last stop, and her timing couldn’t have been worse. Tyson Rivers, the ordnance officer, had stepped out of the cleansing unit as she’d entered.

And she’d run head on into him.

No wonder he hadn’t been answering the com. The edge of the towel rode just under his hips, dipping where he’d tucked it in.

Jenna bit her lip. Sir, I’ve been sent—

I’m up here. A deep voice invaded her wet daydream.

Jenna sighed. She could listen to him all day.

Oh gods! She blinked. Up where? Her brain connected the verbal dots. What he’d said sank into the mushy gray matter between her ears, sending a jolt of horror rocketing through her body. Heat rushed to her face, and she lifted her chin to address the subject of every naughty dream she’d had on the ship since she’d boarded, and found herself without a coherent thing to say. Jenna opened her mouth, and all that came out was silence. What would be the appropriate thing to say in this situation?

Nice towel?

Do you have a reason to be here, or do you make a habit of hanging out in the male showers?

Make a habit? No. No, I…. Mortification: the sudden urge to run and dive under one’s bunk until the end of the shift. I have a reason. If I can only remember it.

He brushed past her and headed for his locker. Jenna swallowed and turned around in time to see him drop the towel. Again, her timing—impeccable. Bare ass. Hard, tight, and like the rest of his body—unbelievable. She grabbed the nearest object in an attempt to steady herself. The towel bar snapped off. Jenna gasped and whipped it behind her back.

He glanced over his shoulder. Captain send you down here?

She gave a nervous smile and nodded. He returned his attention to the contents of his locker. Jenna glanced right and left, desperate to get rid of the evidence. She spotted her target not five feet from her location and tossed the bar like a javelin into the trash receptacle.

If he saw her, or heard the clunk, he gave no indication. Instead, he snatched his uniform out of his locker and began to dress, not seeming to mind the audience.

She had a sickness—unable-to-look-away-itis. Like people who stood by watching a disaster unfold, Jenna couldn’t move. First his skivvies, then his pants. Jenna swallowed. Oh, my. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. Her body exploded with heat.

Did you say something?

No. She needed to learn to keep her thoughts to herself. Embarrassed wouldn’t begin to cover the way she’d feel if he knew what went through her head, or how she’d lusted for him these last couple of months.

Well, spit it out. What does he want?

He didn’t say. He….

Dear gods. He turned around, dressed in his blue-and-gray camo pants, no shirt, his hot, happy trail staring at her again. She swallowed and averted her eyes. He said to hurry.

You don’t have any idea?

No. She shook her head. Jenna reached up and put her hand over her breast in an attempt to steady her heart. She had to get control of herself or she’d stroke out for sure. Focus. Breathe. One, one-thousand, two, one-thousand…. It almost worked.

Until he gave her a grin that would make most women’s panties drop. He said to hurry?

Shit. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and Jenna thought for sure she’d swoon. She glanced around in desperation, searching for another towel bar, not sure her knees would hold.

And you’ve no clue what he wants. He slipped a boot on and set his foot on a bench, yanking the laces tight.

Jenna honed in on the strange way he wore his boots. Peculiar. Why did he have wire double-laced into his boots—at least it appeared to be wire. She didn’t realize she was staring until Tyson butted into her zone-out.

Well?

Jenna jerked and pulled her attention from his boots. No, sir. He didn’t elaborate. He said to find you and drag you to the command deck, by force if necessary. With the way the muscles in his arms flexed, she doubted any force in the galaxy could budge the man if he didn’t want to be moved.

He switched feet. Tell me he’s finally got the help I asked for.

She shook her head again and gave him a quick smile. I don’t think that’s it, sir. He specifically said to light a fire under you. Except she hadn’t lit the fire, Tyson had, and it sure as hell wasn’t under him. Jenna shifted on her feet. More like a freaking inferno.

Tyson raised a brow. A fire?

Yes, sir.

He stood, grabbed his shirt, and draped it over his shoulder. Okay, let’s see what’s got the captain’s shorts in a knot.

***

How the fuck did we get a Betty attached to our hull? Jenna watched as Tyson spun around and paced back to a screen displaying a remote image. He grabbed the console and leaned forward. The disc-shaped black object stuck to the hull had the size and shape of a Betty, but, then again, they’d had false alarms before, and the object in question could be something else. Jenna kept her mouth shut—better to remain quiet and not express her opinion when the brothers disagreed about something.

I said it looks like a Betty.

Her exact thoughts.

The captain’s comment earned him a nasty glare from Tyson.

Jenna took a step back, moving closer to the door and a quick escape, if needed. Both brothers caught the movement and glanced at her. She froze and tucked her hands behind her back, waiting to be released from her shift. She’d been on duty for thirty-six hours and had gone past the need to hit her bunk. However, neither man seemed to notice she should have been off shift hours ago, nor did it appear they would anytime soon. With nothing better to do, she couldn’t help but listen.

Tyson had asked a good question. Since the Betty was a magnetic mine, and the skin of the mining scoop, Captain River’s ship consisted of a composite similar to ceramic tiles, but indestructible, and those tiles overlaid another skin made of aluminum, a mine shouldn’t stick to the hull. Ninety-eight percent chance the object up for discussion would be something else, and everyone on the command deck had an idea what the something else might be.

You know what I found last time. If I go out there, it damn well better be a mine. You have maintenance to pull the other duty.

Doody being the key word here. A smile tugged at Jenna’s lips, but she didn’t let it come. Any emotion expressed at this point could send the ordnance officer over the edge. The ship’s mech had found the object stuck to the hull while on a routine tune-up of the hydraulics. Since he used robotic remotes for basic maintenance, nobody could be certain what they saw on the screen. The image was grainy, and too much interference came from the asteroid field. The metals inside the asteroids often disrupted radio frequencies, as they had with the space cam. The only way to verify what they had stuck to the ship would be to go and investigate in person.

Whose ship is this?

Here we go. The male thumps his chest in challenge to the encroacher who has invaded his territory. Jenna shifted on her feet. Could she sneak out without their noticing? Doubtful when they’d caught her one-step retreat before. This matter didn’t really have anything to do with her. As the captain’s aide, she’d nothing to do with anything technical onboard the scoop. She didn’t want to get caught between the pair if they went at it again. The twins were notorious for their disagreements that started with fists and ended with beers in the Gold Digger’s pub.

I don’t know it’s not a mine, Jayson said. "I said it looks like one. I can’t take the chance it isn’t and send a mech out there. We can’t tell with the visual remote. You see the same damn thing I do, Tyson."

"If I get out there, Jayson, and find another party-patty from one of those cruise ships stuck to the side like a barnacle, I’m not going to be happy. I’ll bring that crap inside, and sometime in the next week, you’ll be sleeping with it. I’m ordnance, not a pooper-scooper. I’m getting sick of going out there and scraping shit off the hull. I’m already swamped. This is a waste of my time."

Uh-oh, first names. Not good. The last time the captain and the EOD officer got into one of their first name discussions, Jayson had pulled rank and put Tyson, the EOD officer, on kitchen duty. Pissed, Tyson burned every meal he cooked. The crew belched up charcoal for a week before Jayson caved into their pleas for mercy and pulled Tyson off galley patrol. The threat to put shit in the captain’s bed hadn’t gone unnoticed.

It also didn’t help they were brothers—identical-twin brothers, and Tyson the older of the two.

I’m not asking you to suit up and scrape shit off the side of the ship. I’m asking you to make sure it’s not a mine.

If you’d gotten me the help I asked for two months ago, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Someone else would be out there scraping the crap off the side.

"I told you another tech wasn’t in