Deadly Designs (Design Series) by Dale Mayer Page B

know what more to say to that. Paxton worked at his desk on the codexes How much had he heard? He'd stayed out of it so far, but they knew so much more about her world and she knew so little about theirs. "Sounds like both of our systems need overhauling. Not that I know much about your world."
    Paxton came over, the codexes in his hand. "And that might be for the best. If you are ever captured by your government and tortured for information, you won't have any to give them."
    Stilling, Storey sucked her cheeks in. Was Paxton kidding? Not that she'd ever heard him do so before. Still the thought of her government trying to get information out of her made her skin crawl.
    Her feelings must have shown on her face because Eric reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That's not going to happen." He smiled reassuringly at her.
    But what did he know?
    A small hand crept under hers. Tammy. Storey put on a happy face for her. Keeping her voice light and soothing, she said, "It's okay. Everything will be fine."
    "Hmpph. Says you," Paxton grumped, "You need to take her home before anyone else finds out she's here."
    "I'd like to. The longer she's away, the harder it is on her, too." Storey pulled off her sweater and set it on the chair. She picked up the codexes. "So Eric will be able to use these now? Easily?"
    Paxton went to speak then stopped. Storey stared at him but he silently pointed at the marks on her arm. She shrugged. "I don't know how, where, or when I got them."
    Luckily Paxton stayed quiet, thinking heavily if his furrowed brow and distant gaze was anything to go by. Storey exchanged looks with Eric. He raised one brow but stayed quiet.
    After a moment, Paxton continued as if the subject of her new honor marks had never been brought up. "Yes. I've recalibrated their functions. Everything is normal."
    "Perfect." She watched as Eric picked up the closest codex, his fingers checking the systems until he was satisfied they were working properly. "Are you good now?"
    "Yes." He clipped the first one on his wrist. Pushing the second one her way, he added, "Put that one on."
    As instructed, she clipped hers on. Tammy made ooing sounds at the shiny look of it. Together the two girls admired the flashy armband. Tammy held out her arm. Paxton shook his head hard enough for his hair to fly off in all directions again.
    Tammy's face puckered up.
    Eric's voice cut through the room. "Storey, look out."
    Just in time, Storey pulled a granola bar from her pocket. The shiny, brightly colored wrapper instantly caught Tammy's attention. Her eyes lit up and she grabbed it from Storey's hand. Turning it over and around, she admired all the colors.
    "I don't think she knows she can eat it."
    "You mean eat what's in it. We don't want her eating the wrap—"
    Tammy shoved one end of the bar, wrapper and all in her mouth and bit down.
    "Oh shit." Storey tried to take the bar away from her, but Tammy's eyes widened and her teeth clamped down even harder.
    Storey dug into her bag and dragged out a second bar. Sitting back in front of Tammy again, she ripped open one end and took the flat bars out. Tammy blinked, watching Storey's every move. Then Storey took a bite of one of the two bars, and put the bright wrapper on the table.
    In the sudden silence she realized several things. The first was that Tammy appeared to understand the concept of wrappers as she removed the packaged bar from her mouth and worked at ripping the end off like she'd seen Storey do; and two, the two men were staring at the spare half of the granola bar in her hand.
    Her gaze widened as Eric swallowed. With a big sigh, and realizing that males appeared to be the same whether in her dimension or Eric's, she held out the unbitten piece to Paxton and the half with the bite taken out of it to Eric.
    Both men accepted and bit into the treat; Eric, with obvious relish, and Paxton, with great interest but also trepidation. Eric had already eaten food at her house,