GALLANT (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 3) by Marilyn Campbell
Authors: Marilyn Campbell
Ads: Link
clean sheets on Mar-Dot's bunk. She couldn't help but wonder if Gallant would fall right to sleep or if their unexpected moment of passion would replay itself in his head, as it was doing in hers.
She had told him her analysis about why it had happened. Emotional overflow could make a normally sensible person behave strangely. But she hadn't admitted aloud that nothing quite like that had ever happened to her before. It was bad enough that she had been crawling all over him as if she hadn't seen a man in twenty years!
* * *
That day set a pattern for those that followed, with Gallant and Cherry sleeping at the same time. Mar-Dot spent time teaching her about navigation and how the ship operated, and Gallant occupied her with endless games of cubit.
They told each other tales of people they knew and places they'd been but cautiously avoided anything too personal that might trigger an emotional response.
Cherry thought that if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't trust him any further than she could throw him, she and Gallant could have become friends. But that wasn't the only problem. The tension humming between them since the incident prevented either one from totally relaxing. She was constantly aware of how careful Gallant was being not to touch her or meet her gaze for more than a second or two and that only made her all the more curious about what had happened and why he had called a halt to it so abruptly.
Gallant was the one who suggested they play cubit for points rather than wagers but Cherry was quick to agree. So it surprised her when, two days later, he challenged her with another bet.
"A five-game match. If I win," he stated, "you agree to cooperate with anything I ask when we reach Zoenid."
Naturally she was suspicious of why he would change his mind about playing for stakes but since she had won more games than he had, she figured it was worth a shot. "And I'll claim the same forfeit I did before. If I beat you, you spill the beans about your eye patch." His dismayed look made her laugh. "You should be able to figure that expression out on your own. You know, by the end of this trip, I'm liable to have you speaking American like a native. So? Is it a bet?"
He gave her one of his slow grins that she had already learned to be wary of. "Absolutely."
The similarity of this match to the one that had ended so emotionally was uncanny. They were tied going into the fifth game when Gallant miraculously began rolling quads again. In practically no time, he managed to win the match... and her promise to help with his mission in any way he requested.
On her sixth day in space, Cherry awoke before Gallant for the first time. Except for very short periods, she and Mar-Dot had rarely been alone together. As she had once before, Dot wasted no time taking advantage of the opportunity.
"I see you are still determined to share our bunk rather than the captain's."
Cherry held up a warning finger in front of Dot. "Don't start that. This ship is too small for you to pretend you don't know exactly what is going on between Gallant and me. If it wasn't for this mission of his, he'd hand me over to the first passing ship to get me out of his hair."
Dot started to argue then changed her mind. "At least you are getting along now. Have you agreed to assist him on Zoenid?"
With a sly smile, Cherry confessed. "I was planning to help ever since he explained the situation to me but I didn't tell him until last night... right after he creamed me. Beat me," she amended for Dot's sake, but it didn't alter her look of confusion. "At cubit."
"Oh, yes," Dot said with a relieved nod. "I understand you have become quite a formidable player."
"Ha! I thought so too, but the two times we played for more than fun, he's won. I have never seen anybody as lucky as Gallant. It's almost as if he can order those cubes to come up any color he needs. I'm telling you, it's really bizarre."
Dot smirked. "Hmmph. There is nothing uncanny about it.
She had told him her analysis about why it had happened. Emotional overflow could make a normally sensible person behave strangely. But she hadn't admitted aloud that nothing quite like that had ever happened to her before. It was bad enough that she had been crawling all over him as if she hadn't seen a man in twenty years!
* * *
That day set a pattern for those that followed, with Gallant and Cherry sleeping at the same time. Mar-Dot spent time teaching her about navigation and how the ship operated, and Gallant occupied her with endless games of cubit.
They told each other tales of people they knew and places they'd been but cautiously avoided anything too personal that might trigger an emotional response.
Cherry thought that if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't trust him any further than she could throw him, she and Gallant could have become friends. But that wasn't the only problem. The tension humming between them since the incident prevented either one from totally relaxing. She was constantly aware of how careful Gallant was being not to touch her or meet her gaze for more than a second or two and that only made her all the more curious about what had happened and why he had called a halt to it so abruptly.
Gallant was the one who suggested they play cubit for points rather than wagers but Cherry was quick to agree. So it surprised her when, two days later, he challenged her with another bet.
"A five-game match. If I win," he stated, "you agree to cooperate with anything I ask when we reach Zoenid."
Naturally she was suspicious of why he would change his mind about playing for stakes but since she had won more games than he had, she figured it was worth a shot. "And I'll claim the same forfeit I did before. If I beat you, you spill the beans about your eye patch." His dismayed look made her laugh. "You should be able to figure that expression out on your own. You know, by the end of this trip, I'm liable to have you speaking American like a native. So? Is it a bet?"
He gave her one of his slow grins that she had already learned to be wary of. "Absolutely."
The similarity of this match to the one that had ended so emotionally was uncanny. They were tied going into the fifth game when Gallant miraculously began rolling quads again. In practically no time, he managed to win the match... and her promise to help with his mission in any way he requested.
On her sixth day in space, Cherry awoke before Gallant for the first time. Except for very short periods, she and Mar-Dot had rarely been alone together. As she had once before, Dot wasted no time taking advantage of the opportunity.
"I see you are still determined to share our bunk rather than the captain's."
Cherry held up a warning finger in front of Dot. "Don't start that. This ship is too small for you to pretend you don't know exactly what is going on between Gallant and me. If it wasn't for this mission of his, he'd hand me over to the first passing ship to get me out of his hair."
Dot started to argue then changed her mind. "At least you are getting along now. Have you agreed to assist him on Zoenid?"
With a sly smile, Cherry confessed. "I was planning to help ever since he explained the situation to me but I didn't tell him until last night... right after he creamed me. Beat me," she amended for Dot's sake, but it didn't alter her look of confusion. "At cubit."
"Oh, yes," Dot said with a relieved nod. "I understand you have become quite a formidable player."
"Ha! I thought so too, but the two times we played for more than fun, he's won. I have never seen anybody as lucky as Gallant. It's almost as if he can order those cubes to come up any color he needs. I'm telling you, it's really bizarre."
Dot smirked. "Hmmph. There is nothing uncanny about it.
Similar Books
