fixed.”
“Fascinating,” I said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to catch some sleep.“
“I upgraded the procedure to get night vision as well.”
“Well, good for you.” It was a costly procedure, but pilots went to great length to be the best at their profession. I’d considered it myself, but so far, the risks outweighed the benefits. But his dark eyes hadn’t suffered, hadn’t lost their spark or turned lifeless. Thank the stars. “That all?”
“No,” he said, sounding amused for reasons beyond me.
I pushed the sheets away from me, got up. “I’m not tired after all. I’ll grab a drink downstairs.” I slipped into my boots, not planning to return before morning broke. I’d go crazy with unfulfilled lust otherwise.
“Kyra?”
I fumbled around in the dark, snapped my belt closed and pocketed my weapon. He said my name again, and I spun around, taking a deep breath before I calmly said, “Yes?”
“You’re not going downstairs to get laid, are you?”
“None of your fucking business,” I said, my heart pounding in my throat, then laughed to take the sting out of my words. I was already at the door when he closed his hands around my shoulders. I hadn’t even heard him move.
“I can’t let you do that,” he said, his breath warm at my neck. “It’s too dangerous downstairs.”
“I’ve been in worse places,” I said. “Simply imagine that I’m a guy, Garrett, if that makes you feel better.” I shook off his hands. “Don’t treat me like I’m a little girl.”
“That’s the last thing I want to do,” he said in a matter-of-fact voice. “Remember, night vision? I saw how you looked at me.”
I blinked, puzzled, turned around but couldn’t make out the look on his face in the dark. “What are you talking— Oh,” I said, my mind scrambling for a witty line that would bring us back to the comfortable level of communication we usually shared.
“There’s something I wanted to do for a while,” he said, his fingers sneaking around my neck, pulling me close, brushing his mouth across mine.
“Don’t,” I whispered, thinking about my stupid rule as he snapped open my belt. “It will fuck up everything.”
Chapter Two
Ten weeks later
It was still in the middle of the night when I left my apartment. I picked up the sleep-aid Jana would need for a relaxed flight then grabbed a cab to fly me directly to the docks. At fifty stories above the ground, the chilled night wind whipped mercilessly across my face. I paid the cab, took a deep breath, wondering what the next days would bring me.
I’d lie if I didn’t admit to myself that I was excited. Dezra. I’d never imagined that I’d be able to visit the planet. One just didn’t waltz uninvited into Dezrian territory. Few pilots could boast that they went there and lived to tell the tale. I’d already prepared my girl, my glider, for the trip, stored away a few personal items, so there was nothing else to do than wait for Jana to arrive.
Across from the docks, a three-story-high screen blared the news into the night, and it was Jana’s face that flickered across the screen. High ranking Dezrian takes Earth-born commoner as wife. For thirty-two credits, I could download the complete story that promised some juicy gossip on top of it. It made me grin. I had a minor celebrity as a friend.
I wondered if Garrett would ever make the news, and if this would be how I’d see him again. On a three-story-high screen while I stood shivering in the cold. Alone.
That night, that cursed night ten weeks ago…
We overstepped boundaries that night. I knew sleeping with him would fuck up everything good we had. I knew that our relationship would end up shipwrecked. But I had thought that it would happen gradually until we couldn’t stand working together anymore. What I hadn’t counted on was that it would happen overnight. That waking up the next morning, alone and abandoned, would destroy my heart.
My eyes teared and I
“Fascinating,” I said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to catch some sleep.“
“I upgraded the procedure to get night vision as well.”
“Well, good for you.” It was a costly procedure, but pilots went to great length to be the best at their profession. I’d considered it myself, but so far, the risks outweighed the benefits. But his dark eyes hadn’t suffered, hadn’t lost their spark or turned lifeless. Thank the stars. “That all?”
“No,” he said, sounding amused for reasons beyond me.
I pushed the sheets away from me, got up. “I’m not tired after all. I’ll grab a drink downstairs.” I slipped into my boots, not planning to return before morning broke. I’d go crazy with unfulfilled lust otherwise.
“Kyra?”
I fumbled around in the dark, snapped my belt closed and pocketed my weapon. He said my name again, and I spun around, taking a deep breath before I calmly said, “Yes?”
“You’re not going downstairs to get laid, are you?”
“None of your fucking business,” I said, my heart pounding in my throat, then laughed to take the sting out of my words. I was already at the door when he closed his hands around my shoulders. I hadn’t even heard him move.
“I can’t let you do that,” he said, his breath warm at my neck. “It’s too dangerous downstairs.”
“I’ve been in worse places,” I said. “Simply imagine that I’m a guy, Garrett, if that makes you feel better.” I shook off his hands. “Don’t treat me like I’m a little girl.”
“That’s the last thing I want to do,” he said in a matter-of-fact voice. “Remember, night vision? I saw how you looked at me.”
I blinked, puzzled, turned around but couldn’t make out the look on his face in the dark. “What are you talking— Oh,” I said, my mind scrambling for a witty line that would bring us back to the comfortable level of communication we usually shared.
“There’s something I wanted to do for a while,” he said, his fingers sneaking around my neck, pulling me close, brushing his mouth across mine.
“Don’t,” I whispered, thinking about my stupid rule as he snapped open my belt. “It will fuck up everything.”
Chapter Two
Ten weeks later
It was still in the middle of the night when I left my apartment. I picked up the sleep-aid Jana would need for a relaxed flight then grabbed a cab to fly me directly to the docks. At fifty stories above the ground, the chilled night wind whipped mercilessly across my face. I paid the cab, took a deep breath, wondering what the next days would bring me.
I’d lie if I didn’t admit to myself that I was excited. Dezra. I’d never imagined that I’d be able to visit the planet. One just didn’t waltz uninvited into Dezrian territory. Few pilots could boast that they went there and lived to tell the tale. I’d already prepared my girl, my glider, for the trip, stored away a few personal items, so there was nothing else to do than wait for Jana to arrive.
Across from the docks, a three-story-high screen blared the news into the night, and it was Jana’s face that flickered across the screen. High ranking Dezrian takes Earth-born commoner as wife. For thirty-two credits, I could download the complete story that promised some juicy gossip on top of it. It made me grin. I had a minor celebrity as a friend.
I wondered if Garrett would ever make the news, and if this would be how I’d see him again. On a three-story-high screen while I stood shivering in the cold. Alone.
That night, that cursed night ten weeks ago…
We overstepped boundaries that night. I knew sleeping with him would fuck up everything good we had. I knew that our relationship would end up shipwrecked. But I had thought that it would happen gradually until we couldn’t stand working together anymore. What I hadn’t counted on was that it would happen overnight. That waking up the next morning, alone and abandoned, would destroy my heart.
My eyes teared and I
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