people who could afford a summer getaway. Had she come from a wealthy family? Why was she living in a tiny apartment if her family had money?
And then there was the issue of her father. Did she realize the man she called Dad wasn’t her biological parent?
Tucking into his meal, he made pleasant conversation and hoped not to rouse her suspicions. “Your father enjoyed the sea?”
She shook her head and swallowed her tiny bite. “He couldn’t stand it so he spent most of his time at the casino there. My mother loved the ocean and the beach so we would have girls-only days on the sand. She said being at that seaside hotel reminded her of the happiest summer of her life.”
“And what summer was that?”
“The one where she and my dad made me,” Dizzy said with a sweet smile.
His gut clenched. She clearly had no idea what her mother had truly meant and he wasn’t about to be the one who burst her happy little bubble. Not yet at least. The truth would come out soon but he had to find an easier way to deliver it.
Speaking to Risk as soon as possible jumped to the top of his list of priorities. He didn’t want the surgeon to reveal the information about her DNA before he had a chance to prepare her. Dizzy needed a little time to get used to being his mate and living in this new society before he started tearing into the wall of secrets between her and her parents.
“Can we visit Blue Shores?”
He didn’t miss the hopefulness in her voice. “Sure. It will have to wait a few months. We can’t possibly get the travel clearance while I’m on honeymoon leave but I’ll file the permits and work it into my schedule.”
“I think you’ll like it there.” She stabbed her fork through some of the leafy greens. “I want you to see it the way it is now, just a sleepy, easy place, before they build that monstrosity of a base down there.”
Venom heard the distaste in her voice. “We need a land-based center of operations for this sector. From what I understand, the Blue Shores community welcomed the possibility of a base there and the financial incentives that come with it.”
Her shoulders bounced. “They’re not like the rest of our settlements on Calyx. They’re a fairly autonomous group out there. They were the first to break away when our ancestors were given the planet by your people. Long before the settlers who founded Connor’s Run,” she added. “You’ll understand more about them when we visit. They’re just…different.”
A thrill of excitement rippled through him at the thought of going on vacation with Dizzy. He’d never really had a true vacation. Oh, he took mandatory leave like every other soldier, but he generally coordinated with Raze or Menace or some of his other SRU buddies to hit up one of the pleasure ports. Sex, gambling, sports, films—it started off fun enough but by the third or fourth day he started to dread getting out of his bed. It was so…empty.
Of course, going on vacation with Dizzy meant he would have a much better reason for not wanting to get out of bed. Technically they were in bed now and Venom didn’t want to budge. He eyed the reclining chair where visitors were supposed to sleep.
Not a chance in hell…
Chapter Six
A short time later, Dizzy anxiously eyed the closed bathroom door. Any second Venom would step out of there freshly showered…and then what?
She twirled some of her hair around her finger and thought about the dinner. In some ways it had been very much like a first date. Except that it had taken place in a hospital bed while she was half-dressed and looking like a hot mess.
As she played with her hair, the scent of the shampoo provided by the hospital wafted toward her nose. It wasn’t unpleasant but it was a bit too stringent and manly for her tastes. Surely they had stores that sold feminine soaps and shampoos? She hoped so—otherwise Venom was going to have to get used to snuggling up to a girl who smelled like one of his
And then there was the issue of her father. Did she realize the man she called Dad wasn’t her biological parent?
Tucking into his meal, he made pleasant conversation and hoped not to rouse her suspicions. “Your father enjoyed the sea?”
She shook her head and swallowed her tiny bite. “He couldn’t stand it so he spent most of his time at the casino there. My mother loved the ocean and the beach so we would have girls-only days on the sand. She said being at that seaside hotel reminded her of the happiest summer of her life.”
“And what summer was that?”
“The one where she and my dad made me,” Dizzy said with a sweet smile.
His gut clenched. She clearly had no idea what her mother had truly meant and he wasn’t about to be the one who burst her happy little bubble. Not yet at least. The truth would come out soon but he had to find an easier way to deliver it.
Speaking to Risk as soon as possible jumped to the top of his list of priorities. He didn’t want the surgeon to reveal the information about her DNA before he had a chance to prepare her. Dizzy needed a little time to get used to being his mate and living in this new society before he started tearing into the wall of secrets between her and her parents.
“Can we visit Blue Shores?”
He didn’t miss the hopefulness in her voice. “Sure. It will have to wait a few months. We can’t possibly get the travel clearance while I’m on honeymoon leave but I’ll file the permits and work it into my schedule.”
“I think you’ll like it there.” She stabbed her fork through some of the leafy greens. “I want you to see it the way it is now, just a sleepy, easy place, before they build that monstrosity of a base down there.”
Venom heard the distaste in her voice. “We need a land-based center of operations for this sector. From what I understand, the Blue Shores community welcomed the possibility of a base there and the financial incentives that come with it.”
Her shoulders bounced. “They’re not like the rest of our settlements on Calyx. They’re a fairly autonomous group out there. They were the first to break away when our ancestors were given the planet by your people. Long before the settlers who founded Connor’s Run,” she added. “You’ll understand more about them when we visit. They’re just…different.”
A thrill of excitement rippled through him at the thought of going on vacation with Dizzy. He’d never really had a true vacation. Oh, he took mandatory leave like every other soldier, but he generally coordinated with Raze or Menace or some of his other SRU buddies to hit up one of the pleasure ports. Sex, gambling, sports, films—it started off fun enough but by the third or fourth day he started to dread getting out of his bed. It was so…empty.
Of course, going on vacation with Dizzy meant he would have a much better reason for not wanting to get out of bed. Technically they were in bed now and Venom didn’t want to budge. He eyed the reclining chair where visitors were supposed to sleep.
Not a chance in hell…
Chapter Six
A short time later, Dizzy anxiously eyed the closed bathroom door. Any second Venom would step out of there freshly showered…and then what?
She twirled some of her hair around her finger and thought about the dinner. In some ways it had been very much like a first date. Except that it had taken place in a hospital bed while she was half-dressed and looking like a hot mess.
As she played with her hair, the scent of the shampoo provided by the hospital wafted toward her nose. It wasn’t unpleasant but it was a bit too stringent and manly for her tastes. Surely they had stores that sold feminine soaps and shampoos? She hoped so—otherwise Venom was going to have to get used to snuggling up to a girl who smelled like one of his
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