AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh. Thank you.”
Py gestured at me. “Ensign, please remove the tracker from him, and then let the duty sergeant know I’m canceling my order for an escort.”
“Yes, sir.” Ensign Codisin gave me a grin as they used a little key-like device to pop the lock on my tracking device. It gave a resigned beep and dropped into their hand. It had felt like I’d been wearing a watch and now I rubbed the blank spot. With another smile, the ensign walked away. Would I ever see them again?
And it was then that I realized I’d been so enmeshed in my worrying thoughts that I’d missed the fact that Py and I were alone in the hallway. “Sorry about that,” I said to him. “I was…thinking,” but I made a spiraling gesture with my hand.
He caught my hand and held it as he turned around to keep walking. “You aren’t a suspect and no one will question your loyalties. Your interview aired moments before you arrived in my office, so I assume the prince and his mate have seen it by now.”
I cringed. “So you haven’t seen it yet?”
“No.” He briefly squeezed my hand. “I won’t if you would prefer that I didn’t.”
“You know the most painful parts, so I guess you can if you want to.”
His thumb rubbed back and forth across my knuckles as we passed through a guarded doorway. The two… Dammit, what were the lizard-like Norlons called? I couldn’t remember, but they were dressed in uniforms that looked more combat-ready. They didn’t even glance at us as we passed, which made me feel like I really was in the clear.
Walking a little taller, I stuck by Py’s side as we approached a door. Py touched a panel that beeped at him, and a moment later the door slid open. I’d been expecting opulence, but the prince’s quarters weren’t any fancier than Py’s.
Py handled the introductions, and I was surprised when the prince reached for my hand.
“Please know that you have my condolences for the loss of your father.”
I blinked up at him as he held my hand in both of his and gazed back at me with such sympathy in his bright blue eyes. Was he really separating the person from their acts? It felt like forgiveness and acceptance and maybe especially permission to mourn my father despite what he’d done. He’d been a good man once. A good father. Tears gathered and I had to look away as I nodded in thanks.
Logan put his hand on my back and said, “How about we get a drink, and then I can find a way to exploit your talents?”
His grin made me smile back. “Yeah, okay.”
Py and the prince went over to a table and talked in low voices, while I followed Logan over to a small bar.
“So, Owen, do you want one drink that will knock your socks off, or a few that’ll define the word mellow?”
I huffed a laugh. “Let’s go with mellow. I could use some of that.”
“I hear ya.”
While he got glasses and poured a subtly pink liquid from a pitcher, I realized there was a hint of sex in the air. Was that me? My face exploded with heat as I tried to sniff without being obvious about it. We should’ve gone back to Py’s quarters and showered. How embarrassing! I’d have to keep my distance from Logan so he wouldn’t notice. Oh my god, did the wolf-looking prince have a better sense of smell? We were doomed.
“Let’s have a seat,” Logan said as he handed me my glass.
I followed him over to a pair of plush black chairs and sat down, hoping he couldn’t tell I was a slut.
“Can I ask you something personal?” Logan whispered.
I stared at him with concern and nodded.
He glanced at our Norlons before looking again at me. “Does it smell like sex in here?”
I gasped in horror. “I’m so sorry. We should’ve showered first.” I covered my mouth for a second. “I didn’t even notice until a minute ago.”
Logan laughed. “Oh, shit, I meant because that’s what we were doing before you got here!”
I stared at him with my mouth hanging open. It wasn’t just me?
“Okay, so…” He snickered and sipped his drink. “Never mind then. Alam was running around setting the air filters on high, but I guess he didn’t need to worry about it.”
My face didn’t stop flaming, but relief washed through me. “Well, it’s subtle which is why I thought it might be me. Those cleaning cloths can only do so much, you know?”
