Enoch stopped and turned to face Jack. “Are we going to have a problem there?”
Jack stood his ground. “Are we going to have a problem about Aria and me?”
Enoch stood silently for a moment, looking Jack full in the face, but Jack did not move an inch, or lower his own gaze. “I think not,” concluded Enoch finally, resuming his walk, “but I suspect the less said about it, the better.”
“Agreed,” said Jack.
“Men,” muttered Quinn.
“All right,” said Madeline brightly, catching up to them from her trip to the bathroom, “what did I miss?”
“Nothing,” replied Jack and Enoch simultaneously.
Madeline frowned, and Quinn reached out to touch her arm gently. “You really didn’t,” she assured the CEO.
“So, what’s the plan, then?” asked Madeline.
“We’ll have to approach the system on stealth mode,” began Jack, adding proudly, “Fortunately, theMaracaibois very good at that. Once in system, we’ll reach out to Giles, and to Enoch’s men. Based on the information they provide, we’ll decide on our next move. We might have to do it quickly, though; I imagine that Tarma’s PDF will be sweeping the system pretty vigorously.”
“I’d like to suggest that at least some of us look to infiltrate the planet itself,” offered Madeline. “I want to contact Cornelius, Aurelian, Corbus, and if possible, Marc. I want to find out the status of the employees of the House. I am still responsible for their safety and well-being.”
“All of which really could be done from this ship,” observed Enoch.
“No,” responded Madeline firmly, “it cannot. I know the different parts of the House better than anyone on this ship. I’m going.”
“Then I’m going with you,” said Enoch.
“Well thank goodnessthat’ssettled,” observed Jack drily. “As much as I like a good fist fight planetside, I suspect that the best move for Aria and I is to stay here and coordinate from theMaracaibo. I’m a better rogue in space than I am as a landlubber.”
“Makes sense,” agreed Madeline, “as long as we maintain close contact. And on that subject, we’ll need to establish protocols for what happens if wedolose contact with each other. If we’d had those, we’d know where Marc is right now.”
“I’m sure we will find him,” said Jack.
“I wish I was,” sighed Madeline.
“At any rate, there’s nothing else to do for the moment; not until we reach Tarma in a day or so anyway,” said Jack. “I’ll have my techs generate some lost-contact protocols and distribute them. Madeline, I hope you’ll forgive the presumption, but I have you and Enoch quartered together. I can rearrange that if you wish.”
“I’m sure that will be fine,” responded Madeline, refusing to rise to the grin on her brother’s face.
“In which case,” concluded Jack, “I’ll have someone escort you to your quarters and look to see to see you this evening in the ship’s mess for dinner.”
***
“Well,” observed Madeline, turning around and taking in the rooms, “my brother does all right for himself with this ship, I’d say. I can only imagine whathisquarters look like.”
“I’ve stayed in worse,” replied Enoch, his tone sour.
“Then why is it,” she asked, “that when faced with the prospect of a shared bed with a gorgeous redhead, you sound like a little boy who’s been told to eat his vegetables?”
Enoch chuckled and shook his head ruefully. “You’re right,” he said, putting his arms around her and drawing her in to his body, “that’s a terrible attitude to have about dessert.” He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair.
“Come on then,” pressed Madeline, looking up at him, “why the long face?”
“I’m just having a hard time accepting that my daughter is all grown up, making her own decisions, living her own life. It sounds foolish, I know, but I planned things so carefully for her for so long, tried to build protective walls around her, and it all…” He waved his hands helplessly. “…it all came to nothing.”
Madeline reached up to undo the top button of his shirt. “First of all,” she offered, “my brother is a damn sight better than nothing. I’d never tell Jack to his face, but Aria is a very lucky woman to end up with such a good man, who clearly loves her so much. Secondly,” she continued, undoing the next button, “this ought to remind you about a basic fact about the universe, which I’m sure you’ve learned before; which is that all of our plans come to nothing if things are meant to go another way. And finally,” added Madeline, undoing a third button and pressing her lips in soft kisses on his hard chest, “if you keep thinking of anyone else other than me in this moment, I might have to kill you.”
Her little kisses on his bare skin were having an effect. Madeline could feel a shiver pass through his strong body. Enoch’s hands tightened on her back, and one slid down to cup and squeeze her ass. “You make a strong argument,” he rumbled, deep in his chest. Even as he gripped her ass firmly, his other hand slid up to the back of her head, tugging her hair and pulling her head back for his kiss.
