Page 61 of Meteor Storm

“To training chamber.”

“Training? Now?”

Just then, we turned a corner into a massive room alight with holographic charts, stats, and an array of 3D landscapes across an uneven floor. And only one figure occupied the space, his hand moving casually over a control screen of some kind near the far wall. In his other hand was a weapon of some sort, it’s blade glowing.

“Thilar,” Sunhai called from the doorway.

He glanced over his shoulder at us, a subtle sheen of sweat coating his bare chest.

Sunhai gestured toward me, leaning herself lazily against the doorframe.

“She wanted to see you,” she said. “And I believe it is time to stop avoiding your duties.”

I whipped my head toward her. “I didn’t say I wanted to see him.”

Heat flooded my cheeks again and I knew they were turning bright red at the mere notion.

Thilar turned his whole body toward us and started slowly heading in my direction, a pair of black fatigues hugging his muscular legs far too tightly for me not to notice. Sunhai sighed, bored, and spun around, heading back out into the hall as if she smelled something delicious and left us alone.

“Sunhai,” I complained.

“He is supposed to take care of you. Not me,” she waved over her shoulder.

Swallowing nervously, I glanced back at Thilar as his thumb pressed something on the hilt of his weapon, causing the holographic blade to disappear. His snake-like eyes looked me up and down as if searching for an injury.

“Are you alright?” he asked.”

“Yeah, of course I am,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “I don’t know why Sunhai brought me here. I just wanted to see the crew side of the ship.”

“I know why she brought you.” He straightened, somehow looking taller than he already was. “I was ordered to look after you. Admittedly, however, I needed to gather my thoughts before I could effectively do that.”

I locked eyes with him, biting my tongue to keep from blurting something out that might get me in trouble.

“You were charged with taking care of me?”

“Yuros believes I’m better suited because I took time to study your wrist device. And… because we were close on Mekah Prime.”

“I mean… he has a point. I don’t want to be anyone’s burden, though. Trust me. If you don’t have the time, I know where the baths are. I know where food is. I—”

“It is not a burden to look after you, Penny.”

“Ok, then where have you been?” I slipped, snapping my mouth shut as soon as I said it.

I sounded like a bitter wife.

Thilar did not back down from my tone, though. He just studied my face, watching every little micromovement in my expression in a manner that would have been creepy and uncomfortable were it anyone else. But, because it was him, I just felt warmth.

“As I said, I needed a little time to find my bearings,” he said softly. “To assume responsibility for you, I wanted to have a clear mind.”

I had no idea what that meant, but I didn’t have the composure to wonder about it at the moment. His mere presence and his proximity were clouding my head. The smell of him—masculine and rugged from hard physical activity—was making my pulse quicken.

I needed the conversation to lighten up.

Without my clothes, I suspected that room was cold as ice. I could feel it on my face and as I looked around, I noticed the holographic landscape had changed already from when we walked in. It looked more mountainous and crowded with trees, the tops of which disappeared into the ceiling.

“What is this place?”

“This is a training simulation.”