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“Go to bed, Laken. I’ll load the dishes into the cleaning unit. I have to go into the kitchen anyway. I’m going to order up one of those vitamin booster things for Winston and force him to drink it.”
Laken chucked. “I’m sure he’ll love that. Maybe I’ll make Teale drink an energy booster since he’s on duty tonight.”
As they turned the corner and made their way down the hallway where the guest suites were located, Talon leaned closer and asked, “What is going on with those two?”
“Which two?” She poked a finger at his arm playfully. “Yumi and Winston, or Laken and Teale?”
He heaved out a loud sigh. “What the hell is happening on my ship? I used to only have to worry about dealing with Cedric and Fadi’s relationship drama. Now, everyone else is pairing up. This is either going to be really amazing or a total fucking disaster.”
That made her chuckle. “I’d say it’s going to be an amazing disaster.”
“Not funny.”
“I think it is,” she countered with a smile. “They might not be fated mates, but there is true affection there.”
Before they arrived at the door to her quarters, she placed her hand on his arm. Like him, she was wearing a long sleeve black tunic and lounge pants made of a material that was as soft as a cloud. It had surprised her when he’d told her that most of her clothing had come from his family’s company.
She hadn’t realized it, but Starlight Designs provided all of the clothing for the recently released slaves and captives living at Exodus. Since the quality of the clothing was so good, Secret had continued to buy from that brand whenever she’d wanted something new.
Everyone who worked at Exodus also received a discount on everything they ordered. Talon told her that once his mother and sister found out that Secret was his keeper, her closet was always going to be packed with new things they made for her. That both thrilled and terrified her, not that she would ever admit that out loud.
“I was wondering where your quarters are.”
He stopped, giving her his full attention. “Are you hinting that you’d like to sleep alone tonight?”
Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t hint. I’m just curious. We’ve been staying in my quarters for the last few days, and I was wondering what your living space looked like.”
He smiled. “Then, I’ll show you.”
Rather than take the stairs, he guided her onto the lift. A few seconds later, they arrived on his floor two levels up. She and Yumi had been staying on the guest level, where they had limited access to the more private areas. The group had been using the dining room, kitchen area, and lounge on the guest level to make it easier on everyone, but Talon had already given her access to the rest of the vessel. She hadn’t really paid attention to that since she’d been too sick to wander around.
When they arrived at the double doors guarding his quarters, he waved her forward. Before she could even use her palm to unlock the doors, they slid open at her approach. She looked back with a raised brow, then made him laugh as she strutted inside as if the space belonged to her.
Well, it kind of did, she supposed.
While her guest suite was elegantly decorated, it had the sterile, cold feel of a place barely lived in. There was no personality there. Stepping into Talon’s quarters, she could immediately feel the difference.
They hadn’t turned the lights on, but they were flying close to a pink gas cloud that illuminated the room with a splash of vibrant color. It was the same setup as her suite, though the rooms were almost twice the size. Decorated in black and gray with a few silver accents here and there, his quarters should have seemed dark and oppressive. but it was actually the opposite.
There was a warm, relaxed atmosphere that she really liked. As she strolled around the living room, she got a better sense of how he lived. Talon wasn’t one of those messy beings who flung clothes around and left items scattered everywhere. He also wasn’t one of those super clean fanatics that didn’t allow any disorder in their space.
When she turned, she saw him leaning against the wall in a casual pose with his arms crossed over his broad chest. His lips were curved in that small, secretive smile she liked to think belonged to her alone. The space sickness she had been suffering from over the last few days might have been a blessing in disguise. Spending time together and getting to know him without the urgency of lust clouding her mind had been good for them.
She wanted him.
There was no denying that.
But her life hadn’t been easy, and she had countless triggers that were difficult to explain. Connecting through their unique abilities had lifted a weight off her heart and mind. He understood her, knew about her past, and yet, he still wanted her.
That was a gift beyond measure.
As she slowly approached him, he pushed off the wall and met her halfway across the room. He took one of her hands in his and gently rested his other hand on her hip, keeping his hold light. When he began to move them in a slow circle, she frowned.
“What are you doing?”
“Dancing.”
“What?” She choked on a baffled laugh. “Why are we dancing?”
