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She’d been tempted to think it was just a fluke—after all, he might have been on her end of the Mother Ship that morning and had just decided to stop for a quick work out. But as it turned out, that wasn’t the only place he turned up.
The next day, she’d been having lunch with Kat and her friends Liv and Sophie, who were twins, at a new spot aboard the Mother Ship that featured food from Twin Moons. Seline had a forkful of grieza worms—which tasted exactly like dark chocolate—halfway to her mouth when she’d spied him sitting in a corner, watching her.
They had locked eyes for a moment…and then he had looked down at the menu without speaking or waving.
The same thing kept happening over and over—Nox showing up in unexpected places. If she hadn’t known better, Seline would have thought her Protector was stalking her. But when she’d confronted him about it, he had simply said that he took his job protecting her seriously and he wanted to be certain she was safe at all times.
“I’m perfectly safe aboard the Mother Ship,” Seline had pointed out. “I mean, are you afraid I’ll fall off the elliptical machine or choke on a grieza worm?”
“All possibilities must be accounted for,” was Nox’s stoic reply. “Accidents and danger can happen at any time.”
“Oh, really?” Seline had put a hand on her full hip. “Well, maybe you’d like to follow me around my suite so you can watch over me there too! You know, in case I cut myself slicing veggies or slip in the shower?”
For a moment, his silver eyes had gone almost half-lidded.
“Do you want me to watch you in the shower, Seline?” he had rumbled.
“No, of course not!” she’d snapped, feeling unaccountably flustered. If she didn’t know better, she might almost think her huge Protector was flirting with her! But of course, that couldn’t be right—it would be completely out of character for Nox.
But despite showing up wherever she was on many occasions, her Protector still hadn’t shown any real emotion towards her. Well, other than the extra-long kiss on her panties during their last visit to Yonnie Six, Seline reminded herself. And that might have been her imagination.
She was determined to keep trying, though. And in the meantime, she was having fun playing this harmless little game with Nox.
“Oh, here they come,” Kat murmured in her ear. “Are you ready for the meeting?”
“Of course.” Kat smiled at her friend and sat up straighter in her chair, making sure the moss green silk blouse and black pencil skirt she was wearing were straight. She liked to look her best and most professional for these meetings…and of course, she liked to look her best for Nox.
It would be interesting to learn more about their next mission—maybe she might even push him into a tiny expression of emotion while they were out there, gallivanting around the galaxy together.
A girl could dream, right?
THREE
NOX
“So, we’re all gathered to talk about the trip to Beselex Station to retrieve the second half of the Far Box,” Commander Sylvan said, settling himself behind his desk. Nox took the chair beside Seline, who had Kat to her right. “Are you both ready to go?” he asked them.
“I am prepared,” Nox said, nodding ascent.
“I’m ready but I have a few questions,” Seline said. “What exactly is this artifact we’re bargaining for? I mean, does it do anything or does it just have value as a Kindred antiquity? Also, how much do you want me to spend for it? I mean, what’s the upper limit—I don’t want to go too far.”
“I’m glad you asked but I’m afraid I don’t have many answers for you—at least not about the Far Box. It’s such an ancient relic we don’t really know what it does—or if it does anything at all,” Sylvan answered. “Though there are stories in our most ancient archives on First World of it altering space or time in some way—which is why the High Council thought it was best that we have it in our possession, for safe keeping.”
“It alters space and time?” Seline’s big brown eyes got even bigger with interest and she leaned forward. As she did, Nox caught a whiff of her scent—not the perfume she sometimes wore, but the enticing, feminine scent of her skin and her long, silky hair. For some reason, it caused his shaft to become partially erect and he had to shift uncomfortably in his seat, trying to ease the pressure.
He frowned to himself—why would a scent affect him in this way? Why was it that the curvy little female was always affecting him in unexpected and sometimes unwelcome ways? If he had emotions, he might almost suppose that this phenomenon was irritating to him, but of course, that was impossible.
