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It took him a moment to register the other person at the table—a sturdy woman a bit older than him. She said something and Kaia’s entire face lit up in that way he got a brief glimpse of on the needlefin, when the thermaview first opened up to show her an infinite field of open space. When her lips parted in an open-mouthed laugh, the spines on his neck itched.
How dare she sit there and have a good time when he just spent half an hour looking for her at the expense of his plans? For someone who'd just come from a shithole, his princess sure was incongruously entitled.
Maybe it wasn’t that. Maybe she was doing it to spite him. To goad him.
And then her head turned, as if she felt the anger radiating from Orion’s every pore on the other side of the glass. The laugh froze, cut short as a shadow fell over the glimmer in her eye. Her shoulders lifted a little. Her foot stopped bouncing as he stalked toward the entrance, and that only made it worse. Some random server could get that open, pleasant side of her, but not him. Not the man who saved her from a fucking wreck of a station. Not the man who just changed her life.
CHAPTER20
KAIA
She should’ve been expecting it. Kaia knew she wouldn’t be left alone forever. Reality just had to smack her over the head again, and it looked like a 6’7” part-alien glaring at her through the pane of glass.
Kaia rubbed her eyes. She was so tired of being on edge, just waiting for that menacing presence to come looking for her. Riker 109 hadn’t exactly been a relaxing lifestyle either, but at least she knew her place there. And where to hide to get some peace and quiet.
Kaia focused on her empty plate as Orion appeared in her peripheral vision.
“Good morning, princess.” His voice was a raw husk grating on her nerves.
Dolores, who had been regaling Kaia with stories of life on a colony for the last hour, was already on her feet. She wiped her hands on her apron and then held one out to Orion for that shaking thing colonists did.
“Mr. Halen! Great to see you back.”
Orion didn't return the greeting, focusing instead on his prey. The feet of Kaia’s chair screeched against the floor as she stood.
“Good morning, Mr. Halen.” Kaia held out her hand.
For a long few seconds, Kaia thought he wasn’t going to take it. He was mad, that much was clear. Was it her accepting food without paying for it? Did he think the debt would fall back on him? Did she use too much H2O?
But as he watched her outstretched hand, his brows unfurled and the glacial shadows in his eyes melted slowly into something like amusement. The firm clenching of his fingers around hers cinched her racing mind firmly to the sensation of his palm searing hot against hers. Was he always like that? Hot?
Dolores was busy offering Orion the chair she’d been sitting in. “Kaia, this is Orion Halen, the heir—”
“She knows who I am.” The corner of Orion’s mouth twitched. “Or I should hope so, being my fiancé. You seem to be feeling better, princess?”
Kaia saw the cogs turning in Dolores’s eyes. Her brow creased when she glanced at Kaia. With worry or skepticism or both, Kaia wasn't sure behind the resolute smile plastered on her face.
“Much better, thank you,” Kaia said.
Dolores leaped into action, gathering the empty plates strewn around the table, stacking them along her forearm. The heat of Orion’s palm against her lingered after he released it. His touch had this way of crawling through her and settling, heavy, in her stomach.
“How much do we owe you?” Orion turned to Dolores.
So that was it. He was upset about the payment.
“Oh, nothing, of course,” Dolores bustled. “I told her it was my pleasure. Even more so now, knowing I just fed our future commander’s wife her first breakfast onColossal.” She threw Kaia a wink.
Nodding without surprise, Orion made for the exit. “Let’s go.”
Kaia bristled at the callous instruction. Like he justassumedshe’d follow. Like he could order her around.
Well, he can.
Kaia nodded her thanks to Dolores and followed.
CHAPTER21
ORION
