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Orion looked skeptical, and rightly so. Not forty-eight hours ago, he was assaulting her and forcing her to drink his drool.
“I just figured… I figured I’ve been kind of a bitch to you lately.”
Kaia cringed at the words she forced from her mouth. Not that it wasn’t true, just that he fucking deserved it.
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter.” She munched on another fry, licking the salt from her fingers. “Your mom made it clear that my only job is to keep you nice and distracted.”
“What do you mean, she wants you to keep me distracted?”
Maybe she wasn’t so bad at this after all.
Kaia shrugged, extracting another fry from the box between them. “She just said I should keep you…happy, you know. So you wouldn’t ask too many questions, I guess.”
Orion’s nostrils flared. “She’s been shutting me out of those meetings. Something fucked up is happening here. She’s hiding something.”
“Well, I got that sense too, but I didn't want to assume…” Kaia prodded the opening. “I just thought you should know.”
Orion narrowed his eyes. “Why? You seemed to get along just fine with my mother before.”
“Orion, I’m not an idiot. I know she’s just using me. I do really think she wants what’s best for you though. Or at least for everyone on this ship.” Kaia hastened to add. She couldn’t betoodisparaging. “But I’m on your side here. You’re gonna be the one running this place when she’s gone, not Mare Halena.”
Shit, was that too much? Too out of character? Orion considered her for a few excruciating seconds.
Suddenly remembering the apparently crucial part of the conversation, Orion turned back to Kaia. “So how were you planning on keeping me happy?”
Kaia rolled her eyes, setting the empty fry carton aside.
CHAPTER41
ORION
Something was different, and Orion was quite certain he knew what it was. Kaia had just needed a firm hand to guide her to reason. What he did on theZenith, showing her how good he could make her feel and punishing her swiftly and decisively for insubordination, had put her in her place.
It wasn’t that she liked it… maybe not consciously. It was just that she responded to a dominant approach. He felt like an idiot for not having figured it out sooner. So much time wasted.
Now she was blushing at the thought of keeping him “happy” in a way that pleased him immensely.
Orion caught her gaze, enjoying the way her face grew redder still. The corners of her eyes tightened when he reached out to palm her cheek, but she didn’t withdraw. She focused instead on a point at his wrist as he stroked her freckled skin.
So she went to his mother asking to help. Did she truly develop some faith in their mission? Or did she just want to look like a good little wife-to-be? Didn’t matter. Maybe he could use the help. Luckily for him, his mother punted her back into his very willing arms. The fact that Kaia went back to him with a full report only grew his confidence.
Orion had a feeling Kaia would soon be making himveryhappy indeed.
CHAPTER42
KAIA
It was her second week sleeping in Orion’s suite, and Kaia was miserable. The man seemed to prefer living in an ice box rather than an actual cabin. But she wasn’t about to complain. Now that she didn’t have to fear addiction compromising her dedication to Ahton, she could handle anything. Now she hoped she was safe.
She waspretty sureshe was. But “pretty sure” wasn’t sure enough. And she’d been delaying the crucial next step—finding out—by about two weeks too long.
Orion was already asleep. Seemed to be anyway. If Kaia could just extract some exorin without touching the man, she damn well would.
She thought back to the way he grabbed her days ago. How he had debased her in front of all those people. Forced himself in her mouth, watched with that demented gleam in his eyes as he made her swallow him. Then, he had left her cold and alone on the floor all night. Kaia’s stomach turned at the shameful memory. The last thing she wanted to do was this.
But she had to know.
Kaia slid closer to in the bed, moving slowly so as not to wake him because she wasn’t yet fully committed to what she’d just decided to do.
