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The food was fantastic, artfully plated and bursting with flavor. Zorak’s knee brushed mine now and then during the meal. I didn’t pull away. Tipsy on alien wine, I was suddenly bold enough to accept when Jax invited us to an underground gravity-suspension club after dinner. I wanted this night to last forever.
At the club, Zorak and Jax easily navigated the variable gravity floors, soaring up in the anti-gravity dance cages. I was tentative at first, then closed my eyes, relaxed, and let the sensation take over. Weightless, I spun and somersaulted, as graceful as I ever dared to be.
Zorak caught me as I drifted near him. We hung suspended, face to face. This close I could see his green eyes crinkling with affection.
“Having fun?” he asked.
“More than I ever imagined,” I answered truthfully.
I’d never felt so free.
Zorak’s strong arms held me close as we floated weightlessly. For a moment I thought he might kiss me, but just then the gravity shifted and we sank back to the dance floor.
The music pulsed and Jax appeared through the crowded club. “There’s an orbital skydive about to take off,” he shouted over the din. “We can still make it!”
Zorak grinned and tugged my hand. My heart leapt – orbital skydiving from space itself? It sounded incredible but also terrifying.
I hesitated only a second before plunging into the chaotic night with these two adrenaline junkies. We grabbed jetpacks and soon were blasting up towards the darkness of space.
Strapped to Zorak, I barely had time to appreciate the curvature of the planet before we were jumping. Suddenly, we were free-falling from orbit, fire-streaking like comets towards the atmosphere.
I screamed in wonder and fear. The heat of re-entry engulfed us, then dissipated as we passed through clouds. The night planet revolved below us, lights glittering like jewels.
Too soon it was time to deploy parachutes. We landed gracefully in a meadow, laughing and exhilarated. I couldn’t imagine ever going back to my safe routine after this.
Zorak’s smile was contagious. “What’s next?” he asked eagerly. I took his hand, ready for anything with this man who’d brought me so fully to life.
I was breathless and exhilarated as Zorak and I walked hand in hand through the meadow under the starry sky. The orbital skydive was incredible, but I knew the night was far from over.
“I have an idea,” Zorak said, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Trust me?”
“Of course,” I replied without hesitation now. Zorak had more than earned my trust during this amazing trip.
We hiked back to the anti-gravity club, then slipped into a back corner I hadn’t noticed before. Here, a shimmering teleportation portal glowed. Zorak tapped in coordinates and pulled me through with him.
I gasped as we emerged on the roof of the resort’s tallest tower. We were hundreds of feet in the air, with the entire planet unfurling below us like a map.
Zorak handed me a parasail pack. “Ever fly at night?”
I grinned and shook my head. We stepped off the ledge together, aerial fabric unfurling behind us to catch the wind. Suddenly, we were swooping over the resort, the milling crowds reduced to ants.
I whooped in delight as we spiraled through the salty night air. The twin moons shone overhead, illuminating our flight. Playfully, Zorak demonstrated aerial acrobatics, and I attempted to follow his lead.
Laughing, we finally glided down to land on a secluded beach. I was flushed and giddy. Zorak’s hand came up to brush a strand of windblown hair from my face, his touch sending shivers through me.
“Vanessa,” he murmured. “You are incredible. I’ve never met someone so willing to take chances and live in the moment.”
Under the moons I went breathless again as Zorak finally, tenderly, kissed me. I no longer cared what happened next. This trip had proven I was capable of anything, as long as it was with him.
Chapter 17
Zorak
The suns beat down brightly on the tropical planet as I led Vanessa along the white sand beach to the seaside cafe where my friend Dorjan awaited. He had been eagerly anticipating meeting Vanessa ever since I described her at work, and he had been more than willing to take a vacation with me in order to get to know her better and help me win her heart.
“Dorjan!” I called out happily as I spotted his brawny frame occupying a table overlooking the azure ocean.
He turned and his face lit up. “Zorak!” he bellowed, swooping me up into a spine-cracking hug as I laughed.
