Page 35 of Chosen By Swift

He nodded. “With nice seconds to spare.”

She smiled triumphantly. “Ha!”

Chuckling at her silly reply, he took her hand and led her out of their quarters and into the hall. Most of their floor had already emptied from their rooms and were moving along to the evacuation pods. He pointed out the markings on the walls and ceilings that would lead her to the right compartment and quickly explained where she should go during a drill or active emergency if she were in another sector of the ship.

The entire drill took nearly an hour from the first alarm to the all-clear. Alys paid attention toeverydetail, and he felt reassured she had taken this seriously. After his leave ended, she would be on her own and responsible for her own safety. It lessened his anxiety to know she treated everything with the seriousness it deserved.

By the time they finally made it back to their quarters, he could see how tired she was. Her shoulders sagged as she removed her shoes, and she moved slowly as she peeled out of her skirt and neatly folded it. After she placed it in the drawer he had assigned to her, she glanced at the bed but then back toward the living room. He saw the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, and then, ever the dutiful wife, she asked, “Do you want to spend more time together in the parlor?”

“Parlor? That sounds awfully fancy,” he teased and crossed the bedroom floor. Standing in front of her, he reached for the sash tying her dress closed and tugged it loose. “No, I don’t want to spend time in the parlor.”

“You want to make love?” Her cheeks were stained the prettiest shade of pink, and even though he could tell she was exhausted, she was still willing to have sex if he wanted.

“I do,” he confirmed, “but later. After you’ve slept.”

“I’m not tired,” she insisted, shoulders straightening. “I’m ready and willing to please you, sir.”

“You’ve already pleased me very much.” He pulled the dress away from her body and tossed it onto the nearest flat surface. “It would please me even more if you took care of yourself and rested.”

She wore her strange underthings beneath the dress. These were less fancy than the ones she had been wearing when she first undressed for him. She had explained those were her “good” clothes, and these were her regular, everyday pieces.

“Take these off,” he ordered huskily.

“Mynightgownis in my bag.”

“No.” He placed his palm against her cheek and stroked her face. “I want you naked in my bed.”

Her eyes widened. “Every night?”

“Just about,” he said, certain there would be times when she preferred to be clothed.

“And will you be naked?” Her gaze fell to his chest and then lower.

“Seems fair,” he agreed, amused by the deepening flush in her face. He gave her panties a tug. “Off. Now. Then bed.”

“Yes, sir.” She complied quickly, and he led her to their bed. He pulled back the covers and waited for her to climb in and get settled before drawing them up to her neck. “Are you coming to bed?”

“Soon,” he promised. “I have to work out and check my inbox.”

“Work out?”

“Exercise.”

“But you ran this morning when you chased me.”

“I did, but that’s hardly enough exercise for me to meet our physical requirements.” He leaned down and captured her mouth in a gentle kiss. “Sleep. I’ll be in later.”

“Good night?” She glanced around uncertainly. “I don’t know what time it is so I’m guessing it’s close to evening?”

“It is. You’ll adjust to the artificial light soon. It typically takes three to four cycles before you become accustomed to the fake sunrise and sunset.” He smoothed a few wisps of hair away from her beautiful face. “I know it’s a lot to take in, Alys. I know you’ve left everything behind and are having to learn a whole new world. I’ll help you every step of the way. All you have to do is ask for my help when you need it.”

“I will.” She grasped his hand and brought it close. She pressed a tender kiss to it, and it burned him like a bran. “Thank you for being so good to me.”

“You’re my mate,” he said, as if that should explain everything. It must have been an adequate answer because she smiled sweetly and then closed her eyes, snuggling down under the covers. He rose slowly and left the room, pausing in the doorway to glance back at her. Alys. His mate. Sleeping in his bed.

Bewildered by how quickly his life had changed, he crossed their living area and entered the space set aside as his office. There was enough room for him to complete simple body weight workouts to satisfy his daily checklist, and privacy for him to handle work when necessary. Before he started his exercise routine, he sat at his small desk and accessed the security screen on his work terminal.

After typing in his password and using his chip to gain entrance, he noticed there was a message from Keen that had been copied to Orion and Hazard as well as Grim. Certain that nothing good could come from a message directly from the ship’s Shadow Force commanding officer, he reluctantly opened it and read the contents. There were security stills from the ship he and Hazard had been piloting on the mission.

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