Page 4 of Lashe

“I have it.” Her bedroom was more colorful and eclectic than anywhere else in the apartment. I suspected this was where her personality shined through, unlike the elegant, classy furnishings elsewhere. I picked up the bag she mentioned and placed it on top of the container, then lifted them both easily by the handles on either side. “After you, Madame Ambassador.”

Her gaze moved over me briefly, and I was sure I caught a hint of appreciation and warmth in her gaze. “Thank you,” she said, and moved sprightly from her bedroom.

I strode through her apartment, taking in some of the details, like the kind of art she chose, the fixtures, and the colors. It was a fascinating glimpse into the mind of the female I worked for. When we were back in the ship, I locked the container holding her gifts in the tiny cargo bay below the main cabin floor and placed her travel bag in her private room.

“Stelis, lock up the apartment, turn off lights, and power down all nonessentials. Engage security protocols and lock down all my files until I return.”

“Yes, Anna,” said Stelis in her quiet, digital voice.

“Will Stelis be joining us?” I asked.

“Yes, I will be, Lashe,” the AOA replied.

“I was not asking you,” I muttered, more to myself than to the assistant.

“I see no reason to annoy the ambassador with questions that I can answer for her.”

Anna laughed and waved a hand. “He’s not annoying, Stelis. And he’s right.” She raised one eyebrow and looked at the ceiling, not that anyone was there. It was just that disembodied voice. “I can answer my own questions.”

“As you wish, Anna.” I swore I could detect a little attitude in that voice. She was protective of her charge, as was I.

I sealed the hatch and disengaged the locks holding us to the side of the building. “Please secure yourself during this part of the journey.” I could hear the formality and the blandness in my own voice. I wished, for once, I could just be myself around her. I wished I could take a break from being her employee, and just be a Destran. A male.

She sat in one of the large soft chairs in the main cabin and pulled the safety straps that extended from the sides, over her body and clipped them into place. “Ready,” she said.

“Prepare for departure.” We had said these same words to each other over countless trips. There were no surprises here. The only thing that was different this time was that I got to see the inside of her home.

The shuttle eased away from the side of her building. I navigated through the web of air transports that buzzed around New York City. There did not appear to be a system to it, but there definitely was. I eased into the flow and then continuedupward towards the barrier that separated this interesting planet and its people from the cold vacuum of space.

“Brace for atmospheric departure,” I said.

The transport did not shake violently as ships in the past had when exiting or entering the atmosphere. There was a vibration, a hiss as the cabin pressure shifted to maintain the temperature. A moment later we were free and the darkness of space opened up and engulfed us. I engaged the flight path I had planned out previously, and turned in my seat to look back at her sitting in the main cabin. “Artificial gravity and inertial suppression are on,” I said. “You’re free to move around.”

She flashed me one of those stunning grins. “Thank you.” She unclipped the safety straps, got up, and stretched. “What is our expected travel time?”

“Seventy hours and thirty-five Earth minutes,” I replied.

“Ah, so we should be there right around Christmas Eve. Perfect.”

That’s what she was—perfect. From the cute way she kicked off her shoes and curled her toes into the plush carpet to the way her breasts pushed against the simple black travel jumpsuit she wore. Adding to that was the maddeningly delicious scent she gave off. It made my mouth water and my body tighten with desire. I turned back around in my seat and looked out through the curved window ahead of me. I would get used to that voice, as I always did. I’d grow accustomed to her scent, and I’d remind myself that this was as close to Anna Abel as I’d ever be. And I could live with that.Perfect, I mouthed the word. She was perfect for someone else. Not me.

CHAPTER 3

Anna

I’d bet he was cute when he smiled. Or,cuter. Lashe was probably the most attractive male I’d ever met of any species and now I knew what he looked like when he was carrying a heavy load in his arms. Muscles strained the fabric of his snug black flight suit, but that was the only thing that looked taxed. Not a single huff or puff or bead of sweat. The storage container might as well have been a pillow.

It shouldn’t have surprised me. He was as tall and muscular as any Destran male. His skin was ever-changing. Sometimes, its tone swirled in a prismatic display, although I only ever saw his face and hands. The rest was covered in his full-body suit. Sibyl had told me that the color changes could indicate the emotions of a Destran, but I didn’t see that on Lashe. His skin changed, but his expression, voice, and words never did. He was polite. He was professional. He was as distant as the Riut-la nebula that lay on the edge of the galaxy, unexplored and untouchable.

I could always see him up there, in his operator’s seat. The ship had an open layout so the whole thing from front to backwas visible from the main cabin, except for my private quarters, which had a door and were located in the rear. He never slept when we were flying. He barely got up. He was doing his job, but I would have liked someone to talk to on the long trips to and from the Destran planet. I would have liked to get to know him better. Did I occasionally imagine what he looked like naked? Sure. However, his flat voice and stiff bearing made it clear that I was a body to transport through space. He was not having any other thoughts about my body; I was sure of that.

I pulled mydatapadout of my bag, prepared to do some research on the trip, but the thing remained black. “What the…?” I murmured.

“You told me not to let you work on this trip,” said Stelis’ familiar voice. She’d patched into the ship’s sound system. “I took the liberty of deactivating yourdatapad.”

“Being in transit doesn’t count as part of the trip.” I huffed out a breath. “Turn it back on.”

“As you wish.”

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