Page 65 of Escape Velocity

“You can have it with cream and sugar. Or just one of those. Or you can drink it black.”

“How do you drink it?”

“Black,” he answered, explaining the dark color.

“I’ll try that.”

She sat down at the table, and he brought her a cup from the food replicator. But when she tried it, she couldn’t stop herself from making a face. “It smells a lot better than it tastes.”

“Try it with cream and sugar,” he suggested, taking the cup back and making another with the two additional ingredients.

She tried again and found it more palatable, although she suspected it would take some time to get used to the stuff.

“We should go to Danalon in my ship,” Rafe said. “That way, it makes sense that I’m selling goods from my last stop.”

“They don’t know where you’ve been and when, do they?” Amber asked.

“They may want to check.”

“I thought they were primitive,” she said.

“It’s not like they’re cut off from communications,” Rafe answered. “If they want information, they can get it.”

“Before we leave, we should eat something,” Max said. “What do you want?”

“What are you going to eat?”

“Scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns.”

“What is all that?”

“A traditional breakfast from old Earth,” Rafe answered.

“Okay.”

Max ordered three portions. The men tucked in, but she was too unsettled to eat much.

Max watched her pushing eggs around her plate. “You need to get some food in your stomach.”

“I was thinking we’re going to be close to Tudor.”

“Yeah.” He gave her a considering look. “Have you changed your mind about the plan?”

“No,” she said and took another bite of the eggs.

When they’d cleaned the galley, Max said, “Let me put some makeup on you.”

“Right.”

She sat down again while Max got out the makeup kit he’d used before. Feeling self-conscious, she kept her gaze downcast. As Rafe watched Max work on her, he made a few suggestions. She tried to keep her mind in neutral, but she couldn’t keep herself from reacting to Max’s hands on her face. This was the first time he’d touched her since last night, and his fingers brought back thoughts of that heated scene. She struggled not to blush as she remembered their passion. And when she gave him a quick glance, she saw color in his cheeks. She wished that they had some privacy now. Or maybe it was better that they didn’t.

Both men stepped back when Max had finished, and she felt even more self-conscious as they inspected her.

“Nice job,” Rafe complimented.

Amber sprang up and strode down the hall to the head where she looked at her face in the mirror. Max hadn’t altered her as much as before they’d gone to Freedom Station. The effect was more subtle, but somehow, he transformed her from what he considered a beauty into a woman with a pleasing face. She wasn’t sure how he’d done it. It seemed more a matter of shading and contouring than anything else.

She heard footsteps behind her and whirled around to face him.

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