Page 48 of Star Prince

Understanding suffused Quin’s face. As the two crewmates considered each other in what appeared to be a new light, Tee’ah took her usual place next to Ian.

“Great dinner,” he said in her ear, trying hard to forget it was the same sweet little lobe he nibbled before he almost devoured the rest of her.

She kept her attention trained on her empty dish. “Thank you.” She pushed one of the fruit trays in his direction. “Eat, please.”

“After you. You had quite a morning,” he added playfully in hopes of coaxing her out of her obvious sudden shyness.

She blushed. Finally, he thought. A reaction.

“Some…carrot-flowers,” he offered.

“P’wulla-squash florets,” she corrected. “Just one, please.” Again she fell silent.

He sighed. “We’re going to talk about this later,” he whispered.

“That’s not necessary.”

“I beg to differ.” He hated to lose their spirited rapport all because they had made out in a meadow. Yet when his mind fast-forwarded to his future, to the enormousresponsibilities he had undertaken and the promises he had made, he knew it was the best thing for them both.

Yeah,he thought.And lima beans are supposed to be good for you too.

After dinner,Tee’ah loaded dirty dishes into the sterilizer and wiped the counter clean of seeds, bark and vegetable scrapings. Next she prepared a tray of tockand coffee.

The laughter and conversation of her cheery, well-fed crewmates rolled through the hatch from the dining room. If circumstances forced her to leave the ship, she would miss them terribly. Worse yet, she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Ian. His quiet concern at her silence had only endeared him to her further, but the only way she would hold on to her new life was to avoid her old one. There was no escaping that.

She threw her cloth into the sterilizer, grabbed the tray and mugs—among them her favorites— the round-eared rodent Ian called “Mickey Mouse,” and another emblazoned with an impossible starship and the Earth runesBEAM ME UP,SCOTTY! —and walked through the hatch.

Over the tockand coffee, Ian set out the evening’s plans. “Since we haven’t made much headway with our daytime watch for Randall’s comings and goings, I thought we’d head into town tonight and see if we can find him at one of those restaurants.”

“We’ll go back to that bar,” Gredda proposed. “And you can sing us a song, Captain.”

“We can go to that bar”—Ian grimaced behind his mug of coffee— “but don’t expect me to provide the entertainment.”

Muffin asked, “Whose turn is it for watch?”

Tee’ah almost raised her hand. The idea of watching Ian sing, albeit badly, was more than she could bear right now.

“Mine again,” Push spoke up glumly. “I guess you’ll have to have fun without me.” The cargo handler’s shoulders drooped.

Tee’ah found herself thinking how unfair it was. Why should he be forced to stand watch when the very last thing she felt like doing was merrymaking? “No, Push. I’ll stay.”

Everyone glanced her way.

“I feel sick.” At least that was the truth, she thought. Besides, no one should care which crew-member stayed aboard theSun Devilas long as one did.

Ian appeared more than worried; he looked downright guilty. Had he figured her out? “How sick?” he asked.

“Just…sick.” She managed a wan smile.

“All right,” he said resignedly. “Push goes. You stay.”

Rising Gredda mumbled something affectionate about Tee’ah needing more meat in her diet. One by one, the rest of the crew stood. They wished Teea speedy recovery, then followed the brawny woman into the corridor to don coats for the walk into town.

Ian remained behind.

Moving his chair closer, he leaned toward Tee’ah. “Now we can talk.” He radiated heat, the fragrance of soap, and his own unique scent, making her again acutely aware of the hard, fit body he hid beneath his clothing. “What happened between us today bothered you, didn’t it?”

No. The secrets between us do.

---