Page 12 of Shielded Heart

“It doesn’t bother me. I’m just as curious about what it’s like for you to see out of two eyes. Do you have a blind spot between them?”

“No, there’s no blind spot.”

“Hmm. I wonder, then, what’s the point of my third eye?” He turned it toward her again and smirked. “Apart from being hypnotic and intriguing, anyway.”

Her blush deepened.

Intriguing is putting it mildly.

“Alkorin…are you a professional fighter or something?”

“No, I’m not. Iwas, some years ago, but I’ve left that behind me. I’m in…document verification these days. It’s a relatively safer line of work.”

Samantha shifted her eyes to his legs, which were encased in those tall armored boots. “But not so safe that you don’t have to wear armor?”

He glanced down, and his hold on her tightened for an instant. “I’m afraid that’s not armor, Samantha.”

She looked up to find his eyes on her. “It’s not?”

“These”—he lifted his free hand and turned it slowly—“are the result of an unfortunate accident.”

“Oh.Oh!”Way to go, Sam.“They’re…prosthetics?”

“They are. But the accident was a long time ago, and they’ve served me well enough.”

His tone, paired with the vagueness of his answer, suggested he didn’t want to speak on it any further. Samantha understood his reluctance; she could only imagine how traumatic it must’ve been to have lost all his limbs in an accident. Besides, she was a stranger. He had no obligation to share anything with her, especially something that must’ve been so devastating.

He lapsed into silence for a few seconds before asking, “What were you doing out in the city today?”

Sam frowned; his question reminded her how much of a failure she was. “I was looking for work.”

“Looking for a particular type of work or just work in general?”

“Something, anything—wait, no, notanything.Almostanything.” She wasnotgoing to sell her body. “I don’t mind labor. I just… The Consortium gives new immigrants housing for a year, and my homeworld is paying me a monthly wage for the same amount of time. I just wanted to…to get ahead for a change, I guess. I figured if I worked during this first year, I could save the extra because my necessities would be covered, and that would leave me in a better position to move somewhere nicer, someplace safer.”

Samantha pressed her lips together. She’d been rambling like a fool. Fortunately, when she looked ahead, her apartment complex was in sight, offering her a means of escape before she embarrassed herself any further.

She slipped out of his hold and stepped away. “Um…this is me. My building, I mean.”

Alkorin looked at the building and furrowed his brow before returning his glowing yellow gaze to her. “I would be more than happy to pay for a hotel room in a nicer sector of the city, Samantha. It would be safer for you, and likely more comfortable.”

His offer floored her. Her lips parted, the wordyesperched on the tip of her tongue, but she snapped her mouth shut and shook her head.

Sam and Alkorin were complete strangers!

And one night wouldn’t make a difference, anyway. She’d still have to come back here tomorrow. “I-I can’t ask that of you or accept it. But thank you—for the offer, and for all your help today.”

He frowned, but he didn’t argue. Stepping closer, he reached out and gently took her left wrist, laying his warm metal fingers along its underside and guiding her arm up. His touch sent soft electric currents through her; she gasped at the pleasantness of the sensation.

His thumb curled around her wrist, brushing lightly over her skin, until it touched the activation button on her holocom. When the holographic projection screen appeared, Alkorin dipped his chin. “Unlock it.”

Samantha raised her free hand and did as he’d commanded.

The fingers of his left hand flicked through the menus rapidly—almost too fast for her to see what he was doing—as he went into her contacts and added new information. There were only a few entries there, none of which were personal.

Except for the new one listed asAlk.

He dismissed the screen and took her hand between both of his. “If you need anything, Samantha, do not hesitate to contact me.” His fingertips trailed lightly over the underside of her wrist; it seemed innocent on the surface, but it sent a thrill straight to her core. “Anything.”

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