Page 63 of Shielded Heart

She never would’ve dreamed of wearing a dress like the one she had on now, even before James. Despite her misgivings and self-consciousness, she’d left Arc’s workshop feeling beautiful, desired, andpleasured.

An hour ago, Sam had been fearful of sex. Now she couldn’t wait until she saw the sedhi again. She wanted Arc to touch her more, and she yearned to touch him in return.

Samantha drew in another breath; Arcanthus’s scent permeated the air, making it difficult to turn her thoughts away from him.

What, am I going to just stand here trembling until he comes for me?

With little else to do, she forced herself forward and slowly explored his room, running her fingers along the walls to trace the ever-changing blue lines. She leapt back when her fingertips brushed over some sort of hidden console and a holo menu materialized in front of her.

Once her heart had stopped racing, she looked from the menu to the bedroom door. Arcanthus could walk in at any moment…

I really shouldn’t.

You know you’re curious, Sam.

But it’s not my room! It’shis!

All the more reason to look. Just a peek.

Biting her lip, she cast one more glance toward the door. Curiosity returned her attention to the menu. She raised a hand and flicked through the options. As she did, rectangular shapes lit up along the wall—eight of them were lined up in two neat rows around waist height, with two much larger, door-sized shapes to either side.

She manipulated the controls. The smaller glowing shapes slid out of the wall to reveal drawers, while the other two shifted up, opening on large, walk-in closets. Samantha stepped toward the nearest closet. An array of colorful, silky robes hung inside.

A giggle escaped her. “The man likes his robes.”

She reached inside and lifted the sleeve of one of the garments, rubbing the satiny material between her fingers. As though driven by instinct, she leaned forward and brought the sleeve to her nose. It smelledexactlylike him.

Letting the sleeve drop, Sam moved to the other closet and halted abruptly at the entrance. It was emptier than the first, but her brain couldn’t process the clothing on display.

A few dresses, similar to the one she was wearing, hung amidst skimpier, naughty-looking garments, one of which appeared to be nothing more than a series of straps that would, quite strategically, cover verylittle. She went through the clothes one hanger at a time, studying them all. There were some shirts, coats, and pants in addition to the rest, even a couple robes in the same style as Arcanthus’s—though they were smaller than his.

Sam might’ve thought they belonged to another woman if the shirts and pants weren’t so similar to the sort she normally wore. She took down one of the shirts and held it up to her body; it seemed exactly the right size.

You’re also the first to know my true name and the first to have slept in my bed. And you will be theonly.

Had he purchased all these forher? Had he meant to bring her here all along?

The thought sent a rush of warmth through her chest.

She replaced the shirts and retreated from the closet, sidestepping to turn her attention to the drawers.

One contained what appeared to be Arc’s loincloths, another was full of jewelry—including more earrings than she’d seen in her life—and the entire bottom row was full of methodically placed sets of sleek metal plates. It took her a moment to realize the plates were alternate coverings for his cybernetic limbs, each set with a unique color and finish.

A doorbell-like chime startled Samantha. Eyes wide and heart suddenly pounding, she hurriedly ran her fingers through the controls. The drawers slid in and out repeatedly while the closet doors opened and closed.

“Come on! Come on!” she begged when the chime sounded again. “Oh, you stupid thing,work!”

After several attempts, she finally got them all closed. She flicked the menu away, flattened her palm against the wall, and took in a few calming breaths. It couldn’t be Arcanthus at the door; he would’ve walked in without warning, even if—especiallyif—he thought there was a chance she’d be undressed.

When the chime sounded a third time, Samantha hurried to the door and opened it.

A cren stood in the hallway, one hand raised to the button beside the door. The tray in his other hand had steaming food and a purple-tinted bottle atop it. The cren’s green eyes met hers, and he grinned around his tusks. His hair, the same dark blue as Kiloq’s, was short and spiked.

Sam crossed her arms over her chest as she recalled what she was wearing. “Are you Kiloq’s brother?”

The cren nodded. “Koroq.”

“You’re not ugly at all.” Samantha gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth. She couldn’t believe she’d just blurted that out. “I’m so sorry!”

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