Page 273 of Night's Fall

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Gods.

I let out a breath it felt likeI’dbeen holding for two days.

“I love you too, honey.”

He bent and kissed my temple.

Then he got up and strolled to the hall (withNova) and past the bathroom.

“You missed the bathroom!”Icalled.

“We’re bathing in our bathroom,” he returned.

Yes, we were back.

Aleksei wasn’t out of sight for a second beforeIheard a crash from the snack cabinet.

And there went the straws.

I heaved myself out of the daybed to find my robe, becauseIneeded to quarantine the cats until someone could come up with a vac.

I couldn’t have them slicing their paws on broken glass and crystal.

But first,Ihad to take off my shoes.

Then, quarantine the cats.

Then,Ihad to take a bath.

Chapter41

Drones

Iwas in our closet, strapping on my pink high-heeled sandals (maybe one day my feet would get used to the torture), the onesI’dworn the nightImetAleksei.

I was doing this because, while we were in the bath, we both got a comm that we would be having a semi-state dinner that night, consideringPrincesTanyn,CormacandBainonwere joining us.

So it was going to be fancy.

That was whyIwas wearing my silvery-pink dress in a material that looked like molten metal.

The other reasonIwas wearing it was becauseIhad love bites all over my neck and shoulders, and it had long sleeves and a turtleneck.

I could attach aMedi-Aidto them, and they would fade, but no wayIwas doing that.

A part of me wanted to showAleksei’smarks to the world.

But not at that night’s dinner.

The dress came to just below my knees.Myhair was down.AndI’dscanned in a photo and set theUltraPaintto evening, semi-formal, sultry.

I did this becauseAlekseiandIwere back, we’d had some more fun in the tub (just not the dragon sex kind), and even if everything was still a mess,Iwas feeling all kinds of sultry.

The dress also needed it since it was skintight.

While we were in the bath, staff came up to move me back toAleksei’sroom.

I refused to allow people knowing my private business to affect me.

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