Page 30 of Jace

She didn’t want to think about what would happen if she spent too much time so close to him, but she did anyway.

How was she supposed to make it twenty years?

She could barely stand twenty minutes.

11

Jace

Jace followed Susannah back down the hallway, his heart thundering in his chest.

He hadn’t imagined the desire between them just now. She felt it too. He had sensed her arousal. And they had been beside her bed…

But she had turned her back on him and walked away.

The dragon protested in his head, but he tried his best to ignore it.

Susannah had hurried off because she knew the whelp needed to eat. This was the only answer that made sense. And it showed her to be an excellent mate, concerned first with her young. He should be pleased.

But somehow, he only felt off-balance.

The feeling that was only accentuated when he joined her in the kitchen and saw her reading something from a piece of paper, her face tight with worry.

“What’s that?” he asked.

She glanced up at him, her eyes haunted.

“What?” he repeated.

She wordlessly handed him the note.

Susannah Beck,

We expect you’ll be surprised not to find us here, however the site is not safe for occupation. Though many of us (myself included) did not previously consider ourselves to be the type to believe in ghosts, there is a definite paranormal presence here. Our crew is evacuating, effective immediately, and we suggest you do the same as soon as you receive this message. The universe is vast, with many virgin territories available to develop. The risk in this one does not outweigh the reward.

Sincerely,

Xaxx Darwyth (foreman)

He looked up, wondering what she made of it. They had already discussed the rumors that Han-2 was haunted. Both of them thought it was nonsense.

So why did she look so frightened? She should be furious.

Perhaps he was not properly reading her soft, Terran features.

“Are you angry?” he guessed.

“I’m… frustrated,” she said carefully. “Let’s just get Zeke fed, and then we can figure things out.”

“Of course,” he told her.

He grabbed a cell of milk from his bag and breathed on it while she watched him.

“Would you like me to feed him?” he offered. “Your arms must be getting tired.”

She nodded, looking relieved, and handed him the boy.

Zeke squeaked and grabbed Jace’s chin, a big smile on his sweet baby face.

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