Page 17 of Stars At Dusk

A sharp knock on her bedroom door awakened her.

‘Let’s roll, Harlow,’ came the quiet command.

She quickly leapt from her bed and checked her wrist comm.

0500 Standard.

Damn, this was the crack ass of dawn. Hours earlier than her normal wake time.

She pulled on a casual jumpsuit, dragged on a jacket, slipped her feet into fashionable but comfortable flat-heeled boots, grabbed her hand bag and stepped into the hallway.

Where waiting was her unexpected guest in a full meta suit. With one shoulder leaning against her wall, helmet in one hand and a brown bag in the other.

He gave her a half smile.

‘I took the liberty of taking your bag to my flyer,’ Kage updated her. ‘I also got into your kitchen, if you don’t mind and made breakfast.’

He thrust the brown bag into her hands. It gave off the most delicious of smells.

She opened it to see a flat toasted bread roll. A white egg omelette, salami, cheese and baby greens were nestled within.

‘Looks like I’ve got competition in the kitchen,’ she teased.

‘You just might,’ he drawled with a soft smile.

She sensed his energy had shifted. He seemed more relaxed and laid back. And that smile.Mercy. It sent shivers down her spine. Kage was an incredibly appealing man when he turned on the charm.

Needing to deflect the rush of attraction, she dove her nose into the bag and took a deep whiff, setting her hunger pangs off.

‘I suggest you take it with you,’ he said quietly. ‘I want us onboard before anyone wakes and spots us tailing it out of here.’

She raised a brow.

He kept on. ‘I’ve powered down your appliances and programmed the fridge on the ever-fresh cycle. All your windows are locked, and your security is updated to track any incursions into your apartment. I believe you have a comm tab and drive with all your research?’

‘It’s all here,’ she told him, patting the carry bag strapped to her front.

‘Good. Do we need to swing by your office at all?’

‘I don’t think so,’ Harlow said. ‘I’m the boss, so I’ll send a note about my absence later today. The lab has top security, and I’m sure my team activated the system before leaving yesterday evening.’

‘I’ll place drone cams on both the apartment and office.’

‘You’re in top form this morning,’ she quipped as she followed him to her front door.

‘Seems a wagyu sandwich, beer, and a nap was all I needed,’ he conceded.

‘You’re welcome,’ she said coyly.

Minutes later, she stared wide-eyed at a blacked-out, lean, mean flyer that had just materialised in her visitor parking spot.

At Kage’s gesture, she eagerly stepped into the racing machine. Then, she settled back, set her bags down and reached into the brown bag to eat her roll, revelling in the black, chrome and leather badassness revealed to her geeky eyes.

The flyer was undoubtedly a reflection of its owner, who was now sat at its controls.

‘Welcome to Void X,’ Kage announced. ‘The junior flyer to my corvette.’

‘Junior?’

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