Page 47 of Stars At Dusk

The two friends chattered late into the night until Selene felt mercy on her friend and rose to leave just before 2300.

‘Love you, honey. I’ll let you rest now,’ she said, wandering towards the suite’s lift.

Harlow shook out her purple hair. ‘Thanks, babes. Don’t know if I’ll be able to. I’m so wired thinking of all the possibilities with work.’

Selene

Selene walked into the lifts and smiled. And wisely kept what she thought was truly exciting Harlow to herself.

Harlow

Harlow had never been great about watching her chrono, so making it to the Skylab shuttle on time every morning was almost always a rush. She’d gotten so used to being her own boss, enjoying her self-made freedom and loathing for rules, so following a routine was challenging. Of course, it didn’t help that she wasn’t a morning person.

The next few wake-up calls for her were, therefore, a drag. She let her alarm clock snooze for longer than needed, which meant a hurried breakfast and an even quicker shower.

Followed by a race to get to the shuttle on time, where Kage would be waiting, with a smile, sometimes with a smirk, other times with a quiet smoulder lit in his silver eyes. This meant a daily flight to Skylab beside him, during which she fought her reactions to his presence. To his smile, scent, sensual masculinity and those contoured jumpsuits.Who knew she had a thing for a man in pants that slid snugly over his delectable tight derrière?

By the time they arrived at Skylab each morning, she crawled with feels all over her skin. She was only able to dampen her attraction to Kage by escaping with gladness into her lab, where a full day’s work ensued with her team.

At the end of the day, he was always at her office door to escort her home each night, sometimes waiting for her to finish work with saintly patience. Then, they’d take the shuttle back to her apartment, where a fresh pushcart of delectable food would be waiting just inside the suite’s entrance.

Regardless, his attention to her needs was puzzling. Harlow decided to confront him on her fourth working day on Eden II.

They were strolling towards the deserted terminal when she broached the subject. ‘You don’t need to do all ofthis, you know?’

‘Do all of what?’ he probed, amusement playing in his eyes.

‘This. Walking me to the shuttle. Then to my apartment. I’m fine by myself.’

He rumbled with laughter. ‘Right now, Harlow, you’re the most important asset in this building. What kind of leader would I be if I allowed you out of my sight and something happened to you?’

‘Nice try, boss,’ Harlow snipped. ‘Aren’t your Sable Group security algorithms the best in all of Pegasi? Doesn’t Mirage always have eyes on my lab and me?’

‘True. What she doesn’t have is meta human reflexes and the ability to make a call about your safety even before an incident unfolds.’

‘And you do?’

‘You don’t know the half of it.’

‘What about the food, the dinners? Aren’t you spending a shipload feeding me so well?’

Each night the cuisine delivered to her suite was getting more luxurious and buttery, laced with the rarest ingredients. She’d tasted smoked roe, succulent egg custards, scallops and a wide selection of delicious herbs and vegetables. Each plate was a work of art, with thin vegetable sculptures fashioned into intricate flower petals.

Just last night, she’d devoured caviar, shrimp and codfish with a pea foam on a bed of black rice. Every meal was finished with scrumptious desserts, from tiny fruit tarts to pies and seasonal fruit ice cream. The carts also featured eclectic pairings of wine, premium sake and even mini bottles of whisky.

Each night was a feast, and she felt like she was being seduced just by Kage’s food selections alone. He, of course, never joined. Instead, he’d step into the suite to see her reaction and then leave with a cocky grin each time.

‘Only the best for you, Harlow,’ he said, cutting through her thoughts. ‘You’re an honoured guest. ‘Sides, Kage and Selene would kill me if I didn’t give you the red carpet treatment.’

‘So this is their call?’

He shrugged. ‘All me. I would hate for you to complain to them about subpar food and lax security standards when you’re a VIP of The Sable Group.’

She could see she wasn’t getting far with him.

‘Speaking of Selene,’ he said. ‘She’s invited us to her suite at 498 tomorrow evening for a small gathering. It’s a Rider tradition. If enough of us are in town on a Friday evening, we get together for an evening meal. You should come. It’s a trip. Kainan and Selene are hosting this time and they’re stars at living it up.’

‘Sounds intriguing,’ Harlow said, slicing her eyes to him.

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