Chapter 10 #2
“Thoroughly” was full of promise. “Thoroughly” meant she wasn’t imagining the chemistry she was feeling in every atom of her body, that it wasn’t just her hormones imprinting like a horny baby duck on the first man she’d seen in decades, that she wasn’t just a job for him — although, admittedly, that was a factor.
A knock broke the tension of the moment.
Aiden and Evelyn both jumped, turning to the door with twin guilty expressions as though they’d been caught in a far more compromising situation.
Veselko stood in the hallway, a knowing grin plastered on his face.
Evelyn was glad she was already flushed; she didn’t need the blush of embarrassment making the moment more awkward.
She supposed she was a bit grateful the interruption prevented her from saying something like “Nifty!” since that was the level of eloquence her brain was capable of at the moment.
“Got a line on Vinnie. Well, less of a line and more of another interesting fact to add to your board.”
As he turned to grab a marker to add the information to his board, Aiden ran his hand down Evelyn’s arm, leaving a trail of heat that made her insides flutter.
“What did you hear?” Aiden asked.
“Friend that Tariel and I play cards with sometimes says Vinnie asked him what the fastest turn around he could do for a full identity package would be. Seemed to infer money was no object.” Crossing his arms, Veselko leaned up against the doorway.
His muscles bulged, and Evelyn was surprised she wasn’t moved at all.
She studied him, taking in the smooth golden skin, well sculpted frame, and perfectly trimmed goatee.
Usually she appreciated an attractive man more than this.
Then again, she usually didn’t have thoroughly delicious possibilities centering around a certain bearded man running through her head.
“Is this a reliable source or a degenerate that you two fleece out of poker money?” Aiden asked, the tip of the marker hovering above the board.
The timber of his voice warmed something in Evelyn’s blood.
The lack of interest in Veselko made still more sense with every word.
An attractive man couldn’t hold a candle to the way her body felt whenever Aiden was near.
“This is the guy Tariel goes to when he doesn’t have time to print a job. He’s quick, professional, and meets his standards. I’d say he’s a reliable source.”
Aiden nodded and wrote
needs quick papers
on the board under the known quantities heading. “The question is who are the papers for?”
“Vinnie didn’t specify who they were for, just wanted to know how much and how fast. Full galactic transport access, full background. Didn’t flinch at the price.”
“She never does, does she?”
Veselko chuckled in response.
“They mustn’t be for her own use,” Evelyn said.
“If she has the sort of connections and business dealings you say she does, I’d be surprised if she didn’t have half a dozen identities she could burn through.
She must want to have the option of giving me an exit strategy.
But why bother to kidnap me if she’s not going to use me for leverage? ”
“Extract. Let’s say ‘extract.’ It feels so much less creepy,” Aiden said, not looking away from the board.
“Aiden prefers to pretty things up when he can,” Veselko said. He eyed the cardigan Evelyn was wearing. She looked down at it, making sure she hadn’t smeared chocolate on the sleeve.
“I’m an optimist,” Aiden said.
Both Evelyn and Veselko laughed at that.
“Those are all words,” Evelyn agreed. “Sure.”
Aiden added
for Evelyn?
to the board.
“Anyway. I’ll keep poking around. Bright side, we’ll know for sure what she wants in a few days,” Veselko said, removing himself from the wall. He gestured toward Evelyn. “You should keep the sweater. It’s a good fit on you.”
“Uh, thanks? Is it yours?” Evelyn frowned, looking from his muscular frame to her much smaller one. He was at least three sizes larger than her, she figured.
“Yeah.”
Strange. She wondered if the material had some sort of fitting technology that was created while she was in stasis. “It’s incredibly soft. I’m half in love with it.”
He grinned. “That’s palakan for you. See ya.”
Aiden waved at Veselko without turning his attention from the board. He capped the pen and turned back to Evelyn.
“We need to do more research about the situation on your planet. See who the players are.”
“I had L.I.N.D.A. start gathering some of that information last night. Should be ready soon.” She fiddled with the buttons on the cardigan.
“Does this sweater adapt sizes to the wearer? Can clothes do that now? It seems too small for Veselko. And did he say it was palakan?” If she was remembering her biology correctly, the fluffy creatures were known for using their razor sharp teeth to sever the fingers of those who tried to shear them without the proper protective equipment.
“Oh, he made it. It was for an old girlfriend, but the sweater curse hit before he finished it, and they split. He refused to not complete it, and it’s been in his closet for, like, a year.”
“Sweater curse?”
“It’s a knitter thing. I’m assured it is both a real phenomenon and that he should have known better than to start the project before they were married.”
“Where did he get the wool? Aren’t palakans super vicious when approached? Cute but lethal?”
“Yeah, exactly why their super soft fur goes for so many credits. We did a job transporting a small herd of them to a boutique weaving colony near Triton Four. It took him two weeks to get the damn things to stop biting him every time he entered the pen to feed them.” Aiden put the pen on the lip of the whiteboard.
“Took forever to get the smell out of the hold. Lillian vetoed livestock for six months after that.”
“Huh,” Evelyn said. “I’ve never had a cursed sweater before.”
“This is a very strange week for all of us,” Aiden said, nodding. His face was set in serious lines, but Evelyn could see the humor dancing in his eyes.
“I bet this isn’t even in your top three,” Evelyn said. “You must encounter all sorts of bizarre situations transporting sundries across the galaxy.”
“Oh, I see my share of strange shit. But I don’t get dragged into convoluted political plots every day of the week.” Aiden frowned as he shoved his hands in his pockets. It seemed deliberate to her, like he was actively preventing himself from touching her again.
“Do you save those for the holidays?” she asked.
“Naturally,” he said. She laughed at his nonchalant tone.
L.I.N.D.A.’s notification beep sounded.
“Yes, L.I.N.D.A.?” Aiden asked.
“The historical data Evelyn has requested is loaded onto her tablet.”
“Time for homework,” Evelyn said. She stretched her arms above her head, then out to her sides. She felt his eyes follow the movements and noted with immense satisfaction that the hands in his pockets had fisted. “I need caffeine for this. Also the tablet would probably help.”
“The tablet is in the side table in your quarters, Evelyn.”
“Thank you, L.I.N.D.A.”
Evelyn had no idea how to exit the room smoothly. She knew double finger guns and a backwards exit was the absolute worst idea she could have and tamped down on that urge hard. She settled for tapping awkwardly on his desk and saying, “Well, I’ll see you later.”
Aiden wrenched a hand from his pocket to grab hers and gave it a squeeze. She looked up at him and couldn’t contain the shiver that coursed through her at the dark promises in his eyes.
“Later,” he said. A single word shouldn’t have been able to set her entire body aflame in anticipation, but he had managed it.
She knew exactly what he meant.