quieted. The walls and her thoughts crowded her. She wasn’t the same hotheaded kid who walked out on Mitch all those years ago, but one more minute in his proximity and she might say something no diplomacy could repair.
Lara turned and snapped open the rest of the buttons on her jacket. A few quick steps brought her to the yacht’s threshold. When her breathing slowed, she found herself on the dock, but the sounds of water lapping against the ship were unable to drown out the ferocity of her words.
Why was she always so volatile around the man? One or two words from Mitch could arouse such venom, and her self-control simply vanished near him.
Lara gulped in the briny air. Climbing vines and plants covered every available vertical space on a Creed pod, and Nessa was no different. Blooming flowers swathed the balustrade, all of them edible. Each detail reminded her that Creed was a beautiful world so different from Terra, where she had spent most of her childhood. Their parents wanted her and Rafael to grow up on Terra without the trappings of royalty and public office they’d have had to navigate on Creed. They visited as frequently as they could, though.
“My sister lives in Francisco now.” Mitch’s baritone easily blotted out the sound of water splashing against the dock.
He’d come after her. Lara sensed his presence behind her, his body blocking the breeze off the water.
“She remarried last year. Some guy who makes art from reclaimed metal. He seems to make a decent living at it, but all of his pieces just look like scrap to me.” Mitch splayed a hand on her back and its warmth beckoned her, but she resisted the urge to rest against him. She feared even to look at him.
Mitch leaned on the railing next to her and gazed out at the dark water. “I was supposed to be on the Interlace, but I protested the Chimeran segregation. Rafe wanted me to drop it, but I couldn’t.”
Lara’s breath hitched and she rested her head on Mitch’s shoulder. Rafael might very well be lost to her forever. Mitch could have been trapped in that netherworld too. She didn’t want to admit that both men mattered so much to her. Somehow they had to get past their old arguments.
Wait. Her mind whirled, piecing together Mitch’s words. “You protested the Chimeran sequestering on the Interlace? ”
Mitch nodded. He clasped her hand and his strong fingers massaged the tension out of her palm. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you, but you were right. I’ve been working on relations with Creed for years. I’ve lived here on Creed off and on for a long time but couldn’t continue much longer. So I requested a command and received the Interlace. I noticed the way the Terran crew members distrusted the Chimerans. Your warning came true. Then the Interlace went missing. I pressed to investigate and here I am.”
Lara thought her mouth might be hanging open. “You see the discrimination now?”
“Do I need to repeat the whole story? You stopped listening at ‘you were right,’ didn’t you?”
“I never expected to hear it from you.”
Mitch chuckled and stared out at the water. “I’ll give you that.”
Lara relaxed against him, let Mitch and the railing hold her up. Just for a few seconds, she promised herself. This was the Mitch before the edict. How long would it last?
“I don’t want to be right about this.”
Mitch turned her chin up and his warm breath caressed her cheek. “The Union isn’t all bad, Lara. We’re not all so afraid.”
The weight of everything pressed in on her—Rafael being missing, Mitch’s time on Creed, and her own fight for Chimeran independence. Lara hungered to melt into Mitch, into the solidness of his chest. She deserved a few moments of respite.
Her voice came out a whisper. “I know.”
If he’d been on the Interlace, this chance she had right now would have been lost forever. Lara turned toward him and let her body soften. Some distant, scared voice inside her yelled, but
Lara turned and snapped open the rest of the buttons on her jacket. A few quick steps brought her to the yacht’s threshold. When her breathing slowed, she found herself on the dock, but the sounds of water lapping against the ship were unable to drown out the ferocity of her words.
Why was she always so volatile around the man? One or two words from Mitch could arouse such venom, and her self-control simply vanished near him.
Lara gulped in the briny air. Climbing vines and plants covered every available vertical space on a Creed pod, and Nessa was no different. Blooming flowers swathed the balustrade, all of them edible. Each detail reminded her that Creed was a beautiful world so different from Terra, where she had spent most of her childhood. Their parents wanted her and Rafael to grow up on Terra without the trappings of royalty and public office they’d have had to navigate on Creed. They visited as frequently as they could, though.
“My sister lives in Francisco now.” Mitch’s baritone easily blotted out the sound of water splashing against the dock.
He’d come after her. Lara sensed his presence behind her, his body blocking the breeze off the water.
“She remarried last year. Some guy who makes art from reclaimed metal. He seems to make a decent living at it, but all of his pieces just look like scrap to me.” Mitch splayed a hand on her back and its warmth beckoned her, but she resisted the urge to rest against him. She feared even to look at him.
Mitch leaned on the railing next to her and gazed out at the dark water. “I was supposed to be on the Interlace, but I protested the Chimeran segregation. Rafe wanted me to drop it, but I couldn’t.”
Lara’s breath hitched and she rested her head on Mitch’s shoulder. Rafael might very well be lost to her forever. Mitch could have been trapped in that netherworld too. She didn’t want to admit that both men mattered so much to her. Somehow they had to get past their old arguments.
Wait. Her mind whirled, piecing together Mitch’s words. “You protested the Chimeran sequestering on the Interlace? ”
Mitch nodded. He clasped her hand and his strong fingers massaged the tension out of her palm. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you, but you were right. I’ve been working on relations with Creed for years. I’ve lived here on Creed off and on for a long time but couldn’t continue much longer. So I requested a command and received the Interlace. I noticed the way the Terran crew members distrusted the Chimerans. Your warning came true. Then the Interlace went missing. I pressed to investigate and here I am.”
Lara thought her mouth might be hanging open. “You see the discrimination now?”
“Do I need to repeat the whole story? You stopped listening at ‘you were right,’ didn’t you?”
“I never expected to hear it from you.”
Mitch chuckled and stared out at the water. “I’ll give you that.”
Lara relaxed against him, let Mitch and the railing hold her up. Just for a few seconds, she promised herself. This was the Mitch before the edict. How long would it last?
“I don’t want to be right about this.”
Mitch turned her chin up and his warm breath caressed her cheek. “The Union isn’t all bad, Lara. We’re not all so afraid.”
The weight of everything pressed in on her—Rafael being missing, Mitch’s time on Creed, and her own fight for Chimeran independence. Lara hungered to melt into Mitch, into the solidness of his chest. She deserved a few moments of respite.
Her voice came out a whisper. “I know.”
If he’d been on the Interlace, this chance she had right now would have been lost forever. Lara turned toward him and let her body soften. Some distant, scared voice inside her yelled, but
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