Blaize darted out the door and nearly collided with Veda, who was holding a meal tray. “Sorry, Veda.” Blaize stepped around her to clear the entry. How had Veda gone from the greenhouse to the galley without her noticing?
“Are you okay?” Veda moved the tray to one arm and touched Blaize’s forehead. “You look flushed. Was it the kiss?” Veda’s cheeks darkened slightly.
“Kiss? I didn’t—” Blaize glanced back. She and Cifer had been so close, Veda believed she’d been making out with him. “It wasn’t what it looked like.”
“I’m going to leave this with Cifer. It would be so much easier if he could join us for meals like everyone else instead of having to cart trays back and forth. I’ll meet you in the galley.”
“Good. I’ll clean up first. Still have dirt on my hands.” More than soap, she needed space. Time to clarify her thinking before she was around the others. If she started babbling in front of them, there was no telling what would come out of her mouth.
“Don’t be too long. Dez has everything ready.”
Blaize moved swiftly down the corridor to her quarters. Some cold water and a change of uniform, and she would be back to her normal controlled self, if she could figure out a way to forget the images of Cifer’s mostly naked body. Her brain had no problem removing his shorts and filling in the blank.
Cold water. Too bad she didn’t have time for a shower.
She took her usual seat at the metal table in the galley. There was seating for sixteen, but by silent agreement, the crew occupied the same half of the table at every meal, except for the occasions when Rhysa and Bodi were really battling. Dez sat to Cyra’s left, close to the cooking devices. Veda always sat to her right. Rhysa sat next to Dez, which didn’t seem to bother Cyra, despite the fact that the Blaque Poll female was a total flirt and couldn’t keep her pink eyes to herself. When Blaize considered the situation carefully, it was obvious that Cyra had nothing to worry about. Dez was devoted to her. Rhysa enjoyed flirting. She couldn’t help it. It would be like Blaize trying to make herself quit tinkering.
Had Rhysa been spending time with Cifer? She glared across the table at her.
“What?” Rhysa asked her.
Bodi took the seat next to Blaize. Dez filled serving platters, and Veda wordlessly placed each one on the table. The last meal of the cycle was the only meal they ever ate like this. Dez said it reminded him of home and was the proper way to share a meal. Blaize was thankful for the activity that distracted Rhysa from the confrontation. Rhysa loved arguing almost as much as flirting.
“What the heck were you doing to Cifer?” Veda asked her after the food had been served and everyone had started eating.
Blaize nearly choked. “Nothing. Why?”
“When I brought him his tray, he was breathless and kind of sweaty. You looked flushed when I saw you. I know you said you didn’t kiss him, but is something going on?”
Had Veda seen Cifer with only the tiny shorts and the start of an erection? The urge to tear out Veda’s eyes rushed through Blaize before she could shake free. “So, you saw him with just his briefs on?”
“He was dressed.” Veda smiled over her shoulder, almost a smirk. “He must have been undressed just for you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. The only thing going on is him helping me with the system maintenance. He’s good with his hands.”
Rhysa snickered loudly.
“I mean, he’s talented.”
Rhysa went from snickering to laughing out loud.
“With fixing things. Mechanical things. Sheesh. Get your mind out of the sex club.” Blaize filled her mouth with food before she said anything else stupid.
Rhysa wiped away a tear. “I need to spend time with this guy. He has two of the most sexually repressed females I’ve ever met fighting over him. If neither of you want to keep him entertained at night, maybe I should.”
“No.” Blaize would give anything to take back that loudly blurted single word. She dropped her fork, her appetite gone. A few more cycles, and they would be back on Cassan, and this would be a bad memory. “Captain?” Blaize addressed the only sane woman at the table. “We found a small area in the water circulation system that should be replaced. Well, it’s a small weakness, a bulge?—”
“It so disappointing when the bulge is small,” Rhysa interrupted.
“There’s nothing small about his bulge. I mean—” Heat flooded her system. “The distention in the pipe?—”
“Ooh. Distended pipes are my favorite.” Rhysa fluttered her lashes over her pink eyes.
Blaize rolled hers and pressed her lips together. Nothing she said was right.
“Give her a break,” Cyra told Rhysa. “Blaize. Are we in any danger?”
“No. It’s a system check I should have done on Cassan before we left, but I got spooked by the spiders. Cifer went with me. I—We caught the issue early.”
