Atlanta leans his head on Gem’s shoulder, looking between us. “Or leave it. You’re not likely to get approval from King Centaurus another way.”
“Why would I want his approval?” I say.
“Have it your way. I’m just sayin’,” he says. “I’d give my left nut to get what you have.”
“What are you two gonna do?” I ask, changing the topic and stepping a little closer to Zhang who moved too far away from me. There should be a rule about that. He should be within an arm’s reach of me at all times.
“After we’re done helping you, we’re leaving for a new star cluster. Silva wants to be queen if it ever happens. Father may rule for millennia still. In any case, she’ll love taking over my duties,” Gem explains.
“I’m gonna miss the fuck out of you, Atlanta, but I’ve never seen you like this. You gotta,” I say. It’ll be hella hard. When I fell, he fell because of me. I haven’t had time to miss him yet since my life exploded into the greatest science fiction soap opera never told, but when I do, I’m sure I’ll go all Eeyore over it.
“We’ll get a message to you. You can visit.”
“If I’m not shipped back to Earth. Without Zhang to ‘mind me’, the king might banish me there. I totally misread our vibe.”
“I don’t need to be married to you to mind you, Starfleet.” Zhang pulls me against him.
Fuck that makes me glow on the inside. This isn’t fair. “Guess that’s a wrap on this. Man, a few days of utter hell, but I guess we made a good team. Too bad this is the only time the four of us will be a team.”
“Let’s have dinner to celebrate,” Gem suggests. “We weren’t long together, but major shifts happened between us. We’re a team for life.”
“I’ll help. We’re still technically engaged, so I gotta, right?” I say to Zhang.
He runs his thumb over my bottom lip. “You do.”
I lean against his chest. This is okay, right? I’m still recovering from all the shit. I need him to hold me up.
“You need more rest,” Zhang decides out loud, thinking along the same vibe as me.
“Just for a minute. I’m good. Promise.”
“I know you better than that. Come with me,” he says. “We’ll reconvene in an hour or so.”
I don’t get a choice, dragged off tethered to his thick hand. “Zhang.”
My protests are ignored in favor of dragging me to a room upstairs. “That better not be the bed they were fucking in,” I say.
“They’re next door,” he says. He strips me of my jacket and sits me down, about to remove my boots.
“Am I to assume I’m taking a nap?”
“Astute.” He crouches to yank the first boot off, and I let him.
I’d argue on principle, but I don’t have the energy, so I lie back, close my eyes, and let him undress me. “Where are you gonna be?” I ask, popping an eye open.
“If you think I’m allowing you out of my sight, you’re sorely mistaken. With the way your luck is going, you’ll end up sold to the galactic embassy.”
“Don’t even joke about that.” My muscles relax, but my eyes jolt open when he unbuttons my pants. “You’d better be planning on playing with my dick if you’re opening those.”
“I’m not. You can’t sleep properly in these. You could help me.”
“Mmm-mmm. You’re doing just fine. Still excited about marrying me?” I say instead of acknowledging the fact we won’t be now. Is it weird that I want to pretend we are for a little longer?
A swift tug bares my legs. He tosses them on the floor and his hand smooths over my thigh and up over the curve of my ass cheek. “Never said I was excited about marrying you.”
He never said he wasn’t either.
“If I’m half naked, it’s only fair that you are too.” His icy glare could freeze lava. “I promise not to molest you.”
