Chapter 14
Devlon tried to excuse himself from the two women who’d cornered him by the food. He’d been quite busy trying to fight off the grabby hands of one woman while purposely ignoring the sexual innuendos the other constantly whispered to him. Movement by the door caught his attention. He watched Heather leave the apartment with David, and he couldn’t help but wonder where they were going. He also didn’t like the idea of her being alone with another man.
“So, Commander, have you had a chance to check out the public pool areas? They have saunas that you can rent for private occasions.”
Distractedly he responded, “No, what is a sauna?”
“It’s this room that fills with heat and steam. You put these little logs on which can increase the heat.”
He looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “Why would I want to confine myself to a room full of steam and heat?”
“Health wise, it makes your body sweat. It can also be very sexy if you go in naked.”
“Being locked in a small hot steamy room sweating does not sound sexy to me.” With that he left the women standing there gaping at him as he headed for the door. He might have offended them, but he couldn’t care about it. They weren’t important.
Exiting the apartment, he looked around the hallway but didn’t see Heather or the colonel. He took the elevator down to the lower level. Several humans passed him, but he paid no attention to them. His only thoughts were of finding Heather.
He stopped as he passed the threshold to the apartment complex. Standing about fifteen feet away were Heather and David. Their heads were bent close and they were in deep discussion but he was too far away to hear what they said. She had a sad expression on her face. Heather nodded at something David said and then David squeezed her hand as he turned to leave her there. He stopped David as he tried to re-enter the apartment.
“What did you say to her?”
“I won’t disclose something told to me in confidence. You’ll have to ask her if you want to know. Here…”
David handed something to him, which Drastan took out of his hand. It was a key. He looked at the other man questioningly. “What is this for?”
“It’s getting late. I keep the bottom apartment rooms 1A and 1B open for visitors. You and your traveling party are welcome to use them. This key will open both for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Word of advice: human women, especially those independent and strong, tend to resist when a man tries to impose on their independence. If you want to be part of their lives, you have to give them the space they need to continue doing what they feel they need to, but at the same time make sure they know you aren’t going anywhere. Consistency and reassurance is the trick to winning them over.”
“Who said anything about me trying to win over Heather?”
David chuckled. “Who said I was talking about you and Heather? I’ll let the others know that you two were needing to rest from your trip. Have a good night.”
Devlon didn’t watch the other male as he walked away. He kept his focus on Heather, who had her arms wrapped around her waist and was staring off into the distance. When she turned and glanced in his direction, he saw her fight to school her expression to blankness. It bothered him that she would try to hide from him. He wanted to know what she was thinking, feeling, and most importantly wanted to know what had been said between her and David.
*****
Heather had so many emotions running through her. She’d pulled David aside to ask him about how to finalize her divorce. David said he would contact their legal team, but felt confident that since she’d already filed the case and the judgement had been pending, all that was needed was a forty-eight-hour notification sent to her ex that the divorce would be finalized.
She was frustrated to hear that she had to wait. David claimed that they had to give her ex an opportunity to deny it, but mostly all his denial would do was extend the waiting time. David knew a judge in one of the other domes who traveled in the district for legal matters, and he reassured her that the divorce would happen, it was a matter of time.
It was what she wanted, but she couldn’t help but feel sad that it was finally going to be over. She’d been so young and naive, believing all the lies that Mark had told her to convince her to go off with him.
The divorce process had been long and painful. All the worst parts of herself were revealed publicly, and by the one person in the world she thought she could trust. Through that dark time she discovered that she was much stronger than even she knew. Mark tried to tear her down, but when she was at her lowest, she stood up to him and walked away.
She already felt like she was divorced from Mark, at least physically and emotionally. Now all that remained was an official decree on a piece of paper that meant nothing to anyone else, but meant the world to her. It would be tangible proof of how she’d survived despite having someone try to destroy her.
She turned to go back inside the apartment complex and found Devlon standing there silently watching her. Approaching him, she asked, “Are we heading back now?”
“Lt. Colonel offered us use of two of his apartments for the night.”
“Oh...well, that was nice of him.”
“I think we should take him up on it. We’ll have good night’s sleep and be ready to leave first thing in the morning.”
“Do you need to call in your guy from the subcar?”
