Shade shook his head. He knew she didn’t have a unit to spare. “Just a sweater. It’s cooler outside of the city.”
She nodded and disappeared back into the ship.
Jax stared at him, and Shade waited for the home-before-midnight-hands-to-yourself speech. He hadn’t heard it since he was a teenager, but he knew that look well enough. It was timeless and universal.
“Tess makes her own decisions.” Jax squatted down, bringing their faces closer together. “Just be careful what you do with her good faith.”
That was more spot-on and hit harder than the lecture Shade had been anticipating. Jax flexing a big hand between them like he was ready to wrap it around Shade’s throat and squeeze was exactly what he’d expected.
Shade didn’t step back. Jax had to know he would put up a good fight.
Tess reappeared quickly and hopped down onto the platform to join him. Her slightly hesitant smile always seemed to knock the air from his lungs, and this time was no different. Shade once again had to wonder what the hell he was doing, especially since there was attraction between them. Was he moving toward a decision, or just making everything worse?
His questions didn’t stop him, and they turned and walked toward the elevator tubes together. Shade glanced furtively at Tess. He couldn’t remember a time in his adult life when he hadn’t had to shorten his stride to accommodate a woman.
“Bye, Jax!” Tess called as they stepped into the next available lift.
Jax grimace-smiled at her from theEndeavor. He waved just as the elevator doors shut.
“He hates me,” Shade said as they whooshed toward ground level.
Tess laughed. “He’s just protective. He’s…lost people.”
The smile that had managed to start budding on Shade’s lips died. “You seemed to like the idea of the beach,” he said, wanting to change the subject.
“I saw what I thought was an ocean when we flew in. I was curious.”
“Not used to water, then?” he asked as they exited the elevator, and he guided her toward his small private cruiser. It easily fit two, though not many more. It was space-worthy, but he also used it to get around Albion 5. It was a hell of a lot safer than the public shuttles run by the planetary authorities. He knew that for a fact.
“I’m used to metal, metal, and more metal. Honestly, when I hit water, I might rust.”
Shade chuckled, opening the door for her. “I don’t think it works that way.”
Tess slid into her seat, seeming entirely at home in any kind of spacecraft. “I’ll let you know after the beach.”
Her words gnawed at Shade’s conscience as he rounded the cruiser to his side. What if there wasn’t an after? What if therewas? He was feeling less and less inclined to make a decision tonight.
But if he didn’t bring her in soon, then someone else would. She had a massive price on her head. He knew of at least one couple that was bound to be searching high and low for Tess—and they’d be a lot less gentle with her than he would. And Solan and Raquel weren’t the only ones. There were a dozen skilled hunters that could be on this right now, and a dozen others that might just have dumb luck. The end result would still be the same for Tess, but he would be out two hundred million units—everything and more that he still needed to buy back his docks.
Shade opened his door a little too forcefully.Hisdocks. Who the fuck was he kidding? They hadn’t been his for ten years. And if he turned his back on the bounty for Tess, chances were they wouldn’t be his for ten more.
He powered up and took off, staying low to avoid traffic. Tess watched the city go by, seeming to appreciate it but not looking overly impressed. Her Sector 12 accent made him think she’d grown up with enough privilege to make Albion City look pretty basic. So what had turned her into a rebel and a thief?
“Sector 12 has all the best planets and the nicest resorts. How come you’ve never been to the beach?” he asked.
She glanced over. “I told you, I’m from 8.”
“And yet you speak in tones of the galactic ideal.”
She paled and turned back to the window. “I abhor the galactic ideal.”
Shade could tell. “Yeah, me too,” he said.
Tess swung around again. “I do. You do. There must be other people who do, too. Why is it winning? Why ishewinning?”
Shade shrugged, going for levity. “I guess people don’t like having to think for themselves.”
“That’s bullshit,” Tess said, leaning toward him.
