Her face was flamingwhen Baket looked at her.His eyes got wide.“Margo, are you okay?”
“Um, I am not used to pet names.He caught me by surprise.”
“Pet names?”Baket rubbed the back of his skull.
“Uh, affection names, I suppose.I haven’t heard that one before.”
Baket said, “I am going to regret this, but what was the name?”
She turned pink again.“Yalut-yah.Does that mean flower petals?”
Baket blinked.“Ah, no.It is more honey flower.”
“Oh.Oh!Damn.Sorry I asked.”
He looked at her appalled expression.“It’s fine.I just didn’t consider that this could come as the result of Aken-Var taking over.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t think that he would apologize thoroughly.I am still reeling about that one.”
“Pilot?Can you go and get the blood off?”
“Oh, right.Sensitive sense of smell.Sorry.I will be back in ten minutes.”She nodded and walked back to her quarters.She changed into a different ship suit after a quick solar blast.Her heart had beat faster looking into Aken-Var’s gaze, even in Baket’s body.
She made sure her hair was confined and neat, remembering the gold-green fingers woven into it, pulling her head back for a kiss, and holding her so his lips could work their way with wet, biting kisses down her neck.
Margo shivered and got back to the pilot’s seat.The guys were inoculated to her scent, and heat would just be annoying.She could deal with them annoyed.She tended to bring that out in people.
Chapter Eight
Margo watched the shuttlereturning.Everyone had gone down to the surface to introduce the new citizens with some defenders that Birun had arranged.Cori had been offered a place at Sanctuary Base as a permanent posting with regular visits to the Pericoff settlement.
The shuttle snugged into the ship, and when everything was sealed, Margo began the glide back to Sanctuary Base.
Birun walked onto the command deck and said, “We are heading home?”
“We are.How did Isolde like the Pericoffs?”
