Ever since he’d left after confronting Sorley, he hadn’t been far from her thoughts, making it hard to concentrate. She resented that. He shouldn’t be able to consume her brain space. But instead of being able to push thoughts of him aside, the memory of him defending her, of gently holding her hand, kept intruding over and over again.
“Ready?” he asked, the rumble of his voice cutting through her abdomen.
Breaking his gaze, Nia nodded. He touched his vambrace, causing her wrists to lock together. Head held high, she followed him out the door.
Watching the play of the muscles of his back beneath the fabric of his uniform as he walked ahead of her, she knew she should probably see the station’s psychologist. Did captives have mental health support onOrion? But maybe if she confessed her confusing thoughts and emotions, they wouldn’t stay private. Her cheeks began to burn. She hadn’t been given any procedural directives when she’d started. No one had said Tellusians kept the same sort of doctor-patient confidentiality as CORE physicians did. The reckless nature of their medical system made her shake her head.
They stepped on the lift in silence, and as it descended, Mace cleared his throat. “I’ve found the prosthetic you requested.”
Distracted from her tangent thoughts, her heart fluttered. “Really? That’s great.” She bounced off the lift when the door opened and met his gaze. “For a while there, I thought maybe you couldn’t get it because of how everyone was acting.” Her chest felt lighter than it had been a moment ago.
He followed her out. “It’ll be delivered to your med bay in the morning.”
“Fantastic news.” She couldn’t stop her smile as they walked side by side. “Thank you. Kilian will be so excited.” With a bounce in her step she hadn’t felt in a long time, she envisioned the boy’s face lighting up, and the image propelled her the rest of the way to Mace’s quarters.
He scanned his hand, and she hopped into the room. When she turned to face him, he was moving backward into the corridor.
“You’re leaving?”
His eyebrows lifted.
“I mean—sorry.” She shook her head to clear it. “I was wondering if I could have access to the terminal?”
His eyebrows lifted more.
“Books,” she blurted, feeling like a complete idiot now. “I wanted some books to read. Please. There’s not a lot to do in here, and I’ve been going a bit stir-crazy.” She lifted her arms and dropped them again, knowing her face reddened as usual.
Mace hesitated, then crossed to her in two steps. Taking hold of her hand, he tugged her to the terminal.
Nia inhaled sharply, her eyes fixed to where his hand held hers—how she didn’t pull away, and her fingers curled naturally inside his like they’d done earlier in the day.
Before she could fully examine her treasonous reaction, they arrived at the terminal. He dropped her hand to press his against the scanner. The shiny black surface activated, and Nia kept her eyes averted from the huge dent she’d made her first day.
When he took her fingers again, she twitched. His palm warmed her knuckles as he pressed her hand flat against its surface. After the scan, he took his hand away before punching in more codes, both on the terminal and his vambrace.
Nia curled her fingers into her palm, trying to squeeze the tingles away.
“I’ve given you access to some of the station’s libraries,” he said, his fingers slowing. “You’re not supposed to, but I’ve overrode the system.”
“Thank you.” The names of libraries scrolled across the screen in three languages, one she couldn’t read: Library of Law, Library of Architecture, Library of Fiction. Nia read each heading to distract herself from the fact Mace hadn’t left yet, hadn’t moved away, and his body continued to warm her side.
After a long, quiet minute, she looked up at him. His furrowed brow smoothed when she met his eyes.
“I’ve got to go,” he said, but still didn’t move away.
Nia nodded, heart beating strangely in her chest. Why did it feel like the whole station had tilted on its side when her feet remained firmly on the deck? Her breaths shortened, almost to the point of panic. Why was he making her feel this way? Her fingers twitched, this time stopping before she could reach for her PALM and a dose of suppressant.
Mace straightened suddenly, like he’d been struck with a power surge, and headed to the door without saying another word.
Chapter fifteen
Niaknew,withcertainty,she was once again near Mace when she woke the next morning. Not only because of the unrelenting warmth coming off his body, but because she’d had a dreamless sleep.
That wasn’t quite true. She’d dreamed of her parents. But the nightmares of cerulean birds eating eyeballs had stayed away.
Curled on her side, she felt waves of heat moving into her spine. They weren’t touching, but she was certain if she rolled onto her back, she would meet his body.
Nia lay there, eyes closed, debating whether to test out her theory, when the blanket covering her shifted. Cool air seeped against her skin as he left the bed. The door to the washroom whooshed shut a moment later.
