Page 10 of Lashe
I snorted, determined not to read into his—false—observation. “Hardly. Besides, my job takes up so much time. There’s hardly any time left over for a partner. I can’t even blame them. It’s no surprise no one sticks around.”
“Anyone with an ounce of sense would realize that any time you give them is a gift.”
Whoa. That was a shockingly sweet thing to say.A gift?Roy certainly didn’t see it that way. My travel schedule, the time I had to spend in meetings or working was fine in the beginning, but after a time it just seemed to annoy him when I said,I can’t. I need to work.“My most recent ex’s reason to break up was if I didn’t have time for him, how would I have time for the children.” I put a hand over my eyes. “Ah. I’m sorry. You don’t want to hear about my pitiful breakup tales.”
“It’s fine,” he said, entering a code in the interface, which immediately turned blue. “You wanted me to act normal. I’ve been present through your relationships long enough to make a few observations.”
“Yeah, I guess you have. I never thought you were paying attention.”
He glanced over. Deep green eyes held mine. “I’m always paying attention, Anna.”
His gaze dropped to my mouth, just for one moment, then he looked back to the screen. A flash of fuchsia pigment rippled over his face.
“Anna, I have several nutritious food samples for you,” interrupted Stelis. “And I managed to replicate an acceptable coffee, borrowing from your ration supply today.”
“Thanks, Stelis. Hmm.” I stepped away from the male who suddenly had my heart beating a little faster and my mouth feeling a little dryer. Maybe he wasn’t quite as indifferent to me as I always thought.
CHAPTER 6
Lashe
Iwasn’t sure what to make of this closeness. Being in tight proximity with Anna was going to be hard. Harder than I thought, and at no point did I ever expect it to be easy. When I completed repairing what I could from the interface inside the ship, I got up and went to the main cabin. It was time to test the surface of the asteroid. I opened the compartment for thelifesuitI’d wear to get outside. I needed to use the compression washers on the ducts, which were too blocked for the system to run its normal cleaning protocols.
Anna looked up as I pulled the lightweight but baggy suit over my clothes. She had been engrossed in herdatapadand her brow was still knitted. “You’re not doing what I think you’re doing, are you?”
“Yes,” I replied, surprised by the forcefulness of her voice. “It’s the only way to get some of that irradiated material out of the ducts. You want to get off this asteroid, don’t you?”
Her brow creased into a deep scowl. “Sure, but there must be another way. Even you said there was something not right about the surface of the asteroid.”
“It has to be done. I’ve done everything I can through the interface. I repaired the outgoing signal system and sent out a distress signal, but we can’t know if it’s reaching anyone. This part has to be completed manually from the outside.” I sealed the fastenings of the suit and picked up the clear helmet. “I’ll be careful, and I’m wearing thelifesuit, which will protect me from any environmental issues.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she slowly nodded. “Definitely be careful. And get back in here as soon as you can.”
“I will.” I reached out my gloved hand, and for reasons I couldn’t begin to comprehend, I cupped her chin in my fingers. Maybe it was the worried look on her face. Maybe it was just my own weakness, but her eyes fluttered at my touch. Her delicate jaw opened slightly on the quietest of gasps. She did not move away. Impossibly, inexplicably, she leaned into my hand.
We were frozen there for a moment. Me, dressed in alifesuit,staring at her in surprise and longing, and her gazing up at me, looking a little baffled. But there was no repulsion in her expression. On the contrary, her hand came up and covered my own. “Come back to me, Lashe,” she said in a low voice.
“I will,” I said. “I promise.”
I stepped away then, for self-preservation. I could get lost in this female. Swept away in the lines of her, in the way she drew me in. I had wanted her for a very long time. I placed the helmet on my head. “I’m engaging the external auxiliary air lock,” I said. “Don’t enter it under any circumstances. Once I go outside, the oxygen in there will be low.”
“Okay.” She was still staring at me like this was the first time she was seeing me. A sliver of hope lit through a crack that perhaps Anna felt something for me that was taking both of usby surprise. As impossible as that seemed, there was no denying the look in her eyes. There was probably no denying the colors on my skin either. Although only my face was visible through the helmet, my emotions would be right there, changing the color of my face.
Maybe it was time to stop pretending that I saw her only as my boss. That was something I’d give more thought to when I got back on the ship. Perhaps just talking to her more,normally, would give me better insight into what she thought of me.
I picked up the device I needed to clear out the ducts, gave Anna one last long look and engaged the pop-out air lock. This was the first time it had been in use since it was tested at assembly, and despite the thin material, it was nearly impenetrable. I stepped through the hull hatch into the plastoid bubble. It was transparent and should offer a safe transition from the ship’s interior to the asteroid’s surface. Gravity boots would keep me rooted to the ground. This was going to be fine—quick and simple. I’d be back inside in no time.
The second, thin hatch that opened to the outside was as transparent as the rest of the plastid air lock. When I was sure the hull was secured, I opened that door and stepped through. My boots automatically calibrated to the low gravity.
I went to work right away, walking over the dusty gray surface to the first clogged duct, setting up my equipment and beginning the process of getting the ducts clean. The first one went fast. The process was straightforward. As I worked on the second one, a breeze picked up. That was unusual, considering all of the readings I had been taking from the shuttle. And that we were on an asteroid with little to no atmosphere that could generate a breeze.
Before I’d left the shuttle, there had been no change to the outside conditions. There was a definite movement now, and it was increasing. The wind was beginning to move the sand thatblanketed the surface. Under my feet, I saw a glint of metal. It was shiny and black. It did not come from my ship. The wind was picking up the dust and sand that had settled so nicely and was moving it about. I didn’t have time to ponder the change in weather. My visibility wasn’t as good anymore, but through it, I could see more metal. Sections of what looked like debris from other ships. Scraps of twisted metal. A shiver of foreboding traveled across my skin. I adjusted the device, upping the power to the maximum level to get this job done faster.
I gripped the side of the ship as the wind increased. I imagined that Anna would not be pleased right now. I could almost hear her pacing, yelling at me to come back in. And I would, after this was done. It was close. Just a few more minutes and I could seal this duct and get back inside. It wouldn’t be that bad. I needed to return to the cabin before the wind got worse. The other two ducts needed to be done, but could wait.
The device turned green and I hastily removed it, shoved it under an arm, then slapped the cover back on the duct and fastened it. I did all this by feel, not sight. The blowing dust had picked up so badly, it was clogging the filters in my suit. I dragged in a breath and grimaced against the burn in my throat as the fine substance overwhelmed the oxygen recycler in my helmet.
Keeping my hands on the hull to brace against the wind, I edged around the side and back to the ship’s pop-out air lock. The thin, rigid bubble pieces held firm, but I could see them beginning to buckle. Apparently even plastid air locks had their limitations. So did I.