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HELENA STOOD IN THE cleansing booth while the unit emitted an inaudible wave of sound. Only the slight buzz against her skin and scalp confirmed the system was working.
It blew her mind Henry and Patsy had been operatives. Her friend had been an excellent personal assistant to the president but a former spy? She wondered if she’d found the desk job a tad boring. Well, things aren’t so boring anymore.
If she felt a little hurt Henry had been the one to reveal their secret, she shoved aside the emotion as irrational. They had had to protect their identities. Patsy couldn’t have confided in Helena before now. And only recently had they become the kind of friends who shared confidences.
The buzzing ceased, and a light blinked overhead signaling the sonic shower had finished.
She stepped out of the stall. “Fresh as a daisy.” She hadn’t expected to feel clean without water, but surprisingly she did. Maybe next time, she’d try the laser. She’d skip the disinfecting mist though. That sounded sticky and insulting. Henry had given her a tutorial on how to use the shower, and then he’d left to rendezvous with Patsy. Despite his assurances his ex-operative partner could take care of herself, he worried about her venturing off alone on the ship.
Helena donned her still-clean jeans and knit top and then inspected her hair in the mirror. At least with a sonic shower she didn’t have to dry and style afterward. Fluff and go.
As she exited the bathroom, she caught a whiff of burning...cloves? Dragons set fires rather than put them out, but she hoped they had the sense to install a fire suppression system on the spaceship. She sniffed. What was that smell?
Following her nose, she left the bedroom.
Prince T’mar in demiforma stood in the main room.
“How did you get in here?” she demanded.
Eyes and fangs flashed. “Where is he?”
“Who?”
He growled. “The man who accompanied you.”
“Did you check his quarters?” The prince didn’t need to know Henry had gone on reconnaissance with Patsy.
He circled her in an almost-predatory manner. She rotated as he did, keeping her eyes on him. “What are you doing?” Maybe there was a fire because the room seemed too hot all of a sudden.
His arm shot out and grabbed her wrist.
“Let go of me! What are you doing?” She twisted her arm to try to break his grip while fighting the urge to lean into him. He smelled good. Warm breath scented with cloves and woodsmoke wafted over her as he stepped close, bent his head, and sniffed her neck.
His shoulders relaxed, and he exhaled. “He didn’t claim you. Didn’t touch you. He can live.” He released her.
She moved away, rubbing her arm, although he hadn’t hurt her. The sensation of his touch remained on her skin; his scent was in her nose. “What are you talking about?”
“The male who arrived with you—you and he have not mated.”
“Excuse me?” Her jaw dropped. She hardly knew Henry, and she didn’t think of him that way, but if they had danced the horizontal tango, it would be none of the prince’s business. He’d made it plain he had no personal interest in her.
“You’re my consort.”
“You gave up the right to have a say in what I do when you announced you wished to have no further contact with me.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Since when?”
“Since now.”
She planted her hands on her hips. Who knew dragons ran hot and cold? Well, he couldn’t barge into her private space and start issuing demands. “Maybe my mind hasn’t changed!”
She almost thought she saw a flash of hurt in his eyes, but then his gaze turned speculative, and he crossed his arms and canted his head. “Are you flirting with me?”
Was he nuts? “Flirting?”
“Sending mixed messages to confuse me.”
“If anybody’s doing that, you are! You planned to dump me in the harem and walk away. Is that not the plan now?”
“You’ll still live in the harem, but I will visit you to get you out of my system.”
Get me out of his system? What fucking nerve! But her body responded, her womb fluttering and her breasts growing achy. “Get out of my quarters!” She jabbed in the direction of the invisible door.
“This is my ship.”
“This is my room. Get. Out!”
“I’ll return later when you’re calm,” he said. “We’ll talk more then.”
“Get out!” God, she wished this ship had actual doors so she could fling one open and slam it behind his ass.
His cheeks dimpled, and then he pivoted, marched in the direction she pointed, and passed through the wall.
“Good riddance!” she announced to open air.
