Dealers' Choice - Susan Hayes Page 0,7
his arm, exposing bare skin. Every time she grazed against it, she caught glimmers of emotions too powerful for her to ignore. Regret. Amusement. Affection. Desire. The feelings winked in and out like a pulsar.
She let them lead her through the crowd without really noting where they were going. The main concourse was as busy here as in the sector they’d come from. The calls of vendors and promoters were just as raucous, the sights and sounds as vibrant and jarring, but she floated along in a fugue, her mind whirling with the implications of what she’d said a moment ago.
At first, it had been easy to ignore the attraction she felt towards the two big males. It was purely physical, a reaction to their good looks and obvious strength. Then it had deepened into something more. The haja, the attraction between the healer and the ones seeking healing. She’d disregarded that, too, because of the human’s rules and her own. This though… this was something more, or it could be if she let it. There were just so many reasons it wasn’t a good idea.
He was supposed to be doing this for Vic, not himself. The plan was to bring Xori into their lives so that she could take Ward’s place when he stepped back and let the shadows take him. His brain clearly hadn’t gotten the message, though, because he was enjoying having Xori with them. She was easy company, and just being around her made the world a little lighter. Maybe that was it. There wasn’t much light in his life. He had his little family of batch-siblings, along with Dana and Mya, the chubby-fisted twins with their silver eyes full of trust he hadn’t earned. And, for tonight, at least, he had Xori.
He glanced down at the slender female beside him, acutely aware of the gentle brush of her fingertips against his skin. It was the first time she’d ever touched him, and the brief contact had kindled a fire that threatened to turn his carefully laid plans to ash. As much as he wanted her, he didn’t deserve her. She brought a little light into his world, but all he could offer her in return was a soul as black and cold as the void outside.
They reached the little café he and Vic had stumbled upon by accident one night. Neither of them slept much, so exploring the station in what passed for nights out here had become a common pastime.
The Dobna Brin was one of their favorite destinations. The Torski family that ran it was a poly grouping with enough spouses and offspring to allow them to keep it open around the clock, making it a perfect place to go when the walls of their quarters closed in around them.
Tagor boomed out a welcome the moment he saw them at the door. “Ah, Rezka, our wanderers are back for another visit. Come in, come in. Your usual spot?”
“Something a little bigger, this time, Tag. We’ve brought a friend.”
The big Torski’s brows almost vanished into his shaggy crop of blue-black hair as Xori stepped out from behind his brother. She looked like a child’s doll compared to the massive bulk of the heavy-worlder, and an unexpected urge to pull her back to his side struck him like a rogue comet. Ahead of him, Vic’s hand twitched as if he were fighting the same protective need, which made Ward feel a little better. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one feeling this way.
Tagor bowed his head. “A pleasure.”
Xori raised her hands in a gesture Ward couldn’t make out. Then she said, “Prosperity and blessings to you and your family,” in Tagor’s own language.
Tagor’s boom laughing filled the air. “A gem! You have brought a rare and shining jewel to dine with us tonight. Come, come, Rezka has already found a place for you.”
One of Tag’s wives smiled and pointed to a booth near the back of the little shop.
“This one is best for privacy,” Rezka told them as they took a seat in the U-shaped booth. She was beaming as she pointed out the terminal with the menu and screen controls. It was for Xori’s benefit, but he still wanted to tell the Torksi female to go away so they could enjoy a little of the privacy she’d been extolling just a moment before.
Once they were alone, Vic activated the privacy screen, a far simpler version of the same tech the military used. There was a low