could feel under the layers of fabric between them. They sat in silence until the staff member came in to remove their dessert cups and leave a tea set behind.
She closed her eyes at the scent and smiled, leaning for it and then being brought up short by his arms. She huffed. “Can you just let me pour?”
He reached out and pulled the table to them. “I like you where you are.”
Styra snorted as she reached out to pour the two cups of minty brew. She handed one to him and then took the other for herself. She leaned back against him and sipped at the tiny cup. “Thank you for this evening. It was... nice.”
He chuckled. “I am glad.”
She sipped at her tea, and he sipped at his.
“So, back to your accommodations after this?”
He squeezed her gently. “Yes.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Sitting surrounded by him was incredibly soothing. She held her tea carefully and looked at the smoothed skin of her arm. All these years and all she needed a stunning drake and a few minutes of agony to fix it. It made her a little nervous for what was going to happen when he worked on her blast scar, but if she could actually eat a meal, run, or even exercise and breathe at the same time, she would just grit her teeth and wait for the lack of issue on the other side.
She could deal with a little—or a lot—of pain if it meant she would be able to move and behave like the rest of the crew at the entertainment center. Mr. Blue had hired them all as children and raised them together. Her injuries had stopped her from joining in the more boisterous training, so Mr. Blue had helped her compensate by aiding her in writing scenarios where she was the drake or she was running or she was flying under her own power. She could be anything, and she could do anything, as long as it was inside a scenario.
She touched the heavily embroidered fabric of the wrap skirt that Yr-el was wearing. It radiated the heat from the body underneath it.
She set her teacup down after she finished it, and he put his next to hers. “Shall we go?”
Styra nodded, and he helped her to her feet. As he rose to his feet, she split the sleeve that was dangling uselessly, tied it in a knot, and managed to reclaim her dignity.
He nodded at her solution with a smile and took her hand in his. He walked out of the restaurant with her, and the staff bowed as they passed. That was different, but as she knew most of the staff from their time in the entertainment centers, she didn’t make eye contact. Knowing their personal kinks was a burden that those who worked at the entertainment center had to bear.
As they walked through the station, Yr-el pulled her close to him. The hotel was near the entertainment center, which was great for going to work the following day if she didn’t need to go back to her quarters and get her passes.
The hotel staff bowed and didn’t crack a smile at her as she passed. That was different. Normally, they were up for a grin and a wave.
Styra looked up at Yr-el, and she wondered why everyone was so petrified of him. He was a lovely person who was kind and considerate.
They stepped into the lift, his hand tightened on her waist, and his eyes flashed red. Oh. Right. The drake.
Chapter Six
Styra looked around the luxury suite and studiously ignored the bed that had been neatly turned down.
Yr-el unbuckled the straps on his chest, and she didn’t ask why he wore them to begin with. He looked and her and smiled. “You can come in. I won’t bite. Not yet.”
She pressed a hand to her cheek, and she tried to throttle the heat that his words sent rushing through her.
He smiled and had removed the heavy belt and the wrist cuff that he wore. “Now, I would recommend that you disrobe and get on the bed. This might make a bit of a mess.”
She clutched at the silky fabric but removed it carefully and set it aside. The twist and pucker of her scar was right beneath her breasts and off to one side.
She asked, “How does one discover that one has a talent for this kind of healing?”
He smiled and walked over to her. “My father learned of it when he healed my