I met you. I don’t mind being yours. The more time we spend together, the more it isn’t enough. I miss you when you’re gone on shifts. I can’t wait for you to walk through the door. And I get a bit depressed when I think about the day when you aren’t coming home to me.”

“I think about you the entire time I’m on duty.”

She smiled.

He grinned back. “Let’s finish watching this vid. I’m interested in seeing the end. I didn’t believe I’d enjoy this, but I do.”

She snuggled into him and stared up at the screen as the story finished. It was a sweet love story. It made her wish that she and Deviant would have a happy ending. There was so much uncertainty though with their future.

“You’ve tensed.”

“Sorry.”

He turned them both and pinned her under him. “What is it?”

She didn’t hesitate to share her thoughts with him. “I’m worried about what’s going to happen to you if Stag discovers I’m here before we reach Garden. You’re going to have to smuggle me off the shuttle, the same way you got me on, aren’t you?”

“We won’t be docking. The Varnish will land on the surface of our planet. You’ll walk off this shuttle at my side.”

That surprised her. “So we’re just hoping he’s busy and won’t notice me?”

“Once we reach Garden, my assignment is at an end. Stag will no longer be in command of me. He might be angry, but he can’t do anything except file a complaint with the council.”

“Are they as bad as Earth’s ruling system?”

“No. They are fair. Twelve cyborgs sit on the council, and some members have joined into family units with Earther women.”

The shocks kept coming. “Oh.”

“Stag really hates Earthers but most cyborgs are more reasonable. He shared some of his past experiences with me and none were good.”

“They just fear we’re spies?”

“Yes. It’s a valid concern.”

“You’d think EG had better things to do than bother with cyborgs.”

“They probably fear we want to attack Earth but that’s not the case. We fled and have settled on another world. I’ve never met a single cyborg who wished he could return.”

She touched Deviant, tracing her fingers over his chest. “I don’t blame them. The only thing I’m going to miss is my sister.”

“I’m sorry you had to leave her behind. It must have been very difficult.”

“It was. Her husband is a fantastic man and they’re planning on starting a family soon. He’s worked hard to accomplish what he has with his company. I would never have asked them to uproot and start over as space refugees. Love sometimes means letting go. They’re better off there. I was the one who had to leave.”

“Perhaps one day you can send your sister a message to let her know you’re doing well.”

“It’s too risky.”

He leaned in and brushed his mouth over hers. “I’m glad you left Earth.”

She kissed him back, feeling grateful as well. She’d always envied her sister finding her husband. Venice’s luck with men had been crap until Deviant had walked into that automated brothel. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She never wanted to let him go.

A bell chimed and Deviant groaned, breaking away from her mouth. “My father has the worst timing.”

She grinned, releasing him. “Cleansing unit?”

“Yes.”

He climbed out of bed and she followed, making a dash for the corner, ever worried someone would pass in the corridor and catch a glimpse of her when Deviant opened the door to admit Mavo.

She stepped inside the unit, sealing it, and waited for him to tell her it was safe to come out.

Deviant had to adjust his stiff cock in his pants and snagged a shirt, putting it on as the bell chimed again. It would cover his hard-on, the material draping over his lap area. He wondered why his father had returned. Mavo should still be on shift.

He slapped his palm over the pad to unlock the door—and realized who waited on the other side a split-second before he faced Stag.

“Do you want to explain to me why we have an extra life sign on my ship?”

Deviant could tell the commander was furious. Stag had come to him, specifically, for answers, which meant he already knew Deviant was hiding someone in his quarters. “I can explain.”

“Earther, right?” Stag lunged, pushed him out of the way and glared at the bed, then slowly fixed his attention on the sealed cleansing unit. “Female?”

Deviant backed up and blocked access to it. “She’s not a