Page 48 of Last Resort

They went two kilometres, and then Breen took her on as they approached the sound of the open ocean.

She looked at the long bridge and then looked to Breen. “I think I want to walk this one.”

He nodded.

“How about I go first? This thing might be weight-sensitive.” She kept a straight face. The bridge got regular maintenance according to Amby.

Myro muttered, “Not a fan of that.”

She kicked her feet, and Breen set her down. She turned to the guys. “Hydrate, and then we are going to walk this lightly. If anyone tries to swing me around, they are going to hear about it.”

She walked to the edge of the span, leaned against one of the posts, and pressed a link. The cables under the slats pulled in, and there was a locking sound. She looked over her shoulder and grinned. “See you on the other side.”

She began the long walk, and the rigid bridge held under her feet. She began to run and made it to the other side in three minutes. The moment she was over, Myro powered through and then Breen. When he was done, she pressed the button, and the bridge loosened so it would sway in the breeze.

Myro said, “That is clever.”

She looked at him. “You are going to put it in a game, aren’t you?”

He grinned. “Come on, we need to find butterflies.”

Breen took her hand and hauled her along. A fresh wave of drones was watching them, and she knew she was going to catch hell for this. The viewers on the internet were not forgiving.

She walked with them, and Myro took her other hand as they saw the first butterfly and tracked it back to a huge and wonderful garden filled with the island butterflies and dozens of others. She let their hands go and walked into the cloud of butterflies, turning and laughing as they stuck and drank from her sweaty skin.

She turned slowly, and the butterflies took off and landed again.

She laughed and walked toward the guys, seeing their outlines through fluttering wings. Myro whispered something in her ear, and she nodded, walking back to the centre of the garden as she slowly twirled in place. Taking on an Elite gown wasn’t something she often did, but this time, she did it with a twist. It was black. Once the gown was in place, she walked back toward Breen and Myro, and they were breathing hard. The butterflies slowly peeled away, flying loose until she stepped out of the cloud and twirled slowly in front of them. Her cameras were still in place. Myro kissed her sweetly, and then Breen stepped in. She looked at them both and said clearly, “Okay, how do we get back to the village? This dress isn’t built for sprinting.”

They all started laughing and walked toward the outpost and the boat visible down a steep set of stairs. As they walked down, she resumed her exercise gear. The drones followed them as they got on the boat, and the golden alpha drove them back to the village.

Myro wrapped his arms around her waist as she stood at the railing and said, “You are stunning when you are having fun. Gorgeous any other time.”

“Thank you. I am incandescent when I am coding.” She laughed and leaned against him.

Breen was talking with the captain of the vessel as they rocked over the ocean.

She sighed. “What do you think is on the agenda for tomorrow?”

Myro murmured against her temple, “No clue, but I think we need to try last night again. I think I can do better.”

Poppy shuddered, swallowed, and said, “You did fine, Myro. I don’t want you to strain something.”

He laughed and kissed her temple again. “It was a delightfully fun challenge.”

“Yay. I won. Several times.”

He let out a soft chortle. “That is the thing about these unions. One’s win means all win. I liked winning last night. I liked it a lot.”

She shivered and felt her nipples prodding at the inside of her sports bra. “Don’t tease.”

He kissed her neck in full view of the drone near the ship. She reached back with her index and middle fingers and pinched his lips together. “A little less PDA for them to edit out, please.” She glared at him.

His gaze was dancing with amusement. She released her pinch.

Myro laughed. “That was effective.”

She laughed and leaned back against him.

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