Page 34 of Capture of Capricorn

“Yes, because we are not the only life in the universe.”

“This is a lot to take in.” Her hugging of her upper body led to him stepping close and wrapping his arms around her as well.

“Yeah, it is. And I get it, you don’t like chaos, but that said, so long as you live within Tower, you will have shelter, clothing, and food—excellent food, I should add. And, if you’re nice, I’ll bet Tower will give you some of the answers you need to help you understand and make sense of things.”

“You mean another book on how to join the Zodiac cult?” her sarcastic reply.

“I’ll admit that was an odd choice, but I will add the library tends to give people what they need to read. Therefore, I imagine there’s a reason you got to learn about the process. You should count yourself special. It’s not something that’s really ever talked about.”

“Do you ever regret accepting?” she asked, turning in his arms and tilting her face to meet his gaze.

“Nope. I was supposed to die that day, and instead, I got a second chance at life. An opportunity to actually make a difference.”

“Those are hero-type words.”

His lips quirked. “What can I say? I’d have looked great in tights.”

Her laughter rolled husky and sexy from those luscious lips. “Only if you have the package to pull it off.”

“Anytime you want to be the judge, Beauty, you let me know.” He winked, and to his surprise, his brash new lady friend blushed.

She slipped out of his grip and looked to the sky before saying, “Do you think this tower of yours is going to zoom us back down, or am I going to be punished and made to walk all those stairs?”

“Why not ask it?”

She sucked her bottom lip before shaking her head and saying, while rolling her eyes, “Um, Tower, sorry I didn’t believe you before. Would you pretty please do your thing and maybe bring me to a room where I can freshen up?”

Capricorn stepped close to her just as the bubble once more encased them. This time Zora didn’t scream, although she did reach for his hand and held it with crushing strength.

No surprise, Tower deposited them in his quarters, an open-space apartment replete with a giant bed, a few recliners, a massive television, and a new piece of furniture, a chaise longue with a side table holding a stack of books.

Zora glanced around before arching a brow. “I take it this is where you live?”

“What gave it away?”

“The guy vibe. I’m surprised there isn’t a pinball machine or a foosball table though.”

“We have those in the game room.” He inclined his head toward the chaise. “Looks like Tower’s expecting you to bunk with me, because that appears to be for you.”

She wandered over to peruse the stack of books. She held one up with a grin. “The Metallurgy of Asteroids. I didn’t even know a book about those ores existed.”

“It probably doesn’t, outside of Tower. What else did it give you?”

“A few books on metal working techniques, most of which I’ve never heard of and appear old. Cool.” She grinned in pleasure. “Oh, and here’s one with metal art designs.”

“Don’t be surprised if Tower assigns you a room to play with metal. It tends to encourage hobbies. Leo’s girlfriend got a professional kitchen, since she likes to bake.”

“It shouldn’t go through the trouble since I probably won’t be here for long. After all, once you’ve handled Crius and find the real sphere, it should be safe for me to go home.”

It shouldn’t have bothered to hear her indicate her intention to depart, and yet, Capricorn found himself wanting to argue in favor of her staying.

“If you still want to freshen up, bathroom’s that way. Don’t scream if you find some clean clothes when you’re done showering.”

“Planning to peek?” she asked in an almost teasing tone.

“While it is tempting, I won’t. Tower will ensure you have something to wear.”

“I guess there’s no point in asking how it will guess my size.”

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