Page 92 of Shadows of Stardust

“Noted.”

He really takes that warning to heart as he slowly shifts to make me more comfortable. Curling me into his side, he rests one hand in the middle of my back, the other propped behind his head in the very picture of casual relaxation. Like he hasn’t got a single care in the world.

And, with the soft breaking of the waves and a few birds calling above, with the warmth and the sunshine, I can’t help but do the same.

Eyes closed, body relaxing into Zan, we lay in silence for a few long moments.

Until he ruins it.

“I know you don’t want to talk about last night.”

I groan, quiet enough to avoid drawing the attention of any passing hovers. “Really? What gave that impression?”

Zan squeezes me and chuckles softly instead of answering, and it makes something low and warm stir to life in my belly.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” I huff, doing my very best to squash that feeling.

“I wanted to apologize again.”

Okay. Feeling squashed.

Immediately, irrationally annoyed, I prop myself up on his chest. “Apologize? You mean you regret—”

“Cameras,” he murmurs, and I let out a breath through my nose as I settle back against him.

“I don’t regret it for a moment, Roslyn.” He brushes his lips against my temple. “But I realize it was… perhaps the situation got away from us a little.”

“Maybe just a bit.”

I glance up and catch the grim set of his features and his slow, solemn nod. Despite my better judgment, I can’t let that stand.

“But I don’t regret it, either.”

The soft declaration stops him mid-nod, and his galaxy eyes dart down to meet mine. “No?”

“No,” I confirm, leaning up to speak the words into the curve of his jaw. “I don’t.”

He squeezes me again. “Alright.”

I wish I could let it go there. I really do.

But we both need the reminder, so I make myself say it.

“Not that it changes anything. With us. With why we’re here.”

“I wouldn’t expect it to.”

“Good,” I say, not sure what other boundaries I should set, what distance I should keep, how to best look out for myself here.

Because even though I stubbornly want to believe I’m not full of shit, that all of this is just fun, just letting off a little steam, I can’t convince myself entirely.

Not after everything that’s happened, everything we still have to face.

Not after last night and all those deliciously sensual images that keep playing themselves over and over in my mind.

Not when being here, in Zan’s embrace, makes me feel like I’m not alone for the first time in a very, very long time.

“So we’re… cool, then?”