Page 100 of Stealing the Star Stone
He dipped his head, keeping his heated gaze only for her.“Fly us home, Nova-honey.”
She boarded before him and sank into the pilot’s seat.
“Travel safely,” Frederik called and walked off.
Eli sealed the door then moved around the compartment while she powered up the engines.Only when he paused beside her, did she catch the delicate aroma of Lady Grey tea.
“Computer, fly us to Artivar Station,” she called and reached for the cup as the shuttle rose upward.
“Manual pilot deactivated,” the computer intoned.
“Think we’ll return?”Eli asked, leaning a hip against the console with a disappearing vision of Lethara behind him.
“My egg might need to,” she said.
He folded his arms across his chest.“Chosen a name for it?”
She shook her head, content to sip her tea, and relishing the warmth in her belly.This was…happiness.
“What about Barry?”
The memory of half a man plummeting past the vines flashed across her mind.“I like it,” she said.
“Computer, time on Artivar?”
“Ten A.M.”
Eli hummed.“Connect me to Graham Whitney.”
Nova stiffened, wishing she could leave before his agent answered.But doing so would raise suspicion.Perhaps she could hide behind the cup?
“One moment, please.”
“Eli?Is that you?”A man’s face filled the forescreens.
She winced.Yes, the same man who’d whisked her out of Eli’s bed while insulting her looks.Was she allowed to hate him on sight?Then again, the poor man, having to deal with all of Eli’s one-night-stands.
“Of course it’s me.This is Nova.We’re on our way to Artivar.It’s a five-hour trip.”
“At last!”The older man’s expression warmed, revealing his fatherly love for Eli.
Her heart broke then.She couldn’t hate someone who loved him as much as she did.If not more so.
“I’ll let everyone know.”Graham’s grin threatened to split his cheeks.“Expect a full-blown welcome.”
“Wonderful.Nova’s my date.Please take care of everything.”
Graham studied her then, his expression curious then worried.“I’ll…need your sizes.”
“Sure,” she mumbled, rolling her shoulders and burying her nose in her empty cup.
“She’s theValiance’pilot,” Eli said, his gaze on her.
“Oh,” Graham said, then added, “Oh!I’ll let Marco know.He’s been so worried.”
“Thank you,” she said, flashing a smile she was far from feeling.Returning to civilization was unexpectedly soul destroying.
“See you in five,” he called and hung up.
