Page 50 of Stealing the Star Stone
“Another space cowboy.”He winced.“More time spent in the saddle.”
“On a horse?”she gasped.
“Yeah, or something alien-looking.Days of having a sore ass.Maybe this time, I’ll get to ride a speeder, instead.”
“Why not suggest it?”she asked, flipping her hands under the sunbeam—a flash of heat that sterilized.
“I haven’t seen the script yet.Besides, family first, remember.”
She smiled.“I do.Might as well tell me about them, just in case we get stuck like this.”
“Then we’re getting married,” he said, with all seriousness.
She froze, raising her gaze to his.Logically, it made sense.If anyone found out they’d swapped bodies, it wouldn’t be medical examinations they’d have to worry about, but psychology assessments and possibly the psych ward.
“No one would believe we ‘fell in love,’” she said.“Everyone knows we hate each other.”
He didn’t answer, taking his time to study her.“Hate’s a strong word.”
Her heart leaped into her throat; his expression sparking a fire in her belly.“It is,” she managed to say.“One step at a time.”
“Yeah,” he said, cupping her cheek and running a thumb along the stubble.“It’s going to start itching.”
“It has,” she said, resisting the urge to nuzzle the palm of his hand.“When you said lactose intolerant, does that mean chocolate, too?”
“Unfortunately.”
She pursed her lips.“Forsaking all things chocolate is sacrilege.”
“I know.”He shifted back and massaged his breasts.“Could sure do with some now.Why do these ache?And why are your nipples so damn sensitive?”
“You don’t like?”she teased.
“No.”He scowled.“Not the good kind of sensitive.It’s on the verge of painful.”
“All par for the course,” she said, slipping between him and the door.
“You women hide this discomfort so well.I never knew.”He lifted his forefinger in a ‘eureka’ moment.“They should teach this to boys.”
“Vice versa,” she said, ticking off on her fingers.“Horny all the time, never kick a man in the balls, teensy weensy bladder, never shake after a pee, and hair in all the strangest places.”
“What hair?”he asked then laughed.“And how do you know this?”
“I told you I peeked.”She touched her ear, pulling back with a long hair pinched between her fingers.“What’s this?”
“Ah, the stylist usually takes care of those.”
“My point, exactly.”She opened the weapons locker, now missing a few pieces.“Frederik… What an amazing man.”
“Indeed.And we have you to thank for his help.”
“Me?”She touched her chest then lowered her hand when he stared at her.
“Yeah, offering him a job might have started him thinking that working for Orien wasn’t his only option in life.”
She shrugged.“He saved me from your fans with such ease.The poor guy must’ve been used for his size his entire life.”
“Trust you to go all soft like that.A man wouldn’t think about his childhood and how he was bullied.”Thorne leaned his shoulder against the panel.“With his size, he could’ve done the bullying.”
