Page 24 of Lorran
“Slipshod,” she repeated slowly, like he inadequately processed information, which was fair. “It means negligent, like a pair of crappy shoes that keep falling off.”
“This is a very specific situation.”
“That needed a word. Obviously.” Her cheeks puffed as she sighed dramatically on the last word.
Adorable. He felt compelled to share this observation, but she tossed him a sharp glance, causing him to remain silent.
“Sorry. I’m being an absolute grump, and that’s really not me. Today’s been a lot, you know. Sorry for real.”
He nodded. “We owe each other apologies. My family has a disastrous record for first impressions with our mates.”
“Keeping that traditional alive and well.” She grimaced. “Sorry, that was still grumpy.”
“My brothers will expire from mirth when they learn of this.” He could imagine Seeran’s glee. The male hardly expressed an emotion other than disdain, but he could hear Seeran’s laughter now. Still, Lorran remembered the years after the Earth invasion when the fires in Seeran’s gut died and his brother had been cold, dormant in a half-existence. He’d take Seeran’s teasing and mockery, as was a brother’s due.
“Can we start over?” Bronwyn asked. She leaned forward, the notebook in her lap forgotten. “We both agree that the situation wasn’t exactly our fault, but we were showing our butts.”
“I did no such thing! And I would certainly remember your ass. It is noteworthy.”
“Oh my God, really? Is noteworthy code for big? You know what, scratch that. It’s a phrase that means behaving badly.”
“My cock is noteworthy, so make of that what you will.”
Silence hung between them as he awaited her response. Perhaps he had gone too far, as he always did.
A delightful dark flush spread across her face, followed by an uneasy giggle. “We just met and you’re going with a dick joke? Is that your idea of charming?”
“You are laughing. I have successfully defused the tension.” He allowed himself a moment to bask in her laughter. A shallow charm was easy for him to maintain, and he quite enjoyed charming the female.
His female.
That had to be a mistake, because who would entrust him with the responsibility to protect a mate?
“Let us start over, as you have requested. I am Lorran Rhew, an intelligence officer onboard theJudgment.” His tone conveyed the impressiveness of his position. It was acceptable that she did not coo or gasp in awe at her good fortune for being matched with such an impressive male.
“You mentioned brothers?”
“I am the youngest of three sons. Both my brothers have Terran mates.”
Her entire body perked, as if with interest. “Really? Is that unusual?”
“No. My eldest brother, Seeran, found his mate first. My other brother, Mene, was set up by our mother. She is a wily female.” Stories of his parents, brothers, and nephews came easily. He worried his stories would bore Bronwyn. She opened her notebook. At first, he thought she took notes—odd but flattering—then realized she drew.
He craned his neck to catch a glimpse, but she twisted in her seat, blocking the page with her body. “No peeking,” she said.
Desperately wanting to peek, he resisted and continued. She laughed in the right places and asked questions. The tension between them evaporated, and Lorran found he enjoyed the ease of speaking with Bronwyn.
“You sound close to your family,” she said.
“Perhaps more than is good for me. They are…meddling.”
“I think you’ll be very familiar with the overbearing kind of love my momma brings.” That grin reappeared.
“I know this situation is less than ideal. I expected to celebrate the holiday with my family. This mission was an unexpected assignment,” he said.
“We both have had a hell of a day. So, about me. I’m an artist, but I worked a day job in a call center for an insurance company because I’m not interested in being a starving artist.”
He wanted to know more about her art and what she drew in her notebook, but was distracted when she said, “And I can’t believe I wasted five years with Oscar. Sorry. I know it’s not cool to complain about your ex—”
