Page 59 of Lorran
Every time they came close, when kisses turned heated and she could feel how hard he was, there came a knock on the door. Mylomon, wanting to whisper about their super-secret mission.
She would have her date, she would flirt with her new husband, and she would get laid. No interruptions.
“I dare you to go on a date with me,” she said.
“Bronwyn…”
“I mean, if you want to lose a dare, fine.” Wyn took the tablet back and headed into their room.
Lorran scrambled behind her. “What happens if I lose?”
She shrugged, not having planned this far ahead. “Dunno. Nothing good.”
He licked his lips. “Will there be a kiss at the end of this date?”
“One kiss.”
He stepped forward, a hand on her hips. “Three.”
She leaned into him, soaking up his warmth. His arms went around her, pulling her tight. Enjoying how delicate she felt against him, she said, “Unlimited kisses.”
“Your negotiation techniques leave much to be desired. I would be without honor if I were to accept your terms.” His eyes sparkled with amusement. “But I am no paragon of virtue.”
His patience and fundamentally decent behavior spoke otherwise.
“I won’t tell if you don’t. Get your fancy duds on. Let’s go while the sun is still out,” she said. The rain would be back before long.
Lorran
“This is ah-may-zing,” his mate said, dragging out the word.
The recreation center had not been properly shuttered before the base was decommissioned. A cluster of outdoor activities surrounded a central building. The first had swallowed most of the grounds. The rusted remains of an attraction or ride poked through the spring growth. Rain pattered on leaves because this planet rained constantly. He understood how a fungus could take hold.
Lorran scratched the base of his horns, then thought of fungal spores and jerked his hand away.
Cocooned in waterproof and hooded overcoat, his mate happily stomped through puddles. Delighted at her unrestrained joy, he allowed himself to be pulled by the hand to the central building.
Built of the same material as the main facility, the structure appeared sound, even if it crumbled at the edges. The main doors were secured, prohibiting entry.
Wyn tugged on the handles. “Not fair. There’s something amazing inside, I know it.”
“Mold. Fungus. Rotten floorboards. Rodents.”
“Stop trying to sell it. You’re trying too hard,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“I am familiar with Terran sarcasm.”
Yet he opened the door. The locking mechanism had corroded, jamming the tracks. Nothing more than brute force was required to work the doors open.
“The building smells of dampness and despair,” he said.
“Or is that mystery and adventure?”
“Despair. Definitely despair.”
His mate swept the beam of the portable light along the wall until she found a control panel. “Do you think the power still works?”
She pressed the controls before he could caution her about rodent-chewed wires and electrical shorts. With a loud whirr of electronics powering up, lights flickered on in a wash of colors and music, distorted through damaged speakers, flooded the building.
