Chapter 38

Chapter

Thirty-Eight

Jess

“ T hat was awkward.” Morgan sidled up to me, as the crowd in the banquet hall dispersed.

I released a sigh of relief. “I was wondering how far you were going to take it.” I swept my gaze around the long room that echoed with chatter, even from the few of us remaining. “Where’s Britta?”

Morgan ran a hand through her blonde hair. “Taking one for the team?”

My jaw fell open. “Not really?”

My friend grinned. “No, but she was going to walk the captain to his quarters. I don’t think the guy could find them on his own.”

“At least he isn’t pestering Fi, although I’m not sure how long we can keep distracting him. At some point, he’s going to be more sober and figure it out.”

I nodded, wondering why Fiona didn’t just tell the captain that she wasn’t interested. Normally, the instructor was a tough-as-nails ballbuster, but the arrival of the envoy from Earth had rattled her.

“Maybe by then he’ll have already given the human integration a good review.”

My stomach tightened. “You don’t think he would let his deal with Fiona color what he reports to Earth, do you?”

My friend angled her head at me. “Do I think a guy would make a decision based on his bruised ego and be petty enough to punish an entire program to get back at one woman who rejected him?”

I groaned. “You’re right. Forget I even asked.” Then I straightened. “But that’s not going to happen, because we’re going to make sure the captain is way too distracted to get dumped by Fiona—again.”

“What happened to you thinking we couldn’t keep this up for too long?”

“If it means saving the program, we can.”

“Saving what program?”

I pivoted to face Torq, who did not look pleased.

“Does this have anything to do with you falling all over the human envoy?” His expression was stern, as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest .

I almost laughed at how irritated he was. I was still not used to having a Drexian boyfriend, and I’d never had a guy act jealous over me before. Even though he was wrong, I secretly loved that he had a possessive streak. It wasn’t very liberated of me, but since I’d never had much male attention before, I couldn’t help but revel in the sensation of being desired enough to provoke envy.

“I was pretending to be interested in him.” I put a hand on Torq’s arm. “I was helping Fiona.”

His rigid stance softened. “You were pretending?”

“Of course.” I leaned closer to him. “Why would I be interested in him when I have you? You’re bigger and hotter, and you’re a badass Blade.”

Torq’s chest swelled, and a grin teased his lips. “That is true.” Then he narrowed his eyes at me. “Wait, are you flattering me to change the subject?”

“Not a big, dumb Blade after all,” Morgan whispered so only I could hear her. “Nice try, though. You’re getting way better.”

I fought the urge to shoot my friend a look. She knew of my previous inexperience with men and had been coaching me on how to handle a boyfriend, especially since Drexian males were so dominant.

“I’m not changing the subject.” I squeezed Torq’s arm and smiled at him. “I’m telling the truth. Fiona asked me to help keep the captain occupied for her.”

Torq returned my smile, unfolding his arms and pulling me to him. “Good. I did not enjoy seeing you flirt with someone else. Do not do that again, please.”

Despite the fact that he was much taller and broader than me, Torq was still a cadet, and he was not far away from his boyhood. It was easy to forget that he could be fragile when he looked so tough and was a badass Blade.

“I am not interested in anyone but you.” I touched a hand to the side of his face. “I promise.”

“This is my cue to leave,” Morgan mumbled as she stepped away. “I’ll catch you later, Jess.”

I gave her a finger wave as Torq exhaled and curled his arms around my back. “Now what is this about you helping Fiona and saving a program?”

I cringed. I had hoped he’d forgotten overhearing that part.

I tried to laugh it off. “Fiona knows that captain from Earth, and she wants to make sure he doesn’t get the wrong idea about them.”

“There is a them ?”

Ugh. I was digging myself into a hole. “No, there isn’t.”

“So, why would an Assassin instructor need you to flirt with the human envoy? That seems like a lot of effort if there is no relationship.”

Torq was a lot quicker than anyone expected, sometimes including me.

I hesitated, but finally decided to loop him in. I hated lying to him, and I would just have to trust him to keep the secret. The one advantage I had was the powerful sense of Drexian honor. If I made him vow not to tell, he would not. “If I tell you, you cannot reveal this to anyone.” I pinned him with a stern gaze. “Drexian honor. ”

“I would never betray you,” he said solemnly.

I knew he wouldn’t. “The truth is that Fiona knows the guy from being stationed together. He likes her but she isn’t interested. Now, she’s worried that if she rejects the guy outright he might take it out on the human-Drexian exchange program.”

Torq nodded as he absorbed this. “You and the other human females have been tasked to keep him away from her?”

“It’s a girl code thing. We help each other like this.”

He lifted a hand to my hair and brushed a loose strand off my forehead. “There is also Drexian mate code.”

My pulse fluttered every time he called me his mate, even though I knew that as an independent woman I should not enjoy it so much. “What is Drexian mate code?”

“Your problems are my problems. Your mission is my mission.”

I pursed my lips and scrunched them to one side. “Does this mean you’re going to start flirting with the captain as a distraction?”

Instead of being shocked, Torq laughed. “That would be an effective distraction and might ensure he remained in his quarters for the duration of his visit. No, what I was suggesting was that I join you in keeping the envoy preoccupied so he will not have time to pursue Captain Douglas.”

It took me a beat to remember that he still thought of Fiona as Captain Douglas. “You would do that?”

He pulled me closer to him, and I could feel a very firm testament to his affection. “You know I would do anything for you.”

My heart pounded as heat suffused my entire body. Luckily, there was almost no one left in the banquet hall to see us, and those who remained were deep in conversation with each other.

“Do not worry,” Torq added. “I will not tell anyone why I am suddenly interested in keeping the Earth envoy entertained. It will stay between us.”

I put my hands to both sides of his face and pulled his head down so I could whisper in his ear. “I would say thank you, but I think I’d rather show you my appreciation—in your quarters.”

He let out a low rumbling sound. “Then why are we still standing here?”