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It took a bare second for me to read the expression there.

Before I could complete the thought, he reached for my hair, as if to pull me closer to him?maybe for a goodbye kiss, or to ask me discreetly if I wanted to go with these strange seers to another part of the hotel?only he swore before he got there, catching his sleeve on the stones of my necklace.

I reached up, as if to rescue it, right as his fingers hooked the chain.

Revik gave a quick, sharp jerk, and the necklace chain broke.

Green stones and shimmering links fell to the floor below the table with a low clatter.

“Gods… sorry, wife,” Revik murmured, caressing the back of my neck with his fingers. “Clumsy.” Kissing my cheek, he started to reach down, but I touched his arm.

“Let me,” I murmured. “It’s right by my feet.”

Still smiling at him, I bent at the waist, lowering my face and eyes below the table. I picked up the necklace at once, sending a brief impulse to the organic while holding it under the upper part of the table. At that angle, I could only hope none of the seers standing across from me could see my hand, or the necklace itself.

With my other hand, I continued to feel around on the floor, as if looking for the fallen chain. From above, I heard Dulgar cluck his tongue, as if in dismay at the loss of my necklace, although I could feel his eyes on my ass where I was bent over.

Luckily it was dark enough under the table, and the table was low enough, that I had a few seconds. Once the organic reconfigured in my hand, I quickly lifted my other wrist and slid the twin blades around the bracelet I’d been given by security.

I felt for when the loop of organic fell into the notch, then squeezed sharply, using the cutters to sever the link in a single cut.

I winced a little as the organic died.

“Ah, got it!” I said brightly, sending an impulse to convert the cutting implement back into a necklace.

Sitting up, I kept the remnants of the telekinetic-restraint bracelet around my wrist, placing that hand on the leather seat to hide the cut. I pretended to look at the necklace itself for a moment, holding it to my eyes with my other hand.

Clicking softly, I glanced at Revik, smiling at him.

“I think it’s broken, husband,” I said apologetically.

He clicked, too, the sound exuding regret.

I held it out to him. “Would you mind putting it in your pocket? I think only the clasp is broken. I can fix it later, on the ship.”

“My people could do it for you now, of course…” Dulgar offered, giving me a thin smile when I glanced in his direction.

I laughed, still pressing the organic into Revik’s hand.

“That is surely not necessary, brother,” I said, smiling. “I was thinking I would take you up on that offer of a swim, anyway. Knowing me, I would only lose it in the pool, and then you’d have to fish it out of your filter.”

Dulgar chuckled indulgently, his eyes sliding down my body.

“Of course,” he murmured. “Whatever pleases you, Esteemed Bridge.”

Revik smiled when I glanced at him. He took the necklace easily from my fingers, making an apologetic gesture with one hand.

“Sorry, love,” he murmured, kissing my cheek. “I’ll fix it. Promise.”

Impulsively, I kissed him back, for real that time.

I didn’t plan to do it, but when I opened my light, Revik did the same, deepening the kiss as he clutched my hair in his fingers. When I didn’t end it, pain pulsed off his hands and mouth, just before he parted my lips, kissing me with his tongue. He caressed my face with the fingers of his other hand.

He ended it seconds later.

He drew away from my mouth as he released my face. Reluctance left his light as he did, along with a denser pulse of longing.

Somehow, I doubted that was all act, either.