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It gutted him.

‘Woke up OK?’

She nodded, then glanced back at her tray.

He choked back a curse.

He’d refused to let her subdued energy bother him last night.

He’d made love to her, savoring the opportunity to be the utmost giver of sensual pleasure.

She’d responded, rocking into him, snaking her limbs around him, trembling as she came.

When she fell deep asleep, her unconscious reach for him was what he desired the same of in daylight, but it was not to be.

She was putting up walls, and he loathed it.

He leaned in, keeping his voice to a murmur. ‘Thirty minutes at the brig? We need to get onto the Lombardis as soon as possible so we know how to plan next steps.’

‘OK,’ she replied.

It was too neat an answer.

He paused, searching her face. ‘Anything you want to say to me, Savvine?’

Her inhale caught, just a fraction, then she shook her head. ‘Nada.’

His jaw ticked. ‘Don’tfokkin’ lie to me.’

The growl slipped out before he could temper it, and her eyes widened, surprise flashing in green-gold.

He cursed under his breath and pulled his savage back.

‘Mi cielo,’ he said, softer now. ‘You can talk to me, tell me what’s on your heart.’

A flicker of emotion appeared in her eyes, too brief, gone in seconds, replaced with a polite, heart-wrenching smile.

‘I’ll make a note of it.’

With that, she walked away. Graceful, impeccable, untouchable.

Xander tracked her, fists clenched, pulse thundering like he’d just taken a hit to the gut.

He glanced around and saw a few curious glances from the crew.

He rolled his shoulders, lifted hiskahawa, and prowled to the far side of the mess like none of it mattered.

Butfokk, it did.

When she and Miral met outside the brig a half hour later, Savvine made no eye contact with him, just clipped nods and businesslike strides as the tension between them turned taut.

He reached for her arm as they walked.

She barely glanced at him, trying to pull away.

He held firm for a second longer than necessary, his fingers lingering before letting go.

What the hell had changed?