Page 6 of Adrift! (Cosmic Connections Cruise #2)

Desperately, he tried to return the moment to safer ground—even if they were floating helplessly in an outlaw zone. “Maybe a flower with thorns is an odd choice to symbolize romance?”

She laughed, the sound catching low in her throat. “Yeah. Love hurts. Beauty will bleed you. A cruel message, isn’t it? Poetry is a problem.” She spread both hands, releasing him and brushing the splinter back into the vine. “Maybe that’s why my songs never went anywhere.”

Every nerve and servo in his body ached at her abrupt distancing—from him, from the music she’d left behind. “Or perhaps the thorns are there not as a threat but a question, asking if you really want to touch the flower. If you’re willing to risk getting hurt for something beautiful.”

When she lifted her chin, a light glinted back at him. “I guess you’re writing the poetry now.”

There was challenge in her tone, but it was his lights reflecting in her eyes. And then her bold stare flickered down to his mouth—

His datpad chimed sharply against his wrist, and while he fumbled at the device, Remy took a long step back. Her freckles vanished in a flush of embarrassed color, as if the two of them had been caught at something forbidden.

She glanced away at another flowering vine, giving him a moment of privacy to check the message—a query from Chef Styr about supply discrepancies, requesting an urgent review of inventory.

She didn’t turn toward to him again. “Booze mutiny or something?”

That deliberate distance stung more than any thorn. In the fragrant air, the ghost of a kiss that didn’t happen faded like a forgotten melody.

“I have to go,” he said. “Chef needs my help.”

“Right. Back to work for you.” She spun on the heel of her fuzzy socks. “Thanks for showing me the flowers.” When she finally paused to glance back at him, she was too far for his augment lights to reach her now. “Am I allowed to come here by myself?”

The image of her beneath the tumbled roses—beautiful and so alone—pierced him. “If you like.”

He’d hoped that would make her smile again, but she just nodded. “You should probably go wash your hands. Wouldn’t want that to get infected and hurt worse.”

Then she was gone, leaving him among the roses, the warmth of her touch on his remaining skin fading along with the echo of what almost was.

+ + +

On all ships, the engines that hurtled them between stars might be the thrumming heart, but the galley kitchen was what drove the crew.

Being a bartender who moved between the galley and the public decks, Ikaryo had always appreciated his access to both sides.

It felt like a reminder that while his home might be forever out of reach, he still had places he could be.

But he wanted to be back in the garden. With Remy.

Instead, he followed Chef through cold storage and processing, checking bins against the inventory list. Their sunset tour had been scheduled for one evening, so not much had been prepped in advance, but since the Love Boat I was intended for eventual longer cruises, luckily they had laid in a substantial array of base materials that could be converted for emergency use.

“We might’ve gone overboard—not literally—with the desserts,” Styr said as they tallied the carbohydrate synthesizer cartridges.

“I’ve never fed Earthers before, and I got excited.

But I’m sure we didn’t use all the raw chocolate.

” The thin edges of their phonoplasts fluttered in dismay.

“If you didn’t borrow any for your beverages… ”

Ikaryo collapsed the mysteriously empty bin.

“No, I was focused on more non-Earther flavors for the drinks.” He toggled his datpad.

“Access records show only us in storage. I’ll ask Felicity to request a security review.

” But they didn’t have monitors everywhere; that would be unacceptably invasive on a dating cruise.

Even though the galley was otherwise empty, Chef lowered their volume.

“We’re floating absolutely nowhere right now, but perhaps our guests needed more fuel for their late-night cabin rearrangements.

Griiek was busy all morning answering room requests, and she said some of the passengers are being very conscientious about preserving resources, like bed linens and shower time.

” They let out an Elnd sound of amusement, something like the leaves in the atmo-hall rustling.

“They seem to have made very cosmic connections considering our brief time together.”

The little Monbrakkan was a bit na?ve, Ikaryo had noted, but as deck tech, she was responsible for implementing all the intricacies of an efficient and pleasant cruise.

She’d know on a practical level where everyone—and everything—was.

They couldn’t have supplies going missing, but they also needed to keep spirits up.

“Being stranded together does seem to be intensifying emotions.” He refused to think about Remy’s hands on him. But he couldn’t help wondering how she’d feel about late-night chocolates on her pillows.

And how she might taste after he fed her one.

Imagining his fingertips against her lips was definitely intensifying his emotions.

“Keep those eyes of yours out for wayward chocolate wrappers,” Chef said. “Meanwhile, if we start the regen cycle on these containers, we can cultivate complete proteins and expand the carbohydrate base indefinitely, assuming the passengers don’t raid us for more romantic midnight feasts.”

Absently, Ikaryo agreed. He’d have to cut himself off too, even if it was only from the glimmer of possibilities he’d felt with Remy.