Page 15 of I Dated a Holiday Hero (Blind Date Corporation #19)

“She’s a mechanic. She’s also a metabolic. It’s a necessary evolution for her.”

“Can you ask her if she will report to R&D this morning?”

“Sure. She’s a friend of my cousin, if it matters.”

She grinned. “Thank you. Shower?”

He laughed. “Yes. That would be nice, but then I need a hug so I can carry you with me all day. Chocolate and honey, mm.”

“Sure. I can see that confusing your opponents.”

He laughed. “I have to spar with Sgoth today. It might mess him up a bit.”

“You smelling like a female? Yeah, or he will give you congratulations and pointers on keeping me happy.” She smiled. “He and Jeneev are adorable.”

“She’s an excellent trainer.”

“I know.” She smiled. “I make suits for some of your team members. They talk.”

“Do you work with Sgoth?”

“Sometimes. He needs a lot of very specific fabrics when he needs a new suit.”

“Wait. Did you make my suit?”

“I did.”

“Why those colours?”

She ran her hand through his hair. “I like the holidays. They make me smile. My first year here, Veradil brought me to the square every night of the holiday festivals. I saw light, love, laughter, and joy. She formally adopted me on the solstice. It’s always a special night for me.

It’s the day I legally joined the family, but I had been hers since she first held me as I was hauled out of the sea. ”

He blinked. “You dressed me in the colours you like?”

She nodded. “Yes. I can change them. You would look nice in black and grey as well.”

He kissed her softly. “Dress me in any colour you want. If it is paisley, I will know I fucked up.”

Hever laughed. “Thanks for building in a clue.”

They got up and headed to the shower. Hever tried to think about what she wanted for breakfast, but she kept getting distracted.

Once they were dry and dressed, they walked downstairs with the ring on her finger feeling odd but not unwelcome.

Hever walked with him to the kitchen, and she froze and grinned as she came around the corner to see Nautilus leaning into Veradil, pinning her to the counter. Hever’s mother was wearing a robe and nothing else.

“Hey, Mom. Sorry. I got a late start. You know Krix. Morning, Nautilus.”

The huge islander grinned. “Ah, my daughter. You are looking well.”

Veradil hissed and smacked him.

He chuckled and lifted her in his arms. He moved to the table, and the chair creaked as he settled. “You need sturdier chairs, sweet.”

Veradil looked to Hever. “Can you pretend you didn’t see this?”

“Nope. Krix and I are trying to figure out where to live now that he’s trying to make an honest woman of me.” She shrugged. “Or whatever I am.”

Krix nodded and headed to make coffee. “You are a woman. I checked.”

Nautilus snorted.

Veradil paused. “You will live here.”

“Mom, I am guessing that your robe beat me here by about two minutes.”

Nautilus grinned.

Her mother huffed. “Fine. Live in the guesthouse.”

“Nice.” She looked at Krix. “Five bedrooms.”

“Plenty of space. Thank you, Ambassador.”

Veradil finally clocked her ring. “Wait. You are getting married?”

“Yup. Not one of those dibs’ situations that the more active actives have. I go to work, I work, I go home. We don’t play any games that can’t be negotiated later.” She grinned, “Plus, I am three women in one. What’s not to like?”

Krix laughed. “I proposed, and she said yes. Now we have to plan a wedding. My mother will be inviting you over for dinner so that the two families can meet.”

Veradil blinked. “Married? My little girl?”

Hever walked over and took her mom’s hand. “Married. Krix will be on the hook for keeping me alive, or at least responsible for retrieving me if someone grabs me again.”

Nautilus smiled. “I can help.”

Veradil snorted. “I might need backup at Xelia’s place.”

Krix blinked. “You know my mother?”

Veradil nodded. “We are on a few charity boards together.”

He nodded. “Right.”

Hever chuckled. “Just be glad that Salmet isn’t at the door wanting to know what your security plan for me is. I can give you hints. Help me to fly and help me get my license.”

Krix nodded. “I can do that. I might ask Jeneev for help. Her brother has wings in a similar structure to yours.”

“Nice. Well, I am using your connections to help me get into a training situation.”

“Fine, but the first thing you have to do is to use your wings to do a pushup.”

Hever shrugged and dropped onto her arms, lowered herself to the kitchen floor, glanced up, and smiled. Her wings unfolded and pushed on either side of her shoulders, walking her to an upright position.

“Okay, so you have that already. They look so soft.”

“I can’t carry more than my own weight and maybe forty pounds. They aren’t cargo haulers.”

Krix smiled. “Good. A guy has to be good for something.”

Hever looked at her mother. “So, how do you feel about having another adult daughter or two? I know that my sister has mates, but she could always use a mom.”

“Mates? Plural?”

“Yeah, she is mated to Sarel and Vinul. Omega and tiger alpha, respectively.” She smiled. “Vinul is an Etir.”

“Oh. Nice. Wait. When did you meet her?”

“When she was born. When I was chucked into the pod for corpse storage, she had to go through life in the lab. She organized an escape for her and the littles, but she ended up in a group home. She got through life pretending to be human.”

“Hm. Does she have a name?”

“Leska. We are both genetically part Nelith and part Tirra’s dad.”

She smiled. “Ask her. If she wants family, I am in a very expansive mood.”

Hever nodded. “Okay, I will introduce myself to her this week. Today, I have to get back to work and start advertising for assistants.”

Veradil smiled. “Have breakfast and get to work. I will contact a wedding planner and let Salmet know what is going on.”

Hever grinned. “I would come in for a hug, but I know where all hands are right now, and you two seem perfectly comfortable. I will grab breakfast at the commissary.”

She grabbed Krix and hauled him out.

He laughed as they walked outside. “What was that?”

“Uh, I managed to see under the table, and there was a lot more going on than you could guess at on the surface. Mom’s still mid-sleepover.”

He grinned. “Let’s get you to Z-Corp. You have your pass?”

“Yup.”

He lifted her into his arms. “Let’s go.” He launched skyward, and then there was a heartbeat, and they were next to the building and lowering to the sidewalk.

“Can I see where you work?”

“Not today. I have to get to work right away, making sure that the requisition for replacement staff is filed. Desmond was an okay mechanic, but I liked that he could lift heavy objects. I definitely need someone in the heavy-hitter capacity, with an engineering background.”

“That’s a tricky fit.”

“Yup. I can only hope that the next staff is just as good as Desmond. He was a disappointment.”

“He sold your location to Uraddan scientists.”

“Yup. A disappointment.”

She smiled and kissed him. He returned the kiss, there on the sidewalk. “Did you want to grab breakfast in the commissary? I can get you a visitor’s badge.”

He snorted. “I don’t need one.”

“Oh. Right. Well? They do a great eggs-in-hollandaise. I believe we have burned sufficient calories.” She looped her arm through his, and they walked toward the building.

Breakfast with Krix, wearing his date clothes, was definitely one for the books.