Page 39 of Stealing the Star Stone

“Come, Amenkar has given me the use of the nearest house. There, we can talk.” Frederik marched along the cobbles amid flashes and cries for comments.

Eli clasped her hand and drew her against him. “Don’t pay them any attention. Just walk.”

She did, one foot in front of the other, while wishing she could use her blaster on everything not Lethari.

Frederik veered through the first door on the left and gestured to a rug and cushions. A white loincloth-clad woman offered fruit from a platter. Nova chose a few pieces in pink, purple, red, and white, not sure what they were but hoping she’d enjoy them.

“Why did you help us?” Eli asked, sipping from a goblet as he sat on his haunches.

She joined him, popping the first sliver of fruit into her mouth and moaning when sweet juice exploded across her senses.

“At first, I saw you as nothing more than another na?ve financial backer. But when you spent the evening trying to convince Lord Orien to use Ms. Blake instead of having her prosecuted, it made me realize there was more to you than your reputation. And once you offered me a position, I knew something was wrong. Your interactions at breakfast proved my instincts were right.” He settled his great bulk on the rug, taking up a large portion of the confined space.

“Then on board the Laurus , you both had me second guessing my conclusions. You treated each other like a couple on the verge of marriage.” He smiled.

“I’m a romantic at heart. As Eli Thorne, the famous actor, I thought you wouldn’t do good by Ms. Blake, but you suit each other very well.

You love her, and that’s good enough in my book. ”

Nova coughed on spit. There was no other way to describe what lodged in her throat. Tears sprang to life, and she dipped her chin to hide her expression. Eli loved her? What had convinced Frederik of this miracle? And she sure as shit didn’t want Eli to see the hope on her face.

Whatever had made Frederik believe this, she wasn’t going to kick a good horse in the mouth.

“Thanks, Frederik,” she managed to rasp. “Without you, we wouldn’t have made it here. Who knows what Orien would’ve done to us had he not found the anomalies he was looking for.”

Eli watched her, his gaze intense with a potency she couldn’t describe. She shoved a mushy white thing in her mouth to stop herself from blurting out what he made her feel.

“So, where is Orien?” she asked, desperate for a change of subject.

Frederik’s expression hardened. “I haven’t seen him since you left. Amenkar refuses to talk about it, but I suspect he’s…dead.”

In that second, her mind blanked.

Eli dragged his gaze from her. “I can believe it if he killed their previous chief like they claim.”

“He was alive when Amenkar’s guards took him away.” She sucked a droplet of juice off her finger.

“I should feel guilty about shooting him, but I have blood on my hands because of him.” Frederik scowled. “I doubt Artivar’s governor will be happy with not knowing Lord Orien’s fate.”

“I’m tempted to lie.” She huffed, popped the last pink-like peach into her mouth, and wiped her hand on her pants. “After what he did to me… us , he can rot in hell.”

“Nova-honey,” Eli said, his expression sad.

“He would’ve bribed his way out of any punishment. You know that,” she snapped.

Eli bowed his head. “I do. Still…”

She wasn’t going to feel guilty about not mourning the ass. “I didn’t get him killed. Accidents happen. And after what that poor man suffered, losing half his body?”

“She’s right. Barry’s wife just gave birth to twins. They’ll never know their father.” Frederik slapped his thighs and stood. “On other news, they delayed the premiere until you’d been located.”

Eli laughed. “That must’ve angered the organizers.”

“Your agent put up a million credits for a reward. I have one of Orien’s shuttles on standby—you should slip through without issue.” Frederik paused outside, waiting for them to join him.

The chances of a bath and a pot of tea were fast escaping her.

“What about you? Are you coming with us?” she asked, running catch-up when both men had long legs.

“Thanks to you suggesting I eat a little quet, I am now the official Lethari ambassador.” Frederik beamed. “My place is here until I can ensure Lethara is a no-go zone.”

“The job offer still stands,” Eli said.

“I will reach out to you when I’m done here.” Frederik led them into the city, along the path Amenkar had taken them.

“Um, Frederik,” she rocked on her toes, “if you can, find out what qidhari means, please. Zal calls me that.”

“Will do, Ms. Blake.”

This time, they didn’t descend to the throne room but continued along the edges to where a shuttle waited— Viator V .

“I trust you can fly this without destroying it?” Frederik asked, his tone clipped.

“Pirates fired upon us. Not our fault,” Nova said, fighting the urge to pout. “Besides, we didn’t blow it up.”

Eli offered Nova the crook of his elbow. “Shall we?”

She hesitated, taking a second to stare into his gorgeous eyes.

“I do believe we have a premiere to attend,” he said.

She grinned, happy to spend more time with him. “I did promise.”

“Until the clock strikes midnight, you’re mine.”

She fought a blush and slid her arm through his. “Wine and dine me, Mr. Thorne.”

He dipped his head, keeping his heated gaze only for her. “Fly us home, Nova-honey.”

She boarded before him and sank into the pilot’s seat.

“Travel safely,” Frederik called and walked off.

Eli sealed the door then moved around the compartment while she powered up the engines. Only when he paused beside her, did she catch the delicate aroma of Lady Grey tea.

“Computer, fly us to Artivar Station,” she called and reached for the cup as the shuttle rose upward.

“Manual pilot deactivated,” the computer intoned.

“Think we’ll return?” Eli asked, leaning a hip against the console with a disappearing vision of Lethara behind him.

“My egg might need to,” she said.

He folded his arms across his chest. “Chosen a name for it?”

She shook her head, content to sip her tea, and relishing the warmth in her belly. This was…happiness.

“What about Barry?”

The memory of half a man plummeting past the vines flashed across her mind. “I like it,” she said.

“Computer, time on Artivar?”

“Ten A.M.”

Eli hummed. “Connect me to Graham Whitney.”

Nova stiffened, wishing she could leave before his agent answered. But doing so would raise suspicion. Perhaps she could hide behind the cup?

“One moment, please.”

“Eli? Is that you?” A man’s face filled the forescreens.

She winced. Yes, the same man who’d whisked her out of Eli’s bed while insulting her looks. Was she allowed to hate him on sight? Then again, the poor man, having to deal with all of Eli’s one-night-stands.

“Of course it’s me. This is Nova. We’re on our way to Artivar. It’s a five-hour trip.”

“At last!” The older man’s expression warmed, revealing his fatherly love for Eli.

Her heart broke then. She couldn’t hate someone who loved him as much as she did. If not more so.

“I’ll let everyone know.” Graham’s grin threatened to split his cheeks. “Expect a full-blown welcome.”

“Wonderful. Nova’s my date. Please take care of everything.”

Graham studied her then, his expression curious then worried. “I’ll…need your sizes.”

“Sure,” she mumbled, rolling her shoulders and burying her nose in her empty cup.

“She’s the Valiance’ pilot,” Eli said, his gaze on her.

“Oh,” Graham said, then added, “Oh! I’ll let Marco know. He’s been so worried.”

“Thank you,” she said, flashing a smile she was far from feeling. Returning to civilization was unexpectedly soul destroying.

“See you in five,” he called and hung up.

“We have hours of time to kill. Any ideas?” He took her cup from her, hefted her to her feet, then looped his arms around her waist, pulling her snug against him. “Chess? Tic tac toe? Thumb wrestling?”

“How about a shower?” she suggested, gliding her hand to his fingers and tugging him toward the bathroom.

“Mm, I like the way you think,” he said, giving her his signature smirk.

But this time, he was all sincerity.