Page 17 of The Interdimensional Lord's Earthly Delight

Her snort blew bubbles into her drink. “Not where I come from, not often enough.”

“Where I come from…” He paused,frowning. A strange unease wafted up in him like a darker bubble.

But she was still talking. “I know this isn’t Earth, but I hope these Thorkons guys are good to my friends, and not just because we have this space station that will make money for the duchy.”

“The God of Reserves is often invoked by well-wishers at weddings,” he said, “as is the God of Fortuity. Petitioning for wealth and luckis no bad thing.”

She set her glass on the table and spun it between her fingers. “And you share your…teachings with every girl you walk into?”

He started to remind her thatshe’dwalked in onhim, she’d invoked the Prayer of Steps Seeking, but knowing her heart had been bruised by unfaithfulness, he thought better of teasing her. “Not every girl. Not even most. Actually…” He frowned again,looking down at his drink that he hadn’t yet drunk. “Only one. This is the first time.”

She let out a scoffing noise. “This is your first wedding? You’re a virgin minister?”

He nodded once hesitantly, then with more vigor. “The first.”

With a softer whistle between her teeth, she clinked her glass against his. “The dowager duchess doesn’t mess around with appearances, so you better be good.”

The chime of crystal jarred him back from his wandering thoughts, and he took a quick gulp of his drink. The chill and the burn confused him for a moment, and he coughed on the smoky-looking liquid.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Lishelle said. “I’m sure you’ll do great. You seem to know all about beloveds.”

If that were true, wouldn’t she believe him when he spoke?

He touched his mouth where the sensationof the cool crystal/alcohol burn lingered.

Lishelle’s dark eyes followed the gesture. “So,” she drawled. “Last night…”

He dropped his hand. “Last night?”

“You vanished.”

The flatness of her accusation—and the image it evoked—made him stiffen. “I didn’t…vanish. Something happened.” He brushed his fingertips across his lips again.

She leaned toward him. “The flowers. Or the radiation. Or something.Did it get you too?”

He tilted his head. “I don’t…”

She put her hand on his knee. “I talked to the medics today. They didn’t find anything, but I felt weird too. C’mon.” She slid her hand up to grab his.

He was still distracted by the feel of her hand on his knee. His hand had been on her…

Inher. “What?”

“Let’s go see if it’s happening again.”

If he would happen to touch her again? Forthat, he’d follow her anywhere.

When she dragged him up from the seat, his shoulder bumped into a Thorkon male, almost spinning him around.

“Apologies,” he said to the younger male, who had recoiled, green eyes widened with outrage. “The lady is stronger than she knows.”

She tugged him out of the bar, and in a couple steps he caught up so he wasn’t being dragged. “There were no more flowerstoday,” she said. “But what if they’re night-blooming?”

“Is it night?”

She snorted at him. “You know what I mean.”

With her long legs, they made quick time to the joining of the hallways where he’d first…