Page 29 of The Interdimensional Lord's Earthly Delight
She thought a part of her might still be locked away in that shipping container, all alone after the last victim but her had been hauled out screaming. She forced herself to smile. “I’m kinda beat. I think I’ll just go back to my suite.”
The duke pushed back from the counter. “I’ll escort you.”
“Totally not necessary,”she said politely. Totally not wanted.
“Please,” he said.
Since when did dukes say please? She glanced at Rayna, who curled her lips inward, leaving the choice to her.
After a moment, she nodded and said her goodnights to the others.
As she and the duke stepped out into the hall, she glanced up at him. “What did you want to tell me?” Since it wasn’t like he really needed to walk her back toher room.
Clasping his hands loosely at his back, he didn’t pretend not to understand. “I asked Nor to assign security to your suite.”
She swallowed and fell into step beside him. “Do you think that’s necessary?”
His lips curved. “You might be braver than me, but…I’d sleep better if you’d allow it.”
She wasn’t going to be one of those dumb girls who turned down a bodyguard.
Maybe the bodyguardwould be hot. Maybe he’d be her date to the wedding… She restrained a sigh.
Instead, she said, “Tynan—Blackworm is locked up. What are you worried about?”
“He hired mercenaries who might still be interested in collecting their payments,” Raz reminded her. “Andsomeonehelped him escape from the penitentiary.”
“Maybe you should turn him over to the bounty hunter.”
“About that…” Raz ducked hishead toward her. “Nor and I discussed it, and we’re hesitant to attract the wrong sort of attention to the station’s launch as an interstellar resort.”
She snorted. “Yeah, knowing that the neighborhood wormhole spits out gods and murderers makes it harder to enjoy the exotic cocktails.”
“Since Rayna is giving up her primary entitlement to the station by marrying me, you’ll have final say inhow we want to handle this situation.”
She almost stumbled over nothing. “I thought Nor was in charge of station security.”
“He is. But by Thorkon right of salvage, you outrank him here.”
She was silent, considering, and they arrived at the door to her suite before she had an answer. “Can we talk about this tomorrow? I’m still…processing all this.”
He inclined his head. “Of course. Blackwormis confined for now. And it’s not like anyone else will be taking scenic tours of the brig, so we have some time to decide.” He watched her for a moment, his royal blue eyes somber. “It’s taken awhile for Rayna to share with me, in bits and pieces, everything that happened to her. But I’ve had to tell her several times what I will tell you now. She kept saying she should’ve done something different,something more to stop or change events.” He frowned. “Leaving aside the fact I would never have met her otherwise—a fortuitous twist which I assure you is one of the reasons I’ve hastened this wedding business—and ignoring the questionable physics of ghosts returning from black holes, I’ve told her what’s done is done and can’t be changed. What we do next—”
Lishelle held up one hand to silencehim, and he trailed off. “I appreciate it,” she said. “Honestly, I do. But I just need a good night’s sleep.”
And since they weren’t particularly close to any sun, she could just pretend the night would never end.
Raz dipped a short bow in her direction. “Very well.” He gazed past her. “And your security is here. If you’ve need of anything…”
She gave him a wave and turned to see a very stockyThorkon woman approaching. Lishelle restrained another sigh. While she appreciated the linebacker look in guys, she apparently still hadn’t found a date for the wedding. “Thank you, Your Grace,” she said. “Go back to your bride. I’ll be fine.”
“Goodnight, Lady Lishelle.”
When he strode forward to speak with the bodyguard, Lishelle slipped into her suite and locked the door behind her.
She hadn’tbeen lying to him about wanting to crawl into bed for the rest of the night. Just too bad the bed reminded her of a certain interdimensional warlord.
Yeah, it was going to be a very long night…