Page 50 of The Intergalactic Duke's Inconvenient Engagement
Chapter 13
The next morning, they received word that the Earth envoy was inbound, with Rayna’s sister close behind. Too impatient—and frazzled from a sleepless night that no amount of good export coffee could cure—to wait in their suite, Rayna dressed in one of the Thorkon day gowns that the dowager’s staff had left for her and announced her intention to go for a walk.
“I hope you find DukeDandy,” Trixie said. “Maybe kiss him again, to be sure he’s the one. The universe is a big place, you know. Plenty of dukes.”
When Rayna tried to explain she was walking for exercise, Lishelle had done some elaborate eyebrow waggling andmm-hmmed with obvious disbelief.
Though she couldn’t quite stomp in her soft wedge slippers, Rayna did manage to flounce in the wide skirts. Though the daydress wasn’t as elaborate as the ballgown, the tissue-thin, layered construction was similar. Too similar. The delicate feathering of gauze around her ankles reminded her of Raz’s fingers locked over her skin before she’d stepped away from him.
He’d promised her one night, but it had felt like so much more than that, and then when he’d offered to walk her back to the suite through the servants’corridor so that no one saw them… Sheknewhe’d just been trying to spare her any gawking, especially when she’d looked so thoroughly, obviously fucked. And she wasn’t mad at him for that. But the moment had made it crystal clear to her how far apart they were, even if invisible forces had somehow pushed them together, just for that night.
The envoy and her sister were coming. She had to focuson that and forget everything else even if the memory wipe wasn’t necessary.
She walked through the silent, empty ballroom. A few dimly lighted globes still drifted aimlessly among the columns, like ghosts of drinks and dances past. They eddied slowly behind her in the draught of her passing then stilled as she let herself out onto the balcony.
From here, she had a grand view across the valleywhere the estate was nestled. Guests from the night before strolled through the gardens in small groups, and a distant twitter like voices or birdsong carried on the perfectly temperate air. In the daylight, the protective dome that covered the estate glowed softly, like the scrambler Raz had triggered to protect them from prying eyes. She twisted the ring on her finger, and it caught the sun withbrilliant refractions.
If only this carefully managed daylight brought clarity the same way last night had delved into her deepest, neediest fantasies.
The way Raz had delved into her.
Her knees weakened at the memory—which had played back to her in glorious detail in the dreams that kept waking her last night—and she braced her palms on the wide rail. The floating cloud of her skirts had bumpedthem together right here, and his hands cupped under her ass had lifted her right—
The soft susurration of the balcony doors parting brought her around. She turned, knowing she shouldn’t hope to see him and her heart soaring anyway…
It crashed down while she stared at the suspended round eye of what was clearly a recording device. The camera hovered next to the shoulder—or maybe head; anyway,uppermost tentacle—of an Ajellomene. Raz had told her that the starfish-shaped alien was an assistant producer with Octiron Media, and he’d been painstakingly diligent about keeping her at the far side of the ballroom from the Octiron crew.
“They can still see you from there,” he’d growled. “They don’t need any closeups or questions.”
Well, now they had at least one. She swallowed hard. Shewasn’t a fan of reality television—there was always far too much yelling and crying and lying for her tastes—but she’d seen enough memes to know how it worked. She’d just never imagined that she’d have to face it herself.
But she didn’t need anyone running defense for her. She sucked in her cheeks and, with a stiff, polite nod, took a few steps to the side, ready to circle around toward the opendoorway.
The starfish didn’t really look like it moved, but somehow it was facing her—not that it really had a face—the camera at eye level. “Lady Rayna,” it burbled, as if it was still underwater. “I’m sorry I missed you last night in your beautiful gown. We had to make do with a distant establishing shot.” It made a tisking sound. “This costume is quite fetching too. We can get a body shotnow and splice the footage together as needed.”
She forced herself to keep her expression neutral even as her mind raced. If the creature and its crew only wanted a fashion parade, that she could do. She took a step back. “Azthronos is known throughout the galaxy for its fine textiles,” she said carefully, quoting from the guidebooks she had read just in case they were filming. “Second only tothe export of ghost-mead.” She restrained a wince at her stilted rendition. But maybe it was better to be boring in front of this crew and they could find some other victim.
“Oh, we exported some of that tasty ghost-mead in our bellies last night.” The starfish chortled, and actual bubbles popped up along its skin. “Delightful.” The camera zoomed toward her, stopping less than an arm’s lengthaway. “So tell us about the ring. The Eye of Zalar, yes?”
Rayna stiffened, taken aback by the abrupt transition and even more abrupt invasion of her space. “It is, yes.”
“Quite the token of esteem from the Duke of Azthronos.”
Unwilling to put a name to whatever Raz was feeling, Rayna stared past the camera. “You should get a quote from him.”
“We already did.”
She settled back on her heels,eyeing the starfish suspiciously, desperately wishing she could ask to see the footage. “Then I suppose that is the duchy’s official position.”
The Ajellomene’s tentacles folded in on themselves. “Most of the words he used are ones we can’t broadcast in family programming due to intergalactic obscenity rules.” It chortled again, without the bubbles, like a fake laugh. “You’ll have to tell usproperly, Lady Rayna. An inquiring universe wants to know.”
Know what? If Raz loved her back? If she could find the courage to take a chance on opening not just her mind—not just her body either—but her heart?
Before she could ask for the too intimate clarification, the starfish continued, “Since the Open Worlds For All consortium has arranged for you to take possession of Blackworm Stationas reparation for your ordeal, will you seek a different love among the stars? Or will the Destitute Duke win your affection even if the rest of his inherited investments are a loss?”
“I don’t…” She fisted her hands in her skirts rather than give in to the urge to palm the camera backward and make her escape. “That station isn’t mine. I was kept there against my will.”
“With the other BlackHole Brides. Which is why the galactic council agreed to the terms, since your closed world couldn’t protect you.” All the Ajellomene’s tentacles flowed hungrily toward her. “Or…perhaps since the Earth envoy isn’t here yet, you haven’t heard the details of your settlement.”