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Hex

Cracking the ship’s manifest proves impossible for the time being. I suspect they never recorded any real names, at least not on this system. But that doesn’t mean I won’t find out who’s on board. It’s only a matter of time.

I swivel in my chair and find Aran watching me with crossed arms. Shivers race down my spine, delightful and riling. I love having his eyes on me—they should stay there permanently. And his hands should follow suit, like yesterday.

He’s changed out of his suit and is now sporting the black and mesh on-duty clothes all security personnel wear. They look more like something out of a special agents’ movie more so than an actual uniform. But I’m not complaining. The form-hugging outfit is delicious on him. He’s only missing a mask, and he’d be straight out of my late-night fantasies. Either the one with the thief or the FBI agent.

I wonder if I should tell him about that one. But last time I wanted to bond over this stuff, it didn’t go too well. Honestly, I have no idea why it didn’t work—aren’t people usually humbled if others have dreams about them? Aran stormed out before I’d finished describing exactly how my alien abduction dream went, so I didn’t even get to the good part where he—being the alien abductor—took me for a scenic ride around his home planet on his ribbed tentacle dick.

But anyway. Yeah, I’m pretty sure now is not the time for sharing daydreams, even if I’d love to hear about any of his. And they better include me.

“Are you just going to inspect the goods? How about you come over here and sample them?” I say in my most sultry voice, flashing him a flirtatious smile followed by a little sexy wink and a perfectly executed licking of my lips.

The peaceful expression drains off his face in the blink of an eye, leaving behind that exasperated scowl he only ever points in my direction. It’s nice to be on the receiving end of something special like this, sure, but I’d much prefer if it was a fond, adoration-filled smile and not a ‘someone please save me from the biggest pain in the ass ever’ frown. But I’ll take it. For now. I’m nothing if not persistent. We’ve been doing this dance for the past ten years.

“I need to head out,” he informs me in a flat and leveled tone.

I stretch my left shoulder and arm, making sure to lift it as high as I can so my black hoodie with the print of a dinosaur astronaut swimming in ramen rides up my body and exposes my stomach and abs. “Great. I’ll go with you!”

As usual, Aran huffs out a dissatisfied noise, averting his eyes from me as if I’m suddenly made of kimchi. He really doesn’t like kimchi. Something or other about him losing a bet to my dad while they were in the army and ending up eating so much of it, he was sick for an entire week. I’m yet to get the full story out of him, though.

“No, you will not. You will stay in the room and work on that passenger manifest.”

I click my tongue. “There is no manifest to work on! Wherever they recorded the actual names of the guests is not here. It’s somewhere else. I’ve been trying to figure out where for the past three hours, but I need a break. So, I’m going with you.”

He opens his mouth to argue, but I don’t let him, turning the monitor so he can see it.

“That role change I mentioned? Congrats, I am now an apprentice in your charge. It’s already in the system. I will be shadowing you so I can be your substitute in case you get sick or something.”

A nerve twitches in his jaw as he crosses the room and plants himself next to me so he can verify what I’ve just said. He’s taller than me, though our difference isn’t as big as that of Kieran and his boyfriend, Matt. It’s still enough so that we’d make an absolutely adorable couple, if only Aran stopped being hung up on the past.

My dad died while fulfilling his duty. He and Aran were part of the same special unit at the Thai Army. They’d been sent on some covert op abroad, but the enemy were tipped off and ambushed them. Most of the unit died that day. Aran tried to save my old man, kept him alive while waiting for extraction, but he’d eventually succumbed to his wounds.

I don’t remember much from that time. I was still a child. But when Aran came back to Thailand, he didn’t look like himself. He left the Army and disappeared for a while. I really thought I’d never see him again, but when my mom died of illness two years later, he showed up at the funeral, hugged fourteen-year-old me and told me he’d take care of me from now on like he’d promised my dad.

That’s when it started. Or, well, when it got serious . My crush on him.

“Why are you always such a headache?” He sighs, massaging his forehead. “You do what you want and never listen to me.”

I spin on the chair and shrug. “I want to help you. This mission is probably the most important one we’ll ever have. Plus, I’ll get bored sitting in the room all day.”

He flicks me on the nose with his finger. “We can’t afford any mistakes, Tien. Too much is riding on this.”

I know that. We aren’t here just for fun. We have a job to do, evil assholes to stop before they use their nasty brainwashing drug to put everyone under their control. But also, why does my name sound sooo nice coming out of his mouth? He only calls me by it when it’s the two of us alone. Which doesn’t happen as much as it should, now that I think about it, so this mission is the perfect opportunity to change that. We are stuck together on this ship and there is nowhere he can run or hide like he normally does.

This is my chance. I’m the only one who can solve this conspiracy and Aran is my prize. No matter how much he screams and fights, this time he’ll have no choice but to accept that we are made for each other. He’s not a substitute for my dad and I’m not his son just because my old man told him to keep an eye on me. Nuh-uh. I’m his future husband and he needs to take his head out of his ass and propose to me already.

“I’ll behave, I promise.” I smile innocently and hold up my hand. “Now, please take off your uniform and give it to me.”

Confusion fills his captivating dark brown eyes. They are hard to read, and so is he. But not to me. I know every quirk, every habit, every telltale. Like the subtle way he’s flaring his nostrils now, the higher arch of his left eyebrow. He’s having a difficult time figuring out why I said what I just said.

“Just take one of the spares…” He considers that for a few moments, scratching his angular jaw. “My clothes will be too big on you…”

Aw, he’s so fucking cute. Reaching for my bag that I’ve propped by the table’s leg, I take out scissors and a needle. Not that I can sew. “I come prepared. Now take off your clothes so I can change.”

He looks at his shirt. “Why does it have to be this particular uniform?” he asks, suspicion worming its way into his voice.

Because it smells like you, duh. If I wear it, I’ll smell like you, which translates to me being yours just like I want to be. My own scent will mix with yours too and then when I give the clothes back to you (and make sure you don’t wash them), you will smell like me. It’s perfect.

But I don’t say any of that. He’ll never give the clothes to me if he knew where my lizard brain went. I will confess everything once we are married, but until then, I’ll pretend I have some dignity.

“Because you wore them already, they will look more settled. You know, not like new on the new guy? Who wasn’t on the roster originally?” I flail my arms for emphasis. “Trust me, it’s better this way.”

This makes zero sense even to me. But there is only so much of my bullshit he can take before he gives up trying to argue. And I’m pretty sure he’s already at his limit.

“This…” He sighs, deeply and heavily. “Whatever. I don’t want to know. But you must promise to stay close to me and do as I say.”

Yes, of course, say no more.

He takes off the vest-like thing and throws it to me, then grabs the bottom hem of the shirt underneath and hooks it over his head. I swallow my tongue because holy shit. His clean-shaven chest and abs reveal themselves to me, muscular and mouth-watering. Fuck, he’s so sexy. I want to lick every inch, every indent. He deserves to be worshiped, and I am the only person allowed to do it.

Even though he’s not a bodyguard anymore, Aran keeps himself in shape by training daily. He also takes care of his face and hair. If you looked at him, you could tell he’s not in his twenties anymore, but getting older has only made him even more attractive. What was the saying? He’s aging like fine wine?

“Tien?”

“Hm?” The sound of his voice pulls my eyes to his face.

He’s leaned in closer. He’s already put on the spare shirt, though he’s yet to button it up, which tells me he noticed me spacing out quite quickly. Or maybe my ogling was just too strong this time.

Chuckling, he tucks a stray lock of my blue hair behind my ear, then hands me the rest of the clothes. “Get changed. I need to report to the deck in ten minutes.”

Man, I can’t believe I got so carried away daydreaming that I missed out on actually seeing him strip for me.

“Yeah, okay.” I jerk my head at the couch and grin, knowing exactly how he will react to what I have to say next. “Why don’t you sit down so I can strip for you? I’ll even twerk.”

He doesn’t disappoint, gracing me with that dramatic huff that gets my heart beating like mad. It’s one other thing that’s reserved just for me. “This would be a lot more tempting if you could actually twerk,” he deadpans, looking distracted as I take off my hoodie.

But even though I don’t pack muscles like him, there is still a dark flicker in his gaze as it quickly slides down my body before returning to my face. It’s momentary, but it’s there, a shimmer of interest that tells me he’s not so oblivious to me as he likes to pretend.

He tries to hide it, but his eyes can’t lie.

Unfortunately, this means nothing. He’s got it decided in his head that I am off-limits. I’ve tried many times to explain to him that I am not only very available but also very willing, but he always finds a way to shut me down. Or to run away and escape.

Biting on my lip to force down the cackle that wants to erupt from me, I put his shirt on, close my eyes and inhale deeply. It smells like Aran. And now I will smell like him, too. It feels so good I could moan. It’s decided, I’m never showering again.

A pinch to my cheek surprises me. I shoot my eyes open and find Aran standing next to me. He bumps my shoulder with his and walks over to the cabin’s door, tilting his head expectantly. I push off the chair and grab my shoes. In the corridor, he helps me adjust the length of the clothes, though we end up tucking them in expertly rather than cutting and ruining them. There is a softness to his expression the entire time, but it’s not quite a smile. The beginnings of one, if I had to guess, but he’s halted it before it has managed to manifest fully.

That’s so like him.

“Let’s go,” he says once we are ready, holding open the door. Commotion from outside seeps into the room, making my heart race with excitement. “And behave, or I am grounding you to the cabin.”

I’m on an actual mission with Aran. This is a dream come true. “Yes, yes—”

“ Hex .”

Ah, there it is. The end of our lovely time together, away from others. I’m back to being Hex for him, too. But that’s fine, because the shifts are only eight hours a day. As for the other sixteen… I plan to make the most of them, to Hex the shit out of this stubborn man, so by the end of this undercover cruise he goes down on one knee for me.