Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
“I’ll aim to be home then too,” he murmured.
“And your day?”
He already knew her schedule before he asked, as she knew his.
There was something that tugged at his heart that she asked anyway, even if, for him, it wasn’t nearly as diverse and exciting as her day always turned out to be.
Nevertheless, she made a point to draw him out, and he knew it was because she worried she didn’t see to him and his interests well enough.
He knew he couldn’t simply tell her to relax and let it go.
He had to let her have time doing these things so he could use them as examples when he eventually told her to relax and let it go.
He was going to give it two weeks.
“They’re close to opening one of the bays on Thoth. A good deal of my day will be going over those details to make certain we can make the announcement and stick to the date. And then the director of R and D at Roots Innovation will be demonstrating the new features of a Palm we hope to release in the coming year. He’s promised the bugs have been dealt with, but that remains to be seen.”
He had another appointment late that afternoon, but he hadn’t decided if he was going to tell her about that one yet.
“Oo…a new Palm,” she cooed before she glanced at her own, yelped, took one last hurried sip of coffee then sprang out of her chair, rounding the table, saying, “Gods, I lost track of the time. Fannon is waiting at the craft. I have to go.”
She gave him a peck on the lips, another one, then she gave up on that and just kissed him.
Deeply.
He chuckled at the end of it and whispered, “Go, darling. I’ll see you this evening.”
She gave him one more peck before she bid, “Have a great day, honey.”
“You as well.”
She dashed off.
His creature throbbed at her departure.
Hers pulsed in return.
Aleksei watched her go.
No, he’d never known a female like her.
She loved him. She liked him. She was interested in him. She was attracted to him. He was her mate, her life, her future. She was the same in all to him.
But she was still Laura, with her friends, and her job that was her passion, and her determination to perform her duty as his princess, no matter how it cut across the grain.
He was not a satellite in her life, he was the center star, as she was to him.
But she had a universe to illuminate, and she did that.
It wasn’t the first time he had this thought, but he still thought it…
The Night God certainly knew what he was doing.
Aleksei landed the JetPanther in the space on the street that had been cleared for him outside the narrow, two-story Pre-Unification brownstone.
He turned his eyes right, and with interest in what he’d see, but none in what he was about to do, he took in the home where Laura grew up.
Considering the beings who had inhabited it for the last twenty-five years, he would have expected it to appear neglected. Therefore, he was surprised to see the two wide-bowled, squat urns on either side of the front door filled with healthy autumn flowers and the impeccable cast of the shiny barn-red paint on the door.
When Set was standing outside his craft, Aleksei ordered the door to open and climbed out.
Set at his back, other members of his detail in place, Aleksei walked across the pavement, up the steps, and before he could engage the announcement unit, the door opened.
A male humanoid bot stood there.
“Your highness,” it said on a short bow.
“He’s expecting me.”
“Of course. Come in.”
The bot stepped back, allowing Aleksei entry. Set came with him.
“I’ll take you to him,” the bot replied and moved through the house.
Aleksei looked around as they walked through the space.
It was nice, yet it had no personality. Middle of the road when it came to expense, like the bot. Though, better than most. It was clean, and in good nick, but again, if he didn’t know who lived there, he’d have no idea of anything about them.
This, he didn’t find surprising.
The bot led them through the kitchen at the back and Set took point when they followed it out into the courtyard.
Now this was something else.
There were fall flowers here too, as well as some late vegetables in raised beds that hadn’t yet been harvested. Other beds had been turned over, readied for winter.
All of it was neat and tidy, including two seating areas, one for eating, one for lounging, both having far more personality than the living areas he’d just walked through. They were stylish and inviting.
Along the entire back of the courtyard was a greenhouse.
The bot led them there.
Set stepped in first, then stepped out and nodded to Aleksei.