Fade Read Free Page B

lip as she exited the chair, but it wasn’t Porali’s hand that was extended to assist her. Long, lean fingers with surprising strength helped her out of the chair and to her feet.
    She kept her gaze averted, as tradition dictated. “Thank you, My Lord.”
    He raised her chin with the back of one hand. “You do not need to stand on ceremony. I have been off world and am aware that our traditions can be restrictive.”
    Amy tried to keep the hammering of her heart to herself, but she was sure that when she met his bronze gaze, he could read every pulse through her veins. “Thank you, Lord Akutan.”
    He smiled, and his beautiful features outshone the sun. “You are welcome. Now, may I know your name?”
    “Amethyst Decker of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra, Mechanic First Class.” She didn’t mention her talent, as it had never had a rank attached to it.
    “Amethyst, I am delighted to meet you.” He held her hand and assisted her in balancing as she made her way up the steps to his home.
    She was embarrassed at the wobbling when he moved with such ease. At the door, Porali helped her out of the wooden shoes, and with a sigh of relief, Amethyst walked inside. The odd thing was that Lord Akutan didn’t let her hand go as he took her into the morning room where tea had been prepared. Thuds from the back of the house made her raise her eyebrows, but she didn’t comment as he waited for her to seat herself.
    Her aching thighs remembered the drills, and she sat down with the outer robe flaring behind her in a wide fan.
    Akutan smiled, “I see that you are a quick study. Teriki must have been relieved. My niece was a bit recalcitrant as a student in the ladylike arts.”
    He sat across from her, so she reached out and tested the pot to see if there was tea in it. The small motion with the back of her finger was subtle, but the jerk that went through her body at the effect of the heat was not.
    She poured tea for Lord Akutan and then herself. The contact with the teapot was causing a slight blister, and she cursed herself for being an idiot.
    “Did you injure yourself?”
    She nodded and watched the curls of vapour come off her cup. “I keep forgetting that the boiling point is a little higher here than back at home. Unfortunately, the burn point of my skin is right where it was seven years ago.”
    He reached out and took her hand. “Give me a moment. I am out of practice.”
    He pressed his thumb against the burn, and she hissed, trying to pull her hand back. His eyes darkened and locked with hers as a trickle of energy moved from his hand into hers.
    She shivered and mentally thanked the five layers of clothing for keeping the hardening of her nipples from being obvious.
    When he lifted his thumb, the red skin quickly faded to her normal colouring. No burn, no blister, no marks.
    She noticed, as she stared at him, that his hair was caught off his face with a clip of sorts holding it at the back of his head. Tendrils had worked loose and one hung in front of his left eye. It gave him a wild look as if the state of his hair proved his personal lack of emotional containment.
    “So, did you do anything else in town today?” He smiled but didn’t release her hand. His thumb kept rubbing back and forth along her knuckles.
    She blinked rapidly and thought. “Oh, we got some hairpins.”
    He cocked his head. “You are going to pin it up?”
    She chuckled. “That or chop it off if there are only two options. I am not used to having it loose.”
    He smiled, and there was a heated look to his eyes. “It looks lovely, like the night sky between the stars.”
    She blushed and tugged at her hand. “Thank you. I have been feeling a little like an ink spot since I came here.”
    He frowned but kept his long fingers wrapped around hers. “Has someone made you unwelcome?”
    “Oh, no. Teriki and the maids have been very kind. I simply feel a little out of place here.” She shrugged. “I suppose I have been feeling out