Read Accepting (The Return of the Nine book 2) for Free Online

are linked for deliveries of that nature. Our uniforms do not have pockets and the belts that we wear are for devices relating to our work.”
    She nodded and tried not to rub the surface of the fabric. “Are you sure it looks all right?”
    “It looks lovely. You simply look like a crewmember on their day off.” He smiled, and they left the shop. “Now, we will continue our tour.”
    She loosened her hair, and it flowed around her, covering her breasts and her spine to mid-back. “That is a little better. I don’t feel so exposed.”
    Tonos looked distinctly uncomfortable, but he smiled, “Your hair is lovely. Do you wear it down often?”
    They passed a number of other couples on a promenade, and she gasped when she saw the expanse of the gardens. “Oh my.”
    She processed his question and smiled. “I wear it down when I feel like I am running around naked.”
    He cleared his throat. “I see. Do you like gardens?”
    She smiled and walked to the railing that looked out over what appeared to be the vegetable garden. “I love gardens. I spend every moment I can in our garden growing food for the events. I almost like gardening more than cooking.”
    He leaned next to her and his wings fluttered slightly. “How do you spend your evenings on Gaia?”
    “We go to dances, I spend a lot of time at the library, watching vids and preparing for events. Normal stuff. What do you do on the ship?”
    He leaned out to watch a person below gather a basket of tubers. “I exercise, watch the entertainment unit, go drinking with friends and I fly. The People of the Air have monthly events to gather and compete here on the ship.”
    She smiled. “It sounds like a summer fair.”
    “Here, it is summer all year round. It is quite a pleasant environment.”
    He was smiling in the most charming manner. His wings lazily opened and closed, and she shivered as she started to catalogue the most likely sexual positions that a man with wings would have to use.
    Blinking furiously, she straightened, “Shall we continue the tour?”
    Tonos nodded. “Of course. Next stop is the transport pod. We will see all of the living zones that we missed on your first day. What happened there, anyway?”
    They moved at a leisurely pace toward the pod and rail. “I am a little sensitive to new environments. My emotional reactions shut down, and it takes a while to process all the new information. As soon as I catch up and orient myself, I am usually fine.”
    She tucked herself into the pod and smiled as he adjusted himself until his wings were settled comfortably. The pod slipped off, and in no time, they were off into the interior of the massive ship carrying thousands of warriors, their families and support staff into space.
    It was a fun way to spend an afternoon, and by the end of the day, just a look from Tonos and she was wishing that the barrier against touching didn’t exist.
     

 
     
    Chapter Eight
     
     
    When they entered the Wilder zone of the ship, she looked around curiously. “So this is where Ziggy lives?”
    He laughed, “No, this is where the Wilder live. The Councillor Rothaway and Signy have their quarters in the V.I.P. zone near where you are staying.”
    The pod cruised through on a slower track than the commuter units that whizzed past.
    “Ah. But these mock forests are their environments?”
    “Yes. It makes each race more comfortable to have the environment they were born in represented on the ship. It keeps us grounded, so to speak.” He reached out to touch her cheek, but he pulled his hand back at the last minute.
    She bit her lip. “It is difficult, isn’t it?”
    “It is the hardest thing that I have ever endured.” His lips twisted in a rueful smile. “To think, all those years of flirting and the woman I was destined for was going to walk right up to me.”
    The pod continued on its little tour, stopping at the V.I.P. zone and opening to let them out.
    When they stood to leave the pod, she had to ask.