Read Interface for Free Online Page A

his chin on his folded hands and smiled. "How did your family react?"
    "They were in denial that I would be allowed to leave. They even tried to drug me so that I would miss launch day. I wanted to go. I had been dreaming of you since I was young and as I became an adult, the dreams definitely caught and held my attention."
    "As did your thoughts meshing with mine in the dark of your nights."
    He extended his hand across the table and she put her small pale pink hand in his without question.
    They sat and let their emotions run through the physical contact.
    Rhenic removed their plates and stored the remains of their meal. It wasn't nearly as much as Vikki had thought. Apparently, Drai ate a lot.
    "Would you care to take a walk in the gardens?"
    She smiled and got to her feet, walking with him with the table between them until they reached the end. When they could, they gravitated to each other and walked out the huge glass doors to the back yard.
    The breeze felt good on her legs as it played with the long strips of her skirt. She sighed happily to be free of an obligation to get on a shuttle the following day.
    "What was that sigh for?"
    "I hate to travel. This is wonderful, knowing that tomorrow I don't have to get back into that damned shuttle and pray that it won't drop out of the sky on some unsuspecting world."
    "You didn't have faith in your equipment?"
    Their path was taking them past fanciful hedges in swirling patterns.
    She laughed. "No. It stranded Vinni and me several times. Twice, it put our lives in danger. Takes two people to land it and more muscle than I usually have access to for liftoff."
    A flicker of anger in her thoughts was foreign. "Don't get mad. It got me here in one piece."
    He lifted her hand to his lips. "I am aware of that, but it does not ease my irritation that you were put at risk when I offered my coffers to you via the Geviil. You should have had a private shuttle that was reliable."
    She smiled at his concern. "I appreciate your thoughts, but since you were not sure that I was me, how could the Geviil be?"
    He made a noise similar to a grunt and they toured the gardens. When she admired a lovely bush of flowers, he made an imperceptible nod and a man appeared from behind one of the elaborate hedges.
    "The gardener," Mercuros filled in. He paused. "We will have to return to the house. The premier has arrived."
    Their pace was not any more rapid than their venture to the bottom of the garden. They stopped and enjoyed anything that caught Vikki's gaze.
    As their slow mosey took them back to the house, the gardener passed them with a selection of flowers, most of which were the ones she had taken a liking to. Orange, red and pink faded into each other on those petals, each colour shading into the next with a quiet grace.
    "Flowers for the house?"
    "You should be surrounded by things you enjoy."
    "As should you."
    He lifted her hand again, inhaling before he pressed a kiss to her skin. "And with you here, I am."
    When they walked through the garden doors, Rhenic was looking stressed. She had a tea tray in her hands and was walking into the front room.
    They followed her into the receiving room and two men were waiting for them. Vinni was sitting on one of the couches, but the Geviilan male was looking at the statuary and books with a critical eye.
    Rhenic put her tray on one of the tables and left as quickly as she could.
    "I don't understand what he sees in her." The male sniffed with disdain.
    Vinni winked at her. "Oh, she has her moments."
    Mercuros tucked her hand under his elbow to rest on his forearm. "I certainly think so."
    The premier jumped and whirled to face them. "Guardian, so nice to meet you face to face."
    The male extended his hand in formal greeting and Mercuros calmly placed his hand over Vikki's before he extended the hand she was attached to for the greeting.
    He paused and then turned to greet her, "Specialist. Thank you for coming."
    She extended her free hand and he took