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continues.”
    “Despite my volunteering to leave Earth, my soul despises change.” She grimaced.
    He laughed and then sobered. “How did you know that he had planted something in your bag?”
    She chuckled. “First, no one checks a sworn agent travelling with a VIP. Second, my bag was scanned and there was no reason to rifle through it. Third, and most importantly, the weight was off.”
    “You could tell?” He blinked in surprise.
    “Of course. That is what I do. I assess contents and gauge their accuracy based on the product description. In the case of my bag, I had been carrying it for half an hour. I knew how much it weighed. The explosives were a guess based on the small sensors on the side and the weight of the object. It was too heavy for just a tracker.”
    “So, you did all those calculations in a second.”
    She shrugged and snuggled more deeply into her chair. “Of course, it is what I do.”
    He chuckled. “I think that your fake job just became a real one.”
    Mel pretended to be shocked. “You got me here under false pretenses? I am surprised.”
    “You saw right through my bumbling attempts, though the doctor was correct. Based on the information she forwarded to Reuval, there is a solid instability in your system. It isn’t dangerous, but it does need to be addressed.”
    “I have been researching the Adru-Skari.”
    “Have you now?”
    “Yes, I think I need to get some claws installed. They seem important.” She sipped at her caf and looked at him with wide eyes.
    He shuddered slightly and narrowed his gaze. “How much research did you do?”
    “As much as my security level would allow, which was quite a lot.” She smiled brightly.
    The reinforced nails would allow her to engage in a more equitable lovemaking with him. Without the ability to claw at him to speed things along, she had been relegated to waiting until he was done. It was spectacular, but it had been beyond her control.
    “I think I know of a few physicians who could help you with that.” He looked like he was having a small orgasm at the thought.
    She chuckled. “So, having me all soft isn’t as appealing as you thought.”
    “As long as you confine your alterations to your claws, I won’t complain. If you try and change anything else, we will discuss it,” He gave her a sleepy-sensual look, “and I will win.”
    Mel looked out the display screen and tried not to think of how he would discuss body mods with her. It wasn’t something that she would have normally considered, but after looking at Adru-Skari fashion books for the last few weeks, she had noticed a lot of difference in what the women put in and through their skin. Spikes and studs were common to decorate arms and foreheads. If she was moving into a society, she wanted to blend in.
    She startled herself into laughing with that thought.
    He was looking at the instruments but glanced her way. She could see his head move. “Something amuses you?”
    “Yes. I was imagining blending in.”
    She put her chin on her knees and stared out at the stars. After a few more minutes, she asked, “Are we there yet?”
    He sighed. “We still have two hours until orbit and then forty-five minutes of travel within the city.”
    Mel nodded. “Okay.”
    She waited five minutes by her count and rubbed her chin on her knees. “Are we there yet?”
    He blinked in surprise and gave her a curious glance. “Not yet.”
    She grinned. “Okay.”
    With slow movements, she got up and returned her cup to the galley. When Mel turned to return to the command deck, Dornin-tah was standing in front of her.
    She simply looked up at him and he smiled.
    “Aren’t you going to ask me if we are there yet?”
    Mel smiled. “No.”
    He took her arms and eased her close to him. He lowered his head until he whispered, “Why not?”
    She leaned in until she could feel the heat from his skin. “I was going to wait another two minutes.”
    He smiled and pressed his lips to hers in the