Read Tamara's Future for Free Online Page B

surroundings. With her back to the viewport, she ignored his scrutiny and continued to look around.
    A small table with two place settings sat before one of the viewports. Soft music,
    candles and dim lighting created an intimate atmosphere. Tamara swallowed hard.
    What was Gage’s game? If she didn’t know better, she’d think he actually wanted to
    seduce her. His motive couldn’t be that simple. Could it?
    She raised an eyebrow. He smiled and shrugged then walked to the food dispenser
    and programmed it. “Have a seat. This will only take a moment.”
    Tamara moved to the table and sat in one of the chairs.
    The timer pinged. Gage took the food out and brought back a tray with four dishes
    and a carafe of light-colored liquid.
    Tamara’s stomach rumbled as she smelled the food. The field ration David had
    given her was long gone. She was hungry.
    Gage set the dishes on the table.
    Tamara started. She hadn’t expected her favorite foods. Riozo , white short noodles mixed with a spicy orange sauce and courlei , an expensive green vegetable that took two years to mature. She’d introduced the foods to Gage so many years ago.
    Gage poured her a drink. He raised his glass. “A toast to us,” he said with a smile.
    He waited until she picked up her glass and then he tossed back his drink.
     

    Tamara echoed his motions and realized the carafe was filled with tola wine. The wine she’d been drinking when they’d met. The dinner was perfect. Why was he doing this? She placed her glass on the table and Gage refilled it.
    “Eat! Enjoy!” Gage picked up his utensils and proceeded to ignore her while he ate.
    Tamara decided there was no point in denying herself and she followed his lead,
    savoring every bite. It had been a long time since she’d had a meal this expensive. The Luxor served luxury food but she hadn’t been able to afford it. She’d eaten lightly for a long time now.
    After diner, Tamara stood and moved to the sofa. She didn’t offer to clear the table and Gage didn’t ask. He made quick work of the cleanup while she watched the viewport. Even though it was just a reflection on a wall, it seemed so real. Its expanse comforted her and she felt almost free. Lulled by dinner, she was unprepared for Gage’s blunt statement.
    “Tamara, I want you,” he said as he walked over to the sofa and sat next to her.
    “You can’t have me.”
    “Well, darling, it seems I do have you but I want more.”
    Gage reached over and used one finger to stroke a line down Tamara’s face. She
    froze. Now she’d have to pay for dinner. She wanted to be angry but his finger was
    hard and warm. It sent chills down her back. She stopped breathing, wondering what
    he’d do next. All her nerves screamed and she desperately wanted to turn her head and capture his finger in her mouth. Her blood raced as if her veins couldn’t contain it.
    Gage’s blue eyes were lost their iciness and warmed like a summer sky. Tamara
    wanted to sink into the kindness she saw there. The sympathy seemed to ooze from his concerned face. No! She couldn’t trust him. She didn’t know what he’d do next but she knew what he’d already done. He’d taken away her freedom. He was keeping her captive. Even worse, he’d taken her stash, the money she’d planned on using to retire.
    Once again she cursed her recklessness in using her own name on the luxury cruise. She knew better. Why had she been so foolish? She’d lost everything.
     

    She stood and moved away from him. Away from his warmth—warmth that
    threatened to melt her heart. Warmth that was so seductive. She moved away from his concern and sympathy. He could con as well as she did. She knew that. Why had she let him get close enough to touch?
    Did she have a choice? She almost snorted. She was no match for his hardened
    body. She’d never be able to stop him from doing anything he chose. But he hadn’t
    followed her.
    Instead he’d laid his head back on the sofa and was watching