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  His hands squeezed her again, and she was reminded of how large he was next to her. “I am going to try and shift that timeline.”

  “That is up to you. I have my own duties to attend to.” She pulled back as far as she could, but he slammed her back against him.

  “Fine, but tonight is not over. I reserve the right to dance with you again.” Lance leaned forward, and his kiss drifted over her left cheekbone.

  “It is getting late.”

  “It is barely sunset.” He swayed with her and kissed her other cheek.

  “I have to be on duty at dawn. Tomorrow is market day.” Her words came out as a breathy whisper.

  “You have time for another dance.” His tone took on a low rumble, and she could feel his erection nudging at her belly as they moved slowly to the music.

  “Just one more, I guess.”

  His lips were an inch from hers, and they were about to make contact when a peculiar sound made her back away. “What is that?”

  He cursed, and Shatter came to his side. “We are needed.”

  Lance grabbed her quickly and gave her a kiss that melted her bones and sped up her heart. She staggered back as he released her, and a moment later, the three Guardians were gone with only a regretful look from Lance to prove that they had not been planning it.

  Hormik scooted her back to the table and paid the cheque. “I think you have had enough relaxation for tonight. A walk perhaps?”

  Lera nodded and left with her friend, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

  Chapter Four

  Putting on her uniform, Lera heaved a sigh. She had gotten less than two hours of sleep, and what she had gotten was full of the sensation of Lance pressed against her body. It was something that had kept her awake with blood pulsing through her groin and breasts, as her arousal seemed destined not to fade.

  She got to her desk and checked the roster of the previous night’s events. A call was waiting for her, and she flicked open the com, reading while she waited.

  Several petty thefts and one stabbing had marked the evening shift, but nothing was in her segment of the city.

  “Morning, Peacekeeper.” The chirpy voice came from the com unit.

  “Hiya, Rhoda. What is up?” Lera pivoted and smiled at the other Terran.

  “Oh, I just got a call to do a destiny portrait with you as the subject. Care to guess who it was?”

  “I am guessing one of the Guardians. Lance perhaps?”

  “Close. Coma. She sent me your specs. Now, how long do you want me to wait before I show them the portrait?” Rhoda fiddled with her white locks.

  “A day? Maybe two? However long you can keep Charm from investigating. We don’t want to tip our hand.”

  “I don’t know why you are fighting this, Lera.”

  “Because I want him to be sure that he is making a choice. Life with a Terran is trying and life as a Guardian is dangerous. Meshing the two is not something that most Guardians are prepared for.”

  Rhoda snorted. “Tell me about it. I try to adapt to Genaran traditions, but there are some that I just can’t get behind.”

  Lera nodded. “I know. It is like going to a foreign country every time you open your door.”

  A chime rang in the headquarters, and Lera smiled. “That is shift change. I will talk to you later, Rhoda. Be well.”

  “You too. I will keep it under wraps for a day or two. If Charm catches on, I will have to come clean though. Are you ready for that?”

  “Of course. Have a good day, Rhoda.”

  Lera disconnected the call and got to her feet. She headed for her locker and put the stunner, the baton and her light armour in place. Lera left the headquarters and walked toward her beat.

  It was going to be a warm day, so she was just as happy to be out of the riot gear of her previous shift. With a wave to her regulars, she walked the market area of Feural and went about her job.

  Her wristbands and collar had recorders in them, and she was thankful as she cuffed her third pickpocket of the day one hour into her shift.

  “This is Private Douglas requesting prisoner transport and two more sets of restraints.” She spoke quietly while she kept her prisoner in place with her foot on his groin.

  “What are you doing down there, Lera?”

  “It’s a bondage party, Hekolo. You weren’t invited.” She chuckled as the pickup skimmer appeared at the edge of the market.

  With a blast of air, the skimmer lowered itself to the pavement. Lieutenant Hekolo Molu shook his head as she handed over the pickpocket. “I have the vid feed in the system. He can be booked right away.”

  Lieutenant Molu handed her two sets of restraints. “Here you go. Stop having fun without me.”

  “Aw, Lieutenant, since I have never had fun with you, that wouldn’t leave me any fun at all. Oh, and I restrained this one with a foot to the groin. He kept trying to squirm away when I pinned him with any other technique.”

  “Noted. Is it on the record as well?”

  “It is.”

  “Then, I will drop him off and continue my rounds. Oh, by the way, you clean up really nice.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I know. You should try it sometime, but I don’t think that purple is your colour.”

  He chuckled and lifted off.

  The teasing she was getting wasn’t nearly as bad as she had anticipated. The members of the public who spoke to her about it wanted to know if Lance was as nice in person as he seemed to be in the news vids. She simply smiled and said that she didn’t know, but he was a good dancer.

  With her new restraints clipped to her belt, she continued her rounds. It was time to pass the fruit stalls. It was a day like any other, and when she stopped for her lunch, she watched the news vids of the Guardians helping to evacuate a town facing a volcanic eruption.

  Lance was wearing a black bodysuit with blue highlights as he helped families board an evacuation craft. Coma was soothing those who were hysterical, and Shatter was working on making diversions for the incoming rock. It might help to get the lava around the town, it might not, but at least they were trying.

  Once Lera finished her wrap, she got up and disposed of the wrapper. It was business as usual for the Guardians, so she had to get back to her own job. As she headed out of the shop, she heard—

  “And in local news, who was the dance partner of the gregarious and attractive Guardian Lance? Why, it was no one other than our local Peacekeeper, Private Lera Douglas. How did the Peacekeeper get the Guardian’s attention? She assaulted one of his companions during the recruitment.”

  The image of Lera knocking Shatter down was replayed in slow motion.

  “How could a man pass up a woman like that? Here is hoping that the two branches of protection can get along well together. I would hate to see the fistfight that would ensue if they were to face a nasty breakup.”

  Lera exited the shop as several of the locals stared at her. It seemed that the steamroller was just a little slow to get going. She was still going to be squashed under the wheel.

  Shaking her head, she got back to business, and the wave of gossip was nearly visible. By the time she was at the end of her shift, she had been posed with, pinched, quizzed and fondled with alarming regularity. It seemed that if they perceived her to be having sex with someone, it made her a target for the lust of anyone.

  Lera’s co-workers were no better. The men suddenly eyed her with interest, while the women asked her what Lance had been most interested in.

  Lera’s head was spinning, and she quickly filed her reports and changed into her civilian clothing, sneaking out and back to her quarters as quickly as her feet could carry her.

  She froze when she saw the exterior of her building. Men and women, who were looking around, seeking any sign of her, surrounded it.

  Lera crept into an alley and sighed as she lifted her personal communicator to her cheek. “Lieutenant Hormik, please.”

  There were a few clicks, and Hormik
was suddenly there. “Hello?”

  “Hormik, I need a place to stay for a few days until this Guardian thing blows over. Do you know where I can get a room that won’t publicise my whereabouts?”

  “Go to my place. I will have the monitor let you in. Pick up some clothing on the way and an overnight kit.”

  “Will do. Thank you, Hormik.”

  “It is the least I can do for having the bad taste to make you a target.”

  “It wasn’t you. It was him. See you when you get off shift.”

  They disconnected the call, and Lera headed out to grab some casual clothing. Her spare uniform was at the headquarters, so all she had to do was get in a few minutes early the following day so she could change.

  One night on a dance floor and she was barred from her home. Imagine what would have happened if she actually had slept with him.

  Chapter Five

  Two days later, she was on desk duty, rubbing her forehead.

  “Having trouble sleeping?” Captain Drular stood next to her desk.

  “Hormik’s couch is comfortable enough, but I miss my own quarters.” She scowled and looked up at him.

  “Well, that will no longer be a concern for you.”

  She blinked and rubbed her eyes. “You are firing me?”

  He paused and blurted out a laugh. “No. You have been assigned as the Peacekeeper liaison with the Guardians. You will live at their base and go where they go, making sure that they don’t step on the toes of other Peacekeepers.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. You are now the Guardian Liaison. Go home, there are officers coming with you to help you pack. The Guardians will be here in two hours to collect you.”

  “Just like that?”

  “No, not really. They have been trying for three days, but the imperium finally put through the order today. If this works, there will be liaisons assigned throughout the imperium. It will be a great thing for the Peacekeepers. Folks tend to forget we are there when the Guardians appear.”

  She twisted her lips in a grimace. “No kidding. Fine. I will go under guard and provided that I can land on my roof. There are way too many crazies at ground level.”

  “Done. Now, clean out your locker and get going.”

  Lera emptied out her desk and headed for her locker. It took two minutes for her to gather everything and return her weapons to the armoury.

  Hormik and Toimar were her escort, and they landed the skimmer on her roof. Down below, cries went out, and Lera knew they were running out of time.

  She used her pass codes to get inside and sprinted to her apartment as quickly as her legs could carry her.

  Inside, she grabbed two duffels and shoved all of her clothing into one while her objects from home went into the other. She was ready to bug out in five minutes, which was a good thing when Hormik and Toimar were having trouble keeping the crowd back.

  If she had been on earth, she would have thought that she had been linked to a Hollywood star or some other kind of performing artist. Here, she had been seen in a clinch with a Guardian and that was just as good.

  Lera heaved the duffels up and hauled ass back to the roof. The moment the bags were in the skimmer, she whistled sharply, and the footfalls of the two Peacekeepers followed immediately. She warmed the engine so that the instant that Hormik was in the skimmer, they were lifting off leaving the followers behind.

  Toimar pulled in the lieutenant, and they were on their way back to the Peacekeeper outpost and headquarters.

  Lera sighed as she touched down, leaning back in the pilot seat. “Well, that was fun. I wonder if I am going to get my damage deposit back.”

  Hormik laughed. “I doubt it. I am pretty sure your new position will pay a bit better than being a private.”

  “Huh. I never checked to see if I get a promotion.” She snickered. “I might outrank you when this is ratified.”

  Hormik grinned. “I would hope so. You are going to need to control Peacekeepers all over the world.”

  Lera snorted and boosted her bags over her shoulders as they headed for the conference room where Lera was to wait for her pickup. “I have thought of this as me controlling the Guardians, so I wonder who is going to win.”

  She dropped her bags on the floor and went to the caf machine, settling in for a wait.

  Hormik sat next to her. “I am going to miss you, Lera.”

  Lera sat straight and looked at her friend. “I will still be on Jennila, Hormik. I will be here to see your change when it completes.”

  “Maybe. I have a personal question to ask in case you end up on another world with the Guardians.” Hormik looked shy, her female features more pronounced every time Lera looked.

  “What is it?”

  “I want to take a form of your name when I complete my change. Can I name myself Arela?”

  Lera was stunned. She got to her feet and bent over to hug her friend. “Of course you can. Please, I would be honoured.”

  There was a lump in her throat when Hormik hugged her back before grinning at her. “Thank you. We try to find a role model that we can live with, and I think that I have found such a person in you.”

  Lera wiped a tear from her eye. “It is very touching.”

  “Well, you have been very important to me. It is not always easy for my kind to enter a world where facial expressions tell more than psychic imprints. You have helped me to learn how to deal with people in a manner that they find socially acceptable. You have helped me to grow.”

  Lera sighed. “It was my pleasure. This exchange was difficult for me at first. Your lack of emotional display helped me push aside my insecurities and just act as a Peacekeeper. It was a good thing.”

  They sat in the warm silence of two friends waiting for one to leave. There was a little bit of sadness but also a chunk of excitement. Where Lera went, she would take Hormik with her in spirit and report back on her adventures.

  Shatter appeared in the doorway. “Are you ready, Liaison?”

  She got to her feet again and hoisted her bags up onto her shoulders. “Ready.”

  He took her duffels from her with a grunt and gestured for her to follow him.

  Lera lifted her bag of office memorabilia and pattered after him.

  The sleek lines of the Guardian skimmer made the Peacekeeper skimmers look like farm wagons. He boosted her bags into the storage area of the skimmer and stowed her small bag next to them.

  “Is that it?”

  “Yup. That is my life.” She twisted her lips in a frown.

  “Are you serious? Don’t you have a home world with an actual home?” He was shocked.

  Lera settled into the passenger seat and gave him a surprised look. “Of course not. I am a Terran Volunteer. The moment that I left, there was no going back. It was a one-way trip to the stars.”

  “What? How could a species do that?”

  “We are the first two thousand to leave our world on a deliberate and permanent basis. In the Alliance, that means we have to have five successful champions and an ability to adapt and flourish in the variety of environments we were placed in.”

  “Did you get them?”

  “We did. Now, we are in a holding pattern or something before others of our kind can leave the protectorate and join us. They might be able to come and go as they please. We don’t know.” She kept talking as he settled into the pilot’s seat and took off.

  The city of Feural was quite pretty from the air. It was a vantage point Lera rarely was able to enjoy. She smiled as they passed her building. “I can see my house from here.” She lost herself in giggles.

  “I am guessing that it is a private joke?” Shatter smiled at her.

  “It is a cultural reference. No matter where you are, when you are in the air or elevated above the cities in any way, you indicate that you can see your house from that vantage point.” It was not the first time she had described the reference.

  “Ah, so the amusement comes in the self-involvement o
r the desperation to see a recognizable reference point.”

  “Something like that.”

  He smiled softly.

  She could see him putting it into something he could understand.

  They flew quietly over bodies of water, along the foothills of mountain ranges, and finally, he grinned outright. “I can see my house from here.”

  Lera laughed. “That is it.”

  The Guardian base was rather pretty. It had the appearance of a cross between a castle and the forest it was butted against. The open courtyard was the landing site for the skimmer, and as Shatter set them down, Coma and Lance came out of the base itself.

  Coma smiled. “Welcome to the Jennila base, Liaison Douglas.”

  Lera left the skimmer and walked around to the back. “Thank you for your greeting, Coma.” She took one of her bags, and Shatter had the other two. She turned and bumped into Lance. “Oh, excuse me, Guardian.”

  His golden eyes were fixed on her. “Welcome to the base, Lera.”

  His use of her first name and the low tone he was using sent a shiver through her. “Thank you, Lance.”

  He held out his hands. “May I take your bag?”

  She blinked and placed her desk bag in his arms.

  He slipped the strap over his shoulder.

  “That is my portable office stuff.”

  He offered her his free arm. “There is a desk in your quarters.”

  Wrapping her fingers around his bicep caused her heart to flutter in her chest. “Thank you.”

  They walked behind Shatter, and as he elbowed open a door, they followed him into her quarters.

  “Oh, wow.” Her room was split into two floors. The lower floor was her office, and the upper floor was her bedroom. Lera thanked them both and then sprinted up the spiral stairs to her bedroom. There were floor-to-ceiling windows and a widow’s walk that allowed her to look out and over the forest canopy.

  The wind tugged at her hair, and the air had the hint of pine that she remembered from home. It was a sweet place to be.

  Lance stood beneath her, and to her shock, he rose without any mechanical assistance, coming to stand next to her on the widow’s walk. “So, are you enjoying your new living space?”