Page 29 of Smuggler's Beauty

“Don’t they say that’s the first step to change? Admitting you have a problem?” Aiden asked.

“I think you have to want to change. I’m a top-level whiner. I can’t pack it in now.” Veselko fiddled with the top of the box.

“Suck it up, buttercup. A little uncertainty is good for you. Elevates the heart rate,” Nannette said. She gave the table a once over to make sure she got all her tools out of the way.

“I do enough cardio,” he said.

Nannette reached out for the box top. Veselko stopped fiddling with it and handed it to her, but he didn’t let go. His joking manner evaporated as he made eye contact with her.

“Seriously. Are you okay with this?”

Nannette took a deep inhale and tugged the box top from Veselko’s hand and sealed the lid of the box, letting out an exasperated huff that made the wisps of hair that had escaped her braided crown fly around her head.

Aiden felt like a complete moron. Even if he was quietly planning his departure from theDawn, that wasn’t an excuse to drop the ball on his captaining duties. He should be the one making sure Nannette was fine, but he’d spent the last few days focused on his own various guilt-inducing desires. Planning an exit strategy for himself.

Obsessing over a woman who I may never see again after this evening.

“I’m fine,” she said.

“Oh yeah, you’re screaming out ‘fine,’ Nannette,” Veselko said, rolling his eyes. Aiden had to agree Nannette seemed tense. “The knives really sell it.”

“Am I thinking about my father? Ask what you mean,” she said.

Direct as a laser blaster.

“Are you?” Aiden asked.

“Of course I am. But that doesn’t mean I can’t do my job and focus on the task at hand. Are there some creepy parallels at hand? Sure. But I have a lock on things.” She grabbed Veselko’s hand and squeezed. “I appreciate you looking out. Both of you. Meddlers.”

“Meddling and whining are my top specialities,” Veselko said.

“We should update the pamphlets,” Aiden added. “Really promote the whole full-service aspect of the ship.”

Maybe the crew wouldn’t fall apart when he left, after all.

Aiden strappedinto the copiloting chair. He had his special glasses tucked into the pocket of his shirt. Cairn leaned over and gave him a sniff.

“Are you wearing cologne?”

The tips of Aiden’s ears reddened. He sniffed and attempted an air of dignity. He had, in fact, taken the time to freshen up. Trimmed his beard, smashed on some scent. “It never hurts to bathe.”

“Aye. But you’re tarted up for a drop.”

“Tarted up? Did you borrow one of Lillian’s historicals again?”

“Aye. Stop evading.”

“Yes. I’m wearing cologne. Can we drop this?”

“Sure. In about ten minutes,” Cairn said with a smirk. “Is that a new shirt?”

Aiden sighed and studied the control panel. Cairn turned and saw that everyone was buckled into their seats. He moved to change the information stream to a more focused set of data points and paused. Aiden glanced at the information panel. A warning originating from one of Cairn’s custom screening protocols scrolled across the screen:

Increased patrols of ships in GPC-affiliated territories with hull designations assigned to the Bauder Planetary Collective. Proceed with caution.

Cairn caught his eye and Aiden shrugged. They were about to descend to the planet, no point in worrying about patrolling ships until they were about to depart. Cairn nodded.

“Okay, folks. Should be a smooth descent, but I see a bit of forecasted turbulence. Stay seated. We’ll be on the ground in Vegas in about thirty.”