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I chuckled. “Well, yeah.” I smoothed my hand over her shoulder and down her hip, marveling at the silky smoothness of human skin. Her skin. “I’m relieved I no longer need to wonder if you’re coming back when you slip away to the bathroom.”
She giggled and hugged me. “No, I won’t be going anywhere.” Then her expression turned serious. “Do you really think this can work? Us, I mean?”
“The future is ours to decide,” I said. “We’ll find a way to make it work.” I hadn’t thought it through, but I was determined.
“Won’t they reassign you now? When you’re on another mission, how will we see each other? With our technologies so different, we won’t be able to vid-comm. Unless I can acquire another contraband handheld…” She smiled slightly but then sobered. “I can’t leave. My planet needs me. There’s going to be a reshuffling in the government. The vice president will assume the presidency. He’ll have to appoint a VP and a new cabinet. No doubt there will be many briefings on trafficking. Now that we know aliens are around us, I can foresee the mission of the State Department changing. I’ll have to assist Garrison with the transition.”
“You’re right. You need to be here. So…how about if I take a leave of absence for a few months and stay on New Terra?” As soon as I spoke, the rightness settled over me.
She sat up. “Can you do that? Stay here, I mean. If you’re not on an official mission, won’t your presence violate the terms of the embargo?”
“Technically,” I agreed, unconcerned. “We’ll treat this as a don’t ask, don’t tell situation. Given how the no-contact rule facilitated the cartel’s invasion, higher-ups are not in a position to object. And they’re going to have their hands full prosecuting Imana and the members of the cartel.”
Her pleased smile spread from ear to ear. Making her happy made me happy. I grinned.
“You can live with me,” she said. “If you want to, I mean. If you need your space, I understand. I’m assuming you’ve had your own apartment while you’ve been here. Or were you living at the safe house?”
“I had a little apartment. Just a place to sleep.” I envisioned living with Jessie, making love, laughing with her, eating meals with her, showering with her. Even showering sounded good to me. I couldn’t imagine anyplace else I’d rather be. “I’d like to stay with you—under one condition.”
She arched her eyebrows. “What’s that?”
My butt had sunk clear down to the hard bed frame. “That we get a new mattress.”
Jessie laughed. “Deal!”
Epilogue
Jessie
Two months later
Planet Nomoru
After depositing James Bond in our suite, Maxx and I hurried to the holo-theater in the palace of Araset. If the vote went the way we hoped, a bright new future for New Terra and the galaxy would be dawning. An emergency meeting of the General Assembly of the League of Planets had been called.
King Saar and Queen Citrine had generously sent a ship to ferry us to Araset so we could watch the meeting. There’d been a delay, and we were late.
As we entered the theater, Millie Rogers spotted us from the heavily decorated balcony box. She leaned over the railing and waved.
With a burst of excitement, I waved back. Grabbing Maxx’s hand, I practically ran for the waiting grav-lift that would deposit us in the balcony box.
Inside the private balcony, the whole gang got to their feet—Millie and her bond-mate Nadir, Holly Winter and Prince Aeon, Kat Whalen and Prince Lomax, and Joule and Giselle Cartier.
“It’s been so long. I was afraid I’d never see you again.” Kat rushed to hug me.
“Never think never!” I said.
“Jessie!” Millie grabbed me in a rib-cracking embrace. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too!” I hugged her back just as hard. New Terra would always be my home, but these ladies were like sisters to me. Uncertain if I should follow protocol, I gave a little bow to Aeon and Lomax.
“Formality isn’t required here,” Aeon said.
“We’re all friends,” Lomax added. “We’re so glad to see you again.”
“Thank you! Everybody”—I glanced at each one of my friends—“this is Maxx!” They knew of him—I’d kept in touch via his handheld—but they’d never met him.
“Welcome to Araset,” Aeon and Lomax said, almost in unison.
