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“I did it!” Rhast crowed as Maxwell sent off the message to Priest Lazar.
“Did you really?” Garrett faked astonishment with such heavy-handedness, Maxwell felt almost embarrassed for him, but Rhast gazed up at him with open delight. “I don’t believe you. Open your mouth. Let me see.”
Rhast opened his mouth so wide Maxwell was mildly concerned he might strain his jaw.
“Wow, you handled that like it was nothing.” Garrett looked over his shoulder at Maxwell, his smile lighting up the whole dreary place. “Did you see him, Maxwell?”
“I did.” Maxwell nodded but stayed safely back at his desk and away from Garrett’s too-hot ball of energy and brightness. He retreated behind the rickety piece of furniture for good measure, then sat back down in his chair before pulling his data tablet to him. “It was very impressive.”
He reopened form 7a and began filling it in as he half listened to Garrett and Rhast chatter to each other. Garrett knew where everything was, so when Rhast showed him a few of his scrapes, Maxwell didn’t bother to interject and let Garrett handle their little patient. Maxwell made it all the way to form 8c before his stubborn, treacherous gaze finally fought its way back up to Garrett’s profile.
Good god, but the man was handsome.
Tall and broad and muscular…just big in a way that Maxwell had always been weak for. With a strong, stubbled jaw and those damn dimples that made Maxwell’s insides tie themselves up in knots.
Dangerous—that’s what Garrett Twal was. Maxwell forced his eyes back down to his paperwork. The man was dangerous, or at the very least, the way he made Maxwell feel was dangerous, and Maxwell would do well to remember it.
Maxwell signed the very last line on 9a moments before another knock on the door.
“That’s probably Priest Lazar.” Garrett tapped the tip of Rhast’s nose and made him giggle before calling to the door. “Come in!”
An elderly qesh—somehow all the statelier for his age—padded into the room. His long robes muffled his footsteps, and his skin swirled with a light pink. When he smiled at the three of them, even Maxwell felt a little peace settle over him. “Garrett and Maxwell, a pleasure to see you, as usual. And you must be Rhast.”
Rhast glanced at Garrett and, after receiving an encouraging nod, looked back at the older qesh. “Yes, sir.”
“I’m Priest Lazar. I hear you’re in need of a bed and bit of dinner?”
Rhast straightened up at that. “Yes, sir.”
“Wonderful.” Lazar held out his hand. “Would you like to come with me?”
Rhast immediately turned to Garrett. “Will you come too?”
“Sorry, buddy, not right now.” Garrett shook his head. “There are some things I need to take care of, but you can trust Priest Lazar, and I promise I’ll come visit you in a couple days.”
Rhast’s eyes shot to the side. “A couple days?”
“Afraid so. I leave tomorrow morning, and I’ll be off-planet for a while after that.” Garrett clapped his hand down on Rhast’s little shoulder and bent to his eye level. “But I promise I’ll come see you as soon as I get back.”
“You promise?” Rhast pressed his lips together.
“I promise.”
Rhast heaved a big sigh that made him cough and then slid off the examination table. “Okay, I’ll go.”
“Good boy.” Garrett straightened and then passed Lazar a bottle of antivirals. “He needs to take two of these every day for the next week.”
“I’ll see to it that he takes them.” Lazar held out a long elegant hand to Rhast, and Rhast took it after only a moment’s hesitation. “Let’s get you some food, son.”
Maxwell watched Garrett wave them off and saw the tension fall from his shoulders as they closed the door. The big man rolled his neck and ran his hand through his dark hair, which had grown lighter in the bright Carta sun. Then he shook his head once before turning around and walking back to Maxwell.
“I rescue his family tomorrow morning.” Garrett perched on the edge of Maxwell’s desk, so close Maxwell could smell him—sweat and ship oil and testosterone. “Assuming they survive the storm that hit them just as I made it out.”
Maxwell leaned back to get a little farther from the scent that should have been more off-putting and less soothing. “And assuming you all survive the pirates on the trip back.”
Garrett grimaced. “Yeah, that too.” Then he plucked the data tablet out of Maxwell’s hands.
“Hey!” Maxwell made a grab for his paperwork device, but Garrett just lifted it far out of his reach. “What are you doing?”
