Read Online 03 Solar Flare - Spark Series by Autumn Dawn - Free Book Online Page B

that he only seemed
to be attracted to women of his own race.
    Her heart had burned with agony. Not her
fault? It was obvious to her that she just wasn’t good enough.
    He’d been sorry to hurt her. He’d been the
one to suggest counseling, but none of the sessions had helped
them. They’d divorced. He’d gone off planet and she’d slunk back
home. It had been a long time before she could think of trying
again.
    The memories still made her feel numb. No,
she couldn’t risk being with another Kiuyian man.
    She got up to make herself a drink. She’d
barely taken a sip when there came a knock on the door.
    She glowered at it. She wasn’t in the best
mood, and it was probably Gem. She’d want to talk. If Gem saw her
dark expression, she’d definitely want to stay.
    The knock came again. Brandy slammed down her
drink and went to answer it. “What?” she growled, then saw it was
Azor. She blinked. “Didn’t you just leave?”
    He raised a brow. “Hours ago.” He seemed to
take in her condition with a glance. “You should go out—do
something.”
    She kept a hand on the door. “What do you
want?”
    “I was wondering about your travel plans.” He
handed her some brochures. She had a sudden flash, a picture of
them on a ship, alone. The picture was so sudden, here and gone, it
nauseated her. She thrust it aside and concentrated on the
moment.
    The fact that he’d felt the need to come in
person was unsettling. The fact that Azor was at her door, trying
to convince her to leave town, did not bode well. She was so
unnerved that she wandered away from her door, effectively letting
him enter.
    He followed her in as she wandered back to
the couch, her drink forgotten. She let the brochures drop to the
coffee table without looking at them.
    He looked down at her with a slight frown and
took the chair opposite the couch. He didn’t say anything.
    It was weird. She felt both her customary
annoyance and a surge of self-consciousness at his presence. The
vision sprinted through her mind again, them on a ship. She blinked
slowly, hard. The anxiety escalated. “You want a drink?”
    Azor took in her tension, though he couldn’t
know the cause. How could he guess her head was running amok? His
gaze traveled to the small kitchen behind the couch, noted the
glass on the counter and the bottle next to it. “Got any of that
soda you make? I’ll get it myself.”
    He got up at her nod and fetched a soda,
bringing her drink to her as he did. He really was being too kind
for her comfort. She’d never experienced this side of him, wondered
if she looked that desperate for distraction. Maybe he thought she
was suicidal or something. If he let her destroy herself, it would
cause paperwork for some poor slob at police headquarters. Blue
would be annoyed with him, too.
    That won a small smile. “I’m not planning
anything crazy, you know.”
    “I know. You’re not that kind of woman.”
    She digested the comment. “You particularly
lonely tonight? I’d have thought you’d have other places to
be.”
    “Not at the moment. Care to play Outcast?” It
was a video game he sometimes played with Blue. It had a lot of
guns and violence.
    She smiled faintly, but shook her head.
“Maybe you could tell me something I’ve always wondered. What goes
on in those strip clubs you guys are always raiding?”
    His expression grew guarded. “Why?”
    She shrugged. “Are the men prostitutes?”
    He frowned. “Not usually. They’re paid very
well, and women don’t usually solicit prostitutes, at least on
Polaris. There is some drug traffic, though; things like that.”
    She nodded. “But other than thumbing one’s
nose at the obscenity laws, they’re not that bad.”
    “You’re not thinking of visiting one, are
you?”
    “Well, I’d hardly tell you if I were.”
    He gave her a warning look.
    She felt a little amusement. It was always
fun to bait him. “I want to contact someone who works there. His
name is Azure.”
    He looked