sleepiness?”
“Pretty much.” He sat up and stretched. It
pleased him to see her watching him intently, a slight blush on her
cheeks and her eyes on his abdomen where his shirt rode up. He
straightened his shirt and ran his fingers through his unkempt
hair. “Although the smell is nice, it’s really the caffeine that
gets you going. Did you bring me some?”
“No.” She moved from the floor to sit next to
him on the bed. “I created the scent to wake you.” She sounded a
bit sheepish and wasn’t meeting his eyes.
“You can do that? Brilliant!” He rubbed his
temples, hoping to relieve the dull ache behind his eyes. “Too bad
I can’t really have some. I’m craving it right now.”
Deanna’s face brightened. “But you can! They
sell coffee in The Chamber, along with other human foods and
drinks.”
Pizza? Burgers? Evan’s mouth watered in
anticipation. “I don’t remember seeing that when we were there the
other day.”
“We didn’t go to that floor,” Deanna
explained. “There are three levels. The first is for growing food
and has the bowling alley and library, and the middle floor is
shops and restaurants.”
“What’s on the lowest level?” Evan couldn’t
believe it was three levels deep. He was impressed. The place was
absolutely enormous. No wonder he couldn’t see or smell the food
during his first visit.
“Storage, and…” She faltered, frowning. “It’s
restricted. Anyone caught on that floor without clearance is
imprisoned.”
“Wow. Strict.” Evan wondered what could
possibly require that much protection. Weapons or military, maybe?
His country certainly had similar facilities. He just didn’t think
he would find one here.
“Will Ken be back? Do you have to work again
today?” Deanna swam off the bed and faced him, waiting for his
answer.
“What time is it?” Since he crashed as soon
as Ken brought him back to his room, he felt disoriented. Without
the sun, gauging time of day was difficult.
“It’s late afternoon.”
He slept through lunch, no wonder he was so
hungry. His stomach growled in agreement. “I’m done for the day,”
he finally answered her original question. “Ken will be back in the
morning for me. Do you have to go to work?”
“I have off tonight.” She blew out an
irritated breath and placed her hands on her hips. “And I
double-checked the schedule before I came here, so I’m safe.”
“Ken takes some getting used to, doesn’t he?”
Evan felt sorry for Deanna. She didn’t deserve to be treated so
poorly. Ken had no respect for the Sirens. To him, they were a
means to an end. He had said as much to Evan while they worked.
That was probably all Evan was to Ken as well.
Deanna tilted her head and studied him. “You
may be Ken’s son, but you’re nothing like him.” She reached out and
tentatively placed her hand against Evan’s cheek. Her palm was warm
and soft.
Evan didn’t remember mentioning that Ken was
his father. “How did you know that I am Ken’s son?”
“Everyone knows,” Deanna said. “Ken told
us.”
“Not sure why he’s so proud. He may have
given me his genes, but he didn’t raise me. Darren did. Darren
Mitchell is my real father.”
She swam closer, her green eyes wide and
trusting. “I’d like to meet your human parents. I’m sure they’re
wonderful.”
His heart raced. This close, he felt the
warmth from her body. She smelled spicy and floral, perhaps the
remnants of the perfume she wore at the club. His eyes were locked
on her soft, full lips. “What makes you say that?” he asked.
“They raised you,” she whispered, her arms
winding around his neck and pulling his head closer to hers. When
her lips touched his, he groaned. Memories from that night in the
club flooded his mind as her spicy scent enveloped his senses. He’d
kissed her before. A lot. Something, or someone, had made him
forget it all. Deanna melted into his arms, moving as close to him
as she could. He ran his fingers
“Pretty much.” He sat up and stretched. It
pleased him to see her watching him intently, a slight blush on her
cheeks and her eyes on his abdomen where his shirt rode up. He
straightened his shirt and ran his fingers through his unkempt
hair. “Although the smell is nice, it’s really the caffeine that
gets you going. Did you bring me some?”
“No.” She moved from the floor to sit next to
him on the bed. “I created the scent to wake you.” She sounded a
bit sheepish and wasn’t meeting his eyes.
“You can do that? Brilliant!” He rubbed his
temples, hoping to relieve the dull ache behind his eyes. “Too bad
I can’t really have some. I’m craving it right now.”
Deanna’s face brightened. “But you can! They
sell coffee in The Chamber, along with other human foods and
drinks.”
Pizza? Burgers? Evan’s mouth watered in
anticipation. “I don’t remember seeing that when we were there the
other day.”
“We didn’t go to that floor,” Deanna
explained. “There are three levels. The first is for growing food
and has the bowling alley and library, and the middle floor is
shops and restaurants.”
“What’s on the lowest level?” Evan couldn’t
believe it was three levels deep. He was impressed. The place was
absolutely enormous. No wonder he couldn’t see or smell the food
during his first visit.
“Storage, and…” She faltered, frowning. “It’s
restricted. Anyone caught on that floor without clearance is
imprisoned.”
“Wow. Strict.” Evan wondered what could
possibly require that much protection. Weapons or military, maybe?
His country certainly had similar facilities. He just didn’t think
he would find one here.
“Will Ken be back? Do you have to work again
today?” Deanna swam off the bed and faced him, waiting for his
answer.
“What time is it?” Since he crashed as soon
as Ken brought him back to his room, he felt disoriented. Without
the sun, gauging time of day was difficult.
“It’s late afternoon.”
He slept through lunch, no wonder he was so
hungry. His stomach growled in agreement. “I’m done for the day,”
he finally answered her original question. “Ken will be back in the
morning for me. Do you have to go to work?”
“I have off tonight.” She blew out an
irritated breath and placed her hands on her hips. “And I
double-checked the schedule before I came here, so I’m safe.”
“Ken takes some getting used to, doesn’t he?”
Evan felt sorry for Deanna. She didn’t deserve to be treated so
poorly. Ken had no respect for the Sirens. To him, they were a
means to an end. He had said as much to Evan while they worked.
That was probably all Evan was to Ken as well.
Deanna tilted her head and studied him. “You
may be Ken’s son, but you’re nothing like him.” She reached out and
tentatively placed her hand against Evan’s cheek. Her palm was warm
and soft.
Evan didn’t remember mentioning that Ken was
his father. “How did you know that I am Ken’s son?”
“Everyone knows,” Deanna said. “Ken told
us.”
“Not sure why he’s so proud. He may have
given me his genes, but he didn’t raise me. Darren did. Darren
Mitchell is my real father.”
She swam closer, her green eyes wide and
trusting. “I’d like to meet your human parents. I’m sure they’re
wonderful.”
His heart raced. This close, he felt the
warmth from her body. She smelled spicy and floral, perhaps the
remnants of the perfume she wore at the club. His eyes were locked
on her soft, full lips. “What makes you say that?” he asked.
“They raised you,” she whispered, her arms
winding around his neck and pulling his head closer to hers. When
her lips touched his, he groaned. Memories from that night in the
club flooded his mind as her spicy scent enveloped his senses. He’d
kissed her before. A lot. Something, or someone, had made him
forget it all. Deanna melted into his arms, moving as close to him
as she could. He ran his fingers
Similar Books
