Read Online Seven Days - A Space Romance by Jill Myles - Free Book Online
Authors: Jill Myles
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from the floor, letting the air carry her forward, and she dove around Kaden’s side, turning to smile at him.
He raked a hand through his hair and pushed off the ground, raising a hand to brace himself against the ceiling when he bounced off it.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Just tired,” he said, and still looked uncomfortable even as she drifted past him.
“We can do training exercises tomorrow, if you want—”
“No, let’s just get this done,” he said, glancing at the panels with a frown.
As if on cue, they darkened and transformed. The Zero-G room’s main purpose, after all, was to get space travelers comfortable with the concept of being in deep space. In addition to the anti-grav boosters, the room’s walls and floor were made entirely of LED panels that mimicked the feeling of space. When they darkened, distant stars appeared, and drifting asteroids scattered on the screens. A ringed planet hung in the distance. If she reached out to touch the planet, she’d encounter nothing but screen, of course, but it added to the soothing mood of the simulation.
Perfect. She stretched her arms over her head, enjoying the sensation of rocketing through the zero-gravity air. “We could start with a few easy exercises before moving on to the strenuous stuff,” Zoey told him. “Unless you want to move straight to the hard stuff?”
No response.
She looked over at Kaden again once the screens had darkened.
He clutched a chicken bar, his face gone entirely white. His body was stiff, unmoving, his eyes closed.
“Kaden?” Zoey drifted toward him and grasped the front of his jumper with her fingers, snagging her fingers on one of the patches and pulling herself close. “Kaden, what’s wrong?”
His didn’t respond, didn’t look at her. His mouth was pressed into a hard, tight line.
And she understood at once. It was a common fear—astrophobia. Lots of travelers (and scientists) experienced utter paranoia when in deep space. She’d just never thought she’d see it in a meathead.
He’d logged no practice hours. Of course. If the ship needed repairs, she’d imagined he’d delegated that task to Garcia whenever possible, hiding his fear. And now he was stuck, since Garcia was dead.
Her fingers brushed over his cheek, drawing his attention. The Zero-G made it hard for her to remain in place, and her legs kept drifting away even as she tried to keep close to him. “Kaden, talk to me.”
His gaze focused on her, the whites of his eyes so stark in his tanned face. “Zoey—”
“I’m here,” she soothed. “It’s just a sim.”
“Just a sim,” he echoed, then gave a jerky nod, releasing the chicken bar slowly. “Right.”
She let go of him and drifted away a slight distance, bouncing off the soft walls again.
He followed after her immediately, grasping her hands and dragging her back against him, face tense. “Don’t,” he said quickly. “I... don’t let go of me. I just... need to adjust.”
He was going to need to do more than that if he had a crippling fear of space-walking. Part of their rescue mission depended on it.
He must have seen her expression, because he gave her a half-hearted smile. “Sorry. I’m trying.”
Immediately, she felt like an asshole. “I know you are,” she said, leaning in and kissing him quickly on the mouth in encouragement. “I’m sorry to put you through this.”
“Has to be done,” he gritted.
“You’ll get used to it,” she said, not knowing if she lied. “You just need time and practice.”
He grabbed her free-floating ponytail and pulled her close. “Kiss me again.”
But she slid away from him, locking her fingers around his belt and sliding down a little in a suggestive move that even zero gravity couldn’t ruin. “If you do a few exercises, I promise to make it worth your while.”
And she tugged at the belt in a suggestive manner, grinning at him. She was pleased when his eyes focused on her, his gaze losing that panic,
He raked a hand through his hair and pushed off the ground, raising a hand to brace himself against the ceiling when he bounced off it.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Just tired,” he said, and still looked uncomfortable even as she drifted past him.
“We can do training exercises tomorrow, if you want—”
“No, let’s just get this done,” he said, glancing at the panels with a frown.
As if on cue, they darkened and transformed. The Zero-G room’s main purpose, after all, was to get space travelers comfortable with the concept of being in deep space. In addition to the anti-grav boosters, the room’s walls and floor were made entirely of LED panels that mimicked the feeling of space. When they darkened, distant stars appeared, and drifting asteroids scattered on the screens. A ringed planet hung in the distance. If she reached out to touch the planet, she’d encounter nothing but screen, of course, but it added to the soothing mood of the simulation.
Perfect. She stretched her arms over her head, enjoying the sensation of rocketing through the zero-gravity air. “We could start with a few easy exercises before moving on to the strenuous stuff,” Zoey told him. “Unless you want to move straight to the hard stuff?”
No response.
She looked over at Kaden again once the screens had darkened.
He clutched a chicken bar, his face gone entirely white. His body was stiff, unmoving, his eyes closed.
“Kaden?” Zoey drifted toward him and grasped the front of his jumper with her fingers, snagging her fingers on one of the patches and pulling herself close. “Kaden, what’s wrong?”
His didn’t respond, didn’t look at her. His mouth was pressed into a hard, tight line.
And she understood at once. It was a common fear—astrophobia. Lots of travelers (and scientists) experienced utter paranoia when in deep space. She’d just never thought she’d see it in a meathead.
He’d logged no practice hours. Of course. If the ship needed repairs, she’d imagined he’d delegated that task to Garcia whenever possible, hiding his fear. And now he was stuck, since Garcia was dead.
Her fingers brushed over his cheek, drawing his attention. The Zero-G made it hard for her to remain in place, and her legs kept drifting away even as she tried to keep close to him. “Kaden, talk to me.”
His gaze focused on her, the whites of his eyes so stark in his tanned face. “Zoey—”
“I’m here,” she soothed. “It’s just a sim.”
“Just a sim,” he echoed, then gave a jerky nod, releasing the chicken bar slowly. “Right.”
She let go of him and drifted away a slight distance, bouncing off the soft walls again.
He followed after her immediately, grasping her hands and dragging her back against him, face tense. “Don’t,” he said quickly. “I... don’t let go of me. I just... need to adjust.”
He was going to need to do more than that if he had a crippling fear of space-walking. Part of their rescue mission depended on it.
He must have seen her expression, because he gave her a half-hearted smile. “Sorry. I’m trying.”
Immediately, she felt like an asshole. “I know you are,” she said, leaning in and kissing him quickly on the mouth in encouragement. “I’m sorry to put you through this.”
“Has to be done,” he gritted.
“You’ll get used to it,” she said, not knowing if she lied. “You just need time and practice.”
He grabbed her free-floating ponytail and pulled her close. “Kiss me again.”
But she slid away from him, locking her fingers around his belt and sliding down a little in a suggestive move that even zero gravity couldn’t ruin. “If you do a few exercises, I promise to make it worth your while.”
And she tugged at the belt in a suggestive manner, grinning at him. She was pleased when his eyes focused on her, his gaze losing that panic,
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