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before—monitoring and recording
any conversation from those she suspected. Chip used his cybernetic
implants to do more. He searched through the datastreams from the
entire station during his downtime and kept feelers out while he
had to keep up the pretense of work during the bar’s open
shifts.
    He also got to know the routine of the club
and some of the regulars who were not part of his assigned network.
He checked in with the operatives he was running, alerting them to
the possibility of danger on the station and enlisting their aid in
surveillance. With the whole clandestine crew on the case, it
wouldn’t be long now before Chip started getting some actionable
data.
    “It’s about that time.” Lila dragged him from
his thoughts, sidling up beside him at the bar to help stack the
last of the glasses. It was past closing time and her securecart
would be waiting outside. Time for the nightly torture of breathing
in her delicate scent and allowing the want inside him to smolder
up, close to the surface.
    Goddess help him if it ever flared out of
control. Goddess help them both.
    He’d dreamed of the ways he wanted to take
her. He’d spent hours imagining what she’d be like in his bed, or
on the bar, or bent over a barstool. He had all kinds of fantasies
about how he would claim her and make her forget any other man
she’d ever had. None would matter after he put his love marks on
her luscious pale skin and made her scream his name in pleasure.
She’d love every second of it. He’d make it his duty to be certain
she did.
    “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
    Of course, he couldn’t let any of his
fantasies come to life. They’d both be screwed—and not in the good
way—if he ever lost control.
    They’d fallen into a routine over the past
few nights. He’d walk her to the cart and tempt himself until he
got a grip on his responses, then lock her in and send her safely
on her way.
    But there was something off tonight.
Something unexpected in the short-lived ritual.
    The cart wasn’t there.
    “Darnit.” Lila’s soft curse shook him out of
his thoughts. Damn. He should’ve been more aware of his
surroundings but as usual, when Lila was nearby, all he could see
was her.
    Chip called on his implant and got his head
back in the game. Instantly, he was on alert and consulting the
datastream of the station on where exactly the cart reserved for
Lila had gone astray. It only took a split second to discover a
blockage in one of the corridors had delayed arrival of the
securecart.
    “Guess it’s the transport tube for me
tonight,” Lila looked worried as she glanced toward the tube
station a few yards from the club’s entrance.
    “Not alone, it’s not. Come back to the bar.
You can stay there for the night. Alex’s quarters have more than
enough room. You can have the bed.” He’d already made up his
mind.
     

Chapter Four
     
    “Don’t be ridiculous. I can use the tubes
like everyone else.” He didn’t need the probability calculations
his implant spit out to tell him she was very serious about wanting
to go home that night. She was polite, but he could see the firm
stance she was taking. She wouldn’t be dissuaded. Still, he had to
try.
    “Come on, Lila. I promise to be a perfect
gentleman.”
    She laughed and he was glad there would be no
hard feelings, no direct challenge standing between them. He might
not win this battle, but neither would he lose the war. Not in this
engagement, at least.
    “I don’t even want to speculate on how many
times you’ve used that line over the years.” She started walking
toward the entry platform a short distance away. “Sorry. I’m going
home tonight. I’ll just be extra careful. In fact, I won’t take a
public pod. I’ll spring for a private one. Not as secure as a
securecart, but it’ll do in a pinch.”
    “I don’t like it, Lila.” He shook his head,
making a show of resistance though he was pretty certain he
wouldn’t be able to persuade