Page 28 of Ruining His Smirk

I reminded myself that I couldn’t afford to be hoodwinked by him yet again. He knew how to misuse his beauty. Was I forgetting just how awfully he had behaved during the public fencing match a year ago? How he had used my one weakness against me?

I needed to stay focused on the task. Nothing else. Certainly not him. For the next few minutes I managed to do that.

Suddenly a sharp electronic ping shattered the quiet. Then another.

Braddock’s fingers stopped on his keyboard. Across the room, the scientist who’d been stretched out in one of the lounge chairs lowered his book and looked toward Braddock.

A few people drew in sharp breaths. Then the lounge chair guy laughed. “Nate! Your girlfriend’s back.”

Braddock shot to his feet, looking almost afraid to believe it. “I… think she is.”

The two scientists working in the corner crossed the room. “Congratulations, man!”

I’d known from the moment I stepped aboard that a ship like this was its own village. There were only a few dozen people aboard. You ate together. Worked together. Passed the same faces in the corridors every day. Waypoint wasn’t much different. After a while everybody knew everybody else’s business whether they wanted to or not.

Still…

This seemed a little excessive. Half the room looked ready to throw a celebration because Braddock’s girlfriend had apparently shown up.

I’d thought he was gay. Clearly I’d gotten that one wrong. Which was none of my damn business. So why the hell had I spent the last week—and the last whole year—assuming otherwise?

I scowled at my drawings.

The data suite door opened with a thud and another man came barging in, wearing the biggest grin I’d seen on anyone here.

“I just heard your Lady’s back!”

Okay.

Now I was pissed.

“She is.” Braddock beamed back. “Time to go meet my girl.” He looked toward the pair of scientists standing next to him. “You two coming?”

They nodded immediately. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

What the fuck?

Was there something weird going on aboard this ship? Did they all share…his girlfriend? I swear I’d never seen a bunch of grown men so excited about somebody else’s girlfriend.

I cornered Dexter before he could disappear into the growing commotion and pulled him a few steps away.

“Dex.”

“What?”

I lowered my voice. “What the hell is going on? Who’s Braddock’s girlfriend?”

For a heartbeat he simply stared at me, eyes widening. Then he burst out laughing.

“What?” I frowned.

“What did you think?”

I scowled. “Just answer me.”

“No.” He shook his head, still laughing. “I really want to know. What did you think?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Some kind of girlfriend welcoming committee.”