Children of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy

said, “and you look worse than I feel. Let’s get some blankets for that couch. Um, you can take the bedroom if you want.” On the Hoi he’d spent weeks cooped up in a tiny annex next to her quarters. Here there was no reason he couldn’t have a proper room, at least until Natesa threw him out.
    “The bed’s yours.” He thumbed over his shoulder, toward the window. “I’ll take the view.”

CHAPTER 7
     
    They found Mr Kensee’s supply room on Deck E. He was an older man, probably a retired milit judging from his bearing, and despite Nevill’s warning he gave the appearance of being perpetually jolly.
    “Take what you want. And call me Ken.”
    They piled changes of clothes and other supplies onto the countertop. Everything down to the underwear and toothpaste was stamped with the CCU logo. Edie wished for Cat Lancer’s feminine touch as she selected a heap of bland tees, slate-blue pants, and unscented shampoo.
    “If you need anything special,” Ken said, “you know, out of the ordinary, I’ve got a nice little supply in the back. Nice prices, too.”
    Edie gave him a polite smile without comment. She didn’t want to tell him she had no creds. She was expecting that her account would be set up soon. As for Finn, he was no longer a serf toiling at the Crib’s pleasure, and if he took on work here, they had to pay him, too.
    Ken didn’t comment on their choices, although he seemed a little disappointed they didn’t want anything from his special stash. He noted everything down on his inventory list and organized a couple of toms to haul the stuff. The tomstugged a pallet behind them, dutifully following Edie and Finn back to their quarters.
    Edie was ready to crash without even putting anything away, but it seemed rude to leave everything lying around in the sitting area, which was now Finn’s room. While he disappeared to take a shower, she sorted the clothes. Her limbs moved mechanically as sleep became a more and more desirable goal. With an armload of clothes, she took a step into the corridor between the rooms and caught a quick glimpse of Finn’s silhouette behind the semi-opaque shower screen before pulling back. The last thing she wanted to do was treat him like everyone else did, like a serf who had no right to respect or privacy.
    Returning to the sitting room, she dropped her clothes on the couch, changed into loose-fitting pants and a tank top in preparation for bed, and sat to wait for Finn to finish. After a few moments, her head was on that soft pile of clothes and she stretched out on the couch and closed her eyes.
     
    A comforting warmth radiated along Edie’s body. When she pulled herself out of sleep, she found herself looking at the viewport with its breathtaking vista of the planet. The clothes she’d used as a pillow lay scattered on the deck. The warmth was Finn’s body, curled around hers. His skin touched her skin at a few distinct places. Her shoulder blade against his bare chest. Her lower spine against his stomach. And his hand resting on her hip, burning through the fabric of her pants. His breaths, rhythmic, disturbed the hair at the crown of her head—Edie remained still, enjoying all the sensations.
    She wanted to turn toward him. More than wanted—her body thrummed with the need for contact. But it sounded like he was asleep, and if awakened, he might pull away. Or worse, send her away.
    The effort to remain still and calm was too much for her. It was hardly fair—she may have fallen asleep on his bed, but he was the one who’d chosen to join her.
    “Finn?” she whispered experimentally, quietly.
    “Yeah?” he answered, fast enough to suggest that he’d been awake all along.
    Feeling brave, she turned onto her back, relishing the feel of his hand sliding across her hip and coming to rest on her stomach. He remained on his side, his cheek lying on the bicep of his other arm, which he bent so that his fingers could play with her hair where it flopped over her