Free 3013: FATED by Susan Hayes

other in silence. Finally, Vance nodded and stepped out of Annie’s room, gesturing for Ciara to join him in the hall. “In that case, let us show you where you’re sleeping, then we can give you the rest of the tour and head for the kitchen to eat. No more cafeteria food for you.”
    “Thank the stars,” she murmured.
    “I wouldn’t say thanks just yet, you haven’t tried Dane’s cooking,” Vance said, ignoring Dane’s outraged expression.
    “I cook better than you can. You’re the only doctor I know who has actually made people sick.”
    Vance rolled his eyes. “One time. I undercooked the chicken once. Not my fault you have a delicate constitution, you pansy.”
    They bickered for the next few minutes, the friendly banter putting Ciara at ease as the intensity of what had passed between them slowly faded into the background…for now.
     

***
    CHAPTER SIX
     
    Ciara hadn’t been sure what to expect the next day, and she’d come down to breakfast with a nervous flutter in her belly. They’d scrounged up a few more clothes for her, and she’d been happy to don an over-large sweater to go with the too-long pants she’d borrowed from Alayna. What they lacked in fashion, they more than made up for in comfort. She left her feet bare, having discovered—to her delight—that the floors were all heated.
    The entire house was a source of amazement to her, and the more they’d shown her, the more she’d marveled at the luxury they took for granted. Gleaming counters of polished stone, new appliances, and a food console capable of preparing anything from simple drinks to elaborate meals. She was introduced to the simple AI that ran the household, her voiceprint recorded as a guest so she could program her preferences on everything from the time her alarm went off in the morning to the temperature of the water in her shower.
    Breakfast had been a noisy, cheerful affair, and when it was done, they had spent a quiet day inside, watching vids and playing games with Annie. They’d kept Ciara entertained and off her feet without making her feel like a burden, and she’d enjoyed every second of it. It was a pleasant, easy day, and by the time evening came around again, she felt as if she was living with old friends. It was easier to relax around them when they were both out of uniform, unshaven and informally dressed in jeans and T-shirts. Annie wandered between the three of them, sharing stories and toys and dispensing unlimited hugs and sticky kisses.
    It was the best day she’d had in a long time.
    Later that day, and against her protests, they’d ordered new clothes for her. She’d argued until she was blue in the face, but it made no difference, especially since someone had already provided them with her dress and shoe size, along with suggestions about style and color choices.
    Ciara was going to kill Alayna the next time she saw her.
    Despite the casualness of the day, the undercurrents of attraction and desire were never far from the surface. They flirted and watched each other, every casual touch sending sparks flying between them. As they bid her good night, both men took her hands and brushed a kiss to her knuckles in an archaic gesture that made her almost giddy. She could feel their eyes on her as she made her way upstairs. Even after she’d closed her door and crawled into the heavenly softness of her bed, she couldn’t stop thinking about them.
    More importantly, she didn’t want to.
     
    * * * *
     
    Vance was programming the console for breakfast when he heard footsteps. Dane had gone in to work early, so when Vance heard the steady fall of adult feet on the stairs, he knew who it was without looking. Ciara. In the few days she’d been staying with them, she’d fallen into their routine, rising to have breakfast with them each day.
    “Good morning. Sleep well?”
    “I did. In fact, I’m contemplating stealing the bed when I go. I’ve never slept so well in my life. Of course, there’s