Free Carnevale and Subterfuge by Selena Illyria Page B

lip, glimmering in the soft light of the seating area. She blew out a breath. Not caring what Roberto would do to him later, Diego unbuckled his belt and took a seat next to her. He reached out and grabbed her hand.
    “It’s OK. Just hold my hand and focus on me,” he said.
    She looked up at him and the fear seemed to melt away. Her shoulders dropped and her body relaxed. She even leaned into him. He gave her a small smile.
    “Thank you,” she said.
    He shrugged. “You were scared. I was just trying to help.”
     
    * * *
     
     
    Anarrae looked up at the mystery man and felt a pull to him. Despite him having blond hair and blue eyes, it felt as though she were sitting next to her Dodger. Calm came over her the second she took his hand. It felt warm, dry, and solid with a bit of roughness. The contact soothed her. Normally she’d be knocked out by now by some pills. It was too late for that.
    The ship began to shake violently as it took off. Ana loathed the rocky takeoffs of small transport. Any minute now she expected the nuts and bolts of the ship to shake out of place and just fall away.
    She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus on calming thoughts like kittens, the taste of Dolmarian chocolate, and the feel of Dodger’s lips against hers. That last thought sent a jolt of heat through her.
    “I’ve got you. Don’t worry,” the man next to her whispered. His breath brushed her ear in a warm, moist breeze that sent shivers down her spine. Her pussy tingled with awareness. Arousal awoke inside her and she tried not to squirm in her seat. His lips brushed against the shell of her ear.
    “Focus on me and it will be all right,” he whispered.
    The ride began to smooth out and she blew out a breath. “Thank you.”
    She didn’t want to pull her hand back but had to. He was a stranger and she highly doubted that he enjoyed having her sweaty palm pressed against his.
    “Um, my hand? I need it back.”
    He just smiled at her and she became lost in his blue eyes. They sparkled with mischief and secrets, just like Dodger’s. She told herself to focus. This wasn’t Dodger. She had to leave him behind. That was over. She tried to pull his hand away only to have him increase his grip.
    “Ambassador, I need to speak with you.” A man called from across the aisle.
    So he was an ambassador? Her political training from the military kicked in. No touching politicians unless you have to. Ana yanked her hand away from his.
    “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that—” she began.
    He cut her off. “No worries, love. I’m not offended.”
    He gave her a smile that made her think of Dodger, and she had to shake herself. The ambassador unbuckled his seat and went back across the aisle to the man who had called out to him. For a second, she did a double take. He looked like the man from the café that Dodger had been talking to, only he had black hair instead of brown.
    Ana groaned silently. She needed a vacation just to recover from the one she just had. As the ship flew to the Hades’ Helmet she felt the ambassador’s eyes on her, staring at her. It made her wonder if something was on her suit or in her hair. By the time they got to the ship, she felt paranoid and twitchy. When they docked, she wanted to find the nearest bathroom and look herself over in a mirror.
    “Are you all right?” The ambassador called out.
    Ana shook her head. “Fine. Just tired, thank you.”
    When the hold opened, Captain Drogan stood just a few feet away from the opening with security flanking him on either side.
    A wave of nausea hit Ana. The world swam and darkness edged her vision. She couldn’t help but feel as if she’d been drugged, despite not having been able to eat or drink anything that morning. She undid her belt and bent over, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy. It wasn’t working. She felt even worse.
    “Don’t worry, tesoro , I’ve got you.” A male voice murmured above her.
    “Dodger?” she said but