Free Subservience by Chandra Ryan

dozens of times, Parker. I don’t need a
knight, remember?”
    “Are we back to calling each other by name now?”
    Concentrating on the food in front of her, she barely heard
him. “Hmm?”
    “You called me Parker. You haven’t called me anything but XO
for the last three days.”
    She could have kicked herself for the slip but there was
nothing that could be done about it now but tell the truth. Glancing up, she
caught his eye. “I’m in uncharted space here. I don’t know how I’m supposed to
act or what I’m supposed to call you anymore. Everything changed so quickly. I’m
still trying to figure out what it all means.”
    He looked sad for a moment but then the expression vanished
and he nodded. “I understand. Maybe we could just go back one step. Try for
friends. Or, at the very least, friendly.” When he smiled she almost believed
she could do it.
    “I’m willing to give it a shot if you are.”
    “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
    They finished their dinner in silence but it was a
comfortable silence. The tension that always surrounded them remained. She
still wanted him and there was no doubt that he felt the same. But the anger
and frustration that dogged them the last three days was gone. She only wished
the aching in her heart would ease as well.

Chapter Seven
     
    A half hour later Parker was sitting at his console trying
to think about anything other than the dinner he’d just had with Harlow.
Actually the dinner had gone much better than he’d anticipated. It still hurt
for him to be around her but knowing she was having a hard time of it helped a
little.
    It was the conversation he couldn’t get out of his head. In
just a few minutes they’d reach Salaan and then she’d be leaving the safety of
the Tempest to venture down to the prison world—without him. Yes, she’d
probably done it countless times. But this was the first time he’d watch her
leave. And as he decreased the power to the ship’s engines he knew that time
was coming very soon.
    “Please report our current status, XO.”
    He looked down at his instrument panel. “We’ve reached the
coordinates, Captain.”
    “Turn on the viewscreen and establish an orbit with the
planet.”
    Within a few minutes he could see the small prison planet in
front of them on the main screen. “Done, sir.”
    “Good. XO has the bridge.”
    He nodded stiffly. “Acknowledged, Captain.” He didn’t turn
to see her leave but listened to the click of heels on the metal floor until
they’d disappeared behind the heavy door. When he could no longer hear them he
typed in the return coordinates.
    “Captain to XO.”
    “XO here.”
    “We’re in the shuttle. Open the bay doors and set the timer.”
    He punched in the command. “Bay doors opened and timer set,
Captain.”
    There were a few minutes of silence as the shuttle made its
way to the planet surface but he could track their progress from the digital
readout on his monitor.
    “We’re at the prison gates. Please start the timer.”
    And that was it. The last he’d hear from her until she was
safely aboard the shuttle again and on her way back to the Tempest . The
minutes ticked by slowly as he waited. Every time he closed his eyes his mind
taunted him with the memory of her body laid out in front of him. Her eyes were
heavy with desire and her breath was already raspy. He could almost feel the
silken texture of her skin. But then he’d open his eyes to the hell of waiting
again. It was torture. And only fifteen minutes had crawled by so far.
    He drummed his fingertips against the desktop.
    “It gets easier.”
    He turned to look at Barkswell. Which part was the man
talking about? Being around Harlow even though they were no longer physically
involved, or being left behind as she walked into a dangerous situation? Really,
though, did it matter? “Does it now?”
    “The first time lasts the longest. It’s the hardest.”
    Barkswell probably meant his words to be helpful but