Her hand stilled on his chest as if she had no good answer, then she said resolutely, “I’ll tell them that you had an unusual upbringing that fills you with wanderlust and that I am traveling with you.”

“Will that reassure them?” He had no idea how families functioned, but such a decision seemed precipitous even to him, and he was benefiting from it.

“There are no guarantees. I don’t know how my mothers will respond or what they’ll tell the bounty hunter. My primary goal is to get us off-world before they connect your arrival with the crashed ship.”

“They will,” he predicted. “When they can find no trace of my arrival on any passenger manifest, it is the logical—”

“Helix.”

“Yes?”

“Right now I don’t care about logic. All of my choices are currently devoted to keeping you free and safe.”

Pleasure expanded in his chest until the sensation felt too great to be contained. “I don’t deserve such loyalty.”

“Why would you say that? We agreed to be together.”

“That was before I understood that my existence could endanger you.” He took a shaky breath, another, trying to work up the determination to leave her.

“You’re worth the risk,” she said.

Those words provided such painful bliss. “I have no idea why you think that.”

“Truly? You have no notion at all.”

She sounded faintly saddened, but he struggled to understand the reason, as always. “Is it because I represent your life’s work? If I’m…decommissioned, it would be an incredible waste of your time and resources.”

“You speak of your death so easily,” she snapped. “And make no mistake, Helix. It would be death. You’re a person! One with thoughts and feelings, every bit as valid as anyone else, and more precious to me than most.” She sighed and turned away, plainly frustrated with him. “Never mind. It will be an early start tomorrow. You should rest.”

Not now. Not like this.

“Would you stay with me?” he asked.

Qalu must be imagining the inflection, the nuance she wanted to be there. Since she’d explained why sexual intimacy was inappropriate, he must be asking for reassurance that they’d face adversity together. That made sense.

“That’s what I’ve been saying,” she told him. “We’ll go together, don’t worry.”

“I don’t want to sleep alone. It’s better when you’re there.”

That…was dangerous territory, perilously close to a boundary she should not cross. Yet it was so difficult to deny him anything, particularly when he used his eyes.

“Just for tonight,” she said.

With that, Helix headed for his space and she followed him, checking the sleep platform’s heat settings. He liked it a bit cooler than she did, but she didn’t adjust the settings. They settled without touching, but she couldn’t get her mind to quiet. There were too many uncertainties, not least of which—