“That’s a whole lot smaller than our transmission devices.” The ones aboard orbitos were huge. They took up an entire room.

He smiled. “The limited space aboard the orbitos does not lend itself to much research.”

Romy remembered what she was there to talk about and she felt a twinge of anger at what she coined the “bush smile”. Otherwise known as the smile from before she knew he was lying to her.

Romy wanted answers. More personal answers. And considering he’d lied ever since they’d met, that fact was irritating to the extreme. Was he really forbidden from disclosing everything to them? Was it really unsafe?

His barebones explanation seemed like the convenient excuse of someone trying to take advantage of the situation.

With a start, Romy realised he was waiting for her reply. “I want to talk to you about this job,” she said. “I know Houston spoke with you. And Atlas, he’s not being cruel—I really suck at it.”

A glint entered his gaze before winking out of sight. “Houston needs an assistant.” Atlas continued into the room, gesturing Romy inside.

She swept past him, arms crossed. “Yes, he does. An assistant who assists. Thrym would be—”

“No.”

Romy looked askance at the sudden anger on his face. “But . . . why?”

Atlas took her in, his soft grey eyes reading her face. She couldn’t make out his thoughts at all when he stepped towards her, brushing one hand across her cheek. “Just no,” he said.

“That’s not an answer.” But Romy was captivated by his mouth. It was directly in front of her. Usually she was fixated on his eyes, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on why his mouth suddenly intrigued her so much.

His lips. They looked soft. What she wouldn’t give to see what they felt like. Her fingers lifted of their own accord and she reached for Atlas’s mouth, stuck in awe’s thrall.

She was mere millimetres from connecting. She held her breath. Would they be as smooth as they looked? A warm hand encased hers, squeezing a little to stop her movement. With a jolt, Romy’s eyes flew up to meet his and heat flooded her cheeks.

“That’s why you’re staying in here,” Atlas said in a husky voice. He accompanied it with a single kiss to the back of her hand that somehow made her stomach flip.

Romy furtively looked back through the open door, thankful, for once, that no one was around. She remembered why she was talking to Atlas.

“But why does my knot get to work outside and I don’t?”

Atlas broke away and retreated behind a large black desk. She rubbed her fingers together, feeling where his hand had been just moments before.