"Complains always, she does," he said softly.
Sheena snickered and nodded at the truth. "Yes. If Bri is ever uncomfortable at all, you're going to hear about it."
"Patience, she needs. That I have now," Darcone said, nodding his head.
Keeping her gaze on the bank of monitors, Sheena laughed at the friendly alien's answer which was the longest sentence she'd ever heard him speak to anyone. She wondered if the alien even knew what he'd just admitted to in his fairly good English.
She turned her head just in time to see Darcone avidly watching Bri strip down to her skin. Her sister didn't often bother with bindings or anything else under her clothes. She said underwear was too restricting. Naked at last, Bri stomped into the scanner, innocently unaware of Darcone's lustful gaze.
"Let's go, Sheena. It's freaking cold in here," Bri called through the many layers of glass.
Her sister's irritation was loud enough not to require the intercom to hear. Sheena looked up and nodded as she set the controls for the strongest level of discovery. Shields dropped between the areas preventing her and Darcone from being exposed to the ethereal imaging rays. She studied the screen as it built a scanned image of her sister. There was nothing until she got to Bri's head.
Sheena pressed the intercom. "I need to do your head again. Turn around."
"Kiss my cold, naked ass," Bri answered, but turned as ordered when Sheena spun her finger in the air.
"Nice ass, she has," Darcone commented.
Sheena laughed. "Hey, that's my sister you're lusting for there."
"Yes. Much aware, I am," Darcone replied gravely.
Sheena snorted. "It's okay, Darcone. Briana thinks your ass is nice too. She told me so."
Appalled at herself for what she'd revealed, as well as knowing she was interfering in her sister's love life, Sheena winced afterwards. But really … if Bri was hell bent on hooking up with an alien, at least Darcone was someone they both liked and trusted.
Sheena saw Darcone's gaze widen once understanding sank in. She laughed when the man mumbled something she didn't understand and walked away in a daze. It made her shake her head.
"I guess I freaking suck as a matchmaker. Glad Mom and Dad didn't try to make me become one," she grumbled under her breath.
Turning back to the monitor, Sheena sighed and frowned. What she saw on the screen worried her, but she wasn't surprised by it. She doubted Bri even knew the bio-extraction port was installed, but she also doubted her sister would care. Only she knew that the Guardians weren't as altruistic as everyone thought.
Sheena hit the intercom again. "That's all I needed. You can get dressed now. The Brianna naked show is over." She cancelled the imaging program and watched the separation doors lift again.
"Good. Send Darcone to the dressing area to help me put the piercings back in," Bri called out.
Sheena nodded. She looked over her shoulder where Darcone was pretending great interest in an empty medical table. "Did you hear her?"
"Yes. All words she yells," Darcone replied, not turning around.
Sheena made a face to keep from laughing. "Indeed she does. So are you going?"
"A good idea, that is not," he said firmly.
When she fought laughter a second time, Sheena instantly thought of Angus. The man was both wicked and sharp about getting his way. She actually liked that about him. Being good at manipulation was a personality trait they shared, but one she didn't get to indulge often.
Fighting the urge to grin at her own wicked thoughts, Sheena schooled her expression into her most serious scientist face. "I can't help Bri because I can't afford to run one of those steel pins through my hands. The medics can't help either and for the same reason. Think Angus could find us an alien who could handle helping my sister get dressed?"
Darcone's wide-eyed stare made her want to laugh, but she bravely fought it back.
Sheena let her own eyes widen as she pretended to be startled by a new thought. "Oh wait … there were five alien males in Bri's matchmaking folder. Never mind, Darcone. I'll just ask for one of them to come help her."
A growl was all she got for a denial before Darcone nearly yanked the metal entry door off its hinges on his way back to Brianna. The laughter she'd been holding back escaped as a muffled giggle. Her mother and father would have been very proud of her scheming. Angus and Erin would no doubt have enjoyed a good laugh over it too if they had been here to see Darcone get jealous.
And …