The other girls in the room made sounds of relief.
“You can go back to bed,” Keirth said.
Ariana stood up, shaking her head. “I don’t want to go back there alone. I think there was someone in the cottage.”
Keirth narrowed his eyes. “Did you see someone?”
“I saw something. I don’t know. It was dark. But I’m not going back there alone.”
She must have been awakened by the scream. Keirth remembered her bad dreams on the ship. The poor girl had probably been confused. He didn’t think there was actually anyone in her room. But after what had happened with Risciter, he figured it was normal for her to be frightened. “I’ll walk you back, then.”
“Thanks.” Her eyes were full of gratitude.
Once back in the cottage, Keirth turned on all the lights and, with Ariana watching, searched every nook and cranny of the small house. He looked in the wardrobe. He looked in the bathroom. He looked under the bed. “There’s no one else here.”
Ariana was hugging herself. “There was, though. Maybe they’ll come back.”
“I don’t think so.” Keirth patted her shoulder. “It’s understandable that you’d be a little jumpy after everything that’s happened. But you’re safe here.”
She turned to face him. “Couldn’t you stay here with me?”
What? Why was she asking him that? He took a step away from her.
She stepped closer. “Please, Keirth, it isn’t as if we didn’t sleep in a bed together before. I’d feel so much better if you were here.”
Could what Lilla said be true? Was this some kind of ploy to try to get him to lie with her? Perhaps she thought if she seduced him, his honor would keep him bound to her. But whatever she was thinking, she obviously wasn’t thinking clearly. He could see that she definitely was frightened. It was this fear that motivated her to want him, Keirth knew it. “It wouldn’t be right. I can’t.”
“All right, fine,” she said. “Then I want to sleep somewhere else.”
“You’d be the most comfortable here,” said Keirth. “There aren’t any other open beds where you’d have any privacy.”
“I don’t care about privacy. I don’t want to be alone,” she said. “Why won’t you stay here with me?” She grabbed onto his shirt, turning her pitiful expression up at him.
He wrenched her off of him. Her robe slipped off her shoulder, exposing her white skin and a hint of the lacey shift she wore underneath. Involuntarily, Keirth found himself stiffening inside his pants. He turned away. This was precisely why he didn’t want to sleep in the same bed with her. He hadn’t forgotten how uncomfortable he’d been that night on Trioth, lying next to her with his body excited. He didn’t want to go through that kind of torture again. She didn’t understand that. He shut his eyes and took several deep breaths, willing himself to relax and hoping he could stop his arousal. But his cock only perked up further. Keirth shifted on his feet, trying to disguise it as he turned back around.
She hadn’t fixed her robe, so he did it for her, yanking it back up.
“I can’t stay with you,” Keirth said.
“Why not?”
“I’ve told you. It’s indecent.”
“Just because we sleep in the same bed doesn’t mean anything will happen between us,” said Ariana.
“And who’s going to keep it from happening? You?” He glared at her, because he wanted her, and because she had no idea how much her body taunted him.
“Both of us,” she said.
“It’s not exactly the easiest thing in the universe to sleep next to you.” Keirth started for the door. “I’m leaving. Go to bed.”
“No.” She was behind him, tugging on his arm. “I’ve been thinking, Keirth. We stole the chief’s ship. He wanted to turn us in for money. We got away, but how do we know he didn’t track the ship. It was his, surely he’d know how.”
“Triothians don’t know anything about ships.” She was being ridiculous.
“You didn’t think they’d be in contact with the rest of the universe either, but the chief found out we were on the run. If he could give someone our location, wouldn’t they pay for that as well?”
Maybe she was right to be concerned. He considered. “So, you think someone tracked us to Scranth and was stalking around your bedroom?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “But I don’t feel safe.”
This was about her feeling safe, was it? “Well, let’s go look at the ship, then.”