Ivy skulked behind Diadora. After their confrontation at the end of the photo shoot, Diadora had insisted they return to the office so she could explain exactly what had happened.

Humiliation burned through Ivy. She felt like a naughty school girl who’d been summoned to the headmaster’s office. None of this was her fault.

“In here,” Diadora said.

Ivy followed her into the main office. She was less than thrilled to see Vegas already there.

Diadora sat next to Vegas. “Explain yourself.”

Ivy remained standing. “You’ve got this all wrong.”

Diadora held up her hand. “Just the facts. Begin with why you came to the office so late last night.”

Ivy sighed. She wasn’t even sure why she’d gone there. She hadn’t been able to sleep after getting so full on with Karn. She’d been thinking about him, thinking about their match. Was that why she’d let her guard down?

She started with the basics. “I was restless. I had work to finish up, so I decided to get on with it. Isn’t that what you like to see, your employees going the extra mile?”

“What business?” Diadora asked.

“I wanted to check some promotional materials.” That was her first lie.

“There’s nothing that requires checking. Try again.”

Ivy’s stomach clenched. Diadora was adept at hearing through any lies. “I had an idea for new promotional material. I wanted to look at old files to make sure the content was relevant and fresh. I know the pressure you’re under from the Council of Representatives to increase signups. It needs to be different and appeal to a wider alien base. There’s no point in rehashing old materials that weren’t successful.”

“You all have access to your work files from anywhere in the station. Why come to the office?”

Ivy shrugged. “I left my tablet in the studio. The office was closest.”

Diadora glanced at Vegas. “I know about your file. I know you submitted your profile to be matched with an alien, even though staff cannot be matched. It’s a breach of their employment contract.”

Ivy glared at Vegas. She knew she wouldn’t keep this secret.

Vegas’s eyes widened a fraction. “I didn’t show Diadora your file. I promised you I’d give you time to make a decision.”

“I monitor the matches,” Diadora said. “Of course, I’m going to notice when an employee submits her dating profile. I’m not an imbecile. I was waiting to see if you would come to me and explain yourself.”

“It was a joke. Nothing serious.” Ivy’s stomach lurched. It felt like she was getting the flu. This was more than the after-effects of too many shots last night.

“When you didn’t come and explain yourself, I became curious. I spoke with Vegas about the match. Against my better judgment, Vegas convinced me to give you time to consider your options, which I did.”

Ivy looked over their heads. “You expect me to be grateful?”

“If you want to keep your job.”

Ivy placed a hand on her roiling stomach. “I would never go through with the match. We all know how untrustworthy Forkas are. Why do I want to get involved with one of them?”

Diadora arched a brow. “Then I discover you’ve been in our office after hours with your match. That cannot be a coincidence.”

“I had no clue he would be there,” Ivy said. “I was surprised when I discovered him.”

“What reason did he give for being in the office?” Diadora asked. “He didn’t steal data; he altered it.”

“I’m not sure.” Ivy’s whole body went hot. She wiped a hand across her forehead and realized she was sweating.

“Are you okay?” Vegas asked. “Why don’t you sit down?”

“I’m fine. I don’t need your help.” Ivy grabbed the back of a chair.

“There is a problem with the matches,” Diadora said. “We have a number of candidates who have jumped to the top of the list. That must be your doing.”

“No, I had nothing to do with that.” Ivy took a shaky breath. “I did figure out what Karn had done. I tried to fix it. I thought I’d deleted those new matches and solved the problem. I didn’t want to bother you with something so trivial. I figured you’d never find out.”

“You should have reported it to me,” Diadora said. “You should not have protected Karn. You let your emotions get the better of you.”

“I didn’t protect him.” Ivy clamped her lips together. She had, and she didn’t know why. Was one orgasm on the desk with Karn muddling her emotions?

“Ivy did call security,” Vegas said. “She made sure Karn didn’t get away with messing with the database.”

“Then she covered for him,” Diadora said. “Why do that if she isn’t involved in this?”

Ivy’s chin dropped to her chest. She’d behaved irrationally and nothing like her normal self. When she’d been with Karn, she’d forgotten all her concerns. It was as if touching that alien had made everything better.

It couldn’t be real. It reminded Ivy of her last relationship. She’d done stupid things to protect her idiot boyfriend, Marcus. Even when he’d stolen and cheated on her, she’d kept making excuses because he had a way of making her feel amazing. He knew what to say to make her feel like the most amazing woman in the world. It had taken her over a year to see through his lies and realize what a dirt bag he was.

She wasn’t like that anymore. Ivy was better than that. Or was she? Her recent actions suggested otherwise.

“I understand, when you’re interested in someone, you might not act rationally,” Vegas said. “They don’t call it love sick for nothing.”

Ivy glared at Vegas. “Don’t start lecturing me about relationships and acting sensibly. I still haven’t figured out how you’re dating Solan and get to keep your job.”

“This is not the same thing.” Vegas glanced at Diadora. “Solan withdrew his profile from My Single Alien. His match didn’t mind. She joined the new flying corp and is having fun in the stars learning how to fly all kinds of amazing alien craft. No one missed out.”

“A likely story. Have you got something on Diadora, so she had no choice but to let you date Solan? Talk about breaking the rules.”

“Their situation is different,” Diadora said. “We have come to an acceptable arrangement. You lied to me. You covered a deception by your match. I cannot trust you.”

“I wasn’t helping him,” Ivy said. “I had him arrested.”

“When were you going to tell me about this?” Diadora leaned back in her seat. “Or were you going to drop the charges on your alien lover and slink away?”

“Of course not. Karn is not my lover.”

“You’ve never been intimate with him?”

“No! I mean it’s not like we’re an item.” Ivy heard the lie. It had been a few dates and some serious making out. It meant nothing.

“You’ve not been dating?”

“Not seriously. I’m not even that into him.”

“Yet the two of you were seen in the store recently, buying groceries together. That suggests more than friendship to me,” Diadora said.

Ivy’s glare returned to Vegas. Vegas must have been the one to report seeing Ivy and Karn in the store.

Vegas shook her head slightly. “When we care about someone, we often put a lot on the line for them.”

“I’ve put nothing on the line for Karn.” Ivy slammed her hands on the desk. Her stomach twisted, and she pressed on it again. “I don’t care if he rots inside the holding cell. Throw him into space; see if I mind.”

The look on Vegas’s annoyingly smug face suggested she didn’t believe her. It only made Ivy angrier. Vegas didn’t know her. They worked together, but that was it. They weren’t friends.

Ivy needed to get control of this situation. “I am not in a relationship with Karn. I am not working with him.”

“That is for me to decide,” Diadora said. “The fact you submitted a profile to be matched is one breach of your employment contract. The fact you were then seen with this match after he’d broken into this office suggests you have a deeper connection than you’re admitting to. Your relationship might not yet be romantic, but it is of a criminal nature. That will not be tolerated.”

“I can talk to Karn,” Ivy said. “He’ll tell you I had nothing to do with this.” She needed to talk to him and break this freaky hold he had over her. She didn’t know what it was about this alien, but he made her restless. She hated it. Her life here was good. Everything was settled. She didn’t need this trouble.

“I’ve requested to have Karn removed from the station. I proposed he be sent to the mining prison on the other side of the worm hole,” Diadora said.

“That sounds too good for him.” Ivy shrugged, pretending she didn’t care.

“Mining prisons are only for serious crimes,” Vegas said. “Isn’t that a bit harsh? I know we’ve got some work to do to sort out the database, but we lost no data. Nobody was hurt. Maybe we should suggest a fine.”

Ivy was surprised to find herself rooting for Vegas’s suggestion and for her sticking up for Karn.

“No, we must send a strong message to the alien community that our work is not to be messed with,” Diadora said. “If aliens realize our database has weaknesses, others will exploit that. Or worse, they might decide not to use us. A drop in revenue will not be looked upon kindly by the Council of Representatives. We have to be strict against anyone who threatens us, no matter what their relationship is with employees.”

“For the last time, I do not have a relationship with Karn.” Ivy was almost shouting. “He’s just some smug Forka who thinks he knows me. He doesn’t. He’s an annoyance, nothing more.”

Diadora stared at Ivy for several uncomfortable silent seconds. “I appreciate that you saw sense and reported your boyfriend to station security. It is too late. The damage is done.”

“Let me talk to him. He’ll tell you this was all his fault.” Ivy did not like the glint in Diadora’s eyes.

“I suspect he will say anything to assist you,” Diadora said. “He is not reliable. I have had his record checked. He owes money to a number of aliens. His work credentials are dubious, to say the least. You would be wise to stay clear of this particular alien. He is not a suitable match for you. He is cunning, deceitful, and sly.”

Vegas opened her mouth then snapped it shut and shot a guilty smile at Ivy.

Ivy glared at her. She knew that’s what Vegas thought of her. Ivy was none of those things. She simply looked out for herself when no one else did. If that meant she came with sharp edges, then so be it.

“I’m suspending you without pay until further notice,” Diadora said.

Vegas’s head shot around. “There’s no need for that.”

Diadora raised a finger. “Until I have fully investigated this matter, I cannot have anybody I do not trust working for My Single Alien. We handle confidential information every day. We cannot afford any more risks.”

The sick feeling in Ivy’s stomach intensified. What was wrong with her? “How long will your investigation take?”

“A few weeks. I’ll investigate until I’m satisfied. Until then, you are to make yourself available to me at any time. I have not finished questioning you.”

Ivy’s nails dug into her palm. “Very well.” She could tell she would get nowhere by appealing to Diadora’s softer side. This hard-core bitch didn’t have one.

“Until then, you’re not to come into the office,” Diadora said. “Stay away from here and do not speak to any other staff members. I do not want you influencing them.”

“Like any of them will listen to me.” Ivy glanced at Vegas. She still couldn’t figure out why she’d stood up for Karn.

“Oh and stay away from Karn. I have requested his processing and ejection from the station as soon as possible. While he is here, you’re not to talk to him. Is that understood?”

Ivy bit down hard on her bottom lip as she nodded. She didn’t care what Diadora told her; she would find Karn and figure this out. She let go of the chair, and the room felt like it tilted.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Vegas’s voice sounded distant.

“What’s wrong with the stability of the station?” Ivy’s stomach flipped over.

“Nothing. It’s working fine.”

Ivy felt Vegas’s arm around her waist. She hadn’t even noticed her move as everything tilted and swayed. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not. Sit down. I’ll get you some water.”

“I could do with something stronger.” Ivy fumbled for the chair. Maybe five minutes rest wasn’t such a bad thing.

As the floor lurched beneath her feet, her stomach won out, and Ivy vomited all over Diadora’s pristine desk.