20.
VIKRAM
Vikram and Cassie spent the entire next day in their room trying their best to avoid the urge to crawl back into bed and give in to the attraction they were no longer denying. They hadn't had a chance to simply lay in bed and just explore each other's bodies yet—it had all been rushed attraction, nothing slow and sensual.
They managed, though, just barely, to focus on work.
Both were spurred on by the idea of just a few more days at the conference. Just a few more days and they'd be done with the IU and they could take their time to decide what they wanted to do about their relationship.
If it was going to be a relationship at all when the conference was over.
That didn’t mean that as soon as Cassie decided she was done working for the day she didn’t seductively walk over to where he was sitting in bed, perch on his lap, and kiss him like she’d been starved of it for years.
When they woke up the next morning, their naked bodies were tangled together, and she looked ready to throw her alarm clock across the other side of the room. It was ridiculously early—they had to see Qugrom before the conference began so he was put on the spot to change his mind that day during the talks—and neither had had enough sleep.
Vikram hadn’t been able to resist the urge to let his fingers and his mouth wander when she was there, in bed with him, completely willing. He’d never felt like this before about anyone, and locked away in her bedroom where no one could see them, his self-control had broken. He’d finally taken what he wanted instead of living his life by Ballar’s strict rules and feeling stomach-clenching guilt every time he even slightly deviated from the life he knew a Suytov bodyguard should have.
It was refreshing. Intoxicating.
He couldn’t resist it.
In the morning, though, it was back to real life. Back to his role. He had to keep her safe, because she was about to walk into the wolf’s den and he was the only thing stopping Qugrom making her suspiciously disappear as soon as she revealed the information she had.
He brushed her hair out of her face, nuzzling her neck and pressing a kiss there. “You’re sure you want to do this?” he asked. He was being unfairly hot and cold, and he knew it. Telling her he believed in her one minute, and pleading with her not to get into danger the next. He didn’t know how to stop it. He was at war with himself.
“I’m positive.”
He nodded, forcing the doubts from his mind. Telling her about them wouldn’t make facing the prince any easier. “I can already imagine his face when you bring that video player out. Staying professional is going to be tough.”
She grinned. “You’re the epitome of professionalism.”
He ran a finger in between her breasts and grinned. “I sure am.”
She slapped his hand away. “We need to get up.”
He slapped her ass, just softly, in return. “If you insist.”
As soon as she’d left the bed, though, they were in business mode. Cassie ordered their breakfast and Vikram checked he had every weapon on his person sharpened and loaded. “Do you think I should hide the memory card somewhere instead of taking it with me?” he asked. “Do you want them both in one room with Qugrom at the same time?”
She hummed. “I trust it more on you than hidden in my room. There’s no reason anyone would suspect you’re more than hired help, anyway.” She flushed. “No offense. I mean, people aren’t going to think we’re fucking, though.”
He tutted, wrapping his arms around her, very distracted by the thought she’d put in his head. “I thought we established we were making love.”
Her fingers ran trails along his still bare chest, following every crease in his abs. “I think we do a bit of both.”
“Which are you feeling most like right now?”
She bit her lip, looking longingly up at him. “A bit of both.”
He moved to kiss her, but she wriggled out of his grip.
“Sometimes,” she protested. “It has to be neither. Food will be a here in a minute, then we really have to go.”
He sat back on the bed, watching her shimmy into a pantsuit and pull her hair into a ponytail. She did her make-up simply, and then spent ten minutes drumming her fingers on the table and waiting for the food to arrive.
It was half an hour before they actually left their room to go and find Qugrom.
“Do you think he’ll just let you in?” he asked, walking close behind her and keeping a hand on his knife at all times.
“I think he will. He’ll be curious what I’m doing there, especially after I didn’t show up at the conference yesterday.”
He decided she was probably right, and fought the urge to tell her that she was walking into a nest of vipers. She already knew that. She’d made her choice, and fundamentally he agreed with it.
It was just the reality of knowing she was in danger that made him want to lock her in her room and throw away the key. He’d been on the verge of asking her if she wanted him to be the one to speak to him so many times. She would have never accepted. He wouldn’t have been able to pull it off.
But he was scared.
He couldn’t remember the last time he was truly scared.
One of his colleagues, Kolyak, stood outside Prince Qugrom's suite. He had a whole floor to himself at the top of the space station's hotel.
Kolyak nodded to Vikram. "This is the Prince's suite. It's off limits."
"I want to speak to the Prince," Cassie replied, folding her arms in front of her chest. "I have some important information about the conference."
"I'm afraid the Prince isn't accepting visitors right now."
He was probably still asleep. They'd gotten up ridiculously early.
"This is important," Cassie stressed.
"It's a strict policy."
Vikram held his tongue. He had to let Cassie do her job, and he had to stick to his. Revealing that he was in on this wasn't a risk worth taking.
She pulled out the memory card. "I have highly important information on this memory card that Prince Qugrom needs to see before he speaks at the conference today. His future as leader of the Agalaxians is reliant on what I'm about to tell him."
"Show me what's on the memory card," Kolyak said, folding his arms and staring her down.
"I can't do that."
"Then I can't allow you in."
Cassie, to her credit, didn't glance at Vikram once, even though she was clearly getting more and more wound up. "You might not recognize me as someone that the Prince trusts, but if you've worked for him then you'll understand that he had an amicable relationship with my boss, one that commanded respect. He would relay that same respect to me. I just want you to ask if he'll see me."
Kolyak wavered, glancing at Vikram. Vikram gave him nothing but a straight face.
"I'll be one moment."
He disappeared inside the door of the penthouse, and Cassie didn't let out a breath of fresh air yet. Kolyak was back before a minute had passed, opening the door wider and inviting her inside. "The Prince said he will see you."
She nodded. "Thank you."
He guided them through multiple rooms to a closed door. "The Prince wishes to speak to you in private."
Vikram shook his head. "I'm charged with protecting my client. I won't allow her to go anywhere without me."
"This door is the only entrance or exit to the room. You may stand outside it."
He bristled. "I won't leave her alone."
The door opened. "Miss Maxwell has requested that I extend to her the same respect I showed Archie. I ask she grant me that same respect and allow us to have a private conversation. I never conduct personal business in front of a third party."
Vikram wanted to snap that he couldn't give a shit what conventions the Prince wanted to hide behind, he didn't trust him an inch with Cassie.
Cassie gave him a sharp look, though. "Of course. I understand. Wait outside," she told Vikram. It was the kind of order he'd have received from any of the other charges he'd protected. Cold and detached. With the assumption it would just be followed without question.
He had no choice but to obey.
He nodded, and took a step away.
He watched her disappear into the office with barely-there restraint, and grimaced when the door was locked behind them. He hadn't been prepared for that.
Kolyak gave him a sideways glance. "You don't always have to listen so precisely to Ballar's teachings. Some situations require finesse."
Vikram tried to pull himself together. One entrance and exit, no way Cassie could be whisked away and never found again. "It's hard to get out of the habit of black and white rules."
"Drink? I don't know how long they're going to be in there."
"Glass of water, thanks." His mouth was dry, and his gaze stayed focused on the door, his ears straining to hear the second any voices were raised. He wasn't above busting in there if he thought something was amiss.
When Kolyak clapped him on the shoulder, he jumped.
Kolyak laughed. "Wow. She must be special."
Vikram pinched his eyebrows. Feigning ignorance wasn’t difficult. "What?"
Koyak rolled his eyes. "Nothing. Glass of water," he repeated. "Coming right up."