Pax Imperia (The Redemption Trilogy) Read Online Free

towards the entrance of their apartment.
    As the door slid open and the visitor stepped inside the room, Sofia’s jaw dropped open in shock. “What the hell are you doing here? You cannot be here. Didn’t I tell you we couldn’t see each other until the start of the ceremony?” She demanded in a waspish tone of voice, conveniently forgetting she had just been about to summon him anyway.
    “Good morning my love. You are awake early this morning,” Jon replied, stepping inside, completely ignoring her comment and dropping an easy kiss on her lips. He snatched the coffee cup out of her hands on the way past. “Thanks, I need that. Busy day ahead. Have you been up long?” he asked with a knowing smile.
    Sofia just stared at him in astonishment, hands resting on her hips, trying to decide if she was more amused or annoyed by his antics. What was even worse was that he knew why she was up so early, and was just so damn smug about it. For a moment she considered pouring the contents of the coffee cup over his head but, before she had the opportunity, she observed his clothes. With the tight-fitting jeans, sweatshirt and light jacket he wore, he did not look like a person preparing for a wedding. But instead—“Where do you think you’re going?” she demanded with narrowed eyes.
    “Out,” came the succinct reply.
    “I gathered that from your clothes, but out where? I don’t need to remind you that we’re scheduled to be getting married, again, in a few hours,” she added before Jon could remind her.
    “You want to elope?” he inquired, with a warm smile that made her stomach flip. Having put down her coffee cup, he approached and gently slid his arms around her.
    Sofia leaned into his embrace, relaxing when his warmth, his scent, that essence that was unique to him, surrounded her. It was only then she realised just how tense she had been all morning. She pretended to give his question careful thought and, in all honesty, she did briefly consider it, just to pay her father back for all his recent meddling in her life.
    “We could run away together,” he continued, unrepentantly. “Steal a shuttle, find some undiscovered world and populate it with our offspring.” Meanwhile he continued to press gentle kisses along his wife’s neck, pleased to observe the way she angled her head back to give him better access.
    “Hmm,” was her only response, lost somewhere between a sigh and a moan.
    Jon smiled, mission accomplished; now hopefully he could make his escape before his wife enquired—
    “So where are you off to and why don’t you want me to know about it?” she glared at him.
    Damn. Busted.
    “Just a brief meeting. I’ll be back before you have even noticed that I am gone,” he replied evasively, with a casual smile.
    “I know when you’re lying to me. You never look me in the eye when you lie to me. ”
    Sighing to himself, as his wife really did know him too well, he explained. “There was a message waiting for me this morning. The caller did not identify himself, but he did know me by name and wants to meet this morning.”
    “To discuss?” she prompted him impatiently.
    “ A possible threat to you, your father and the Confederation, ” Jon exclaimed in a rush.
    “What?”
    “You’re not going to make me say that again, are you?” he cringed.
    “But why? Why you? It’s not your responsibility. There are other people, and it’s their job to—”
    “I don’t care about other people. It’s my job to protect you and to keep you safe. Now that I finally have you, I am not going to let you go, not for anything. I don’t know what I would do if I ever lost you. When we were in the Senate and I heard that shot…” he shuddered.
    Recognising that Jon needed her reassurance, just as much as she needed his, she tightened her hold on him, pulling him more firmly into her embrace. “You’re not going to lose me. I know you want to protect me but, at the same time, you cannot go hiding me