ShakenandStirred Read Online Free Page B

watching in surprise.
    "Where did you learn to do that?"
    "I was a teenage girl sharing a room with a younger sister. I can change clothing without an inch showing any time I wish." She laughed at his consternation. The sheet slid to the floor and she quickly sealed the suit so that only the keyhole neckline exposed flesh.
    Mix was staring at her chest with a frustrated look.
    "Yes?"
    "I didn't notice how much your…assets were exposed. I believe I will put in a note to Fixer. The next batch should be more circumspect." He was staring straight down her cleavage.
    Snorting, she slapped one hand over the exposed area. "This is just fine. I am going to point out that most men will not be seeing me from this vantage point."
    He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he turned and muttered, "I will let you fix your hair."
    She was going to give him a nasty retort, but she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Bed head had taken over. She sat, brushed her hair out and then re-wove it into a tight cap with no loose ends.
    Her hairspray was still in the kitchen, so she applied it while leaning over the sink. "Why do you have a kitchen if you eat at the base?"
    "I have never had a reason to stay home." He was sitting on the stool at the kitchen counter.
    She sighed and spritzed her concoction on her head. The alcohol carried the scent of citrus as it evaporated and her hair locked together. "There we go. Nothing you can do is going to shake this hair."
    Mix smiled. "Is that a challenge?"
    Tosha narrowed her eyes, "No. I just hate running around with my hair looking like a haystack with bugs trapped in it."
    "Too bad. It could have been fun. Are you ready for breakfast?" He got to his feet and held his hand out.
    She rinsed the spray off her hands and extended her slender fingers to him. "Fine. Let's go."
    "With that resounding invitation, how could any man resist your charms?" He grunted obligingly as she elbowed him in the ribs.
    The base was buzzing with activity that morning. Shuttles with supplies were landing, carpentry was going on somewhere in the distance and a general hum of purpose was everywhere Tosha looked. It seemed the sleepy base of her first night was a thing of the past.
    "They certainly do get up early around here."
    "It has become a sort of challenge to get as much work finished while Might is gone as they can. He is an excellent administrator and the staff appreciate it." Mix held her close as an automated dolly swung near their path.
    "How many other Guardsmen are usually here?" It seemed surreal that they were the only two.
    "Well, Might, Finder, Frost, Past Tense, Midnight, Mist and Reset, so far. Oh, and Multiple Organisms with his partner, Gravity. It is a fairly well-stocked base."
    "Is that normal? That the base would have that many talents on it, I mean."
    "Yes. Ideally, there should be ten pairs of partners to each base, but they are trying to get a working level on each base."
    He opened each door for her with a casual ease that made her smile. It was definitely something she could get used to.
    "So, what will we do after breakfast?" After each door, she re-joined him with a hand on his arm.
    His solid blue eyes twinkled. "My dear, I want you to shake things up on the other side of the world."

    Chapter Six
    "When did you have time to set this all up?" They were flying over a battery of tectonic-absorption stations.
    "Two months ago when Alara sent the message. She was very specific about your needs."
    There it was again, her cousin's hand guiding her life. In this case, Tosha was pleased. She would be able to let her talent rip on a huge scale, something that would not have been possible back home.
    "How did you get your hands on this tech? I thought it was all restricted."
    He laughed at that. "The Sector Guard has been responsible for the majority of the new technology of this nature. It is the rules of the Alliance that restrict it. We simply get to be the testing ground."
    He settled their