James chuckled a bit. ‘What, are you trying to say I can only have you when the sun goes down?’ I shook my head. ‘Not at all.’ James reached d...wn and pulled me up, my legs straddling his waist. ‘I didn’t have you like I wanted last night, and I’m about to fix that right now.’ Not giving me a chance to respond, James pressed his lips onto mine and smacked my bare ass. I moaned into the kiss. He pulled me tighter against his waist and led me over to the sofa, not even bothering to take a few more. Inflation rocketed out of control and the Terran credit, the standard form of currency, became nearly worthless. The whole scene brought to mind the post WWI picture of the child with the heaping wagonload of German marks going to the baker to buy a single loaf of bread. As the economy further destabilized, so to did society.100 years after the development of FLT travel, midst the clamor for government action to shore up the failing economy and put down the civil unrest, a new party came to. Mum said that you didn’t have any towels.’ And she handed me a small stack of warm, fluffy towels. ‘Oh. Thank you.’ ‘Is there anything else you need?’ ‘No. That’s fine, thanks.’ I was a bit surprised that Ashley was, first, an attractive young woman and, second, Linda’s daughter. When Linda had mentioned Ashley in the coffee shop (‘I had better go and give Ashley a break’), I had assumed that she was referring to her husband. But apparently not. I made myself a cup of instant coffee and drank. I kissed her deeply and held her hands in mine, overcome with a powerful sense of accomplishment. A simple sentence, spoken in an unguarded moment had turned the tide of her life. I cringed at the thought of what might have become of either of them if I hadn’t made that an order.As heavy as that moment had been, it lightened my mood immeasurably. I’d helped Beck escape disaster and had probably done the same for Lana. I realized that was the moment I took them back. We hadn’t said the words and.