"It's open," Lucy calls out from the next room. "It's not like I have anywhere to go."
"I will stand out here," I insist, waiting on the small step of her porch. It would not do for me to invade her home and make her feel ill at ease.
She appears in the doorway, frowning at me, her hands on her hips. "I swear you're determined to hurt my feelings today, aren't you?"
"Your feelings?" I am taken aback. "It isn't proper for me to go inside—protocol says—"
Lucy waves a hand in the air, dismissing my concerns. "Forget I said anything, officer. Just let me put away my dough and you can take me back to town." She walks away from the door, leaving me standing outside.
I lean in over the threshold, watching her as she heads into the small kitchen. Something in there smells fragrant and delicious, and Lucy smells like soap instead of her perfume. My cock instantly hardens again, and I think about the undergarment tucked into the front of my vest. I'm absolutely going to use it tonight. I won't be able to stop myself. Just like I can't stop staring at Lucy as she moves, her rounded hips swaying as she puts away things on the countertop. Her hair brushes over her shoulders and looks so silky I want to run my fingers through it. "Don't…don't you want to know what I found?"
She turns and puts a hand on one hip. "Let me guess, nothing?" There's a wry look on her face. "It's fine."
"Actually…" I pull up the scanner and hold it out to her. "You were correct. There is a male who is visiting your property without authority."
Her face pales, her expression changing instantly. Her eyes go wide. "Do…what?"
"Your assumptions were correct," I restate, wondering if I need to avert my gaze. She seems a little alarmed. "There is a male who has been in your barn recently. The DNA match is for a known criminal by the name of Mezzak Sta'Iq. Do you know this male?"
Lucy leans heavily on the counter. "No," she admits after a moment. "I don't. He was…here?"
"Within the last week, correct."
"In my barn?"
I glance behind me. "Unless I scanned the wrong one?"
She thinks for a minute and then pulls out a chair and sits down heavily. "Well, fuck." She cradles her head in her hands, silent for a long time, and I begin to feel uncomfortable, standing out on the step and watching her.
"Might I come in?" I ask, hesitant.
Lucy nods, not looking up. Her face is still hidden from my sight.
I take a cautious step inside, and when she doesn't panic, I remember that she rode in the much-smaller air-sled with me with no apparent issues, so perhaps there is some trust between us. I pull out the chair opposite her and sit at the small, rickety table. It's not made for a male of my size, and I might break the chair if I sit in it for too long, but she seems to need company. I watch her, trying to think. What would comfort an upset human?
I get to my feet and find a cup, fill it with water, and then return to her side. Her gorgeous dark hair has fallen forward, obscuring her face and shoulder, and I itch to touch it. And her.
When I set the cup down, Lucy straightens, and her eyes are reddened and wet with tears. She takes a deep, steadying breath and wipes the dampness off her cheeks. "All right. That was unexpected, but I guess I deserve it."
"Unexpected?" I ask. "I thought you wished for me to establish—"
She waves a hand in the air, breaking in. "I just mean that I wasn't really sure. I thought I'd be safe this close to town. And the farm next to me is Tessa's. It's empty all the time." Lucy looks up at me. "You met her. She's the one with the cyborg husband. They spend most of their time on Three Nebulas."
"I know of them. I married them." As one of the custodians of Risda III (and Port especially), it's my duty to assist with civil matters. I remember the day particularly because Lucy had worn flowers in her hair and she'd been utterly beautiful. I think I fell in love with her that day, because she'd smiled and smiled, and it made me happy just to look at her.
Not that I could ever admit such a thing. I clear my throat. "Has Tessa complained of strangers trespassing?"
"No?" Lucy shrugs, her expression a bit lost. "I haven't talked to her about any of it. I run her farm for her and we split the proceeds."
"And what of the perimeter alarms? Are those working properly?"
"You mean like a security fence? I don't have one." She looks dazed. I push the water toward her and she takes it, wetting her lips and then just holding the cup in her hands. "I thought I was safe this close to town. No one would bother me if I'm right under your noses, you know? And I've been here for over two years with no issues…"