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Mason s sain You can fix the grav system, but, no clothes”

“What!”

“Once you’ve repaired the syste anything from me”

“What exactly would I hide from you?”

“Small tools in deep pockets The kind that co Wouldn’t you find a decoder useful for decrypting the docking lock?” He tapped her nose, infuriating her, because he was right on all counts She’d hoped to sneak off with soht use later “Since I’ve searched you once, it would save you the eo, shall we?”

“And afterwards, you’ll let me stay in a cell?”

He pursed his lips “Okay It’s against protocols, but, I’ainst protocols”

She sht,” she muttered

Once in the engineering hub, she wedged herself beneath a console and rehout her inspection, sheat her situation, especially the ongoing nudity clause he’d enacted Mason, who hadn’t given her any privacy, watched fro hooked around a stool Like on all spaceships, furniture was bolted to the floor

The lack of gravity ha away and she felt uncoordinated Finally, she reed circuit It would have to be replaced, and fortunately there was a spare one She slotted the new one in, and instantly she felt the tickle of static creep down her spine Then she dropped to the floor like a stone

“Ow!”

Mason dashed across the roo next to her

His concern ca, he hadn’t done anything to har the strip search A rise of hot blood flushed her cheeks Thinking about the exaood idea It led her into a network of confused emotions

“I’m fine,” she snapped, a little too rudely She sed “I ain with her curtness

Mason’s eyebrows furrowed in an obvious display of displeasure and he rose “Good Let’s get this over with then”