Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 105936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Regretfully, he shook his head.
“No, little bird—I have to go down to breakfast and get your tray. Then it’s time to do the trading. We should be at Dovix Centra by now.”
I bit my lip.
“Can…could I go with you?”
He frowned.
“I don’t think so. Dovix Centra isn’t a very safe place—especially for women.”
“No, I meant to breakfast,” I said. “I’m tired of being cooped up here in your quarters! Why can’t I just put on my compression tank and my uniform and be Cass again? The Crew would never know the difference.”
“Oh, yes they would,” I said grimly. “You were pretty as Cass—you’re fucking gorgeous as your true self. You think they won’t notice? Think again.”
“But—” I began.
“Besides, do you really think you could stand to wear that damn compression tank again?” He cupped one of my bare breasts and thumbed the nipple lightly.
A bright spark of sensation that was so intense it was somewhere between pleasure and pain shot through me and I moaned and jerked in his hand.
“See?” Turk raised his eyebrows at me. “If you’re so sensitive you can’t even stand to wear a night shirt, you’re way too fucking sensitive for that tank. Besides, I don’t think it would fit you anymore. Your breasts have grown.”
I looked down at myself uncertainly and had to admit he was probably right. I used to have small to medium sized breasts. Now they were definitely on the larger size. I wasn’t sure if that was because they kept filling with nectar or because they had somehow grown a size or two for good. But either way the compression tank would no longer fit me. And even if it did, it would be agony to wear.
“So I’m just going to be stuck here for the whole rest of the trip?” I demanded. “What about the navigation? Going from one planet to the next in the same galaxy is one thing but are you really going to trust Gurflug to plot the courses from the Triplex Cluster back home to the Imperium Galaxy?”
Turk’s face was troubled and I knew he didn’t like that idea. Neither of us trusted the big Galafruxian. He was too likely to jump us into a black hole, just for spite. And since his people believed that the minute they died, they reincarnated into a better and happier life form, there was absolutely nothing to stop him.
“I don’t know what to do about that,” Turk admitted at last.
“I do,” I said firmly. “If you’re not going to let me navigate during the day, let me do it at night. Let me go out onto the Bridge after Lights Out and plot the course for the next day. Then make sure that Gurflug uses it.”
He nodded.
“All right, that’s a good idea. That’s what we’ll do. Gurflug won’t like it, but that’s too damn bad.”
“Thank you,” I said. I still didn’t like being cooped up in his quarters for the weeks it would take to get home, but as long as I could spend time with him, I would put up with it.
“All right, now I really have to go.” He got out of bed and started putting on his uniform. “I’ll bring your tray soon.”
“All right,” I sighed and nodded. “But do you at least have something I can read to keep me occupied while you’re gone?”
Now that I was feeling better and not so miserable, I wanted some distraction to while away the long, dull time while I was trapped in his quarters.
“I have an entertainment cube,” he offered and rummaged around in the dresser until he found it. “Here—I don’t know how much you’ll like the books and vids I have on there, but it’s all I’ve got.”
“Thanks,” I said gratefully, hefting the small silver cube in my hand. It was about as big as a medium sized apple from Old Earth. “I’m sure I can find something worth watching or reading.”
“Have fun, little bird.” He bent down and gave me a swift kiss on the mouth before leaving.
I felt my heart beating faster as I watched him go. He might not know it, but he was already treating me less like his best friend’s little sister and more like his Fated Mate. The way he had casually touched my breast and nipple and kissed me goodbye—that wasn’t the way you acted with anyone but your mate.
I just had to make him see what we were to each other, I told myself. Now that I was feeling better, it should be easier to reason with him.
I had no idea that I was going to be feeling much, much worse in the near future.
49
TURK
Igot the trading done—I even got a better deal from the Dovix Centrium Overlord than I would have from the Salashions. So I was in a pretty good mood when I got back to The Illyrian.