“The contact was far in the other direction last night. No chance that thing is in this area, no matter how fast it might move.”
She moved closer, resting her hand on his chest. “So, about last night. We left something unfinished.”
He chuckled. “Yes, we did. Most uncomfortable, riding into battle with an erection.”
“I can only imagine. We should rectify that.”
Rylinn grinned happily. “You’re an impressive female, did you know that?”
She grinned brightly. “I have my moments.”
“You do. And I was thinking. When this job is over, I’m going to get a pretty hefty sum from all this work.”
“So, it really is all about the money.”
“Money is always king. But that’s the thing. I was thinking, I’ll be flush after this wraps up. Much more than from my usual work. And seeing as I’ll have both time and resources at my disposal, what do you think about coming with me?”
“With you?”
“Yes. Why not? I’ll be going to visit the kingdom of Gimballa. It’s not terribly far, and I think you’d like it a lot. A magnificent place, really. One of the few robust monarchies still thriving in this system. And their realm is vast and quite beautiful, full of regal estates, castles, and sprawling farmland and forests. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite places on this world. And itcertainly beats living aboard a ship or out in some tent in the wilderness.”
Margot felt her heart flutter a little. Shacking up with a sexy alien dude in some mystical kingdom on a far-away world? It actually didn’t sound half bad.
“Let me think on it, okay?”
“Of course.”
“There’s time, right? You still have to finish your job.”
“Yes. And speaking of which, I actually need to get back, tempted as I may be to stay out here with you. But first I wanted to make sure you would be safe when I’m away.”
“You’re saying I’m not safe in the camp?”
“You can never be too careful.” He took her hand and led her to a bush sprouting small fruit that looked kind of like tangerines, but purple. It was one of the fruits that Braxxos’s emphatic gestures on their wilderness walk had made it very clear she should never, ever eat.
“Uh, I don’t think we’re supposed to eat those,” she said, a bit surprised he didn’t know that already.
Rylinn chuckled. “Oh, you definitely don’t want to eat them. That, my dear, is Zillin. A very,verypoisonous fruit. We actually tried it in a bait trap a few times, but, unfortunately, the beast seems to know better than to eat it. As one would expect of a wild animal, I suppose. Their instincts are quite honed from generations of survival, after all. But that’s not why I’m showing this to you.”
“Then why?”
“Because, these grow all around this region and could one day save your life. If, for whatever reason, things go horribly wrong and you should be forced to flee the beast, dip a blade in this fruit and pierce its hide. Given its size, it will likely not be fatal, though it would undoubtedly kill just about anything else.But even if it doesn’t kill it, thatwillslow it down enough for you to escape. And I find that your survival has become my priority.”
The way he said it, so caring yet possessive, it made Margot want him then and there. She cupped his crotch and squeezed, his cock rousing in an instant. But Rylinn took a deep breath and stepped back.
“Not right now. I have to go out with the next ship, and while I would love nothing more than to blow off that task, I do not want to get on Gromm’s bad side right now. But later. Oh, yes, you and I have much to do together.”
The smoldering smile he flashed made her want him even more. This big, protective man, ready to show her the wonders of the world once this job was done. Could she really be considering this? Running off with him though she only barely only knew him?
Stranger things have happened, she reasoned.Compared to alien abduction, I think willingly exploring a new world with a sexy hung alien isn’t so bad at all.
Rylinn took her hand and led her back toward camp, letting it fall to her side as they approached, naturally. So far as anyone knew, they were just taking a walk and talking, nothing more. But Margot had something to look forward to now, and she would be counting the hours.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The following day Margot was positively buzzing with excited anticipation about the impending consummation of her blossoming romance with Rylinn when he returned that evening. She even found herself popping outside to the landing area repeatedly to see if he’d arrived like an anxious schoolgirl looking for her suitor’s car.
Floxxia had already made it clear to her how interspecies relationships worked while she was applying the runes to her blank canvas of flesh, and it was something Margot had found both fascinating as well as arousing in a way.
