Well, almost everything. I leave out about how I came in his arms, and I got caught looking at his dick—we’ll blame cryosleep mood swings and stress, right?
“His Royal Highness, Duke Raf’ere of the Liin’gan Reefs, has kidnapped you?” She raises a brow.
“Yep, you got it!” I force a smile.
“And he won’t let you leave…but you don’t know why?”
“Well, he said it’s not safe out there for humans, and that he’s protecting me by keeping me here…but that’s bullshit, right?” I want to catch him in his little lie.
“Well, I mean, he’s not 100 percent wrong—but why wouldn’t he just send you to the palace?” She crosses her arms, looking up, as if she’s trying to figure out why he wouldn’t do something so obvious.
“Aren’t we in the palace?” I need more information.
“No, the king’s palace. You’re at the Liin’gan Reefs estate,” she says, as if I have any idea on the lay of the land here.
There’s a king? My head is swimming.
“Take me there, please!” I beg, hoping he’ll help me.
I look into the open hall, making sure the coast is clear in case we need to run. As I approach the alien woman, she puts her hands up in the air, halting my movements.
“Woah, the palace is all the way on the other side of Sontafrul 6. It’s not like I can just covertly call a cruiser and shuttle you there like that.” She puts her hand on her hip and changes her tone to one more challenging. “Why should I believe you over the duke…maybe you’re not who you say you are? I mean, what does a small thing like you have that the duke even wants?” She glares at me.
What does the duke want?I know what he wants, I know he can smell it, I know he pretends not to watch me. Why else would you keep someone in your bedroom? My only confusion is why he’s been waiting to take what he wants. I no longer think he’d hurt me, at least not physically. But I won’t pretend I can’t tell he’sinterestedin me.
Maybe it’s part of his game? His butler didn’t seem surprised to see me, to say the least.
Can I tell the alien in front of me what I think? That the duke has kidnapped me and the only thing I can think that he could possibly want…is my body?
Would I let him have it?I shake the thought from my mind.
I open my mouth but close it quickly. In the end I don’t have to tell her—women, no matter the species, can sense that kind of distress. Her eyebrows shoot up.
“Oh goddess.” A flash of recognition sweeps her face. “It can’t be, there’s no f’teeing way that both the king and the duke…” Her face screws up in disappointment.
“The king and the duke what?” I ask, still confused. Did the king take a human woman hostage too?
The alien woman jerks her head to the side as we both hear footsteps in the hallway.
“I can’t help you, I’m sorry.” She goes to close the door, but I put my arm out, halting its closure.
“Please,” I beg as her eyes dart from the hall to me.
“Far’ep?” I can hear the butler’s voice carry from down the hall. “Far’ep…what are you doing? You were given explicit orders to stay clear of the duke’s chambers. This is unacceptable—” Jen’si’s voice trails off as he sees me.
I give him the same puppy dog eyes.Please, just let me go.
“Far’ep, pack your belongings. I’ll have a cruiser escort you off premises shortly,” the old alien tells her.
“What? I didn’t do anything,” she blusters.
“You violated a direct order from His Grace, the Duke. You’re being terminated.” He keeps his eyes on me as he dismisses Far’ep.
She huffs, balling her fists to her side. Giving me one last glare, she stomps away. Jens’i’s eyes soften as he takes my hand and guides me back into the room. He deposits me into the duke’s easy chair.
“I was coming by to see if there’s anything I can get for you?”
“Help me escape?” I say softly, with a grimace.
