Chapter 22
He’d made room on his cluttered desk for the book, but he could do little more than stare at the damn thing. He knew he would make no headway without his lab computers. Still, you could have cut the tension between the two women with a laser knife. He’d figured the path of least resistance was to hole up at his desk until they reached the spaceport.
He should have figured it wouldn’t last.
“Knock knock.” Her voice was pleasant, as was her form. Nojan knew he would have been attracted to the Territhian female once, but comparing her to Mayra was like comparing a match to a bonfire.
“Can I help you?” he asked, opting for a stern tone.
Sanri giggled. “You tell me,” she said, sitting on the bed across from his seat at the desk. “I’m sooo bored. I’m afraid yourcompanionisn’t much for conversation.”
Nojan wanted to frown, but he kept his expression neutral. “I’m just as boring as she is,” he replied. “I’m a scientist.”
“But science isn’t boring,” Sanri said, bending forward to put her elbows on her knees and in the process showing him an excessive amount of cleavage. Nojan was beginning to wonder if hitchhiking was indeed the crime she’d been picked up for. “It’s interesting. Tell me what you’re working on.”
Nojan shrugged. “I’m working on a translation of a book we picked up. It’s in no language I’m familiar with.”
“Could I have a look?” she asked, coming to stand behind him and peer over his shoulder. She put a hand on his back and leaned in close. Nojan obligingly held the book up for her inspection.
“Huh,” she said.
Nojan chuckled. “Do you know what it says?”
Sanri laughed, shaking her head. “Nope. I can barely read Contemporary Common. It’s all Greek to me.”
“Greek?” Nojan hadn’t heard the expression before.
“Uh, yeah,” she said, her hand sliding over his shoulder and onto the top of his chest. “Say, this science looks fun and all, but I know something even more fun that we could be doing right now.”
Nojan stood, causing her hand to drop. “Look, Sanri, you’re a very attractive female, but I’m not interested.”
She cocked a dark eyebrow at him. “You telling me you’re shacking up with Miss Meatbags out there?”
“Miss Meatbags?” Nojan wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to get upset.
“Yeah,” Sanri said, cupping her hands a few inches in front of her breasts to pantomime Mayra’s prodigious assets.
“That’s not polite,” Nojan said, trying to keep his expression neutral.
“So you’re not into her,” Sanri said, drawing closer and sliding her hands up his chest. “Then what’s the problem?”
“The problem is, I’m not accustomed to sleeping with random females I rescue.” Even as he said the words, he realized they were false. That was exactly what had happened with Mayra. But in her case, it was something special. He had no desire to repeat it with the overly aggressive Sanri.
Sanri laughed, a throaty sound that nevertheless caused his hackles to rise. “Come on, Nojan. No need to play the morals card with me. I know what you like. And it will never be that red-headed whore in the other room.” She stood on her tiptoes, attempting to pull him in for a kiss.
Nojan pulled back out of her grip. “Looks like you’re not going to make it to the space port after all,” he growled. “I’m going to put you out on the next inhabited planet.” He stormed toward the door.
“Hold on, cowboy. Don’t get your chaps in a bundle. I was only fooling around.”
She followed behind him as he strode out of the bed chamber and into the main cabin. Mayra was sitting there, looking lost. He passed her to take a seat at the console.
“Looks like Ursa Minor Beta’s only a few light-miles away. You can get off there.”
Sanri dropped into a seat, hooking one leg over its side. “UM Beta’s little more than a general store and a couple farms. I could be stuck on that heap for months waiting for another ride.”
“Not my problem,” was his response. He hit the control to bring them out of hyperspace.
“What’s going on?” Mayra asked, her voice soft.
