When her gaze tipped to him, he was looking at her.Cara knew he saw the awe etched deeply on her features.And the way he looked at her…it made her spine prickle with awareness.
Why was he looking at her like that?
Cara cleared her throat, her gaze returning to the scene laid out in front of her like a celestial buffet.
They didn’t speak as he piloted the ship further and further away from the colony behind them.When they veered, Cara caught her first glimpse of it from afar.
And it was completely unimpressive.It was smaller than she thought.Just a small little red planet, if it could even be called that.
Cara did notice, however, that the farther they flew from the planet, the more relaxed her captor became.The rigid lines of his shoulders eased and he leaned back deeper in his chair, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
Cara asked, “You don’t like being on the colony.Why?”
He was silent for so long that Cara had already expected he wouldn’t answer her.
So, when he finally spoke, a few minutes had passed and he was typing in something on the largest control screen.
“I lived on Petrika once,” was all he said.
“You did?” she asked.For some reason, she was surprised but then she realized she shouldn’t be.He’d known his way around, had navigated the seedy, filth-strewn streets easily.The aliens there hadn’t dared to fuck with him, like they knew he was dangerous.
“Tev.”
She assumed that meant ‘yes’ in his language, had heard him say it before.
“I…” she started,I’m sorryon the tip of her tongue, because who in their right mind would want to live there?“Why?Where you born there?”
Another huff through his nostrils.“I lived there because I could go nowhere else.”
What does that mean?she wondered, frowning.
He stood, effectively cutting off her next line of questioning.She’d always been too curious for her own good.
“Come,” he said, his voice deepening, gesturing towards the elevator.“I will show you your quarters.”His gaze raked over her cloak.“You may wash.I will get you a clean tunic.”
Cara’s heart sped up.“Really?”
He simply inclined his head, frowning, and that was enough to boost her into action.She reentered the elevator and it shot both of them down one level, opening into another curved hallway.
“I haven’t seen any other…crew,” she finally decided on.“Is there anyone else on board?”
“Plotting your escape?” he rasped.
Cara’s eyes narrowed.“Always,” she hissed back, all feelings of gratefulness at the promise of a bath and clean clothes gone.
His gaze slid down to her and she fought a shiver that made her body heat.Though his face was grim, his strange, beautiful eyes were bright with…something.
“Good,” he grunted.“You should be.”
That surprised her, but she didn’t let it show on her face.Confusing, maddening alien.
“You wouldn’t punish me for trying to escape?” she asked.They were steadily making their way down the hallway, passing closed doors along the way.
“Nix,” he said.She watched as he raked a hand over one of his black horns and she inhaled a breath, feeling her nipples peak underneath her cloak.“I would not encourage it, however.You are safer with me.”
“I’ll decide that for myself,” she shot back.
Shesworehis lips quirked up, but she blinked and it was gone.
