“Hey, this is actually pretty awesome. The weight’s perfect.” She swung it expertly, the motion fluid and powerful. “Feels like it’s made for me.”
Polly stepped away from the bed, swinging the bat. Her swings were filled with power and control, a testament to her skill.
Erzo watched, fascinated by her prowess. “You look like you could take on the universe with that thing.”
Polly turned to him, her smile radiant. “Thank you, Erzo. This is incredible.”
“If you press the button again, it’ll shrink back down,” Erzo pointed out.
Polly pressed the button, and the bat collapsed into a compact, portable form. She experimented with it, opening and closing it, the metal chiming in harmony with her movements.
Erzo watched, a sense of relief washing over him. “I’m glad you like it.”
Polly met his gaze, her eyes warm. “It’s perfect, Erzo. Really, it’s the best space bat a girl could ask for.”
Just like steel to a magnet, his gaze was irresistibly drawn to her. As she played with the bat, Erzo realized it was the least he could do to ensure her safety after their time together ended. The thought sent a pang of sadness through him, an emotion he was not accustomed to feeling, especially not this intensely.
Polly leaned over the bed to place the bat back in its box. The way she bent over, oh boy, it was like a sexy live demonstration. He felt his tail, a part of him that had always been a natural extension of his being, moved of its own accord, reaching out towards her. That traitorous appendage, acting like it had its own brain and a one-track mind at that.
And his decided that her derriere was apparently the most fascinating thing in the universe. It sneakily inched towards her like a green, scaly snake on a misguided mission.
But wait—no! Bad tail! His mental alarm bells rang like a five-alarm fire. He yanked it back so fast it could’ve broken the sound barrier, his cheeks burning hotter than a supernova.
Control yourself, man. Erzo glared at his tail as if it were the world’s most mischievous pet.
Polly, blissfully unaware of the tail drama unfolding behind her, turned around with her infectious smile. His heart did a somersault, his emotions bouncing between embarrassment, attraction, and a growing sense of something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. She leaped onto the bed. Polly plopped herself right onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck with a giggle.
“Thanks, big guy,” she murmured, her voice a sultry melody that could make a Charro blush.
Her closeness, the feel of her hands around his neck, sent a rush of warmth through his body, stirring emotions Erzo struggled to keep in check. His tail, that ever-loyal but sometimes overenthusiastic sidekick, coiled around her, drawing her even closer.
Polly nestled closer. His body responded with an enthusiasm that was both thrilling and problematic, given the current lap-sitting situation. Suddenly, Erzo became acutely aware of his reaction to her proximity, a physical manifestation of his growing desire. He could tell by the widening of Polly’s eyes that she was well aware of his erection.
The air crackled with a cocktail of surprise, desire, and a dash of surprising closeness. He could count the sparkles in her eyes.
The moment was ripe with potential, teetering on the edge of something either really awkward or really amazing.
And there they were, frozen in a snapshot of cosmic comedy, the universe holding its breath as they hovered on the brink of taking this from cold transaction to heated want.
His mind raced, torn between the urge to pull her closer and the need to maintain a respectful distance. Each heartbeat stretched the moment into eternity as he wrestled with the desire jutting against her core.
Ever so slowly, his tail uncoiled from her waist, and Erzo wondered how he would ever be able to let her go after thirty days.
Or ever.
22
Addy breezed into the apartment. “How’s our intergalactic patient doing?”
Polly gave a noncommittal shrug as she organized the kitchen. “Erzo’s hanging in there. That knock on the head really did a number on him.”
She unpacked the groceries with more care than necessary. They had turned the apartment into a makeshift fortress until Erzo fully recovered. The troublemakers from the restaurant were in the hands of the station authorities now, but Polly wasn’t taking any chances. She had noticed their dwindling supplies and reached out to Addy for a grocery run.
“I always heard hitting a Charro in the back of the head was their weak spot,” Addy mused, helping Polly with the supplies. “Never really knew why.”
Polly raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. “Bet you’ve got a whole arsenal of fun facts about different... humanoids, huh?”
Addy gave a knowing nod. “That’s Military 101 in the Terran Empire.”
