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“You did. A moment ago.”

“No, no, you’ve got this wrong.” Hayley thought about what she’d said that suggested she wanted to get naked with Elias. He was a hot guy. If things were different, and she was looking for someone to have naked fun with, she would definitely have him at the top of her list, but she hadn’t asked for sex.

“You must excuse me.” Elias pushed back his chair and stood.

“Wait! Stay a few moments longer. This has been a horrible mistake. I don’t eat people I sleep with.” Hayley glanced around and blushed as several diners heard her comment.

“I have to go.” Elias strode away from the table and left the dining hall without looking back.

Hayley watched as the door slid shut behind him. What had just happened? That was a total disaster. All she’d wanted was inside information on Retar mating behavior. She hadn’t wanted sex with him. Well, in her private fantasies she did, but this was real life. Relationships were not an option.

She stabbed at her pie. This had been a total wipe-out, and Hayley was none the wiser as to how Retars interacted or what kind of human match was suitable for them.

Hayley ignored the stinging rejection she felt at Elias’s rebuff. He’d been disgusted at the thought of them being intimate. What was his problem? She wasn’t hideous. She carried a few extra pounds, but most guys said they liked something to catch hold of. Maybe Retars were different. This one definitely was.

Hayley shoved a cold potato fry into her mouth. She’d have to forget about being friends with Elias, learning about Retars, and converting him into a dinosaur fanatic.

There was no place for Elias in her life if he was going to get all weird on her.

Chapter 4

“I said the twelve-inch wrench.” Elias shoved the wrench at his work buddy, Tegor.

“That is the twelve-inch.” Tegor jabbed the wrench in Elias’s side. He was a skilled Draxdan engineer, and they’d worked together ever since Elias started his engineering job on Prodigy.

Elias glared down at the wrench. “Damn. I must need the next size up.”

“Sure thing.” Tegor handed him a different wrench and grinned affably at Elias. “What’s on your mind?”

“Getting this hunk of junk repaired before the owner comes back.” Elias slammed the wrench onto the rusted bolt and leaned his weight on it.

“This is nothing. We handle these kinds of repairs in our sleep. It’s something else that’s making you scowl.” Tegor leaned against the side of the ship. “Come on. What gives?”

The wrench slipped in Elias’s hand. He sliced his fingers on a sharp piece of metal. “Star damned piece of rusty crap.” He shook his hand and inspected the damage.

“The ship is fine. You’re the one not paying attention and taking your frustration out on the metal work.”

“How do you know that?” The cuts on his fingers were shallow, but they still stung.

“This is the third time you’ve cursed today. I never hear you curse. Did you get a bad night’s sleep? Wait, you weren’t entertaining, were you?” Tegor grinned at him.

“Yes, to the bad night of sleep. No to the entertaining.” Elias’s sleep had been disturbed because of his unsettling conversation with Hayley. Had he gotten things wrong? He’d been certain she’d asked him for sex. She’d said the word devote. When Retar females use that word, it meant one thing. He’d panicked and assumed the worst.

Hayley was stunning and easy to talk to, but Elias couldn’t handle them being intimate. At first, he’d thought he could handle a friendship with her. He wanted that but not a sexual encounter that would end in his death.

Tegor clicked his fingers in front of Elias’s face. “What’s eating you?”

Elias grimaced at the question. That was the whole problem. He didn’t want to be eaten. “It’s a woman.”

Tegor nudged him. “Tell me everything. Is she beautiful? Does she live on Prodigy? Is she into you? Have you seen her naked?”

Elias gave up studying the repair he needed to complete and turned to face Tegor. Tegor had a ridiculously active love life and always regaled him with tales of the women he’d been with. It sounded like a hell of a lot of fun.

“She is beautiful. She’s human. Hayley has amazing curves and this soft mass of blonde hair. She’s smart and curious. Yesterday, we got talking, and she was asking questions about Retars’ mating behavior.”

“She wants to mate with you? She was finding out what got you off, so she doesn’t disappoint in the bedroom?”

“I’m not so sure.”