Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
I cling to her words. “That would be great. Having a baby of my own would be a dream come true for me.”
And maybe I’m nuts, but Tarek’s the only male I can imagine having that baby with.
Even though he’s Mr. Hot-and-Cold.
Zina
I’m walking back from a visit to Kara and her son when I see him. My whole body tingles.
“Tarek.” My breath quickens. “Hi.”
“Zina.” For a split second his face lights up, then his expression snaps closed. He hoists his satchel on his shoulder.
Before I get a chance to say anything, we’re joined by his captain. “Tarek, a word?”
I step away and nod, showing my respect for his command and need for privacy.
Abbi sees me standing there, glassy-eyed and small, and grabs my hand. She pulls me to the outdoor cafe and finds me a seat with her, and I’m grateful that she had enough sense to pull me away.
I try not to stare at Tarek, who still stands in the cross-path a few dozen paces away, talking with some peers. He isn’t looking at me, as far as I can tell—with his sensors, who knows. But certainly he’s given me no sign that he knows—or cares—that I’m here.
“Excuse me, are you Zina?” A human male with lean muscles and a shock of red hair stands over me. Compared to Tarek he looks like a child.
“Yes?” I raise my brows and hastily wipe my eye with a soft napkin, because it feels moist.
“My name is Tal. I’m Cambry’s brother.” He looks uncomfortable.
“Hi. I’m Zina.”
“Yes, I know.” He smiles.
“Oh right.” My face grows warm. He’s good-looking and friendly, but all I can think about is Tarek, who definitely seems to be paying attention to me now.
I stand, too, because I feel weird sitting and looking up at him. “Are you…” I’m not sure what to ask. “Coming from or going to some kind of mission?” I toss the napkin at the table.
“Just training. I, uh, heard you’re interested in navigation.”
“Um, yes.” Actually, a certain navigator.
“Would you like to study together?”
Oh.
I check to see if Tarek is looking. He is looking! He immediately turns his head when I look over. Is it wrong to make him jealous?
“Sure, why not?” I give Tal a forced smile.
“Okay, follow me.”
“Oh, right now?”
He inclines his head.
“Um, okay. I can do that.” Oops. I don’t actually want to go with him. I only wanted to get Tarek’s attention.
I grab my cloth napkin and tuck it into my satchel. I’ll wash it later, back at the dorms.
Tarek turns his head toward us again, and I wave. Whether I want him to register it as a hello or goodbye, I’m not sure. I don’t even think Zandians wave. They have some other gesture of holding a fist up at a right angle.
Tarek frowns. Tal follows my gaze and stiffens when Tarek comes toward us.
We both wait for our master to arrive. “He looks mad,” Tal, says. “Does he look mad?”
“Um… maybe?” I’m all a-flutter, although unlike Tal, I’m secretly excited by Tarek’s anger.
“Shit.” Tal uses an old human curse word. “Tell me Tarek doesn’t have a thing for you. Did I just step in a pile of it?”
“Yeah, maybe.” I’m breathless with anticipation.
Tarek towers over both of us, his hands resting on his hips, the powerful muscles of his arms bulging. He turns his sightless eyes on Tal. “What are you doing here, human?”
“Nothing,” Tal says immediately. “I was just seeing if Zina wanted to study nav with me. But, ah, you know, I think I study better on my own. So, I’m going to just head off and do that.” He starts to back away. “Study, that is. I’m going to go to the barracks and study. So, I will see you later. For training. I hope.” He gives the Zandian salute as Tarek continues to frown and beam intimidation in his direction.
I tip my face up to gaze at Tarek. Just being near him has my body primed and ready. The pulse has begun between my legs. My nipples are hard.
“You don’t talk to that human,” Tarek growls.
Okay, that’s going too far. He basically dismissed me after we were intimate. He has no right to dictate who I can or can’t speak with. Not that I wasn’t trying to make him jealous.
“Why not?” I demand.
Tarek doesn’t answer, he simply throws me over his shoulder and slaps his big hand down on my ass.
“Eep! Tarek.”
He doesn’t say a word, just carries me to the training dome where he drops me inside and locks the door. “If I give you an order, you say, ‘yes, sir or yes, Master’. Understood?”
Oh stars, he’s sexy when he turns authoritative. “Yes, Master,” I say quickly.
“If I say stay away from that worthless male who was standing far too close to you, then you will vecking stay away from him.”