Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Drama, hmm?” He raised an eyebrow. “No wonder you got into the part so fast when I picked you to be my female. You really had me going there—especially when you kissed me.”
“I only kissed your cheek,” Vicky protested, embarrassed all over again. She couldn’t believe the way she’d acted at the bar. But then, she’d had three strawberry daiquiris—so it wasn’t really her fault, was it? “You’re the one who kissed me on the mouth,” she pointed out.
“But I didn’t see you objecting, beautiful Victoria,” he murmured. “In fact, if I recall correctly, you kissed me right back.”
“Well…” Vicky could feel herself blushing all over—which made her glad her naked body was covered by his cloak. “You just kind of…caught me at a vulnerable moment—that’s all,” she said.
“That’s right—you told me the male who was supposed to be meeting you hadn’t shown up, didn’t you?” he mused, frowning.
Vicky was surprised he remembered what she’d said, after all the craziness that had followed.
“Something like that,” she admitted. She didn’t want to tell him how Ted had given her the once over and then left, as though she wasn’t pretty enough to tempt him. That was humiliating.
“Well, he’s a fool,” Chain said firmly. “If he doesn’t know enough to come meet a beautiful woman when she—”
Just then there was a muffled but distinct thump from the other room.
“Crap!” Vicky hissed. “Is that—?”
“Probably.” His charming features took on a grim expression and he cursed under his breath. “Shouldn’t have allowed myself to be distracted by your beauty,” he told Vicky. “I’ll cover you again and be right back after I take care of this.”
Vicky wanted to protest, but before she could, he had already thrown the hood of the cloak over her face again, rendering her completely invisible. Quietly, he crept out of the bedroom, closing the door soundlessly behind him.
Vicky was still paralyzed from the neck down—though she was beginning to feel tingling in her fingers and toes which told her the effects of the alien ray were starting to wear off. But at the moment all she could do was wait and watch and pray the big Kindred would be all right.
Please, she prayed, though she wasn’t exactly sure who she was talking to. Please let Chain be okay! Don’t let him get hurt or killed—let us both be safe!
But she got nothing but silence for an answer.
Chapter Seven
Chain crept stealthily down the long hallway, on high alert for any sign of the second Varian scout who’d come after the T’lix-Kruthe. Speaking of that, he really needed to ask Victoria where she’d put it.
Victoria… He smiled a little. He liked her name. Hell, he liked all of her, and he’d certainly gotten to see enough since her curves had been on full display. Gods, an Elite like that shouldn’t be alone in this big domicile—she was much too tempting a prize. Just about any male might take a liking to what he saw and follow her home.
The thought of that made Chain bristle with protective anger. The Varians weren’t the only ones he had to worry about here. But for now, they were the threat he needed to concentrate on, he reminded himself.
He heard another thump which seemed to come from a room up ahead. Sliding forward with his blaster ready, Chain edged around the doorway, looking for his adversary.
He saw a room in disarray. The cushions had been pulled off all the furniture and some had been slashed open so that fluffy piles of white filling were coming out. The small table in the center of the room had been upended and the drapes at the tall windows had been torn down. How had the Varian made such a mess so quickly?
Speaking of the alien scout, Chain saw it at the far end of the room, pulling books out of the bookcase and looking behind them before tossing them aside to the carpeted floor. The thumps he and Victoria had heard must have been the books falling—though how the Varian had made the rest of this mess so quietly was anyone’s guess. Maybe they hadn’t heard him because they were talking.
At that moment, the alien scout turned and saw him standing there. A snarl creased its face and it raised its weapon to point at him.
Chain was too quick for the Varian. He blasted the bastard right in the head, disintegrating the top half completely. Then, for good measure, he blasted the bottom half too, leaving nothing but a greasy black stain on the nice tan carpeting—which wasn’t quite so nice now, unfortunately.
Job done, Chain decided it was time to go. He would collect the T’lix-Kruthe then put a remote towing device on the Varian ship and drag it out into deep space so the bastards couldn’t track it and come looking for Victoria again.