Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“I understand.” Vik’tor nodded gravely. “We can keep our distance—even though it’ll be damn hard.” His eyes grew half-lidded. “Every time I’m near you all I fucking want to do is touch you and taste you and make you feel good, baby.”
I felt my heart speed up and my breath caught in my throat.
“That’s…that’s what I want, too,” I admitted softly. “But we can’t, Vik’tor—it’ll make it so much harder when we have to part.”
“I know.” He sighed and ran his hands over his horns. “Look, I’m going to go in the cockpit and make a call to my Chief of Security. Then I’m going to set a course for the Female Side of Tangella Alpha-Prime.”
I looked at him in surprise.
“So…we’re going right away?”
Vik’tor shrugged.
“Might as well. I’ve been wanting to make this trip for fucking ages. And I know you want to get back to your family. So the sooner we start, the sooner you get home.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Thank you. Er…I don’t suppose you have a bathing pool aboard the ship?”
Vik’tor smiled.
“Not as big as the one in my building, but I do have one. Why—you want a bath, little girl?”
“I always want a bath,” I told him, smiling a little.
“Go take one then.” He motioned to a hallway past the living area. “It’s through there, to the right. Take your time and enjoy yourself—we’ll be leaving for Tangella Alpha-Prime in a little while.”
“Thank you, Vik’tor.” Impulsively, I reached up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. But he turned his head just at that moment and my lips found his instead.
“Gods, little girl,” he groaned and wrapping his arms around me, he kissed me deeply.
I had that magnet feeling again—the feeling of being sucked towards him—wanting him even though I knew I couldn’t have him. But I knew if I gave in to that feeling we would go farther and farther until I couldn’t stop myself from giving in completely. And if we had sex, it would be so much harder to say goodbye.
With a sigh, I extricated myself from the kiss. I didn’t want to stop—my whole body was throbbing with need and desire and the longing to keep kissing him. But I made myself anyway.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I just…I can’t.”
“I understand little girl,” he rumbled, letting me go. “From now on, we won’t have any intimate contact, I promise.”
“I mean…unless you need to bite me,” I pointed out.
But Vik’tor shook his head.
“Might not even need to do that. I just took some of your blood a little while ago—so I’m good for now.”
“Oh…” I never would have believed I would be disappointed about not being bitten, but I was—I really was.
“Go on and take your bath, baby,” Vik’tor said gently. “And go lay down in the sleeping chamber afterwards. It’s been a long fucking day and night—you’re probably all worn out.”
When he put it that way, I realized how tired I was—actually, more like exhausted—both mentally and physically, not to mention emotionally. So much had happened to me in the past day and night I felt like a whole different person—a really tired person. But I still wanted a bath.
“Okay,” I said, nodding. “Thank you, Vik’tor.”
“You’re welcome, baby,” he rumbled. “Go on and take a bath and rest. I’ll see you later.”
And he turned and went back towards the cockpit, leaving me to find the bathing room.
THIRTY-TWO
VIK’TOR
I called my Security Chief and told him all about Azz’lx and how he was out and I wanted his office cleared immediately.
To my surprise, he nodded in whole-hearted agreement.
“This is excellent news, Baron,” he told me. “I’ve had a feeling for some time that Master Azz’lx was cheating you—I’m not surprised to hear that my suspicions were confirmed.”
“Cheating me?” I asked in surprise. “What do you mean?”
He frowned.
“Isn’t that why you’re getting rid of him? I’ve noticed for some months that there seemed to be a stream of revenue leaving the main flow. I even confronted Master Azz’lx about it, but he said that you had personally sanctioned it to pay for an ‘experimental’ product line. Was that not true?”
“No, it wasn’t fucking true,” I growled, frowning. “Why didn’t you come to me about this?”
“I was going to!” the Security Chief protested. “Today, as a matter of fact. But I’ve been gathering evidence. I have all the facts and figures ready for you, my Lord. If you’d like to come in and see them?”
I shook my head.
“I have to go off-planet for a while. Send them to me on my ship.”
“Yes, of course, your Lordship.” He nodded. “Will there be anything else?”
“Not right now,” I told him. “Just keep an eye on things while I’m gone. And under no circumstances is Azz’lx allowed to come back to the office—I don’t even want him in my fucking building! He has a week to move somewhere else.”