Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 105936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
He looked around and I saw him eyeing the floor at the foot of the bed, but I didn’t want him sleeping there. It wasn’t right to invite him to my quarters and then force him to sleep on the floor like a dog.
“Come here, boy,” I said, motioning to him. I scooted over to give him half the bed and patted the mattress invitingly.
But he didn’t come—he stood there, looking at me uncertainly. It was almost as though he was afraid of me.
I cursed myself for a fool. Of course he was fucking afraid of me! Look at what he’d just gone through tonight—he’d nearly been raped by a Brute almost as big as me. The memory was doubtless still fresh in his mind.
“You don’t have to worry—I won’t touch you,” I told him, trying to offer some reassurance.
“I never thought you would,” he protested in a low voice. But still he hesitated. I sensed he needed to know I truly wasn’t interested in him. Which I most definitely wasn’t, I told myself.
“Suit yourself,” I grumbled and turned on my side, facing away from the empty spot on the bed. “Sleep where you want but make up your mind soon—we have to be up early.”
He hovered a moment longer…then climbed into the bed beside me. I felt him get settled under the covers and I could tell he was trying not to touch me, but the bed was just too small. I felt his narrow back brush against my own as he curled into a ball behind me.
I had a completely irrational impulse to turn and take him in my arms…then I gave myself a mental shake. What the Hell was wrong with me? I was acting like the boy was a lover or a Fated Mate when he was nothing of the kind.
Still, Jerx’s words echoed in my mind.
“You know Catamites! They got certain needs. Like they need to suck cock—they need to get fucked. It’s part of their DNA.”
It was a ridiculous justification for what he’d tried to do to Cass, but I had heard that Catamites and those from their home planet of Cata Prime did have sexual needs that had to be met or they could get sick. Could Cass have needs like that? And if so, what—
No. I cut that line of thought off firmly. The boy was a navigator and that was all. In fact, he was probably going to be our only navigator from now on. After Gurflug’s threats to land us all in a black hole, I wouldn’t trust the slimy Galafruxian to navigate The Illyrian on a simple trip to the nearest moon—let alone to a whole other star system or galaxy!
For once I wished that I hadn’t taken Yorrin’s advice. But of course, my pilot had no way of knowing what an entitled bastard Gurflug would turn out to be. I just hoped that now he had been punished he would learn his lesson and behave his fucking self.
With a sigh, I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I told myself it didn’t matter that I was sharing my bed or that I could feel the slight warmth of the boy’s body against my own. I just needed to get some rest.
But it was a long time before sleep took me and even then I had troubling dreams…
21
JESSINA
Iwoke up pressed against something warm and hard that smelled really good. Spicy and clean and masculine. Without opening my eyes, I pressed my face against it and inhaled deeply. Mmmm…why did the scent make me feel so safe? Not to mention so aroused. I could feel my nipples getting hard and between my legs, my pussy was wet and hot and needy.
I let out a low moan and rubbed myself against the warmth. Goddess, it was amazing. But what was it? What—
“Good morning, Cass,” a deep, familiar voice rumbled in my ear.
Cass? Who’s Cass? I had time to think before the events of the last few days came rushing back to me. I was Cass and I was currently pressed up against the side of my Fated Mate who thought I was a boy. I had my arms and legs wrapped around his muscular body and when I looked up, he was peering down at me with a bemused look on his face.
Goddess of the Four Faces—he’s going to know! He’s going to guess!
I pushed away from his side and scrambled out of bed as fast as I could.
“Sorry Captain!” I exclaimed, and then tried to make my voice lower. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. I mean—”
“It’s all right—don’t get so upset about it,” Turk said, sitting up in bed. “We’re in close quarters here, after all.”
“Yes, I know, but I didn’t mean to, you know, get that, er, close,” I said quickly. “I should have slept on the floor,” I added remorsefully—and it was true, I should have. I had meant to—I had left the shower the night before fully prepared to sleep on the small strip of floor between the bed and the bathroom door.