Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Or maybe it was his warm, spicy scent that was making her feel so strange. It had frightened her before, when she’d thought he was going to rape her. But now that she felt safer with the big Hybrid, the dark spice that breathed from his warm skin seemed to have an erotic effect on her she was powerless to resist…
At last, just when she was getting uncomfortably aroused, V’rex pulled back. He looked at the place he’d been licking closely, examining it with a critical eye. At last, he straightened up and nodded at Penny.
“All right—you’re healed. I wanted to be careful to heal the burn but leave the scar in case anyone looked for it. But I think you’re okay, now.”
Penny looked down at the top of her left breast and gasped in surprise. The capital V burned into her flesh looked like a brand that had been done a year ago. It was nothing but a slightly pinkish line now—not at all disfiguring. In fact, owning to V’rex’s elegant handwriting, it almost looked like a fancy tattoo rather than the remains of a brand.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, tracing it with her finger. “Oh, you healed it! You healed me,” she added, looking at him. “Thank you, V’rex.”
“Glad to do it, sweetheart. Just part of my vow to cherish and protect you.” His deep voice had dropped to a soft growl and Penny suddenly realized she was still carding her fingers through his long, thick hair.
“Oh, uh…” She pulled her hand away rather reluctantly and started to rise. But V’rex’s arm around her waist tightened for a moment and he held her there.
“If you ever have need of healing again, let me know,” he rumbled, looking her in the eyes. “Like I said, I take my vows seriously.”
“I…” Penny licked her lips. “I believe you,” she said at last, her voice coming out much more breathy than she liked. “And thank you, for that. Let me know if…if there’s anything I can do to, uh, cherish you back. Not that I can heal you, or anything,” she went on quickly. “But if you’re in pain and there’s anything I can do to, you know, help you and…uh…uh…” She was getting lost in the pale golden depths of his eyes, she realized.
“Yes, sweetheart?” he prompted.
“I don’t know what I was going to say,” Penny admitted, feeling foolish.
“That’s okay.” He gave her a smile that centered more in his eyes than his mouth. “We don’t always have to talk.”
For a minute, Penny thought he was going to kiss her. And for a minute, she almost wanted him to.
Then she reminded herself of where she was and who she was with. She might have made a temporary alliance with the big Hybrid out of necessity, but he was still the dangerous space pirate she’d been warned about.
Also, he’s probably only interested in you because of that damn Spice in the air here, whispered a pessimistic little voice in her head. So cool your jets, Penny.
The little voice was right, Penny decided. She needed to keep a close check on her emotions here and not let them run away from her.
She stood up from his knee and this time V’rex let her.
“I…um…I should try to find something to wear,” she said, nodding down at the skimpy white towel which barely covered her. “I can’t go around dressed in a towel all day and you kind of tore my Unification dress all to pieces.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” V’rex rumbled, standing himself to loom over her. “Was tryin’ to put on a good show—that’s all.”
“Well, you certainly convinced me,” Penny told him. She blushed when she remembered exactly how convincing he’d been.
“You’ll have to learn to be more convincing yourself,” he growled. “But we can work on that later.”
And with those cryptic words, he left the bathroom at last, leaving Penny to wonder how in the world she had gotten into this strange new relationship and where it was going to lead.
Thirty-Nine
Damn it, the little female was really getting under his skin! V glanced down at her name on his chest again. True to his word, his body was already healing the branding wound, leaving nothing but a permanent scar in the place where the burns had been. Well, that was going to be hard to explain the next time he was with a willing female.
Only, at the moment, he couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be with any other female than the curvy little human. She was the one for him—he’d been hit by a thunderbolt the minute he’d seen her in the Lucky Lounge and he just couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that she was his female to cherish and protect.
Not that he wanted to shake it. What he wanted now, was to get closer to her—if she would let him.