Page 362 of Gladiators of the Vagabond Boxset

It wasn’t exactly cold inside the kitchen of this small diner, but Jenny was still keeping my coat tucked tightly around her shoulders.

The long sleeves kept falling down over her hands when she picked up her food, and she’d make this impatient little arm shake each time it happened.

Focusing on the food, and on our predicament, helped me to forget about the latest part of my body disobeying me.

“So, what is our next step?” she asked, mirroring my own train of thought.

I knew what I was going to be doing next if it were up to me, but I wouldn’t take that step unless she was going to be with me.

It seemed extremely irrational, and I still had no explanation for the sentiment, but I needed to stay with her. I needed to keep her safe.

I thought she had a very beautiful face, with her freckles and hazel eyes.

Her features were even, conforming to the golden ratio, so it made sense that I found her attractive.

I just didn’t think that was what was driving this protective urge.

I’d seen plenty of pretty females before, and never felt a desire this potent.

“We need to get to the port. I have a lead on some information I need to get my hands on,” I said to her.

I debated, yet again, how wise it was at this point to tell her that I was losing such catastrophic control over my body after the months of effort I’d put into controlling its violent urges.

I wanted to protect her, and I had absolute faith that I would never hurt her, but telling her the truth might scare her off.

“Ooooh, a secret mission, huh?” she asked, stuffing the last bite of bread into her mouth and thoughtfully chewing as she stared at me across the table.

As soon as she no longer needed her hands, she tucked them into the coat, curling her arms around her middle to preserve heat.

Akrod could get cold at night; Ov’Korad was a desert planet, and the temperatures could drop steeply.

“It is not a secret, just mine,” I said, taking both our plates to the sink to put them in the cleanser.

I urged Jenny off her seat and back into the main part of the diner, since there were comfortable benches there for her to lie down on for sleep.

“I need to locate a supercomputer to decode some information,” I said, though I refrained from indicating the green amulet dangling around my neck.

Nor did I mention the extra risk I was taking by being on this particular planet just so I could be close to a certain scientist.

“I see, and you have a lead on that location?” she asked, sitting down on one of the benches.

Her attention was on the pillows, assessing how comfortable she was going to be sleeping on them.

Her shoulders did a little shimmy, and then my coat fell from them; she was shrugging out of the heavy leather and holding it out to me.

“No, keep it. You are less suited to this cold than I am. I will be fine.” I indicated the long-sleeved shirt I was wearing.

It was form-fitting and made of a thermal weave that retained heat.

I wouldn’t feel the cold until the temperatures dropped much further.

She didn’t protest, simply lay down and curled under my long coat as if it were a blanket.

I could feel her eyes rove over my chest, and that urge to flex a little struck me again.

I felt a little like one of those birds, preening in the hopes of catching a mate.

“Yes, I do. Want to come with me?” I asked, my mouth getting away from me before I could stop myself. She looked as surprised by the question as I was, the arches of her eyebrows climbing, her eyes snapping to mine.

“Huh, why would you want that? Wouldn’t I slow you down?” she said. Her assessment was astute; she would, indeed, slow me down. I knew I only wanted her to stay with me because I wanted to keep her safe, but I was ninety percent certain she would dislike that reasoning. Now what? I couldn’t lie…

“I like your company,” I said, “and it’s not like you’ve got anywhere to go right now, do you?

If you stay with me, you can get a ride on the Vagabond when I call for them.

You’d be safe.” I wished I could take back those last words, biting the inside of my lip in frustration that they had just slipped out.

Jenny had settled back against the pillows, one arm beneath her head and her eyes closed.

She was smiling gently. “Ah, you just want more time to enjoy my fabulous company, do you? Sure, I’ll tag along.

It’s not like I haven’t got anything else to do.

That’s very true.” She didn’t say she agreed to a ride on the Vagabond afterward, but I was counting this as a major achievement. She was going to stay with me for now.

She didn’t say anything else, and with her eyes closed, I felt like I could unabashedly take in her features.

Only when I was certain she was safely asleep did I hook myself—with the nav port in my tentacle—into the computer system of the diner.

I needed to get a handle on the situation in the city; I’d use the diner’s network as a stepping stone.

I slid into a sitting position with my back against the counter, it forced me to sling my tentacle awkwardly over it to stay connected, but I could now work and watch Jenny at the same time. I was tired, my body a little bruised from the fight at the bar, but this needed to be done. UNEDITED

Once an image was out there, it was impossible to erase it completely, but I made damn sure law enforcement’s information on our case got scrambled.

It wouldn’t stop them from hunting us, but it would slow them down.

There was nothing I could do to stop this news from leaving the planet; it already had.

No telling who had seen Jenny and me splashed all over Ov’Korad’s news.

Once I had done what I could, I unplugged with a shudder.

My body was a little stiff and sore from sitting in one position on the floor for as long as I had, but all that discomfort faded in a rush when I saw Jenny shivering beneath my coat.

She was cold. I could have turned up the heat inside the diner, but I didn’t want to mess with the system too much, in case that would alert the owners.

I approached carefully, uncertain of what I was going to do.

She seemed to sense my presence, her eyelids fluttering as they opened slightly, the tip of her nose pink.

When my tentacles reached for her, her body seemed to curl toward me.

Suddenly, I found myself with my arms full of human female, all my limbs tangled around her, her face turning into my chest.

Frozen in place, I waited to see if she would wake up completely, but she simply tucked herself into my chest and kept on sleeping. I didn’t see any other option but to settle down on the pillows with her, my coat draped over us both. This was much warmer, and she smelled very good.