Page 20 of Her Alien Cyborgs (The Drift: Haven Colony #10)
“Me too. I’ll have to see if we’ve got any fresh tomatoes left. The Bright Arrow had a hydroponics bay full of fresh vegetables. I think it was mainly for the officers’ meals, but I managed to get my hands on some.”
“The same way you acquired the upgrades to the Gambit ?” he asked.
“Pretty much. A little banter, a little bribery. The usual.”
“I want to learn how to do that.” His words surprised them both.
She hesitated before answering. “It’s what I’m good at, so yeah, I can teach you if you want, Kal. With so many paths to choose from, are you sure you want to follow mine?”
His first reaction was frustration, but he didn’t lash out. He made himself stay calm and repeated her question in his head. Anger had made him walk away yesterday. It hadn’t solved anything then, and it wouldn’t now. He needed to do better.
After a long silence, he did his best to explain the churn of emotions he felt.
“I’m not sure of much right now. I don’t even know what questions to ask to learn what I need to know.
” He placed a hand on her hip and turned her to face him.
“What I do know is this. I trust Fyr’enth with my life.
” He leaned in close and whispered so his lips brushed hers.
“And I trust you with my heart. Wherever your path leads, I will be at your side, zana .”
Her cheeks darkened with a rush of blood. Before he could ask what that meant, she kissed him. The soft, sweet kiss was somehow more enticing than any other moment they’d shared.
Kalan cupped her face in his hands, and their mouths mated, their gazes locked. The emotions in her eyes mirrored everything he felt—doubt, frustration, attraction, and something else. A tenderness that made his heart ache.
“I want this,” he murmured against her lips. “I want you.”
“I want this, too.” She smiled, her eyes brightening.
“All of it. Even the biting and the nanotech. This isn’t about you and Fyr.
I’ve learned some hard lessons in my life.
One of them being it’s safer not to want too much.
That way, you won’t be disappointed.” Her hand covered his.
“I need a little more time. Will you give it to me?”
He understood her better now. She wasn’t doubting him or the mating bond. She doubted herself. He knew that feeling well.
He leaned down to kiss her gently. “I would give you anything. Take the time you need.” Then he dropped his voice to a growl. “I never want to sleep alone again.”
“I don’t want that either.” She turned her head toward the food dispenser. “Which reminds me. I came in here to get a fresh mug of ja’kreesh . I didn’t sleep last night, and it’s going to be a long day.”
“No more ja’kreesh for you. It’s not good for someone your size.” He flashed his fangs. “At least, not until you accept our nanotech. Then you can have as much as you want. Though you won’t need it. Think of all the things we can do with the time once you don’t need so much sleep.”
Hezza pursed her lips. “That’s true.” Then she snickered and patted his cheek. “You know, I don’t think you’re going to need much instruction on how to talk other beings into giving you what you want. You’re already fraxxing good at it.”
“I’m a fast learner.”
“Yes, you are. Because they were wrong about you and Fyr. You’re not failures at all. You’re survivors.”
A hiss from the frying pan reminded them that the bacon was still at risk of burning.
They moved apart with Hezza tending to the cooking while he changed the settings on the food dispenser to stop it making any more toast. While he was at it, he reduced the amount of everything else he’d programmed in.
Once things were nearly done, they plated everything and put it on the table.
“Do you need some ointment on those burns?” Hezza asked.
“No. They’re already healing, and I reduced my ability to feel pain until they stopped stinging.”
“Handy skill,” she said, but her eyes were still on his bare chest. “So, you don’t need me to kiss them better?”
“Does that work?” Not that he cared either way. He wasn’t turning down any opportunity to have Hezza kiss him.
“Does it actually help you heal? No. But it does help distract the patient.” She smiled, her green eyes twinkling. “Just in case they start to sting again.”
“Better safe than sorry,” he agreed.
“Then we should call Fyr and tell him it’s safe to come out of his cabin. He’s probably bored and hungry by now.”
“He’ll survive,” Kalan wasn’t ready to share her with his brother yet.
“True. But then breakfast will get cold. It’s been a very long time since someone cooked for me. I’d like to enjoy the experience.”
That he could agree to, especially since he was the one who’d done the cooking. “Then we’ll eat soon. What’s on the agenda for the rest of the day? More lessons on ship maintenance?”
Hezza shook her head. “Not today. I think we’ve all earned a day of rest.” She lowered her voice to a sultry whisper and laid one hand on his chest. “Or at least, a day in bed.”
He wrapped his arms around her and drew her in until her head was tucked under his chin. She nestled against him, her cheek pressed to his chest.
“That sounds perfect.”