Page 24 of Master (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #3)

"Well, if you ladies need anything, I'm at your service." The mayor drew himself up to full height, which was still short, and issued a curt nod before walking away.

Mei’s relieved sigh caused us both to giggle.

"I'm on dessert table duty tonight. Want to help while you wait for Tarook?" Mei offered.

"I'd love to." Anything beat standing around and waiting for Atkins to pounce again. He might have skulked off into the shadows, but I could feel his eyes on me, slimy and hot.

For the next hour, I stayed near Mei at the dessert table, only venturing out to grab dinner for us. Everyone I met was kind and eager to help me settle on Tau Ceti. Especially some of the men. It was all I could do to keep from rolling my eyes at the overt attention.

Male attention was nothing new, although it had been years since I’d dealt with this much lewd gazes and lip licking.

The type of attention where the men only see the outside without caring about what's inside.

My blonde hair and curvaceous figure always garnered more of this kind of attention than I wanted, especially when I danced.

Curtis was the only man who ever cared to look beyond my outside.

Until Tarook.

Despite our bizarre introduction, I knew Tarook truly saw me... and that feeling was sexier than all the gawks, whistles, and catcalls in the universe.

A small band made up of the alien versions of trumpet, guitar, bass and flute crowed onto the gazebo at the center of the village square.

I served a rather pudgy young woman a second slice of cake as the music started.

The sound was a croon of jazz and country tunes, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss when I spotted Buck near the casserole table and not on stage.

“Would you like to dance?”

I was so engrossed in Bartholomeus trying to woo Mei onto the dance floor that I hadn't noticed the man approach.

He was tall and nice looking, with dark brown hair and green eyes.

He might be a few years older than me, which meant shit if he'd been through the healer.

Perhaps asking, ' What age are you really ? ' wasn't a faux pas on Tau Ceti.

“I’m sorry, I’m waiting for someone,” I said, even though deep down, I’d given up hope of Tarook appearing any time soon.

“Looks like he abandoned you,” the man said with a playful smile, and I felt my own lips curve upward in answer.

“I would never abandon her.”

The growled words made me jump as Tarook stepped from the shadows, fury ingrained in his features.

“Tarook!” My voice was breathless at first from excitement, then from worry as he stepped around the table and all but chest bumped the human.

"Sorry, buddy." The man held his hands up and took a step back. "I didn't mean any harm, just asking a pretty lady to dance."

"Tarook," I cautioned, rushing around the table to lay a hand in the middle of his chest. Left unattended, he might throttle the poor guy.

He glanced down at me, tension leaving his face as a corner of his mouth quirked upward.

“Have a nice evening.” The man offered, easing away like one would from a dangerous animal.

"Thank you," I called after the guy, not taking my attention from Tarook.

He eyed the human like a golden eyed lion preparing to pounce.

The trouble was, the more he stared after the one human man brave enough to ask me to dance, the more he saw the others content to standby and leer.

I needed to do something before Tarook went postal.

“Let’s dance!”

I grabbed his hand, feeling his tension drain away at my touch.

I led him to a shadowed corner of the grassy section that comprised the dance floor.

A slower selection of music played, throbbing with low notes from the guitar.

Around us, couples, including Buck and Lula, swayed together, wrapped in each other's arms. I gazed at Tarook, expecting to explain why this was only dancing and not foreplay, to find him staring down at me, something like awe softening his features.

"What’s the matter?”

Tarook opened and closed his mouth a few times before swallowing hard.

“In all my travels across the vast universe, I have seen nothing as beautiful as you.”

He spoke slowly, as though wanting to pronounce each word perfectly.

"Thank you." I felt my cheeks heat. My heart thudded against my ribcage, and that spot in the center of my chest blazed with warmth. Tarook's golden eyes shone as he stared down at me. The way he gazed at me... like a precious treasure...

I loved it.

“Would you like to dance?” It was the only intelligible thing I could think to say.

Tarook’s eyes flickered over the surrounding couples.

“I do not know this dance.”

“It’s called slow dancing,” I giggled.

“It looks... nice.”

“It is nice.” I’m sure there were plenty of better adjectives to describe the feeling of stepping into his arms... my brain was just too giddy to conjure any at the moment.

I fanned my hands over the muscular wall of his chest. His heartbeat heavily between my fingertips, and for a moment, I would have sworn it kept perfect rhythm with mine.

“Put your hands on my hips.”

Tarook complied, fingertips flexing in the silk of my dress.

Good," I breathed, trying to keep my hormones in check. "Now we just sway to the music."

Tarook began swaying tentatively back and forth. His movement held no real rhythm, but I couldn't care less. Really, what was slow dancing other than an excuse to hold each other?

With a soft sound that was something between a growl and a moan, he pulled me closer, linking his hands at the small of my back.

I let myself go. Honestly, there wasn't much choice in the matter.

Oh hell.

I like Tarook.

The feeling of his body moving against mine... how safe he makes me feel. I haven’t felt this way since before Curtis got sick.

I even liked having sex with him... really liked it. I'm not even mad about how it came about anymore.

All I can think of is how good it felt to be held and have my body worshipped by him.

If it happened again... it wouldn't be the worst thing.

I wouldn't hate it.

"You're a wonderful dancer, darlin’," Tarook murmured, his breath tickling the strands of hair near my ear. The hands on my back moved up and down my spine in a slow massage.

He made me feel beautiful and sexy and wanted. The beat of the music caused a sensual throb in my bloodstream. When the tempo changed, becoming more upbeat, I forced myself to step back. Tarook's eyes surveyed the dance floor, and his hands slid from my back to grasp my own.

It wasn't the electro throb reminiscent of strip club music, but the song had a fun upbeat.

I swiveled my hips, laughing at Tarook's shocked grin.

I twirled and gyrated around him, loving how he held tight to my fingers, his touch keeping me grounded.

.. safe. I whirled again, shimming my ass with a devious grin, causing Tarook to throw back his head and laugh loudly.

Turning my head to smile flirtatiously at Tarook, something else caught my eye, the playful music morphing into a dull roar inside my brain.

With bravado spurred by knowing Tarook couldn't see them, a group of men leered boldly in my direction. A couple licked their lips. One even grabbed his crotch. The worst, however, was the mayor. Catching my gaze, he closed one eye in a wink, lips puckering in a kissing motion.

Assholes. I should tattle and let Tarook kick their asses.

Atkins' thick pink tongue appeared, making a slow circle on his lips and jerking me into the past. Back to night after night of letting men ogle me because it was the only way I could get by.

Night after night of men who saw me only as a body.

.. an object. A hot, clammy sensation crept over my skin.

.. making the silk I wore feel like sandpaper.

I felt dirty.

Too dirty for Tarook.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, wrenching my hands from Tarook’s grasp.

“Clara?”

His voice called after me as I bolted.

Keeping in the shadows, I ran all the way to Mei's cottage, coming to a halt beside a climbing rosebush. The fragrance reminded me of the good things on Earth, and I gulped deep breaths, trying to calm my erratic heart.

“Clara!”

Tarook sounded frantic. Although with his speed, I doubt I’d left his sight during my run to the cottage. Warm hands closed over my shoulders, traveling the length of my arms as his dark golden eyes examined me.

"What is it, darlin’? Did I do something wrong?"

"No. It's not you." My throat felt dry from running, my words breathless.

“You are upset.”

I felt the touch of Tarook's fingertips against my cheek. After Curtis' illness, it took a lot to make me cry, so the wetness on the pads of his fingers shocked me.

“Tell me how to fix what frets you?” The desperate sincerity of his tone hugged my heart.

“Can you go back in time?” I said with a self-deprecating huff.

Tarook squared his shoulders. He cupped my chin, raising my gaze to his.

“If I could stop your abduction, I would do so without hesitation. Even if it meant we would never meet.”

The look in his eyes made my heart break a little. "You're going to need to go back a little farther than that, Tarook.”

“I don’t understand.” He tucked an errant strand of my hair behind my ear, trailing comforting … and enticing fingertips along my jaw and across my shoulder.

The light post at the end of the street made Tarook’s eyes gleam like molten gold. It would be easy to lay my mood at the feet of homesickness. But I knew lying to him would be impossible.

“You’ve heard the villagers talk about the children coming on the Bardaga?" I asked, stepping closer to him as a chill crept along the breeze.

“Yes, most seem happy for the arrival of the younglings.”

“I hope so,” I murmured, then hesitated. The only person who knew my truth took it to his grave. I knew Tarook would be as trustworthy. I needed to tell him. The secret weighed on my heart like a stone. "I was like the children on the Bardaga. An orphan.”