“We have to talk about it, you know.”
“Hm. I’m handling Tark. He’s not the only one with friends in low places.”
She sighed. “You’re not going to tell me not to worry my pretty head, are you?”
“Could I get away with that?” he asked hopefully, then laughed when she swatted him. “Okay, I’ll give. We’re going to have a honeymoon, just like nothing is bad in the universe. After that, I’m going to leave you with some friends and go take care of the problem. Shouldn’t take me more than a week or two. You want to look at houses after that? I know a nice little planet in the Zapas solar system—“
She sat up and looked at him. “What does ‘taking care of the problem’ entail?”
“I don’t want to bore you,” he said with false humility.
Her eyes narrowed. “Bore me.”
He blinked at her.
“You’re an ex-assassin, not a god. I don’t want you hurt,” she warned him.
“Note taken,” he said, and kissed her.
Blast the man. She was never going to win an argument if he kept that up.
* * * *
“Come on. I’m going to introduce you to the local shopping scene.” Fred bounded up from the couch and pulled on his clothes. Lovemaking seemed to supercharge him.
Jay lay there, drowsy with satisfaction. She might be too tender to make love as often as Fred wanted, but it hadn’t stopped him from mapping her body with his mouth and hands as often as he liked. She had whisker burns in unmentionable places, places he’d gladly soothed with a healing balm. He’d also taught her to return the favor with the result that she was now unwilling to stir from the couch.
A girl could only take so much.
Fred playfully slapped her bare bottom, then lingered over the spot. “If you’re smart, woman, you’ll get me away from anything horizontal...or vertical...or semi-private for the next while. Maybe the next few years.”
She groaned and rolled off the couch. “Okay, but you’re going to have to carry me. My legs are jelly.”
He grinned and tossed her a shirt.
Chapter Ten
A week ago she wouldn’t have believed she would be walking down an alien boulevard, her arm around her equally exotic lover. Correction, husband. She laughed with disbelief. She didn’t even know what species he was. The whole street had the feeling of a carnival. A squat alien to their left was dressed in a stiff, large ruffled collar and pointy hat, selling bubbles on a string, like iridescent balloons. Venders hawked food from gaily painted carts with enormous, decorative wheels. Glowing pink, purple and blue butterflies the size of a giant lollipop fluttered around like Japanese lanterns on the move. Topiary bushes mixed with trees in shades of pink, white, and mauve. It was all so extraordinary, and yet so wonderful.
“What’s so funny?” Fred asked, nuzzling her ear.
She giggled at the tickle. “I was wondering what species you were. Are you human, like me? I mean, I know you’re not a Vulcan, and you can’t be whatever Tasin is.”
“Tasin and Lezza are Exians. My race is called the Sado.” He stepped around a creature that looked like a sawed off werewolf.
“Do all your people have silver eyes, or is it rare?”
“It used to be fairly common. Silver blue, rust, or amber also show up. Sometimes green, but that’s usually linked to alien blood.”
Fascinated, she asked, “What about hair color?”
“Black, browns and red.” His brows drew together slightly. “Here we are. I thought you’d like to check out a music store.”
Distracted from his frown, Jay ogled the instruments, some so oddly shaped she wasn’t sure what their function was. They had some stringed instruments, but none quite like her guitar. What fascinated her, though, was a small pan pipe. Shaped like a Y, it was covered in elegant scrollwork. When she blew in it, it sang out like a soulful human voice, but in a register she’d never heard. Amazed, she stared at it. “Wow! I love to hear some music written for
“Hm. I’m handling Tark. He’s not the only one with friends in low places.”
She sighed. “You’re not going to tell me not to worry my pretty head, are you?”
“Could I get away with that?” he asked hopefully, then laughed when she swatted him. “Okay, I’ll give. We’re going to have a honeymoon, just like nothing is bad in the universe. After that, I’m going to leave you with some friends and go take care of the problem. Shouldn’t take me more than a week or two. You want to look at houses after that? I know a nice little planet in the Zapas solar system—“
She sat up and looked at him. “What does ‘taking care of the problem’ entail?”
“I don’t want to bore you,” he said with false humility.
Her eyes narrowed. “Bore me.”
He blinked at her.
“You’re an ex-assassin, not a god. I don’t want you hurt,” she warned him.
“Note taken,” he said, and kissed her.
Blast the man. She was never going to win an argument if he kept that up.
* * * *
“Come on. I’m going to introduce you to the local shopping scene.” Fred bounded up from the couch and pulled on his clothes. Lovemaking seemed to supercharge him.
Jay lay there, drowsy with satisfaction. She might be too tender to make love as often as Fred wanted, but it hadn’t stopped him from mapping her body with his mouth and hands as often as he liked. She had whisker burns in unmentionable places, places he’d gladly soothed with a healing balm. He’d also taught her to return the favor with the result that she was now unwilling to stir from the couch.
A girl could only take so much.
Fred playfully slapped her bare bottom, then lingered over the spot. “If you’re smart, woman, you’ll get me away from anything horizontal...or vertical...or semi-private for the next while. Maybe the next few years.”
She groaned and rolled off the couch. “Okay, but you’re going to have to carry me. My legs are jelly.”
He grinned and tossed her a shirt.
Chapter Ten
A week ago she wouldn’t have believed she would be walking down an alien boulevard, her arm around her equally exotic lover. Correction, husband. She laughed with disbelief. She didn’t even know what species he was. The whole street had the feeling of a carnival. A squat alien to their left was dressed in a stiff, large ruffled collar and pointy hat, selling bubbles on a string, like iridescent balloons. Venders hawked food from gaily painted carts with enormous, decorative wheels. Glowing pink, purple and blue butterflies the size of a giant lollipop fluttered around like Japanese lanterns on the move. Topiary bushes mixed with trees in shades of pink, white, and mauve. It was all so extraordinary, and yet so wonderful.
“What’s so funny?” Fred asked, nuzzling her ear.
She giggled at the tickle. “I was wondering what species you were. Are you human, like me? I mean, I know you’re not a Vulcan, and you can’t be whatever Tasin is.”
“Tasin and Lezza are Exians. My race is called the Sado.” He stepped around a creature that looked like a sawed off werewolf.
“Do all your people have silver eyes, or is it rare?”
“It used to be fairly common. Silver blue, rust, or amber also show up. Sometimes green, but that’s usually linked to alien blood.”
Fascinated, she asked, “What about hair color?”
“Black, browns and red.” His brows drew together slightly. “Here we are. I thought you’d like to check out a music store.”
Distracted from his frown, Jay ogled the instruments, some so oddly shaped she wasn’t sure what their function was. They had some stringed instruments, but none quite like her guitar. What fascinated her, though, was a small pan pipe. Shaped like a Y, it was covered in elegant scrollwork. When she blew in it, it sang out like a soulful human voice, but in a register she’d never heard. Amazed, she stared at it. “Wow! I love to hear some music written for
Similar Books
