cautioned.
"Aw, Mom!" Larry complained. "We know all about Dragus."
"Yeah, he's that guard who's got the hots for Earth women," Moe said.
"Who told you that?" Jack demanded.
Moe looked at her as though she'd lost her mind. "Dragus," he replied. "Who'd you think?"
Jack shook her head ruefully. "The things you kids have been exposed to! Maybe I should have left you on Earth to be raised by my parents."
"Yeah, right," Larry chuckled. "No way would Grandma ever be able to put up with us."
"She told you that?"
"Sure did," Larry said with a nod of his curly head. "Said she didn't want to be responsible for a bunch of precocious boys." Larry seemed puzzled, adding, "What's precocious mean, anyway?"
"That's an English word which means that you're advanced for your age," Jack replied, "which is certainly true. I don't know many seven-year-olds who could do what you guys do. Must be a Zetithian thing."
"Nope. It's the Terran/Zetithian cross," Moe said knowledgeably. "'Least that's what Dad said."
"He only said that because he wants me to feel like I had something to do with it,"
Jack said roundly. "Don't believe everything he tells you." For her part, it was difficult not to take everything Cat said as the gospel truth. One glimpse of his long, lean body and beckoning smile would have her buying bridges in Brooklyn and lakes on Darconia in no time. Good thing he was so honest...
"I have never lied to our children," Cat insisted, his black eyes flashing with indignation. "They are very intelligent, and I believe it is because of you."
"I know you think that, Cat," Jack said impatiently, "and neither of us are what you'd call stupid, but I wasn't flying a ship at that age."
"Did you have the opportunity?" Cat countered. Moving closer, his eyes began to glow and Jack had no doubt that this was one disagreement he was going to win.
"Well, no," Jack admitted. "I don't suppose I did, but--"
"I have no doubt that you could have," her husband said firmly. "Therefore it is no surprise to me that our children can."
Jack's eyes narrowed. "You're sweet-talking me again, Kittycat. You want
something, don't you?"
Cat smiled wickedly. "Can you doubt it?" he said, beginning to purr.
"Maybe later," she said with a grin. Actually, there was no "maybe" about it. Jack knew he would work his magic on her just as he always did. He was completely
irresistible, and he knew it. Damn him.
Larry and Moe returned to their stations giggling. They knew a whole lot more
than their parents thought they did.
***
Trag sat down at the dinner table feeling slightly unsure about the meal he'd
prepared. In a fit of pique, Hidar had not only refused to fix dinner but had also refused to explain what was what in the galley, so in some cases, Trag was forced to make a guess.
"I can't wait to get to Darconia," Rodan said, sitting down next to Micayla, who shifted away from him slightly. Though Rodan's stench had improved considerably since the ladies joined the crew--a side effect for which Trag was extremely grateful--Micayla obviously wasn't longing for a closer relationship, no matter what Rodan might have in mind.
"And why is that?" Micayla asked, cocking her head toward him. "Got a thing for big, scaly lizards?"
"No," Rodan replied. "You don't have to wear clothes on Darconia." Leering at her, he added, "And once you see me naked, you'll want me so bad you'll be down on your knees begging."
Micayla let out a sardonic laugh and rolled her eyes. "I doubt it, Rodan, but you can keep dreaming, if you like. I'm just not interested."
Rodan snickered. "You haven't seen me naked."
"And I hope I never do," she said smoothly, "though I'm not sure it would make any difference."
Rodan laughed and dug into his dinner, obviously not the least bit discouraged.
Trag was looking forward to visiting Darconia himself, partly for the chance to
see Kyra again, but mainly for the warmth. He'd spent years wishing for a cooler climate, only to discover that
"Aw, Mom!" Larry complained. "We know all about Dragus."
"Yeah, he's that guard who's got the hots for Earth women," Moe said.
"Who told you that?" Jack demanded.
Moe looked at her as though she'd lost her mind. "Dragus," he replied. "Who'd you think?"
Jack shook her head ruefully. "The things you kids have been exposed to! Maybe I should have left you on Earth to be raised by my parents."
"Yeah, right," Larry chuckled. "No way would Grandma ever be able to put up with us."
"She told you that?"
"Sure did," Larry said with a nod of his curly head. "Said she didn't want to be responsible for a bunch of precocious boys." Larry seemed puzzled, adding, "What's precocious mean, anyway?"
"That's an English word which means that you're advanced for your age," Jack replied, "which is certainly true. I don't know many seven-year-olds who could do what you guys do. Must be a Zetithian thing."
"Nope. It's the Terran/Zetithian cross," Moe said knowledgeably. "'Least that's what Dad said."
"He only said that because he wants me to feel like I had something to do with it,"
Jack said roundly. "Don't believe everything he tells you." For her part, it was difficult not to take everything Cat said as the gospel truth. One glimpse of his long, lean body and beckoning smile would have her buying bridges in Brooklyn and lakes on Darconia in no time. Good thing he was so honest...
"I have never lied to our children," Cat insisted, his black eyes flashing with indignation. "They are very intelligent, and I believe it is because of you."
"I know you think that, Cat," Jack said impatiently, "and neither of us are what you'd call stupid, but I wasn't flying a ship at that age."
"Did you have the opportunity?" Cat countered. Moving closer, his eyes began to glow and Jack had no doubt that this was one disagreement he was going to win.
"Well, no," Jack admitted. "I don't suppose I did, but--"
"I have no doubt that you could have," her husband said firmly. "Therefore it is no surprise to me that our children can."
Jack's eyes narrowed. "You're sweet-talking me again, Kittycat. You want
something, don't you?"
Cat smiled wickedly. "Can you doubt it?" he said, beginning to purr.
"Maybe later," she said with a grin. Actually, there was no "maybe" about it. Jack knew he would work his magic on her just as he always did. He was completely
irresistible, and he knew it. Damn him.
Larry and Moe returned to their stations giggling. They knew a whole lot more
than their parents thought they did.
***
Trag sat down at the dinner table feeling slightly unsure about the meal he'd
prepared. In a fit of pique, Hidar had not only refused to fix dinner but had also refused to explain what was what in the galley, so in some cases, Trag was forced to make a guess.
"I can't wait to get to Darconia," Rodan said, sitting down next to Micayla, who shifted away from him slightly. Though Rodan's stench had improved considerably since the ladies joined the crew--a side effect for which Trag was extremely grateful--Micayla obviously wasn't longing for a closer relationship, no matter what Rodan might have in mind.
"And why is that?" Micayla asked, cocking her head toward him. "Got a thing for big, scaly lizards?"
"No," Rodan replied. "You don't have to wear clothes on Darconia." Leering at her, he added, "And once you see me naked, you'll want me so bad you'll be down on your knees begging."
Micayla let out a sardonic laugh and rolled her eyes. "I doubt it, Rodan, but you can keep dreaming, if you like. I'm just not interested."
Rodan snickered. "You haven't seen me naked."
"And I hope I never do," she said smoothly, "though I'm not sure it would make any difference."
Rodan laughed and dug into his dinner, obviously not the least bit discouraged.
Trag was looking forward to visiting Darconia himself, partly for the chance to
see Kyra again, but mainly for the warmth. He'd spent years wishing for a cooler climate, only to discover that
Similar Books
