The Sylph Hunter by L. J. McDonald Page B

One-Eleven grinned even wider, lounging in the chair as if it were a throne. He didn’t seem to care at all that everyone was staring at him, or perhaps he felt in some fashion that it was his due. Either way, he was confident and strong, everything she didn’t feel she could be, standing there with her tray clutched to her breast and not knowing if she’d still have a job in the next hour.
    “What are you doing here?” she whispered a little frantically. Ilaja was serving another of her tables nearby, glaring jealously at Zalia.
    One-Eleven’s grin didn’t even flicker. “I finished the job I was assigned and I wanted to see you. So I came by. You don’t mind, do you?”
    What was she supposed to say to that? Zalia didn’t know what to even think. She just knew there was a warmth puddling in her belly at the sight of him and suddenly the memory of Devon was far away. She felt guilt at that, but One-Eleven was just so suddenly and overwhelmingly there that she couldn’t think of anything else except him and how he was making her breasts tingle. At that thought, she remembered how he’d found her bathing at the stable and the warmth of him against her back and buttocks as he cupped her breast and prepared to take her virginity.
    She’d never keep her job acting this way, she realized frantically, suddenly angry at him for adding this stress on top of the fears she already had. “You can’t be here,” she hissed at him. He blinked. “You’ll ruin everything!”
    “How?” he asked, sounding reasonably and, unfortunately, loud. “I just wanted to see you.”
    Zalia’s voice had been quiet, only carrying to One-Eleven, but his still came out at a normal volume and Zalia flushed as she realized what it looked like—her snubbing a customer right in the restaurant. Ilaja sniffed and stepped up beside her, shouldering her aside. “Well, if you can’t at least be nice to a valued customer,” she said, “I’ll have to help him.” She turned her smile on One-Eleven. “How can I help you…”
    Her voice trailed off. One-Eleven was glaring at her in silence, his body language suddenly tense and angry. The very way he held himself was both a threat and a promise. He looked straight into Ilaja’s eyes without blinking and she squeaked, suddenly backing away.
    What did he make her feel? Zalia wondered in amazement and looked back at him. One-Eleven still glared at Ilaja, but when Zalia turned to him, he flickered his eyes at her for a moment and gave her a brief smile that started all the warmth up inside her again.
    She sagged. “You have to order something to stay here,” she told him.
    “Oh, okay. I can do that.”
    A sudden thought occurred to her. “Do you have any money?” she asked.
    “No.”
    Zalia hugged her tray tighter, trying to think. Maybe she could convince him to meet her later, after her shift ended, if she still had a job. But if she did that, what was to prevent him from trying to seduce her? Did she even have the strength to stop him again? Just the thought of it had her throbbing with needs that didn’t care how ready for it all she might actually be. Part of her wanted him inside her and it didn’t care about anything else.
    One-Eleven studied her, tilting his beautiful head to one side to regard her while his smile continued to play around his lips. Oh yes, she thought with something that might have been excitement as much as it was despair. He’d have her if he came on her alone again.
    Ilaja tapped her shoulder and she jumped. Zalia hadn’t been aware of the woman leaving or coming back, but she’d regained her composure. “Orlil wants to see you inside,” she said with a smirk.
    Zalia’s heart sank. Of course Orlil would show up now; he couldn’t have possibly seen her in a worse light than standing in the middle of the patio, ignoring all her customers while she stared at one man as though she wanted to tear his clothes off.
    “What’s wrong?” One-Eleven asked, his