left dangling from between his lips. “Suck it up,”
she said. At his perplexed frown, she twirled her spoon around one of the
noodles in her bowl. Deliberately allowing the noodle to dangle from her lips
like his, she drew it slowly into her mouth. “See? Just like that.”
He sucked and the noodle disappeared. “I’m starting to like
your human food,” he acknowledged with a wry grin.
They ate the rest of the noodle, beef and vegetable soup
concoction in shared silence, before she doled out the leftovers between Bonnie
and Leopold.
Placing her empty bowl on the sink, she turned and observed
the dog and cat as they ate. “Look, they’re already friends.” She felt proud
somehow, in the same way a parent would of two bickering children suddenly
playing nicely together.
She closed her eyes for a moment, joy dimming as she
unconsciously pressed a hand to her belly, all too aware of the sudden ache
inside, the void.
“So they are.” Renate’s warm chuckle filled a little of the
emptiness within. And as he placed his bowl and cutlery in the sink with hers
and rinsed them beneath the water, he turned to her and said, “Thank you for
cooking your earth meal. It was very enjoyable.”
The ache disappearing, she didn’t need to force another
smile. His appreciation left her feeling ridiculously pleased. “Technically, I
just heated the food.”
He stepped toward her, his mouth covering hers until tingles
of desire were shooting from her lips to her toes and back. When he finally
drew back he said huskily, “You fed me. All else is irrelevant.”
When she walked back to the pantry, she wondered if she just
might be walking on air, despite the weariness that had descended upon her like
a lead weight. “I think I’ll be getting me some more of that canned food.”
Renate’s voice held amusement, though the topic was all too
serious. “I’m going to search the house, see if there’s anything useful we can
take with us tonight.”
She swung the pantry door closed and turned toward him.
“Tonight?” she breathed. “What about the wild dogs outside?”
“It’s a risk we’ll have to take. Nighttime means there’s
less chance we’ll be seen by my alien brothers, even with the mother ship’s
sensors.”
“Sensors?” she repeated. Though chairs—even a spoon—seemed a
mystery to Renate, she had no doubt the aliens’ technology would be far
superior. They had arrived here from another galaxy, after all.
“Yes.”
A sick feeling inside her gut told her Renate wasn’t telling
her everything. Should the alien ship have found them already? Were the aliens
playing with them?
Renate dipped his head toward the hallway. “I found a locked
cabinet in the study. I’m hoping it holds a gun or some kind of weapon to
better protect us.”
She shuddered. She hated guns, loathed them. But in the
circumstances, there really wasn’t a lot of choice. “You know how to use a
gun?”
He nodded. “We have similar weapons we use to hunt
caltronians.” At her perplexed look he added, “Caltronians are big, ferocious
beasts. They’ve been known to tear even the best hunters in half with a single
swipe of their claws. They also happen to have the most flavorsome meat you
could eat and their red fur makes for the softest bedding.”
Her eyes widened. If the alien males had a similar physique
and strength to Renate, then the beasts must be very big and powerful indeed.
“Even so, I’m pleased we don’t have anything the same on our planet.”
His expression was all fierce adoration. “I’d protect you,
kitten.”
Her chest hurt at his words that were said with absolute
conviction. “I think you just might.” Her chin tilted a little. “Although I
know how to look after myself.”
She’d been alone—and alive—long enough to prove it.
He smiled gently. “You most certainly do.” His eyes narrowed
a little, examining her face. Apparently she looked as bone-weary as she felt.
“Perhaps you
she said. At his perplexed frown, she twirled her spoon around one of the
noodles in her bowl. Deliberately allowing the noodle to dangle from her lips
like his, she drew it slowly into her mouth. “See? Just like that.”
He sucked and the noodle disappeared. “I’m starting to like
your human food,” he acknowledged with a wry grin.
They ate the rest of the noodle, beef and vegetable soup
concoction in shared silence, before she doled out the leftovers between Bonnie
and Leopold.
Placing her empty bowl on the sink, she turned and observed
the dog and cat as they ate. “Look, they’re already friends.” She felt proud
somehow, in the same way a parent would of two bickering children suddenly
playing nicely together.
She closed her eyes for a moment, joy dimming as she
unconsciously pressed a hand to her belly, all too aware of the sudden ache
inside, the void.
“So they are.” Renate’s warm chuckle filled a little of the
emptiness within. And as he placed his bowl and cutlery in the sink with hers
and rinsed them beneath the water, he turned to her and said, “Thank you for
cooking your earth meal. It was very enjoyable.”
The ache disappearing, she didn’t need to force another
smile. His appreciation left her feeling ridiculously pleased. “Technically, I
just heated the food.”
He stepped toward her, his mouth covering hers until tingles
of desire were shooting from her lips to her toes and back. When he finally
drew back he said huskily, “You fed me. All else is irrelevant.”
When she walked back to the pantry, she wondered if she just
might be walking on air, despite the weariness that had descended upon her like
a lead weight. “I think I’ll be getting me some more of that canned food.”
Renate’s voice held amusement, though the topic was all too
serious. “I’m going to search the house, see if there’s anything useful we can
take with us tonight.”
She swung the pantry door closed and turned toward him.
“Tonight?” she breathed. “What about the wild dogs outside?”
“It’s a risk we’ll have to take. Nighttime means there’s
less chance we’ll be seen by my alien brothers, even with the mother ship’s
sensors.”
“Sensors?” she repeated. Though chairs—even a spoon—seemed a
mystery to Renate, she had no doubt the aliens’ technology would be far
superior. They had arrived here from another galaxy, after all.
“Yes.”
A sick feeling inside her gut told her Renate wasn’t telling
her everything. Should the alien ship have found them already? Were the aliens
playing with them?
Renate dipped his head toward the hallway. “I found a locked
cabinet in the study. I’m hoping it holds a gun or some kind of weapon to
better protect us.”
She shuddered. She hated guns, loathed them. But in the
circumstances, there really wasn’t a lot of choice. “You know how to use a
gun?”
He nodded. “We have similar weapons we use to hunt
caltronians.” At her perplexed look he added, “Caltronians are big, ferocious
beasts. They’ve been known to tear even the best hunters in half with a single
swipe of their claws. They also happen to have the most flavorsome meat you
could eat and their red fur makes for the softest bedding.”
Her eyes widened. If the alien males had a similar physique
and strength to Renate, then the beasts must be very big and powerful indeed.
“Even so, I’m pleased we don’t have anything the same on our planet.”
His expression was all fierce adoration. “I’d protect you,
kitten.”
Her chest hurt at his words that were said with absolute
conviction. “I think you just might.” Her chin tilted a little. “Although I
know how to look after myself.”
She’d been alone—and alive—long enough to prove it.
He smiled gently. “You most certainly do.” His eyes narrowed
a little, examining her face. Apparently she looked as bone-weary as she felt.
“Perhaps you
Similar Books
