geographical area. Is this more comfortable?”
“Yes. Papa? I’m scared,” Skylar said softly, crossing her legs underneath her and rubbing her aching ankle and eyeing the large gash on her foot. It was healing remarkably fast, probably due to Tralec’s horrid injection. “I look at you and can’t believe this is real. It still feels too much like a freaky dream. My perfect dream becoming a reality, and I don’t know what to do with it. I really need a friend right now, Papa… Troy.” She innocently gazed up at him.
Troy frowned, eyeing her carefully. “I need to tell you that I am concerned regarding your sudden compliance, Skylar. If you are trying to build my ability to trust you and I discover that you plan to betray that trust, it will not be wise.”
“How could you say such a thing? That is very hurtful,” Skylar demanded, forcing crocodile tears to her eyes. Damn! Once again, he was on to her.
“Because I suspect that human nature is not unlike that of any other sentient being. I do not want to have to punish you, but I will. And Tralec… he will be even harsher than I. He does not seem to be bothered by your leaking as I am.”
“I’m offended by your insinuations,” Skylar pouted, crossing her arms. “You are worse than Paul was, you heartless, selfish jerk!”
Troy wrinkled his brow, checked the definition of her terms, and sighed as he hauled his large body off the ground and walked away from her. Skylar watched him, a twinge of guilt twiddling inside of her chest. She was his captive! Why would she feel bad for hurting his feelings?
Several minutes passed and Troy sat on the ground, his back to her, and absently plucked pieces of grass. Skylar looked around. There was nowhere to go, no place to run—and honestly, she did not want to go anywhere. She felt a certain contentment being in this place with her massive companion. She slowly rose, easing her weight on her tender ankle and hobbled over to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck from behind, she kissed his cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “Please forgive me. That was very cruel, and you did not deserve it.”
“I have no response to your words,” Troy said quietly, not turning his face in the direction of her lips.
Skylar sidled onto his huge lap and forced herself under his arm to make him hold her. “You respond by saying you forgive me and then we forget about how nasty I was.”
“I have so much to learn about your culture. I must ask Tralec about these things.”
“No! Please don’t.”
“Why should I not? Would he find your statement to be punishable?”
Skylar hesitated to answer. She knew that her best strategy would be to find a way to turn the two men against each other, yet, she felt conflicted. Plus, she could not deny the affect their pheromones had on her, making her dizzy with want for both their bodies and their attention. No human man had ever made her feel the way these aliens did. “I don’t know. It depends on how he interprets those books he thinks are user manuals. I guess that, yeah, he probably would. What I said was totally uncalled for.”
“I am realizing that you cannot learn to trust us if you see we do not trust you. I have decided to allow you the opportunity to prove I can trust you, Skylar. I will take you to that store and permit you to shop without my assistance. Just know this,” he looked into her eyes with a dark expression that caused her to tremble, “if you, how do you say—blow this? Then I don’t care how Tralec interprets those books. I will, if I may use a phrase I read, blister your bottom like there is no tomorrow.”
Skylar swallowed hard, feeling his hand reach to cradle her backside. She nodded silently and tucked her face against his chest. She had three days remaining to plan before they departed for Calipi. Today, though, would not be her day to escape.
“We should do nonperishables first,” Troy suggested after several minutes of silence.
“Yes. Papa? I’m scared,” Skylar said softly, crossing her legs underneath her and rubbing her aching ankle and eyeing the large gash on her foot. It was healing remarkably fast, probably due to Tralec’s horrid injection. “I look at you and can’t believe this is real. It still feels too much like a freaky dream. My perfect dream becoming a reality, and I don’t know what to do with it. I really need a friend right now, Papa… Troy.” She innocently gazed up at him.
Troy frowned, eyeing her carefully. “I need to tell you that I am concerned regarding your sudden compliance, Skylar. If you are trying to build my ability to trust you and I discover that you plan to betray that trust, it will not be wise.”
“How could you say such a thing? That is very hurtful,” Skylar demanded, forcing crocodile tears to her eyes. Damn! Once again, he was on to her.
“Because I suspect that human nature is not unlike that of any other sentient being. I do not want to have to punish you, but I will. And Tralec… he will be even harsher than I. He does not seem to be bothered by your leaking as I am.”
“I’m offended by your insinuations,” Skylar pouted, crossing her arms. “You are worse than Paul was, you heartless, selfish jerk!”
Troy wrinkled his brow, checked the definition of her terms, and sighed as he hauled his large body off the ground and walked away from her. Skylar watched him, a twinge of guilt twiddling inside of her chest. She was his captive! Why would she feel bad for hurting his feelings?
Several minutes passed and Troy sat on the ground, his back to her, and absently plucked pieces of grass. Skylar looked around. There was nowhere to go, no place to run—and honestly, she did not want to go anywhere. She felt a certain contentment being in this place with her massive companion. She slowly rose, easing her weight on her tender ankle and hobbled over to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck from behind, she kissed his cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “Please forgive me. That was very cruel, and you did not deserve it.”
“I have no response to your words,” Troy said quietly, not turning his face in the direction of her lips.
Skylar sidled onto his huge lap and forced herself under his arm to make him hold her. “You respond by saying you forgive me and then we forget about how nasty I was.”
“I have so much to learn about your culture. I must ask Tralec about these things.”
“No! Please don’t.”
“Why should I not? Would he find your statement to be punishable?”
Skylar hesitated to answer. She knew that her best strategy would be to find a way to turn the two men against each other, yet, she felt conflicted. Plus, she could not deny the affect their pheromones had on her, making her dizzy with want for both their bodies and their attention. No human man had ever made her feel the way these aliens did. “I don’t know. It depends on how he interprets those books he thinks are user manuals. I guess that, yeah, he probably would. What I said was totally uncalled for.”
“I am realizing that you cannot learn to trust us if you see we do not trust you. I have decided to allow you the opportunity to prove I can trust you, Skylar. I will take you to that store and permit you to shop without my assistance. Just know this,” he looked into her eyes with a dark expression that caused her to tremble, “if you, how do you say—blow this? Then I don’t care how Tralec interprets those books. I will, if I may use a phrase I read, blister your bottom like there is no tomorrow.”
Skylar swallowed hard, feeling his hand reach to cradle her backside. She nodded silently and tucked her face against his chest. She had three days remaining to plan before they departed for Calipi. Today, though, would not be her day to escape.
“We should do nonperishables first,” Troy suggested after several minutes of silence.
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