Read Online Taken (Warriors of Karal Book 3) by Harmony Raines - Free Book Online

stars,” he said, his body softening as he began to talk, and flashes of colour, reds and golds, swept across his face like ripples of water.
    “I would like that.” She wanted to add how happy it made her to think that their child, when born, would be lucky enough to live in a world filled with wonder, but she didn’t. She didn’t want to remind herself, or him, that the son they would share had to be conceived first.
    And when he opened the door to his room, which was a small suite of rooms, consisting of a bed-sitting room, a kitchen diner, and a bathroom, she wondered whether by the time she left here in the morning, she would already be pregnant.
    “Food,” he said. “You must be starving.”
    “Yes, I am,” she said. “I’d also like to try to dry my clothes too.”
    “There is a dryer in the bathroom. It is meant for drying your body, but the warm air it blows will be equally good for drying your clothes.” He opened the door to the small bathroom, and showed her how it worked.
    “And is this a shower?” she asked.
    “Yes, it works in the same way as the decon’, or you can use water.”
    “Would you mind?” she asked, “if I had a hot shower, and washed my hair, the decon’ has left me feeling … dirty.”
    “Of course.” He stood still and then realised she was waiting for him to leave. “I’ll go and prepare our food. Is there anything particular you like to eat?”
    “Everything here is different to Earth, so surprise me,” she said.
    Malik smiled. “OK, I will cook something, and you can tell me if you like it.” He looked pleased with the idea, and Chrissi was reminded that this was what it would be like if they were on a real date. They would go out for dinner, and then—well, a lot of women had one-night stands, that’s how she needed to look at this.
    But first, she wanted to be clean, and dry. Stripping off the overalls, she placed them on the floor, and then stepped into the shower. The water began to spray down on her, and she tilted her head back to let it wash over her face. Next, she shampooed her hair, taking her time to smell the tangy, orange-like scent of the soap. If the food tasted half as good as this smelt, it would be wonderful.
    By the time she had got out of the shower and let the warm air dry her, just as it had dried off her clothes, she felt happier, more relaxed. And starving!
    Opening the bathroom door, she headed along the small corridor, keeping her eyes averted from the bed as she entered the sitting area. His food certainly smelt as good as she hoped, and her mouth watered. For most of her life she had lived on sim food, never able to afford the real thing; even in Saviour, they were rarely given proper food. It was all reconstituted muck that all looked and tasted the same, but had all the nutrients and calories needed to survive.
    “I feel human again,” she said, and was pleased when he looked up and a green shadow crept across his face. Yes, she could imagine this was just a date, and they were a normal couple. Malik took a leisurely look at her body, his face showing his approval of her generous curves, while she took in an approving glance at his toned body encased in casual clothes that made him look as if he was from a hippy commune.
    But man, did he carry off natural cotton fibres in a way that made every piece of fabric flow with his muscles. She could see his abs rippling as he reached up for plates, and his biceps bulge when he pulled the cork out of a bottle, which she hoped might be wine, or anything vaguely alcoholic that might give her some courage.
    “Sit, please,” he said, and she did as he asked, while he placed a plate in front of her, filled with what looked like root vegetables and some kind of meat. Leaning forward, she inhaled. “Oh my goodness, that smells so good I hate to eat it.”
    “But that is the point of food,” he said sagely.
    Her smiled widened. “Yes, it is. But sometime the anticipation can be better than