Page 7 of Forbidden Desires

“Where are we going?” She was being too docile. Yes, she thought, being punished was justified, but that didn’t mean she had to be docile. Hell, why wasn’t she kicking and screaming like a normal person?

“Because you’re tired.”That part of her brain loved to talk to her.

She was tired, something that couldn’t be denied.

“Does it matter?” He didn’t say that to her, did he?

What a way to realize she didn’t know the answer to the question. Did it matter? Her brain ran around like a mouse in a maze trying to figure it out. They stepped out onto a new level. This one also had solid walls, but the floor was a solid piece that looked like it took time and care to achieve the exquisitely designed pattern. She couldn’t decipher the pattern, but knew intricate artwork when she saw it. The floor was beautiful, which drew her eyes to the walls again. There was a faint pattern that was reminiscent of the pattern on the floor. There were four doors on this level. He went to the one that was the largest and opened it.

“Oh, hell no!” Amelia yelled.

Chapter Four

“Iam not your bitch! I don’t care how big you are or how impossibly wide and detailed your muscles look in that shirt. You will have to rape me! There’s no way I’m sleeping with you.” Amelia raged before balling up her fist and pounding on Zylar’s chest.

He waited for her fight to fizzle out before picking her up, throwing her over his shoulder, entering the room, and dropping her on the couch. He stood over her with his feet planted and his arms crossed over his muscular chest. Then he started talking in Diza language.

Amelia reached her breaking point and started screaming. “Kill me already. You know I can’t understand that language. Speak English, you’re in America!’ In the back of her mind, she knew she sounded like so many people she passed on the street downgrading those speaking in their native languages because it was more comfortable to them, or they were holding a private conversation that wasn’t for prying ears. She knew she sounded bigoted. It was like she was saying this means that if you come tomy country, I need to know what you’re saying when you’re not addressing me. She couldn’t seem to help herself and hated it. This wasn’t her.

“Wrong. We’re on a Diza ship Where I’ll be talking my native language. There is nothing Americanized on this ship other than you. Until I decide to put you out of your misery, you’ll agree to be injected with a translator chip or you’ll be left out of the conversation. Warning: if I tell you to do something and you don’t, I will warm your rear end.”

Every bit of bluster went out of her as she sank into the sofa. “Did you just threaten to spank me? My parents never did that.”

“Your wise book says spare the rod and spoil the child.” She opened her mouth and closed it, looking like a fish trying to breathe out of the water.

“I refuse to ask you where you heard that. You’re sadistic.” She pulled herself up, straightening her shoulders. “Kill me! I will not allow your pollutants in my body. I don’t want to know what you’re saying. I’m American and will only speak English like a good citizen.” Proud to be an American was running through her mind. She stood and stiffly saluted the imaginary flag of the USA that was in front of her.

“Have it your way. When I walk out of this door, I will no longer be speaking in English, and neither will anyone else on this ship.”

“You can’t leave me here alone.”

“I can’t stay. How will I ever keep myself from raping you?” He left, leaving Amelia with the feeling he was making fun of her. She jeered when he left. If he thought she was going to be sitting here naked and waiting for him, he had another thought coming.

She wandered around, realizing she was in an outer room. There was a couch. She only knew what it was because there was one in Bella’s house. It didn’t sit on the floor, it just hovered. Bella loved it because there was an uninterrupted floor for herroomba. Which she also loved. Her cousin was strange now that she thought about it.

There were several pictures on the walls. One looked like SaKura, Rahka, and Zylar together. They were younger and there was a vehicle behind them that reminded her of the cruiser he used to kidnap her. They were smiling, and she wasn’t sure, but behind them maybe that was the equivalent of an American mall or a place for the young to hang out. She shook her head. She’d been getting lost in the picture and the looks of happiness on their faces.

There were pictures of what had to be Diza. It looked like a picture of a city with floating buildings and houses. There was a picture of space. It was calming and beautiful. She could see stars and what reminded her of the end of a spaceship when it went into hyper-warp. Sue her. She was a Trekkie, like her cousins.

The first door went to a bathroom. Not that she was sure how to use it. The door on the other side of the cabin led to a bedroom. It looked like a double bed from her point of view. It too was hovering over the floor, but like all the other furniture, it seemed to be stable. No matter how hard she pushed, there was no movement. Also, she noted that if she hit a button on the bed, a force field came up. It must have been to make sure he didn’t fly out of bed at a sudden stop. Did spaceships make sudden stops? What was there in space to run into?”

She wasn’t interested because she wasn’t staying. Amelia marched herself to the door and then slowed down, pressing where Zylar pressed. The door silently slid open. She crept to the edge, looking out. When she didn’t see anyone, she knew that was the perfect time to escape.

Her feet were hot. Nope, hot wasn’t the right word. They were boiling inside her slip-ons with the rubber soles. She knelt and felt the floor. It was warm. She touched the sole of her shoe,smothering a yelp when her finger burned. Sticking the finger in her mouth, she toed her shoes off and sighed. The heat on her feet felt good. No shoes needed.

Realizing that no one had come out of the surrounding cabins, she quickly made her way to the lift and pressed the down button, thinking they had to come up when they got here. All she had to do was find the hangar the ship was parked in, sneak on board, and give it commands in English. Zylar had spoken in English and the ship responded. She’d have it take her to some tropical beach where she could live the rest of her life in a monster-free paradise. All alone, without love or her cousins. It’ll be great, she told herself, daring that voice in her head to contradict her.

What floor had they been on when they stepped on the lift? She wasn’t sure, so she pressed what she hoped was the lowest level. That’s where any sane, reasonable person would park a cruiser, right? Of course, he threatened to spank her. Sane and reasonable didn’t seem to be in his wheelhouse. She shivered with dread when she thought about his large hand coming down over one globe of her ass. That was most definitely dread and not a tingle of desire. She was not a bad girl asking for a spanking and he wasn’t a daddy monster, but he could be.

She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the lift to come to a stop. When it slowed nowhere near the level she pushed, she drew herself taunt. The door opened, allowing one of those purple monsters to come in. She rushed out and ran down the hallway, hoping she wasn’t being chased. She stopped when she turned the corner. Her hand went to her knees as she bent over and struggled to breathe. No one was chasing her. What next? Find another lift and get on it, then make her way to the hangar.

Amelia had this. She wanted to dance, but needed to conserve energy. She went down two more hallways and around several corners, getting helplessly lost before she found another lift. Asmile tilted her lip. This was in the bag. She’d go to bed with the cool ocean breeze cradling her body and the sounds of the waves singing her a lullaby. Let’s not forget the tropical nightcap which she deserved after all she’d been through, and it was the same day.

Her finger punched the button repeatedly before the door to the lift opened. Finally, she was ready to blow this popsicle stand.

***

Zylar was standing on the bridge, watching Amelia repeatedly punch the button for the lift.

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