Page 8 of Kidnapped from the Paradise Resort

“Honestly, you don’t have to do that,” Kara said uncomfortably. “I really don’t think?—”

“It doesn’t matter what you think—I’m going with you,” he growled. “And you’re not leaving the resort the whole time you’re there.”

“What? But I wanted to go to the beach and the mountains!” Kara protested.

“That’s too damn bad,” J’orn growled. “Promise me you’ll stay inside the walls of your females-only resort or I’ll call Commander Sylvan and ask him to send a long-range shuttle to come pick you up as soon as we touch down in the Paradise Prime port.”

“You wouldn’t do that!” Kara exclaimed. “You wouldn’tdare!”

“Oh yes I fucking would,” he growled in her ear. “I’ll tell him you’re in danger and I saw a stranger eyeing you on the shuttle.”

He shot a meaningful look at Mr. Oatmeal, who was still taking in their conversation with rapt attention.

“Would youpleaseput up the seat divider?” Kara hissed at J’orn. She didn’t dare to try to do it again herself—not after the vibrating incident where she’d almost come in his lap.

“Certainly.” He pushed the right button and the frosted seat divider rose smoothly between their seat and Mr. Oatmeal’s, much to Kara’s relief. But the moment it was up, J’orn spoke in her ear again. “Promise me,” he rumbled. “Promise you’ll stay in the resort. I know you’ll keep your word if you give it to me, Kara—so promise.Now.”

Kara wondered where in the world her formerly pliant and agreeable assistant had learned to be so dominating and demanding! But he was right—if she gave her word, she always did her best to keep it. Reluctantly, she nodded.

“All right. I won’t leave the resort.”

“Good girl,” he growled, much to her surprise. To her further surprise, the words sent a shiver down her spine and she felt her nipples getting hard. What waswrongwith her?

“Excuse me?” she demanded, frowning up at him, trying to cover her confusion. “Did you just call me a ‘good girl?’”

J’orn gave her a lazy grin.

“Yes, I did. You got a problem with that?”

“Well, I hardly think—” she began but just then an announcement came over the overhead com system.

“Attention, ladies and gentlemen, and also to our customers who have no sex or more than one sex,” the pilot’s voice boomed out. “We would like to welcome you aboard this interstellar shuttle with non-stop service to Paradise Prime and inform you that we are about to enter a wormhole. If you’ve never been through a wormhole before, this particular one can be a bit bumpy. Please keep your harnesses fastened and stay in your seats for your safety, comfort, and convenience.”

The com system clicked off and Kara frowned. How bumpy could it be?

“You ever been through a wormhole before?” J’orn asked her.

“Er, no. I’ve never been anywhere but the Mother Ship,” Kara reminded him. “I don’t—Oh!”

Her words ended in a gasp because the shuttle took a massive jolt—as though it had hit a huge bump. It jerked and Kara was flung forward against the harness and then backwards against J’orn’s chest. The blackness of space outside the window suddenly went neon blue and wavy, as though they had dived into an ocean of light.

“Here—I’ve got you.” J’orn’s massive arms came around her, encircling her waist and holding her tight against him. Kara would have protested but she actually needed the extra security—the wormhole wasextremelybumpy!

After what felt like forever—but was probably more like five minutes—the neon blue light that had flooded through the window faded to black and the bumping stopped.

“Ohhh…” Kara sagged in relief. “That wasrough.”

“Yes it was—makes me wonder if that wormhole is in the process of destabilizing,” J’orn growled. “You okay, baby?” he asked her.

It was the second time he’d called her the endearment, but this time Kara didn’t protest. She was grateful he’d been kind enough to hold onto her during the turbulence, which always scared her to death when she was riding in a plane.

“I…I think so,” she murmured. “I’ve just never?—”

“Excuse me, Ma’am, Sir—would you like a beverage or a snack?”

It was the voice of the flight attendant. She was peering over the seat divider, though Kara could only see the third eye in the center of her forehead.

“Er, no thank you,” she said politely. She was afraid she might have to pee if she drank anything and it would besoawkward to ask J’orn to lift her over Mr. Oatmeal and then lift her back into his lap again.

---