Page 13 of Alien Knight Teddy Bear Troubles

There was no way for her to enter without help. Was Belsaren playing a joke? Greig? A slow grin curved his lips. He’d have their hides.

Taeger’s muscles relaxed. He stepped out from behind the crate and walked around to where he knew Cassie was hidden, expecting her to be alert. Ready. What he found was far more disturbing.

Taeger peered down at the sleeping woman in confusion as she moved slightly. Stretched. Covered in the cloak he’d found her in, he saw just enough of her clothing to realize she was wearing armor.

Soldier’s armor unlike any he’d seen before. He’d been too preoccupied on the Dark Ones’ ship to do a full accounting.

But why was she here? Asleep on the floor?

He knelt next to her shoulder. “Cassie?”

Before she’d blinked, she swung for his head. He caught the feeble attempt at an attack and watched, fascinated, as she blinked awake. The wide panic in her eyes was not an act as she glanced around. Saw him. Relaxed.

He did not let go of her hand.

“Where am I?”

“You are in a secure cargo area. How did you get in here?”

“I don’t know.” She used his hold on her hand as leverage to pull herself into a sitting position, but swayed as if dizzy. He reached out with his other hand to steady her, placing his palm along the curve of her hip, which was a mistake because he didn’t want to hold there. He wanted to explore.

“Are you injured?”

Her gaze was clouded and she looked into his eyes as if in a daze. “I don’t think so. Where am I?”

This would not do. Something was not right. Either she was injured and had not told him, or she was in shock.

Decision made, he didn’t bother to second guess himself. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the shower where warm water still flowed from above. Setting her on her feet, he opened the clasp holding the cloak around her shoulders and watched the fabric pool to the floor. Rather than protest, she placed a hand on his shoulder to steady herself and watched him with dark, sensual eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Searching you for injuries.”

She grinned at him as if drunk. “That’s smart.”

“Is it not?” He made quick work of removing her armor and she did not protest, but stood as if being undressed by a male was an everyday occurrence. The thought made him want to destroy any and every male who had ever touched her as he was doing now. Ruthlessly tamping down the possessive bent his thoughts were taking, he growled instead, “How did you get in here, Cassie?”

She smiled at him. “I found your not-so-secret door and walked right in.”

“Did you?” Her smile was contagious. Seeing her like this, open and trusting, almost...happy, made something inside his chest squeeze until his heart ached. This female was dangerous.

“Walked right in, easy as pie.” She giggled like a little girl as he knelt at her feet so he could remove her boots.

Try as he might, he could not ignore the expanse of soft, naked skin before him. And without doubt, one of his Knights was going to get an earful. There was only one interior door connected to this room, and it was kept locked at all times. One of them had to have helped her make her way inside.

“Do you want a shower?”

“God, yes!” She shoved her way past him, one boot still on, to stand under the warm spray.

“Cassie, your boot.”

“Oh.” She grinned and lifted the foot, wiggling and kicking the offending leg around in an attempt to remove her still tight boot. “It won’t come off.”

If he had any sense at all, he would turn around and walk away. Alert the medical team to come down here and assist her.

Apparently, he had none because he walked into the spray with his own pants and boots still on, knelt at her feet and spent several minutes trying to get the boot off her foot. “Hold still.”

“I am,” she insisted as she stepped back and lifted her face so the water would stream through her hair without blinding her. “Got any shampoo?”

“Indeed.” He stepped away for just long enough to grab the cleanser he and his crew used. He held the bottle out to her. She took it, held it to her nose and made a face that made him want to kiss her.

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