Page 55 of Cosmic Captain

I snorted. “He means Mindy wouldn’t forgive him, and he’s a doting older brother who loves his younger brothers.”

Don flicked me with his tail, and I grinned at him.

Any tension in Teddy vanished. He set Pookie down, and she bolted toward me. I crouched down, letting go of Don but silently asking him to hold onto me with his tail, which he did, and held out a hand. Her little pig snout twitched and her curly tail wagged. I smiled. She was rather cute when she wasn’t acting like a creature from a horror movie who would suck my brains out. I petted her head, and her odd eyes closed as she snorted.

“I like her,” I whispered. I hadn’t had a pet in so long. I missed it.

“Me too,” Teddy replied, moving to crouch on her other side. We both petted and stroked Pookie while she accepted every little morsel of affection. “I couldn’t imagine leaving her on that icy planet. Thankfully, we didn’t have to.”

“There you are,” a voice snarled, and I flinched.

Teddy was up in a flash and running away with Pookie at his side. Mindy growled and raced after him.

I swallowed, watching them disappear.

Don grabbed my hand again. “Serlotminden will never harm Bartholomew, and the exercise is good for him. He needs to rebuild his muscles.”

While Don didn’t remark on my own physique, he did run his eyes over me. I crossed my arms and lifted an eyebrow, daring him to comment.

He smiled. “I was thinking about how well you look today.”

Heat slammed my cheeks. I’d picked out this black sundress and fishnet tights hoping he would like them.

With a quirk of his lips, Don stepped closer. His free hand tugged on the hem of my dress. “Do all people wear such clothes?”

“Why?”

“Curiosity. Seth, Caleb, and Bartholomew don’t dress as you do.”

“I’m more femme than most cis guys.”

He blinked.

“Feminine,” I reiterated. “I’m not a woman, nor do I want to be one, and I’m not trans femme, but I like soft things and dressing like this.” I shrugged, not sure how to exactly explain it.

“I like it.”

Once again, heat returned to my face. I pushed him slightly. “If you’re not careful, I’ll let your compliments go to my head.”

Don only moved closer, leaving very little space between us, and not even a tinge of fear plagued me. He was Don; what was there to be afraid of?

He lowered his head, his breath rushing over me as he said, “I think you should let it go straight to your lovely head, Little Warrior.”

“Should I?”

“Indeed.”

I swallowed. “I’m already dripping in ego. I could get worse.”

Lips almost touching my ear, he whispered, “And I’ll still be right here beside you, telling you how lovely I find you.”

Pulse in my throat and dick hardening, I simply pulled Don into a hug in the middle of the damn hallway and hid my burning face from anyone who happened to wander by.

Chapter 19

Did I see a cat?

The station was a cylinder with a thick ring around the center that had huge pylons for ships to dock on. We wouldn’t see more than this shopping area, and that was perfectly fine with me. I clung to Seth as we walked around the busy station. My eyes were wide as I glanced around. Aliens I’d never seen before and some familiar species filled the space.

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