Page 41 of Auctioned to the Convicts
“You surprised me, and I didn’t know you then.”
He slammed his hand through his hair. “Now you know too much about me.”
She stepped close, really close, as she pulled his hand down. Her scent teased him—did more than tease him, to be honest. Something about her reminded him of the giant umla flowers that grew on the southern slope of the mountain. Full of presence, beauty, and grace. Maybe he could leave the lab early, find a few umla for her before the mountain path became too treacherous.
“I could use a hug right now,” she said. “If you’re still offering.”
He reached out and traced a single finger along her cheek. “Are you sure?”
He wasn’t as brawny as Ky’Li or even Vaughn and Ren. He had his share of muscles from slicing through the thickest parts of the jungle in search of new plant species, but he also had his share of problems. Namely, Flight.
She placed her head against his chest, tentative, but then her arms wrapped around his back. Her head came up to his shoulder, making it easy to rest his cheek against her soft hair and inhale her scent. He did just that, breathing her in deep.
She smelled better than any flower in the jungle. Indeed, she was a flower, a precious flower on a planet of mud that would suffocate her in time if he and the others weren’t careful.
Who was he fooling? He could barely keep his head above the mud. He had to get his shit together and stay away from Flight. This hug, as incredible as it was, would be his last if he used again.
After letting him hold her, she tilted her head back to look at him. “My shift starts in an hour. Perhaps we can talk later?”
“Or now. I’ll walk you to the transport station in West Side.”
“That would be great. I keep getting turned around in the jungle. I’ve been late to shift twice already and my manager, Conway, has threatened to give me twice as much overtime as my shifts. I don’t like being there longer than I have to be.”
“Let me guess. Vaughn’s maps are only so good when one tree looks like the next and the vines constantly cover the path to our house?”
“Yes. I guess I don’t have a good sense of direction.”
“Just stick to the trails that have an actual path and you’ll be fine. I’ll show you an easy path from her to one of the main trails. It will take you a little longer, but you won’t get lost.”
She gifted him with a smile. After she tossed some dried maddis meat and paddadou into a bag, they headed out.
“Where did you get the paddadou?”
“The what?”
“The citrus.” He pointed to the yellow-green fruit in her bag. “Tastes like a cross between a lemon and the sardou we import from Barlis. It’s not a food the commissary usually provides.”
“Oh, I didn’t know what it’s called. I found a cluster on a tree beyond Ren’s fence.”
“Did you know it was safe?” Paddadou were safe, but vardou, a similar-looking fruit, was deadly.
“No, I just took it.” Her face fell. “I guess I wasn’t thinking.”
“Why would you pick a random fruit and not ask me? Botany is my specialty.” Because she didn’t trust him. Few people trusted a person who gave in to Flight.
“I said I wasn’t thinking.” She straightened her back, picked up her pace, and sailed past him.
He had to jog to catch up to her. “You said we’re a unit. That means we can rely on one another, right?”
“I’ll ask next time,” she said, her tone rather clipped.
He grabbed her arm and swung her around. Green eyes flared. She didn’t like being touched, not by him. He released her hand and held his palms up.
She gnawed on her lip and said nothing. She was holding back.
“I get it, Hannah. You don’t trust me, and with good cause.”
“I’m not afraid.”
