Page 4 of Grumpy Alien Lumberjack
She glanced at him through half-lowered lids.
Or did he?
His features had softened considerably, making him appear more human. Not his eyes, though. They were still bright with a wild light that made her insides flutter.
“How did you walk to the Nexxus when you have such trouble?”
He helped her down the steps and guided her to a fat cushion. Without preamble, he gripped her hips and plopped her upon it. Jeneva gasped and grabbed his forearms as he maneuvered her. The cushion cradled her body as she sank into its amazing comfort.
“I have a forearm crutch that I wear but I lost it when that thing tried to eat me.”
He seemed to think about this. “Forearm crutch. A brace to assist ambulation. Used in twenty-first century medicine on Earth.”
Ah, he had tapped into his implanted translator’s information database. She wasn't aware that the Majaki had the same translator research capabilities as most humans did in the colony.
“That is an outdated device.”
“Yes, I’m very aware.”
Hands on his hips, he looked at her like she was a naughty child. “Why do you use such a useless tool when an implanted femoral mobility device is available?”
She wasn’t going to answer that. Spilling her sob story to her host was pointless. He was taking her back to the colony tomorrow and she would soon be gone from Asemsa.
Tucking her shoulder length blonde hair behind her ears, she willed herself to relax and enjoy the heat from the fire. As if realizing she wasn’t going to answer, he tended to the fire by stirring it with a metal stick.
A delicious scent radiated through the room. She had noticed a faint hint when they had walked in but had been too trepidatious to fully comprehend it.
“That smells like cinnamon!”
An immediate smile spread on her lips. She inhaled deeply. How could that be? "And nutmeg? And... wait." She sniffed again, growing increasingly flummoxed. "It smells exactly like pumpkin pie.”
"What are these things you speak of?"
"Earth spices. But there's no way you'd have—did someone bring Earth spices to Asemsa?"
“Were you not inside the human colony? You would know, yes?”
“I wasn’t…I guess I didn’t notice.”
He tipped his head and looked at her strangely.
“What’s your name?” Subject change, again. “I’m Jeneva.”
“Methic.” He grabbed furs from a chest and a thick cloth that looked like a blanket.
Despite his gruff demeanor, there was something magnetic about him. The way the firelight caught the shades of his skin, the controlled power in every movement, the sharp intelligence in those silver eyes.
She shook her head. Absolutely not. She was not developing an attraction to her grumpy, forest-dwelling captor.
Even if he had saved her life.
Even if he was unfairly handsome.
Methic turned to face her, and she realized he had been watching her watch him. Heat crept up her neck.
"Remove your clothing and get into bed," he said flatly.
Jeneva's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
