Page 22 of Retribution
He assisted her in getting back into bed and even went so far as to arrange her pillow vertically behind her back and tuck the covers up to her waist. Then he sat on the edge of the bed and passed her the mug.
“I put Fiahasnsugar in it,” he said, remembering how much she’d liked it the last time he’d added the rare sweetener.
She popped the lid off the mug and inhaled the steam that wafted upward. “Mm. Thank you, General. I believe this will do a fine job of calming my nerves.”
They remained quiet for a while, though there was a bit of strangeness to the silence. She drank her coffee and he watched her. Occasionally she shot him an odd look, and other times she gave him a polite but anxious smile.
“You don’t blink very often,” she said. “It’s one of those differences between our races that I still haven’t gotten used to. Whenever I spend any amount of time around a Kall, I’m always struck by how infrequently your people blink.” She gave him a curious look and he found himself enjoying her interest.
He then made a great show of blinking fast several times, which made her erupt into giggles and nearly spill her coffee. Clutching her stomach in one hand as she laughed, she placed the mug on her bedside table. “You almost made me snort coffee up my nose. That was most cruel of you.” But her voice was teasing andfluxxif he didn’t adore the way her eyes lit up when she laughed.
He reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers, his heart racing in his chest. She met his stare and warmth filled him.
This moment they were sharing didn’t do anything to dull his fascination with her. He wished he didn’t have duties to attend to on his warship, because he longed to stay with her for the entire day. But he would have to leave soon, and before he departed her cell, he very much wished to calm any lingering fears she might harbor.
“Layla,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “I hope you know I’ll never use one of my weapons on you. I swear it on the ancient gods.” He released a long breath. “When I think back to the times I threatened your life, I feel… unsettled.”I’m ashamed. I’m sorry. I wish I’d never done it.Why couldn’t he bring himself to apologize? He swallowed hard, his tongue feeling oddly thick in his mouth.
Layla gave a thoughtful nod and reached for the coffee with her free hand, then took a long sip. He gave her other hand, which he hadn’t yet released, a firm squeeze. Still holding the mug, she settled it on her thigh and peered up at him, a look of confusion stealing over her features.
“Why do you visit me so often, General?” she asked. “Not that I don’t appreciate you bringing me coffee and books and…” Her voice trailed off andfluxxhow he wished to ask if she enjoyed his company, but the fear of her rejection held him back.
He released her hand and rose to his feet, making a show of checking his wrist comm, even though it hadn’t buzzed or beeped. “I have duties on the bridge to which I must attend, human, but I will visit you again soon.” He gave her a warm look. “I will keep bringing you more books and coffee.”And I will keep watching you as you sleep and imagining what it would be like to take you in my arms and press my lips to yours.
Chapter 10
Now that shehad an endless supply of reading material, Layla didn’t spend quite so much time exercising in her cell. She still couldn’t believe General Zamek had provided her with a tablet containing thousands upon thousands of titles, far more than she could hope to read in a lifetime. She also couldn’t believe his promise to never strap her or use an implement on her again.
She noted that he hadn’t specifically promised not to punish her, though, and would be careful not to cross him. She couldn’t fathom any position for her in his household other than as a slave, and slaves on planet Kall were expected to obey their masters or suffer dearly for it. Once they arrived on his planet, she would have to keep her guard up and not forget that her life still rested in the general’s hands.
She flipped through the Kall poetry section on the tablet, her face heating as she thought about the way he’d held her hands, stroked her hair, touched her face and even kinda sorta kissed her forehead that one time. Well, it had felt like a kiss of sorts. He’d pressed his lips to her forehead for a lingering moment and inhaled deeply, as if he were smelling her.
A heated wave rushed through her, settling deep in her core. At some point during this particular conversation, she’d become achy between her thighs. She hadn’t been able to help it. The general’s kindness, in addition to his enticing masculine scent, had overpowered her at the time. Plus, he wasn’t hard on the eyes either. If she were being honest, he was one of the most attractive Kall males she’d ever laid eyes upon.
Her stomach did a small flip as she recalled the unmistakable hardness of his arousal pressing against her stomach. He’d stepped closer to her intentionally, meaning for her to feel his hardness, meaning for her to understand that he desired her.
It was all so crazy and messed up she could scarcely wrap her mind around it. Not long ago, she’d been deathly afraid of him. She still had a healthy fear of him, but there were times when he made her feel safe too. Like when he covered her with his shirt, stroked her hair, or asked her if there was anything she needed to be more comfortable in her cell.
Fortunately, the tablet also contained a clock and a calendar, and she now had no difficulty following the passage of time. Six days had passed since he’d come to her cell, asked her how she was doing, and then returned a few hours later with the handheld super library. And he hadn’t left her alone since then either. At least twice a day, he stopped by the brig to inquire about her wellbeing.
Sometimes when she thought of the general, warmth filled her, and that achiness between her thighs returned too. His attention helped keep the loneliness at bay, and she couldn’t help but wonder if their time together helped him with theemptinesshe’d mentioned.
A noise in the corridor caught her attention, and she set her tablet down and moved to peer out her cell. When General Zamek’s huge form appeared, her heart commenced racing and flutters rose in her tummy. Her mouth also felt weirdly dry, and her palms became sweaty.
Knowing he would probably try to hold her hands at some point, as was his habit, she wiped her palms on her pants and stepped into the center of the room, her pulse thundering in her ears as she awaited his arrival.
To her surprise, he entered her cell carrying a package. She greeted him with a tentative smile and said, “Good morning, General. Welcome to my humble abode.”
One side of his lips curled, ever so slightly, and his eyes gleamed with humor. She’d never seen him smile fully, but she glimpsed a hint of a smile every so often, brief instances when that ever-serious intensity of his would slip, and despite her resolve to keep her guard up, she was starting to treasure such moments.
Who was she kidding? She’d done a piss poor job of keeping her guard up thus far. At this very second, achiness surged in her core and her breath kept hitching. How she could be so infatuated with the general, she had no idea. But the warm gaze he settled on her gave her no doubt that the infatuation went both ways.
Oh God, what was happening?
She was pretty sure Rule Number One for Kall prisoners wasdon’t fall for your captor.
“Good morning, human.” His eyes glittered with excitement and her stupid heart skipped a beat. He looked excited. To seeher.
She quickly reminded herself that not long ago, he’d wished to hurt her, even kill her. And hehadhurt her—he’d hurt her and frightened her badly.
