Page 52 of Jessica's Protector

“Things to cut with.” She makes a motion with her hand, moving her first two fingers together and apart a few times. “You have space travel but not scissors?”

“No?” Quin shrugs. “We have knives, scalpels, slicers, cutters, but scissors?” He begins slicing my shirt from my body, avoiding the burned area. “Never heard of them.”

I breathe in slowly, trying to ignore the pain. He’s good, not pulling on the fused area at all. I think Jessica is gripping my hand hard enough to hurt worse than Quin’s tugging on my shirt as he cuts. I close my eyes, thinking calm thoughts. Babbling brooks, fluffy clouds, happy babies.

Nope. None of them work. Quin’s pulling my shirt from the burn hurts worse than anything I’ve ever felt. A slight grunt escapes me.

Jessica squeezes my hand. “It’s okay, Cinq. You’re doing good.”

I take comfort in her touch, focusing on her instead of my side. Still, each skin cell letting go of the shirt does so with increasing pain.

Quin clears his throat. “Um, I’m going slow to keep from ripping everything apart. Otherwise, this would be a lot faster.”

“It’s fine,” I growl. “Just do what you’ve got to do to heal me.”

He does and keeping quiet uses every ounce of strength I have. Jessica is whispering encouragement, but really? I can’t listen. The pain is too intense. Of all the times for the empire to deactivate my nanos, this is the worst. I take Jessica’s hands with both of my own as the last bit of my shirt is ripped away. All of us sigh.

“Good.” Quin says. “Let’s get some liniment on there and bandage the wound.”

His touch might be gentle but it’s not enough. I open my eyes to see Jessica’s face above mine. “Could you try to give me nanos for the pain?”

“Yes, of course.” After a few seconds, she kisses me. I’m lost in her, my tongue enjoying the touch from hers. The nanos she gives me sparkle like stars before dimming to nothing as whatever the empire infected me with kills them. I sigh, breaking off our kiss. “It’s no use. The emperor is preventing everything. It’s a waste of nanos.”

“Damn it,” Jessica breathes against my mouth. “I’d hoped to help you deal with this.” Straightening, she asks, “What about regular pain medicines? Do you all still have them or are dependent on nanos for everything?”

“Dependent,” I say, adding, “Which I now realize is a bad way to go.” I close my eyes. “I don’t know if I should just stay here or find a bed.”

“Bed,” Nilt says. “Not that I don’t love you on our dinner table, of course.”

I chuckle as motionlessly as I can. “Of course.” I roll over to my good side, letting Jessica help me up. “I think bed sounds great.” I stand and still hold onto her as we go into the bedroom and I sit on the bed. The cooling gel Quin spread on my side helps until I lie back on the mattress. My compressed skin stings before the medicine can dull the pain.

“Are you all right?” my mate asks as she pulls a thin blanket over my legs. “Do you need me to stay with you?”

“No, I’m fine. I just need some healing sleep.” I take her hand, giving her fingertips a kiss. “Go relax and let me rest.”

“All right.” She kisses my forehead. “Call out if you need me. I’ll also be here when it’s time for me to go to bed, too.”

“Looking forward to cuddling you,” I say, exhausting hitting me like a crashed Vahdmoshi freighter. I yawn. “Goodnight, love.”

“Goodnight, Cinq. Sleep well.”

She leaves the room and I’m alone with my thoughts.

So.

Quin kissed her.

The nanos bother me because I wanted her to have mine because she’s my mate. But then, she’d be as inactive as I am. But I can’t even think about my petty jealousy because S’Tou is somewhere out there with armed Kostans looking for a ransom from the emperor.

Bik. Everything’s a mess. I turn to my good side, putting my arm above my head so it doesn’t brush the injured area. I don’t even realize I’m asleep until Jessica’s stirring wakes me. She’s pressed against my body, her arm slung low over my hip. My cock responds to the slight chance she might grip me, teasing my head with her fingertips. Even with the throbbing pain the side of my torso is in, I can’t resist the urge to take my makes luscious body.

I exhale, trying to dispel the sexual tension her nearness creates in me. I love being able to hold her. She puts her leg over mine and I enjoy her body claiming me. I might be bigger than Jessica physically, but she’s the one holding me prisoner.

I relax, reveling in her hold. So much happened today, or yesterday. Whenever the Kostans arrived. Right now, I’m not sure of anything but how good Jessica feels against my body. Part of me wants to get up, slide out from under her hold and solve all my problems. The rest of me, the injured, sad part, wants to stay and enjoy doing nothing until the morning.

***

I open my eyes with a start. Jessica’s gone, the room is empty, and I sit up, hating how I’m alone. “Hello? Where is everyone,” I ask before my senses come back. Of course, they’re in the next room or outside. I throw off the covers and stand. My stomach growls, so I go into the main chamber.

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