Page 24 of His Little Sapphire

A man I don’t know is standing near the elevator. He smiles at me as he pats Papi on the shoulder. “Congratulations, Strogan. Nice to meet you, Christine. Have a safe trip.”

“Thank you, Riand,” Papi responds, beaming at me.

I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into, but I know one thing for certain, this man who has claimed me adores me. He means it when he says he won’t let anything happen to me. I just pray he’s right about our strange bond. I’ll be devastated if I end up alone on a planet I don’t know anything about.

“Time to go to sleep, Baby girl. I’ll see you in six months.” Papi doesn’t give me a chance to respond before he bends closer and pierces my neck with his quill.

I gasp at the pain. I really don’t care for that weird needle he has in his mouth, but that’s my last thought before sleep drags me under.

ChapterSeven

Christine

When I blink my eyes open, they feel heavy and gritty. I glance around in confusion, wondering where I am and why I’m awake. Papi said I wouldn’t awaken until we arrived, but that was only a few minutes ago.

I open my mouth and try to ask where we are, but no sound comes out.

Papi is leaning over me. He nudges my lips with a nipple. “Hey there, pretty Little girl. It’s so good to see those gorgeous brown eyes. Take the pacifier, Little one. It will help soothe you.”

I try to glance around as I accept the nipple into my mouth. I find it easy to suck. I wonder why.

“That’s my good girl.” He lifts me out of some sort of crib, which scares me to death because I can’t control any muscle in my body.

We’ve arrived. Holy cow. He was right. It did feel like it has only been a minute.

I panic because I can’t even lift my head. My arms and legs aren’t receiving messages from my brain. The only thing that seems to work is my mouth, and not to form words. I wonder if I sucked this pacifier during the entire voyage. I know I used it while I was in his apartment on Earth, but it no longer feels awkward. It feels incredibly natural now.

Papi is very careful to support my head, cradling me against his body. He kisses all over my face and nuzzles my neck. “I missed you so much.”

I feel warm and comforted, but neither of those is helping alleviate the panic caused by my inability to control my body. I suck harder. It’s the only thing I can do.

Papi strokes my head. “You sucked that pacifier fiercely during the journey. It will help you recover your oral skills.” He keeps kissing me. Hugging me close. And I’m grateful to realize he has wrapped a blanket around me. It’s so soft.

He’s walking, and suddenly, bright light hits me. The sun?

Papi covers my eyes, shading me. “You’ll get used to our sun. It’s brighter than yours. Well, that might not be entirely true, but we don’t have a layer of smog blocking it.”

It’s definitely bright, but I slowly adjust as he eases his hand away.

Papi steps fully into the daylight and inhales deeply. “Ah. Good clean air. Even with the excellent circulation system installed in Club Zoom, there was always a mustiness about your air. I never felt like I was getting enough oxygen.” He inhales again and blows it out slowly.

I think I manage to smile behind the pacifier. He’s so happy. And from what I can tell from my limited vantage point, I can see why. There are so many colors everywhere. He was right. I’m glad he warned me about that. I’d be shocked if he hadn’t said anything. I’m shocked anyway.

Papi adjusts me in his arms so I can look around better, my head leaning partly against his chest, my lower half supported by his enormous palms, one under my diapered bottom, one around my waist.

“Pretty, huh?” He smiles as he looks at me.

I blink at him, unable to respond or even nod. It’s frustrating and disconcerting. I hope this stage passes quickly. In fact, the way Papi has his palm spread across my belly presses against my bladder, and I’m mortified when I suddenly wet my diaper.

I can’t stop it. It keeps coming out of me totally out of my control. I’m so humiliated my face is hot.

When Papi glances at me again, he frowns. “What’s wrong, Baby girl? You look distressed.” He leans me back so I’m cradled again. “Is something pinching you?” He checks around my arms and legs and the edges of my diaper. Finally, he palms the soaked material between my legs. “Ah. Is this what’s upsetting you?”

I blink at him. I want to scream. How frustrating.

He rolls me closer, holds me tighter, kisses my forehead again, and pats my soaked bottom. “Don’t worry, Baby girl. Papi will change you as soon as we get home. It won’t take long to get there. Rochein is going to pick us up. He’s probably already waiting in the duocruiser.”

Papi starts walking again. Every time he talks, I end up with ten more questions I can’t ask. The list is growing. What the heck is a duocruiser?

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