Page 10 of A Treat For Her Mates

Can H’Aart read my mind? I’m starting wonder, because as soon as I think about taking a break, he’s gently taking my arm and leading me to a small kitchen area at the back of the ship. It’s all matte chrome with smooth curving surfaces that look futuristic and homey at the same time.

“Can I get you some water and something to eat?”

“Yes. Thank you.” I look up into his beautiful sparkling eyes. How did I ever think they were human?

“We’ve got muffins!” V’Lor eagerly opens a magnetized cabinet door. “Chocolate and blueberry.” He looks excited about feeding me. Gah, he’s a sweetheart.

“They have chocolate and blueberries where you’re from?” I ask.

“No. We obtained them while we were waiting for you.”

I try not to think too hard about how they got them. Do they have human money? Did they accidentally rob some bakery? Are they wanted criminals now? So many questions!

“I’ll take a chocolate muffin. Did Fancy give you some human money?

“No. But she gave us a special card for purchasing items. Do you want to see?” V’Lor reaches for his utility belt.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll just take the muffin and water.”

H’Aart hands me a glass bottle of water and V’Lor removes a chocolate muffin from a pink cardboard box.

“Thank you. Let’s start flying.”

I just need to cool down, eat my muffin and think. There’s no rush. I can just mull things over while we take a spin in the flying saucer (!!!)

***

I’m strapped into a large, cushy seat that reminds me of an oversized gaming chair. H’Aart and V’Lor are seated in front of a wide digital display that must be the ship controls. It looks like nothing I’ve ever seen. There are no dials or levers, just glowing touch pads and a 360-degree view port. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when we’re in the air.

I guess I’ll find out in a second because the ship engines are beginning to buzz, and the crystals are pulsing. And there’s something that looks like veins of metal running through the walls—and the flow is speeding up. Want to hear something weird? All this flying saucer stuff is actually calming me down. It’s just so damn cool. I’d rather focus on cool tech stuff that rather than worrying about my future with the guys.

H’Aart turns back to me and smiles.

“Are you ready, Miranda?”

“Yes.”

“Your seatbelt is secure?” V’Lor asks.

“Yeah, I’m ready and secure.”

“Then we can go. V’Lor?” H’Aart signals his partner.

“Engaging.” V’Lor waves his hand over the screen and the ship jumps into the air like it was on a trampoline, but instead of falling back down it keeps going up.

It’s breathtaking. And just as I thought, the open view ports mean I can see everything around us. Right now, that means dark skies and shadows, but also Halloween decorations, the eerie glow of the swamps, and some stray creatures which now look like ants. I’m wondering how they pressurize the ship so that our eardrums don’t burst when we pop up so fast. I’ll have to ask V’Lor about it later. It’s one more question for the never-ending list. Will I ever have the nerve to ask, or will this all be over before I can dig deeper?

Chapter 8: H’Aart

V’Lor fell faster than I anticipated. I thought a first kiss would be what tipped him over the edge. But no, it was talking about the engine crystals that sunk him. My heart warms at the thought. It’s true what they say in my homeland. The key to a man’s heart is through a tech manual. Although personally I’m less of a tech manual guy and more of a great legs and sparkling personality lover.

Miranda is blessed in both departments. And the more time we spend with her, the more I feel our connections strengthening, like this is something that could grow and deepen into a lifelong commitment. I let out a shaky breath. This is not how this trip was supposed to go. And it’s a problem.

Right now, the three of us are sitting together in the small lounge area on the starboard side of the ship. There’s a bench that lets us look out the viewport, while the autopilot steers the ship. Miranda sits between V’Lor and I. It’s a small bench, only built for two, so we’re squeezed close together. I don’t think any of us mind.

We were just supposed to come, take her for a quick ride, and go home. But now, sitting here so close, I find myself rebelling against the original plan. I want more. I want the impossible. We could give her a ride she would never forget, naked in our arms. Then we could take her home with us. Intergalactic immigration treaties be damned! I let myself think what it would be like to slide off her leg coverings, put my mouth on the tender skin of her thighs, move up, up.

I feel her shiver next to me as if her body senses my lust and is answering in kind. It doesn’t matter that this connection feels like it could be real. The hard facts of this situation are that it would be illegal to take her home with us and she probably wouldn’t want to go. The deeper we allow this to get with her, the more likely that V’Lor and I get our hearts broken. Sure, she seems receptive to sex, but V’Lor and I want more. We already feel more for her.

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