Page 23 of Nita’s Bounty
My eyes scan the large room, and a smile teases the corners of my mouth when I see my clothes scattered across the floor, followed by the much happier memories of the previous night. The way Shuvo covered my mouth with his hand as he rode me hard, whispering shhhhh into my ear as he muffled my orgasm.
Heat flares between my legs, and I’m about to slide out of bed to find where Shuvo has gone when the door opens and he appears with his arms full of plates and cloth, followed by the savory smell of breakfast.
My stomach growls loudly, and he drops the cloth at the end of the bed and hands me one of the plates before climbing back into the bed beside me with the other.
“God, this smells amazing!” I pick up the spoon and dig into what looks like a mix of grains and fluffy scrambled eggs. Lifting a small bite to my lips, I give it a tentative nibble before groaning and digging in. The textures are familiar, but where I’m expecting salty, I get lightly sweet instead.
“It’s called—” Shuvo begins quietly as he points his utensil at my plate.
“Don’t tell me.” I snap my hand up with a giggle between bites. “Please, I really don’t want to know; just let me enjoy this.” I’ve learned that, in most cases, it’s best not to know exactly what you’re eating.
He chuckles and starts eating his portion. When we’ve finished, he takes our plates and sets them aside. Then he reaches for the cloth he dropped at the foot of the bed earlier. I also notice he’s wearing one of the communicators around his neck like his mother had on. I wonder why?
“Put this on, and then I’m going to take you to the water,” he tells me.
The cloth is silky soft and a beautiful dark orange color. I hold it up in front of me and realize it’s a body suit.
“What are we going to do at the water?” I ask nervously. “I should warn you, I don’t know how to swim.”
Shuvo waves my worry away, but I’m not about to let him brush it off so easily. “I’m serious, I have a low-key fear of water.”
He steps in front of me and takes my hands, pulling me from the bed. “There is no need to worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I sigh at him completely missing the point and decide this isn’t a battle worth fighting right now. Besides, I’ve trusted him enough to take me across the entire universe. I can at least try to trust him in this too.
The bodysuit fits like it was custom made for me. It covers me from my feet to just under my chin, leaving only my head bare. As I dress, he explains that the material will protect my skin and work as an insulator—so, basically an alien wetsuit—since I’m not an aquatic species.
He circles me, his mouth curled up in an approving smile. “Ready?” He takes my hand and pulls me from our room before I can respond.
“I don’t know about this,” I hedge as I stand at the edge of the water. The beach is covered in flat, polished stones, and the water is surprisingly warm as it laps over the tops of my covered feet. The thick layers of clouds overhead make everything look dreary, but the temperature is balmy and surprisingly pleasant.
“Does the sun ever come out from the clouds?” I ask as Shuvo holds my hands and leads me into the water until it’s up to our knees.
“Sometimes. Never for very long.”
My disappointment quickly turns to anxiety as Shuvo continues walking backward, holding my hands and pulling me after him.
“Wait,” my voice quivers nervously when the water reaches just under my breasts. My hands are trembling in his, and my breaths are starting to come faster and faster. I want to do this, but I don’t know if I can make myself.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promises me.
It’s not that I don’t believe him. It’s just that…
“Fish live in the ocean.” The suddenly thought of something unseen brushing up against me has my feet backpedaling. “Why don’t we just sit down over there on the beach? I’ve never been to a beach like this bef—oooohhhhhaaaaa!”
The moment I look back toward the beach, Shuvo’s arms circle my waist, and he tosses me up against his shoulder before wading deeper into the water. This time he doesn’t stop until the waves are lapping just beneath my chin, and I’m pretty sure his feet are no longer touching the bottom.
“Shuvo, please!” I beg him with my arms wrapped around his neck. “I don’t think I can do this.”
Shuvo presses his forehead to mine. “Trust me. I’d never let anything happen to you,” he promises. He holds me like this until I calm a bit and then, when I have my breathing more or less under control, he holds up a silver tube.
“Where did that come from?” I glance down into the water at where he might have pulled it out of. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of pants in the same material as my bodysuit.
Ignoring my question, Shuvo pushes a button, and a full mask inflates from the tube. With a practiced ease, he settles it over my face and straps it firmly behind my head. Once he’s happy with the fit, he unhooks the communicator from around his neck and tosses it up onto the beach, where it lands in some moss that must have washed up.
With his arms banded tightly around me, he stares into my eyes as he slowly sinks beneath the surface, dragging me down with him. My lungs pump until just before I’m pulled under, when I suck in a deep breath and hold it, squeezing my eyes shut at the same time my head slips under the water.
“Nee-tah.”