Page 15 of Sublime Target
Above the mask, his gaze was searingly intense.
He had red eyes.
Clarissa was wearing her own mask; a neutral, professional expression she jokingly called her battle-face, but she couldn’t stop her heart from beating wildly. Her attention had been completely stolen by this strange alien. As cliched as it seemed, a feeling of mystery and danger radiated from him.
He was the boss here. That much was obvious. She’d been Garner’s EA for long enough to develop a sense for these things.
And he was looking at her like that—as if he recognized her from somewhere.
But there was no way that was possible. She’d never had anything to do with Kordolians before.
A terrifying thought suddenly occurred to her. Was it possible that she’d drawn attention to herself because of her recent searches for information about Kordolians on the Networks?
No… there’s no way they could be targeting me because of that. I’m sure millions of people on Earth are doing searches on Kordolians right now.
Her very first encounter with Kordolians in the flesh, and this was how she felt?
Get a grip.
With great effort, she dragged her eyes away and briefly made eye contact with the other two.
Clarissa smiled, suppressing a little shiver as her attention snapped back toward his crimson stare once again.
Here we go…
She breathed in deeply and steeled herself. “Gentlemen. This is a rather unexpected visit.” She clasped her hands together. “So, what brings you to Garner Tower today?”
EIGHT
To say that Jerik was irritable was an understatement.
He was drugged up to his eyeballs, having been injected with a suppressant that would reduce his chances of getting the Mating Fever. That’s why he was wearing the respirator, too—it completely prevented his olfactory system from exposure to even the slightest hint of her scent and the unique pheromones that would trigger a powerful biological response in him.
Jerik wasn’t taking any chances.
There was no manual for this.
No system.
He was on his own.
Tarak had left him to his own devices, as he usually did. Jerik appreciated that about his boss—the only man he would ever serve under. Tarak wanted things done—and he always got what he wanted. He treated his men fairly, permitting requests and differences of opinion.
He had even been known to change his mind based on advice.
And unlike some of the military bosses Jerik had known—micromanaging bastards—Tarak didn’t issue minute orders over every infernal little detail. He trusted his people and rarely intervened once a plan was set into motion.
With regards to finding a mate, Jerik was now left to his own devices as long as he followed the rules laid out by Tarak.
And that was fairly simple.
No force, no duress.
Respect their customs.
He’d tried to be open-minded and seek advice from humans, but their suggested methods were all but incomprehensible to him.
However, one thing that stuck in his mind was their advice that he should create a situation of proximity—so they could familiarize themselves with one another—and then decide whether compatibility existed.