Page 19 of Adored By the Alien Warlord
“You could just turn around. I trust you not to look.”
Her trust was misplaced because everything inside me shouted I must look. Touch. Lick if she’d let me.
My face heated. She was never going to want me to do something like that.
Damn cocks.
I stomped down the hall and out of view, leaning against the wall, trying not to tilt my head to catch the tease of fabric as she changed.
“Done,” she called out.
I walked back inside her room and couldn’t keep my gaze from falling on her, gliding along her curves hugged by the sparkling red fabric.
“You’re beautiful,” I said hoarsely. “I’ve never seen anyone as lovely.”
“Thank you, Davon.” She pressed her palms to her cheeks. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
My gaze shot up to meet hers. “What does that mean?” It couldn’t mean what it sounded like, as if my saying nice things made her want to offer me . . .
Nothing. She wasn’t offering a damn thing.
She shrugged. “It’s a saying. Let me braid my hair and I’ll be ready.”
“Could I?” The words popped out of my mouth. Now why had I said anything like that? The only hair I’dbraided was my mundrek’s tail and even then, it had looked sloppy. I’d unraveled it and left it alone.
“Would you?” She turned, presenting her back to me.
The red fabric dipped low in the back, leaving her exposed to the base of her spine, before rising up to hug her shoulders. Her hair spilled across that glorious, smooth skin in a rich dark wave. What would I give to bury my face in the strands, to nudge them aside with my nose and seek her flesh with my mouth and tongue?
Everything.
I ached to flee, to run from the room or rip back my offer. Instead, I made my feet take me close to her. Made my big, awkward fingers gently lift her hair on the sides. “I don’t know how to do fancy braids.”
“Something simple is fine. Just make sure its tight to keep my hair from escaping.”
“If only I could free all of you.”
She stilled. “We’re not giving up. I’m sure you’ll find a way.”
“I will. My supplies are ready.” I kept my voice low, kept my mind focused on the task of carefully smoothing her dark strands, of weaving them from the crest of her head to the tips. “We need a good distraction, something that will occupy Wortek long after we’ve fled.”
“Ideas?”
“I could burn the place down.”
“Someone could be hurt.”
Better than her being hurt, though I knew what she meant.
“Does he ever leave the city?” she asked.
“Not that I’m aware of. They have nothing beyond their walls. Only forest and high mountains to the north and the desert everywhere else. Rogue Veerenads live in the desert, though those who rebelled in the mine now have control. But they truly don’t have any place left to go.”
“What sort of distraction could we find here inside the city?”
“I’ve been thinking about it, and I have a few ideas. We can talk about them later and pick the best one.”
“Soon, I’ll be able to leave this horrible place,” she said gaily, laughter spilling into her voice. It dropped away too fast. “For a short time, that is. Once the king leaves, we’ll go. We’ll pretend we’re free. Then it’s back to dancing on command, to being chained to the pole or the wall of my room. I don’t think he’ll give me another break for a very long time.”