Page 28 of Alien in the Depths
“Me, too,” was all she could muster when she finally found her voice again.
For someone who usually had no issue churning out a tirade of words on command, the act of being made speechless was another new experience for Sofia. The words she’d uttered sounded, to her, entirely inadequate to describe what she was feeling toward Zaraq, but judging by the grin that spread across his face, she’d said exactly the right thing.
He pulled her into another kiss, this time passionate and deep, their bodies pressed against each other in some sort of desperate fervor. Neither of them said it out loud just yet, but it was clear something other than longing lingered in their kiss, in their touch. It was fear.
They spent the morning in bed, kissing, cuddling, and then making love again. Their bodies were becoming attuned to each other, and they came together in a grasping frenzy as if it might be the last time. That was something neither of them could bear to say out loud, but the impending threat of their plan hung over both of them.
When they lay together after making love again, panting in unison, Sofia turned to Zaraq. She draped herself over his chest and whispered in his ear.
“I’m coming back,” she told him. “I promise.”
At this, Zaraq stiffened, wrapping his arm around Sofia’s waist. He shifted so he was looking her in the eye, and Sofia saw a heaviness that hadn’t been there before.
“I know you can’t promise that,” he told her solemnly. “You managed to trick him yesterday,” he added, holding up a hand to Sofia’s protests. “But this guy is mean. If he really did kill Ryka, he’s dangerous and probably unpredictable. Please don’t underestimate the danger you’re putting yourself in.”
Sofia took a deep breath, letting his words sink in.
“I know,” she told him, and she meant it. “But it’s worth it for you. Besides, he might be an alien man, but he’s still a man. You’re not the only one charmed by my feminine wiles.”
She shot him a grin, hoping the joke might help lift the mood, but Zaraq only smirked.
“Hopefully, he’s not too charmed,” Zaraq answered, some of last night’s jealousy flashing in his eyes again.
Sofia could tell he was torn about her flirtation with Vexis, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek to comfort him.
“Don’t worry, you’re the only alien I have eyes for.”
With that, she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and wrapping herself in the sheet. Her body craved some breakfast to re-energize after the unexpected morning sex.
“Hungry?” she asked, pulling the room service menu onto her lap. Behind her, she felt Zaraq shift. A moment later, he was wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her neck.
“Insatiable,” he joked, moving his lips up and sucking softly on her earlobe.
Sofia laughed, leaning into him. “You know what I mean.”
Finally, they managed to order breakfast, and while Zaraq showered, Sofia got dressed. For now, it was her usual cargo pants and her favorite shirt—aGhostbusterstee she’d had since she was a teenager. She knew that night she’d be slipping back into some skimpy outfit, though. She just hadn’t yet figured out which one.
Nevertheless, the thought of flirting with Vexis again made her tense. When someone knocked at the door, she almost jumped out of her skin.
By the time Zaraq was out of the shower, Sofia had laid their breakfast out on the table and was picking absentmindedly at the meal.
“I thought you were hungry?” he said as he emerged from the bathroom, tousling his hair with a towel. At his waist, he’d wrapped himself in another towel, leaving his chest bare and glistening with water. It was almost enough for Sofia to pull him back into bed for round three, but she knew they had to focus.
“Do you have a blaster? I saw one in your pack that day in the catacombs,” she said suddenly. A half-eaten piece of toast, or what passed as toast on Rikuus, was suspended over the table in her now-still hand.
Zaraq looked taken aback but recovered quickly.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he said, abandoning his hair-drying and sitting down in the high-backed chair beside her. “I figured it was better to keep that sort of thing away from you for as long as I could.”
Sofia thought for a moment, watching her breakfast spread drip slowly to the side of her toast. She finally decided this latest lie of omission fit into the same category as his other lies—forgivable because he intended to protect her. Right now, though, she needed something more tangible than ignorance to keep her safe.
“Can I take it with me tonight?” The piece of toast was beginning to get soggy, drooping in her hand while she waited for Zaraq’s answer.
It was clear he was battling with himself as he mulled over the question.
“You’ve used one before?” he asked finally, one eyebrow raised.
Sofie nodded and quickly shoved the piece of toast in her mouth before it disintegrated entirely. The alien jam, or whatever it was, was actually pretty good, and Zaraq’s question was slowly reviving her appetite.