Page 72 of No Strings Attached

“Great. Here’s what we’re going to do. Bobby, is there a big master suite in here? There is? Terrific. Former Commander Zalon, please escort all the former brothel…staff…into the suite and lock the door behind you. Stay in there with them so we can let the rest of our party in and explain what has happened. We have a Garoxian in our party,” Zalon lost his composure at that statement, his head snapping down to her and his eyes widening, “and I don’t know how he will react to your presence. I need to talk with him and find out.”

Zalon nodded and moved toward the females, herding them into the room. The human was one of the last.

She stood, puffy eyed from crying, and held Vi’s gaze before whispering, “Who the fuckareyou…people?” Then she headed into the room. Zalon pulled the door closed and she heard the lock engage.

Vi turned to Acken, “Are you still transmitting?”

Acken nodded, turning around his big medallion to show her the transmitter stuck on the back of the emerald.

Vi leaned into it and said, “Ship crew, this is Vi. Ship crew, this is Vi. We need food and clothing brought to our suite. We have 12 new people here with us, including nine naked females. Bring all of my coveralls and some of the Trallian ones, too. Also, those blue cloaks Bobby made. Maybe some of the hammocks from the cargo hold, too. I’ll send Trak to the ship to escort you back to the rooms.”

She looked at Bobby, then down at herself and the blood sticking to her skin. “Acken, Valis, would you let everyone in and bring them up to speed while Bobby and I jump in the shower and wash this blood off? And please send Trak down to the ship. Does he need an escort on the main level? I don’t want what almost happened to Bobby to happen to anyone else.”

Acken nodded, said, “I’ll take care of it, little she-beast,” and he and Valis watched as Bobby came to her and gently pulled the crown off her head and set it on a side table. Then he took her hand and they headed into one of the smaller rooms.

As they left, she heard Valis ask Acken, softly, “How does the King feel about the Queen having a Trallian lover?” Acken’s laughter boomed through the room as they closed the door.

Bobby closed the bedroom door and turned to her, “How badly did I fuck up? You were really pissed.”

Vi looked down, trying to figure out how to answer him. Did she tell him that she had been fantasizing about them spending days and days in bed together just seconds before walking in to see him with his arms around a naked blonde? Was she actuallyangry or jealous, or had that just been a gut reaction she couldn’t suppress?

Instead of saying anything, she reached for one of the golden starburst pasties and tugged at it, pulling her breast along with it comically.

Bobby said, “It’ll come off easily in the shower,” and he walked over to her and dropped to his knees to remove her daggers, belts, gold covering. Codpiece? Clampiece? She burst out laughing at the joke while Bobby just looked up at her.

“You didn’t fuck up at all Bobby, except you should have just waited to tell us all about the human so that we could come up with a plan that didn’t put you at risk. But you’ve already figured that out, haven’t you?”

He nodded earnestly up at her while she went on, “It’s just that…I was so happy to be done with all that bullshit and on my way to you. I was daydreaming about the time we would spend together now that we had gotten the Ophidians out of the way, and I was surprised to see you with your arms around a naked woman. I flared up with jealousy, that’s all. And I overreacted.” She held his gaze and said, “I’m not happy that you were in so much danger, and I’m sorry that you were involved in the death of someone, even if it was accidental.”

He stood and ran his hands down her arms, “I am, too. I hated that. But he was not a good male. Only the Filli were there voluntarily, everyone else was a slave. And he was going to have Valis killed, then turn me into a slave. I’m going to try very hard to not let it bother me.”

“I hope you can.” She looked toward the door, “Filli? Are they the pink ones?” Bobby nodded and she continued, “They were working voluntarily?”

“Yes, they have a pleasure slave caste in their society.”

Vi shuddered, “Awesome. Is that why they couldn’t keep their hands off of Valis?”

“No, I think they just find him attractive.” He grinned, “So…you were jealous of me touching Ella?” A pleased expression washed over his face.

She gave him a light shove, “Don’t look so smug about it.”

He sauntered back over to her and slid his hands around to her bare ass, “Why can’t I? It’s a wonderful feeling!”

Vi gave in and laughed, “You didn’t enjoy the feeling when I lost my shit and was about to leap over that sofa and murder you both, though, did you?”

He grew serious, “No, that was very unpleasant. Terrifying, even. But I couldn’t help wanting to rescue her and then comfort her, Vi. When I look at her, all I see is you.” He slid his hand through her hair and tucked some wisps behind her ear, “I think about how you could have ended up in a situation like she did, and how I would want someone to rescue you and then comfort you afterwards. I wanted to offer comfort to all of the females we rescued, but they were all so strange to me that I had to focus on the only species I knew something about. From the first moment I saw her, I imagined what was done to her happening to you, and it ripped my guts out.”

Vi wrapped her arms around him and said, “I understand, Bobby. I’m the same when I see Trallian slaves. I think of all the terrible fates you might have had to endure, and I just want to help them all get free. I see you in them, and it breaks my heart.”

Bobby pulled them apart enough to look down into her eyes and say with a lightly mocking challenge, “Because you love me?”

Vi held the eye contact for a long moment, then gave him a huge, crooked smile, “If I say ‘yes,’ am I going to have to watch you walk with a swagger for the next month?”

He beamed at her, “Hell, yes! Two months, minimum.”

She laughed, took one step back, grinning like a fool, and started taking the daggers and belt off of his bicep, “Then you’regoing to have to wait for a better time for me to answer, because I don’t think I have enough left in me to shower, then go deal with that mess out there, while having to watch you strut all over the room.”

She tossed the belt and knives into the pile he had made on the bed of her finery, then Bobby grabbed her and lifted her to his face for a long, deep kiss.

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