Page 60 of Rule

He nodded and walked to the small desk inthe corner of his room. A tablet, a hologram machine, and a large, silver rectangulardevice I didn’t recognize was sitting on the desk. He sat down at the chairand studied the bottom of my phone before opening a drawer and rummaging throughit. He pulled out a black cord and connected the cord to my phone before pluggingthe other end into the rectangular device.

“How do you turn your communication deviceon?” he asked.

I pushed the button until the green lightat the top flickered on. “It’s on now, but I don’t think this will work. The screenalways stays dark and even voice commands won’t work.”

He pushed a button on the rectangulardevice. It whirred to life, something inside of it making a low humming soundas lights flickered across the edge of it.

“What is that?” I asked.

“It is a hrotti.”

“A hrotti,” I repeated. “I still have noidea what that is.”

Court grinned as a hologram screen appearedin the air above the hrotti. The words were in Draax and he swiped his fingeracross the hologram, moving rapidly through several different screens. “It islike an earth computer, only better. Much better.”

“Oh, okay,” I said.

He made a few more swipes and I squeaked inexcitement when my pictures suddenly appeared on the hologram screen. “My pictures!”

Court grunted in satisfaction beforepushing a few more buttons. The hrotti’s humming noise grew louder, and Iwatched in fascination as a section of it slid open and a silver square pieceof metal was ejected. Court picked it up. It was no bigger than the tip of myfinger and he held it out to me.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“I transferred all the pictures as well asany other data on your communication device to this. It is like a,” he paused,“storage unit. When you are at the palace, the king will give you give yourown tablet. Ask one of the Draax there to show you how to transfer theinformation from this to your tablet.”

“Really?”

He nodded and I took the square piece ofmetal and studied it for a few seconds before slipping it into my pocket. Iwas stupidly happy and without thinking about it, I threw my arms around Court’sbroad shoulders and hugged him hard. “Thank you, Court. Thank you so much. Youhave no idea how much this means to me.”

His arms slipped around my waist and I twitchedwhen he pulled me down into his lap. I tried to stand, and he shook his head,his big hands holding me tight. “No, little human, stay on my lap.”

“I’m too heavy to sit on your lap,” I said.

He laughed. “Hardly, Evie.”

I chewed nervously at my bottom lip,feeling both awkward and a little turned on. “Thank you again. I reallyappreciate you saving my pictures like that.”

“You are welcome.” His gaze dropped to mymouth and his hands tightened around my hips. “I would like a kiss, Evie.”

“I – sorry, what?” His blunt request sentme off kilter.

“A kiss. As a thank you for what I did.One… sweet… kiss.”

His voice had gone low and rough again, likeit had in the kitchen, and my lower belly muscles clenched in anticipation. Itwas madness to kiss him, but that didn’t stop me from lowering my mouth to his.I pressed my lips against his, moaning when his tongue immediately flicked acrossmy upper lip.

“Open, Evie,” he demanded.

I opened my mouth and he cupped the back ofmy skull, holding me steady as he explored my mouth with his tongue. I felt druggedwith pleasure almost immediately, the strokes of his tongue, the feel of his hardchest pressing against my breasts, the way he coaxed and teased with gentle brushesof his lips against mine.

Kissing Court was glorious. I wanted it tolast forever.

He pulled back, and I whimpered indisappointment before trying to press my mouth against his again.

“Wait,” he said.

I took a trembling breath, as Court brushedhis thumb over my cheekbone. There was tight pressure around my waist, and Ilooked down to see his tail wrapped around it. For some reason, he looked a littleembarrassed and he immediately uncoiled his tail from around my waist.

“I will have sex with you, if you’d like.”

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