Page 81 of Fire Forged

She chuckled, excitement exploding inside her like fireworks.

I ordered him suitable beach attire.Just for funsies.I can’t wait to see those legs of his in swim shorts.Yum!Lily’s as enthusiastic about a holiday.I’m trying to keep everything to a beach bag each.No point in carrying tons of buckets, spades, towels, umbrellas… You get the gist.

Every morning, Lily asks Edon to call Granddaddy then Granny and Gramps.She always has something to show them, whether it’s her distorted Ollie sweater she finally finished or a beach ball we ordered from the replicator.

Tarx has changed, becoming warmer, more forthcoming with information, and not as stick-up-the-butt as I expected.The real shocker is Nerx softening toward his dad.No doubt due to their almost-daily conversations on the mines, what was needed, the operations, the inspections, what to do with the Viqrians…

Nerx’s been busy reading the documents his father sent over.

Oh, and hubs did the most amazing thing.I cried like a freakin’ baby.He showed me all their information on alien animals with everything I could possibly want to know about their kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.That’s the main reason I’ve been so absent.Every spare moment not spent with Nerx or Lily goes to studying.And I’m so desperate to see these creatures’ worlds.

Of course, Nerx said no, but we’ll see.I do have a talented tongue.

She smirked.He did love blow jobs.

Lily’s approaching footsteps snapped up Britt’s head, and she grinned.

Gotta go.

She tucked the tablet into her beach bag, then bounded off the bench in the common to cross to her daughter.“Ready, squirt?”

“Yup.”Lily in her swimsuit, hat, and sandals, spun her beach bag filled with toys and a towel.

The twirling mesmerized Britt.She pressed a hand to her stomach, nausea plaguing her.She blamed her excitement and trepidation.They were about to end a two-week journey and start a new chapter.Space travel wasn’t as awesome as she’d thought it would be with weeks wasted in a flying box.She was eager to stand on solid ground, with Luchur but a distant memory.

Nerx strode in wearing shorts, a flowery button-up, short-sleeved shirt, and flip flops.He shoved his hands into his pockets and smiled.Wearing sunglasses had been a hell-no from him, but since he wore everything else, including a sexy pair of jeans without complaint, she let it go.

She wore his kimono-like ceremonial gown over her swimsuit, a hat flopped, obscuring her face, and forced her to lift the brim so she wouldn’t trip in her sandals.

He bid his men farewell, clasping their forearms even as they teased him about his clothing, which he handled well.

“Lady Britta, a pleasure.”Matir pumped her hand twice.

Ziot smiled, but his cheeks and eyes darkened.“I will miss…hopscotch.”

“Me too,” Lily said, hugging his leg and accidentally whacking him with her bag.

Sena, Edon, and Lima Coll shook Britt’s hand but said nothing.

“Three to port, Pilot Edon.”Nerx arched a brow at Edon, who bolted for the communications room.

Nerx chuckled, clasped Lily’s hand then drew Britt against his side.

The gray sand and red sea wasn’t what she’d expected.Nor the pink sky with two suns.Still, it was beautiful, made more so with the sunlight warming her cheeks.Lily threw down her bag, kicked off her shoes, tossed aside her hat, and waded into the waves.Nerx took after her, grunting when he had to abandon his flip flops too.

Britt laughed, watching them for a few minutes, then spread out the towels.Just sinking her feet into the hot sand made her soul sing.The beach was empty, like it wasn’t tourism season.And when she scanned the forests around them, there were no buildings in sight, even when she squinted.Instead, a hush surrounded her with muted chirps and calls she didn’t recognize.She need not travel the universe to find fauna and flora to study when a new world was her home.What awaited her on Fuyra?She almost rubbed her palms together with glee.

While laughing at her hubs and daughter frolicking, she sank onto the towel.Again, her stomach lurched.Perhaps it was Etteria’s gravity?A fresh breeze swept across her cheeks, so she rose, slipped out of the gown, and strode toward the water’s edge.The damp sand cooled her toes, so she ventured deeper, letting the warm waves lap her calves.

“What are you wearing?”Nerx asked with Lily thrown over one shoulder.She wriggled, her feet spraying clumps of wet sand.

“A bikini,” Britt grinned.“You like?”she asked while flicking the ties on her bottoms.

“Very much,” he rasped.

Day fourteen and their passion had yet to fizzle.She’d swear it was growing stronger with each passing moment.As he ran his hooded gaze over her, what that expression meant sent fire along her veins to settle at her core.

“You had me this morning,” she whispered.

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