Page 27 of Her Alien Cyborgs
“Wonderful. In that case, watch and learn the fine art of loading up the dishwasher.” She pointed to what looked like a cabinet door. “A glorious invention, right up there with bacon and faster-than-light engines.”
He turned on his stool and recorded everything she said and did for future reference. Which was a good thing because he didn’t pay attention to a word she said. All he did was watch her move and wonder when he’d get another chance to kiss this amazing female who had scars and experiences that mirrored his own.
She was nothing like the females he’d imagined finding if they ever got free, and more than he’d ever dreamed of.
CHAPTER 11
She couldn’t rememberthe last time her ship had been this full of life and laughter.
Her guests—no, she corrected herself—hercrewwere surprisingly good company despite the suffering they’d endured. She shared funny anecdotes about her life and even told them about how Phylomenia had recruited her onto this mission.
“Do you think they’re all right?” Fyr’enth asked. “What are the chances that Colonel Barrios realized they were the source of the signal that scrambled their sensors?”
“They’ll be fine,” Hezza assured them. She had the same concerns, but Scott Archer was certain the device was untraceable. Even if they searched theBat Out of Hell 2, they weren’t likely to find anything. The source of the signal was aboard the originalBat, which was tucked into a hangar and was unlikely to be noticed. Phylomenia’s husbands were almost as cunning as the woman herself.
“I hope so. I don’t want anyone getting into trouble for helping us escape.” Kalan fixed her with a meaningful look as he spoke.
It felt good to know someone was worried about her. Well, other than Anya. Her daughter’s concern was a constant that had been with her for decades.
She tapped her fingers on the table as she reviewed the ideas she’d come up with earlier. Getting her thoughts in order was harder than it should have been. With an inward sigh, she realized the problem. The three of them had been together in the small galley for more than an hour, and it was apparent that in the battle between the pheromones and the air scrubbers, the scrubbers were losing.
She pulled her legs in closer to her side of the table so they weren’t touching either male and proceeded. “For now, I think our best bet is to disappear. It’s not a long-term solution, but it will give our allies time to react to everything that happened today. My primary focus is to keep the two of you away from anyone I don’t trust, and right now that list includes most of the damned galaxy.”
“Are you saying you want to protect us, Alyssa?” Fyr’enth sounded both surprised and pleased.
“Damn right I do!” She cut herself off before she said anything else. What she wanted to say would sound ridiculous. They weren’t hers. “Mine” was something Vardarian males growled to their mates. Not the other way around.
“We feel the same way about you,” Kalan said. He took her hand again, and this time Fyr’enth mirrored the gesture.
Uh-oh.
The connection immediately amplified the effects of thesharhal.Her heart rate spiked, and heat pooled low in her stomach as every thought evaporated in the blaze of lust that threatened to consume her.
“We should, uh, table this discussion until tomorrow.” She tried, and failed, to tug her hands free from theirs. “It’s been a long day for everyone.”
“We’re not tired. We’re cyborgs. Remember?” Kalan’s voice was more rumbling growl than real words, but she understood him well enough. His interest was obvious, and damn if she didn’t like the way he looked at her. She’d had lovers. Plenty of them over the years, but this was…this was thesharhal.
“This is—” She tried to protest, but her brain refused to give her the words she needed.
Fyr’enth tightened his grip on her hand. “This is not something any of us expected. But does that make it wrong?”
Fraxx. It seemed unfair that he could still make rational arguments while her brain had turned to mush. It would be so easy to give in to desire and deal with the consequences later, but would that be fair to them?
“You deserve better,” she blurted out the thought that had haunted her since the moment she’d felt the first stirrings of desire.
Fyr’enth shook his head. “I don’t believe that. You risked everything to help us escape. Since coming on board, you’ve offered us food, clothing, and comforts we’ve only dreamed of. You even made us part of your crew.”
She waved his arguments away. “I did what I thought was right. That doesn’t mean I’m the female you deserve. I’m older than you and far too cynical. You two are at the beginning of a grand adventure. You shouldn’t be stuck with someone like me.”
Kalan bared his teeth at her. “Stop. You told us earlier that consent is important. That means we should make this choice ourselves. You can only decide whatyouwant.”
She didn’t understand how they could be so logical about this. She also knew they were right. She couldn’t make this choice for them, even if it still felt like they were getting the raw end of the deal.
“You’re not wrong. I can tell you all the reasons this is not a good idea, but in the end, it’s your call.” She chuckled softly.“And I’d be a liar if I pretended I don’t want this to happen. Thisfraxxing sharhalis no joke.”
“It’s all-consuming,” Fyr’enth agreed.
“Is that a yes?” Kalan asked.
