Page 9 of Her Alien Hero
With a low growl, he released my hair and stood. "Lean forward."
"Wh-what?" The sudden change of his position and mood confused me.
"Lean. Forward. If I have to say it again, I will punish you."
The ominous tone of his voice sent goosebumps along my skin. "Punishme? Like a spanking?" My smart-ass mouth had always gotten me in trouble, and I immediately regretted my words.
"If you don't lean forward right now, you'll find out."
I hated myself for it, but I did as he demanded. Squeezing my eyes shut, I mentally braced myself for a punch or something worse and wrapped my arms around my bent knees.
Being naked in a tub didn’t bother me like the thought of being hit.
The soft swish of clothing rubbing together sighed through the silence, telling me Voren positioned himself at my back.
"Humans are filthy. You carry a plethora of bacteria and viruses. My brother was not wrong instructing you to bathe."
Something soft trailed across my exposed skin and I shivered. He lifted the hair from my nape, then pushed a muscled arm next to my side to retrieve the soap.
Is he going to…wash me?The thought seemed preposterous and crazy and ridiculous, yet I didn't know what else to make of his actions.Why am I not fighting harder?
His touch was nothing like his gruff personality; it trailed across my flesh with tenderness.
"Tell me, where is thishusbandyou speak of?"
"Dead." My voice carried no emotion, even though my chest gave a painful squeeze.
"Good," Voren said.
A hot rush of fury flared through my veins. Unable to stop myself, I twisted around to face my abductor.
"Howdareyou." The fury kept building at his words, at my helplessness, at my shattered life. "You talk about filthy humans? What about disgusting alien creeps who steal women in the night like animals? You didn't know him. You're nothing like him. He was kind, he was loyal, and helovedme." I balled my fist and punched.
He didn't try to duck or grab my arm. Instead, he stared at me, as if waiting for contact.
My fist found his face, and a resounding smack filled the air. The shockwave traveled up my wrist and into my upper arm. I at once pulled my arm away and twisted around, putting as much distance as possible between him and me.
So much for playing the calm, cool, trustworthy prisoner.
His chest steadily rose and fell with each breath, and his expression remained placid, but a darker area of purple spread near his nose, under his cheekbone.
Only the sounds of my breathing and the low hum of the ship filled the air.
With grace, he stood, dropping the bar of soap into the water. "You will not do that again." His voice lost the arrogant aggression it held earlier. He bent and scooped the square package. "When you finish, put this on and walk to the door. Baraxen will be waiting. The timetable has been altered."
"What?" I had no clue what he was talking about.First, they tell me to eat, bathe, relax, and now they're busting in and hurrying me along?"Why do I care?"
"Because if you don't help us, all those humans—" He indicated the door hidden by the screen. "—will die."
Damn. There was more at stake than just my life. I would not put those people at risk by disobeying. There had to be a way out of this, a way for me to save myself and my fellow humans.
With a deep breath, I nodded. With a hand on either side of the tub, I pushed myself up to stand. Water cascaded down my breasts and legs.
His glance slowly roved my naked flesh. He flicked his pink, forked tongue against his top lip.
"Take a picture. It'll last longer." I should've been grossed out by his possessive stare. Instead, a tiny part of me perked up at his obvious interest. I hadn't been touched by a man in two years, not since Jeremy, and sometimes, during the deep dark of night, I yearned for that contact once more. Not just the sex, but the closeness—the connection—once more.
"You have a sassy mouth for a human." His attention snapped to lips. "Why are you not scared of me?"
