Page 41 of Zalis
He struggled to keep his expression neutral. His tattoos burned regardless.
“I’m not saying that we will, butifwe have sex, I’d like to wait until we know each other better. I’m a slow burn kind of gal. Always have been.”
“Strenuous activity is prohibited until your ankle is mended.”
“Yeah, it’s not about the ankle. I like you, Zalis, and I think you’re attractive, but I don’t want to get naked with you just yet. I need time.”
His tattoos tingled, hearing her admit that she found him attractive.
“How much time?” He loathed asking but it was best to know the specific targets.
“As long as it takes,” she said.
A vague and unhelpful answer.
“We will wait until you are ready physically and emotionally,” he said. “You will keep me informed.”
“Umm, sure. I can do that.”
A comfortable silence stretched between them as Zalis cleaned the marker from the table.
“I have a demand,” he said.
“Lay it on me.”
“Inform me of relevant human courting customs. I am unfamiliar with your expectations, and I want to avoid disappointment.”
“You want to court me?” she asked. “I guess I did tell you to give it your best shot.”
“You’re my mate.”
“It’s a marriage of convenience.”
“Mine nonetheless.”
Silence stretched out between them. Her face normally conveyed so many emotions, but at the moment it was blank and unreadable.
A slow smile spread across her face.
“All right,” she said. “Can we spend some time together? You said you had some time off.”
“Tomorrow. It is customary to allow a warrior a few days of leave to help their mate adjust to the new environment.”
“Tomorrow,” she repeated. “It’s a date.”
GEMMA
“My mate requires a medic now!”
Last night, Zalis walked Gemma to her apartment. They watched an episode of a baking show and ate popcorn, which was surprisingly decent for coming out of the food printer. It was very chill. Exactly what she craved.
The morning was entirely different.
Zalis went back to his cabin to sleep because they weren’t ready for sleepovers yet.
Gemma slept poorly again. Every time she drifted off, she jerked awake, convinced someone was in the room. Zalis arrived before her alarm—not that it mattered as she was lying in bed pretending to sleep—armed with an embarrassing amount of food. Her stomach felt too unsettled to eat much, which was why he dragged her to Medical, demanding to see a medic immediately.
“I’m a medic intern,” a young Mahdfel man said, emphasis on young. His face was round, almost childlike, but the rest of him was adult-sized, if a bit gangly. His frame hadn’t filled out yet. He had to be a teenager.
