Page 8 of Caldar
“I see you’ve been busy adding stowaway to your resume, along with stalker,” she said.
“I’m not a stowaway. I’m crew.” He plucked at the lapels of his white jacket with his free hand. She had to admit that he looked good in the crisp white jacket with gold braiding at the cuffs. The fabric strained at the shoulders, like he could Hulk his way out of the jacket if he flexed.
Not that she was into that sort of thing. The less she said about the tight pants, the better, becauseyum.
He caught her looking and grinned, flashing his fangs. He nudged the tray into her line of sight. “Your drink.”
“Hmm, pass. I’m not in the mood for spiked drinks.” Sonia took a sip of her own mulled wine, now lukewarm.
“I would never. You insult me.”
“I’ve said a lot worse. Stop acting so precious,” she said, despite nothing in his tone suggesting that she hurt his feelings.
She didn’t understand Caldar, why he decided to stalk her or stowaway on her cruise ship. None of it made sense. The Mahdfel were supposed to be busy defending the universe from invaders. That was the bargain, after all. Defend planets. Get women.
Nowhere in that equation did there seem to be time for rogue warriors to play dress-up as a star cruise steward.
“I don’t understand why you’re here,” she said.
Even more baffling, she didn’t understand her own reaction to him. She should loathe him and everything he stood for. She had less rights as a person because of aliens like him. She had to break the law to take control of her own body.
Yet here she was flirting instead of shoving him over the railing.
“You agreed to have dinner with me,” Caldar said. He drank the wine she ignored and leaned the empty tray against the balcony railing.
“I agreed to no such thing.” She finished her wine. “But I mean this. You’re following me from plant to planet. I don’t know why you’re doing it. If you wanted to make a skin suit from me, I’d be in a pit putting the lotion on.”
“Your words make no sense. Is your translator failing?”
She shook her head. Worries about his intentions kept her up at night, at least in the beginning. If Caldar had nefarious motivations, she was completely helpless to stop him. She said, “I mean, why me? We don’t know each other. We never spoke before I left Earth. I don’t get it.”
He ran a hand through his hair. It was dark today, along with his horns.
“You colored your hair,” she blurted out. Then, because she could be just a teeny bit ruder, she said, “I don’t like it.”
He chuckled. “No one will look twice at a younger male doing a young male’s work. My gray hair would draw too many eyes.”
“I liked your hair the way it was. Not that I have any opinion or say about what you do with your body,” she said. She was babbling. How embarrassing.
“I am glad.” For once, he didn’t wear a cocky grin on his face. “My horns went gray early, much to my shame.”
Sonia looked at his horns critically. In the last year, she’d seen a lot of horns and all the ways Sangrins liked to decorate them. Currently in vogue were metal caps worn on the horn tips. Colored wax rubbed into the keratin seemed to be popular with people Sonia’s age. Reflective foil designs pressed into the horns looked amazing in the sun. The other day, Sonia spotted a woman sporting horns that went from black at the base to a hot pink at the tip. They were amazing.
Caldar’s horns were plain, lacking any decoration. They were a dark gray at the base, nearly hidden by his hair, and a matte black in color.
“You missed a spot,” she said, unable to stop herself from brushing back his hair and tapping the spot in question.
Yeah, she was definitely flirting.
And getting distracted.
“You didn’t answer my question,” she said.
“I owe a debt to your friend,” he answered. “My actions… were less than ideal and endangered her. That was not my intention. I will ensure your safety during your travels. That is the honorable choice.”
Sonia did not pick up anyhonorable deed and action vibesfrom Caldar. He seemed to be the sort entirely driven by self-interest, but he had saved her from being mugged.
Honorable. Sure, why not?
