Page 12 of Warrin
The tips of his ears burned as he recalled the childhood taunts that used to follow him.Dirt-fluxxer.Flower-sniffer.
Though he was now renowned among his people for preserving Vaxxlian plant life—and for helping the crops on New Vaxx thrive beyond expectation—his early fascination with exo-agrobotany had made him a target for ridicule.
Most Vaxxlian parents tried to guide their sons toward more glorious callings—fleet commanders, engineers, architects, frontier scouts, planetary surveyors.Among his people, botany had long been dismissed as a pastime for females.
Thankfully, the teasing eventually stopped when he unveiled his first creation: a line of highly nutritious crops genetically altered to grow in even the harshest terrain.His invaluable contributions to terraforming research also helped bolster his reputation as one of the brightest minds of his generation.
Ironically, some of the same males who had mocked him as a child now paid handsomely for his expertise on New Vaxx.
Elora’s expression was still strange to him, and he wondered if she was having difficulty reading his emotions.He didn’t think she would openly mock him, but he despaired at the prospect of her not respecting his work.How could trust and intimacy flourish between them if she didn’t respect him?His heart started to sink.
She cleared her throat and shifted on the patient bed again, and to his surprise, he detected a fresh wave of arousal emanating from her—she was growing slick again.His pulse raced, and despite his worries about her private thoughts regarding him, his cock remained painfully rigid.
“You’re very talented,” she said slowly.“I’m impressed, and I won’t lie—a bit intimidated and even jealous.I’m a little embarrassed to admit I was a solid D student in my science classes, and I only speak English and Galactic Common.As for a job… well, I was proud of the work I did as the economic development director of Oakdale, but… I don’t think I was changing lives the way you clearly have.”
His spirits lifted as he processed her words.She didn’t look down on his job as an exo-agrobotanist.Instead, she was impressed.His ego swelled and he drew in a deep breath, unable to keep from puffing his chest out a bit.
“Please don’t feel intimidated, little sarr’ahh,” he said, wanting to comfort her.“As my father used to say, everyone is born with different talents.I am sure you changed plenty of lives as the economic development director of Oakdale.And as for being a…solid D student, that is the fourth letter in your alphabet, so surely it means you are more scientifically inclined than you are giving yourself credit for.”
A smile broke across her face, and her eyes glimmered with humor.She opened her mouth to speak, only for her stomach to emit a loud rumble.A deep pink flooded her cheeks, though he couldn’t understand her embarrassment over such a normal bodily function.
“Come with me, Elora, and we will retire to my quarters for a meal… and more conversation.”
Chapter7
Elora staredat the spread of human food, stunned to her core.It was difficult not to laugh at the odd assortment—pancakes, macaroni and cheese, curry with steamed rice, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and corn on the cob.Not wanting to hurt his feelings, she bit the inside of her cheek and offered an appreciative smile.In fairness, he’d asked her what she was in the mood to eat, and she’d simply told him to surprise her.
“Everything looks delicious,” she said.“Thank you for preparing the meal.”
He inclined his head slightly.“I am glad you approve, little sarr’ahh.I selected a few of the most commonly replicated human dishes that are programmed into the replicator.”
“Well, I’m famished, and I can’t wait to dig in.”She hadn’t had a proper meal in days.
“Please eat your fill.If you would like more of anything, I would be happy to replicate it.”
“Thank you, Warrin.You’re… sweet.”
To her surprise, he grabbed her plate and started piling food on it—a generous portion of everything—then he placed it in front of her.His eyes gleamed with affection.
“Thanks,” she whispered, feeling her face grow warm.She couldn’t recall a romantic partner ever fixing a plate for her before—not even Tobias.She quickly pushed aside thoughts of her ex.
She watched as Warrin grasped a piece of corn on the cob, turning it in his hands like it was a curious artifact.He started to take a bite… of the entire tip of it—cob and all.She waved her hands.
“No, not like that.”Again, she found herself biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.Warrin might be a certifiable genius—a highly respected exo-argobotanist who spoke numerous languages—but he didn’t know how to eat corn on the cob.
He shot her a quizzical look and closed his mouth, angling his head away from the corn.“It smells… strange.”
She smiled.“It’s best with butter, salt, and freshly ground pepper.But it’s still perfectly good without anything added.Watch this.”She picked up a piece of corn on the cob and demonstrated by taking a bite of the kernels, as delicately as she could manage.Her face heated as he settled an intense gaze on her, watching her every movement.
“Interesting.”He mimicked her action, taking a tiny bite and chewing.His expression soon morphed into one of delight, and he finally swallowed.“This is good.”
She smiled again.“I’m glad you like it.You can also cut all the kernels off the cob and eat it with a utensil.”
He took another overly gentle bite, and joy flowed through her as she watched him.She’d assumed that she would be giving up a lot of human things when she mated with a Vaxxlian, but she appreciated that not only was he happy to replicate Earth foods for her, but he was also willing to try them.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, occasionally sharing a brief smile.Eventually, Warrin paused and sat back in his chair.His visage turned a bit inquisitive—and solemn.Her stomach twisted a bit, and she paused eating too and leaned back in her own chair.He wanted to know about her reasons for being on a road trip.
From his viewpoint, her actions probably appeared reckless.Looking back, she realized she had done a reckless thing—hurriedly packing her car and driving off into a war zone only hours after getting stood up at the altar.
