Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Aithar says he’s not the man that took Rafaela away…he says he’s a clone. I believe him. There’s something too innocent and earnest about him. He also says that his friends are clones. What if one of them is the man I’m looking for? Am I prepared to act? I head to the kitchen and tuck a knife into one boot, then the other. I look for other things I can stash as weapons, and I’m still rummaging through my cutlery when the doorbell chimes.
Shit. Is it time already? I was going to scrub the tiles in the bathroom, just in case there was a hint of dirt. Never mind that I’ve scrubbed them twice already today. Cleaning makes me feel better.
I wonder if it’s too late to change my mind. I wonder if he’d notice if I crawled out the window and went and hid in the barn.
Probably.
Nervous, I pull my hair down from the elegant twist and shake it out, letting my curls run riotous and free. I take off the sexy belt that draws attention to my nipped-in waist. Better that I don’t look too attractive, just in case I run into slavers anyhow.
I brace myself, then open the door to the house and greet Aithar with a barked out, “Hello.”
He jerks backward in surprise, his eyes wide.
For a moment, I think I’ve startled him with my sour greeting. But then his gaze travels over my body and back up to my face, and his hand curls into a fist over his heart. “I had forgotten.”
“Forgotten what?”
“How you stun me with your beauty.” He looks me over again and his hand goes to his mouth. He rubs it, and then his expression turns uncertain. “Are you sure you wish to go out with me?”
“I thought you wanted to go out with me.”
“I do, but I am not worthy of you.” The expression on his face is plainly adoring, which weirds me out a little.
I roll my eyes at that. “How about you let me decide, hm? And besides, it was your idea. We don’t have to go out.”
“But you wanted to meet my friends, yes?”
Did I? The only one I’m really interested in meeting is the bounty hunter. But I need to keep him happy, because I need that contact…and I need him to not rat me out. I shift on my feet. “I’m just…nervous.”
Aithar relaxes. “I assure you, my friends are pleasant and will mean you no harm. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, we will leave immediately. You are my priority.”
Over his friends? Doubtful. But there’s a sincerity in Aithar’s face that makes me trust him. The more I look at him, the more he’s so different from the bastard I remember. That man had hard, narrow eyes that seemed dark as coals. Everything about him was hard and mean. Aithar isn’t like that. His eyes are wide and guileless, and unless he’s the best actor I’ve ever met, there’s no faking his nervous enthusiasm for our date. “It’s fine. I’ll relax eventually. What’s the plan?”
He straightens and clasps his hands behind his back, in what might be an almost military pose. “I will escort you into town. We will proceed to the cantina, which is currently under construction. I thought it might be a more comfortable spot for you to visit and get to know my friends instead of heading to our ship with us.”
“Cantina. Okay. That sounds fine.”
He smiles broadly. “You will be able to see how much we a’ani resemble each other, yet we are all very different people. I think you will like them, and I would like for you to have more friends for a support system.”
That’s a little presumptuous of him. I can feel myself stiffening, my expression growing hard. “I don’t need friends.”
“Everyone needs friends.” He smiles sweetly at me, his eyes guileless.
What can I say to that? He seems to genuinely mean what he says, and I can tell there’ll be no changing his mind. I cross my arms over my chest, determined to change the subject. “We’re hanging out with your friends? This doesn’t sound like a very romantic date.”
Aithar goes still, his eyes widening a fraction. “Did…you wish it to be? Romantic?”
Oh. Was he deliberate in choosing a date that would make me comfortable instead of making it romantic? I guess I was expecting him to be pushy about wanting to get into my bed given that he’d immediately demanded a date. Him being thoughtful about it is…unexpected. For the first time, I realize that he’s wearing nice clothes. It’s a uniform, sure, but the pleats are crisp and the fabric looks new. His head seems to be newly shaven and he smells like soap. Did he get dressed up for me?
Because he wanted this to be romantic after all?