Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
That distance wasn’t easy to maintain when every part of him longed for her—so much so that he had actually been having dreams of her at night! Which was ridiculous—he really had to stop craving the little female like this. She—
Just then there was a sharp rap-rap-rap at the door to his suite. Grath frowned. Who could that be? Maybe Commander Sylvan with some last-minute instructions?
He walked around to the sliding silver door and called,
“Open!” in an authoritative voice. The door responded to his command and the silver panel slid to one side revealing…
Madeline.
THREE
MATTIE
Mattie took a deep breath. Was she doing the right thing, confronting the big Hybrid in his quarters?
But she had to do it—they couldn’t just go down to Earth without at least discussing a strategy. And they needed to set some ground rules too. Something like, no kissing except on the cheek, or something like that. Anything else would just be too damn awkward.
It wasn’t that she didn’t find the big Hybrid attractive, Mattie told herself. He was extremely handsome—in a bad boy kind of way. With that wild black hair and those curving tattoos all up and down his muscular arms he looked like a renegade from a motorcycle gang. Physically, he was just her type.
I’m probably not his type, though, she told herself. He probably doesn’t go for curvy girls.
She’d heard that many Kindred did though—it had even given her some hope that she might find someone when she came up to the Mother Ship. Though she hadn’t had any luck so far. Mattie loved her curves, but it had been a long, hard journey to get there and she wasn’t going to be with a man who didn’t love them too. Anyway, it didn’t matter if they were each other’s type since they were just going to be pretending to date, she told herself.
And then the door slid open and Grath was just standing there, towering over her like an ogre in a fairy tale. When he saw it was her, his face went as dark as a storm cloud and Mattie gave a mental sigh.
“We’re going to have to work on that,” she said, shoving her way determinedly into his suite of rooms, though he hadn’t invited her. It involved a little scrunching to get past his muscular bulk, but it wasn’t too difficult to slip under his arm—she barely had to duck, since he was so much taller than her.
“Work on what? And why are you here, little girl?” he growled, turning to face her.
“We’re going to have to work on that too,” Mattie told him. “By which I mean, the way you look at me and the way you address me,” she added, by way of explanation. “There’s no way my family are going to believe we’re in love if you scowl every time you see me and you call me demeaning nicknames.”
“Demeaning?” he demanded, striding over to tower over her again as the door slid shut behind him. “What’s demeaning about ‘little girl?’ You’re tiny and you’re a female—it certainly fits you.”
“How would you like it if I called you, ‘big, dumb male?’” Mattie shot back.
“Hey…” His face got even darker. “That’s not very fucking nice.”
“No, it’s not,” Mattie said crisply. “So now you know how I feel about being called ‘little girl.’” She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Look, I didn’t come here to fight.”
“Why did you come, then?” He raised his eyebrows at her, clearly waiting for an explanation.
“For a strategy session,” Mattie told him. “And to set some ground rules. Look—have a seat, would you? You’re so damn tall I’m getting a crick in my neck trying to talk to you.”
She gestured to the large, overstuffed love seat that was positioned in front of the fireplace in the living area of his suite. Reluctantly, she thought, the big Hybrid went to have a seat. He settled on the couch, his knees spread and his elbows resting on his thighs as he leaned forward to look at her intently.
“All right, so tell me—what do you want me to call you?” he asked seriously. “Dr. Porter? Madeline?”
“Mattie is fine,” Mattie said.
He frowned.
“You know we Kindred consider it an insult to shorten a female’s given name, don’t you?”
“Well, ‘Mattie’ beats the hell out of ‘little girl,’” Mattie pointed out.
“All right, if you say so.” Grath nodded. “But what about nicknames? Don’t human lovers call each other sweet endearments? Kindred do—didn’t you notice the way Commander Sylvan calls his mate ‘talana’?”
“You can call me ‘babe’ or ‘baby’ if you want to,” Madeline offered. “But don’t call me ‘Dr. Porter’—that’s way too formal, especially since we’re supposed to be dating.”
“Baby…” Grath seemed to be trying it out. He shrugged. “I don’t see how that’s any better than ‘little girl’ but if that’s what you want…”