Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
He stopped abruptly, maybe because Andi was staring at him in such undisguised surprise. She’d never heard him sound so possessive before!
“And what?” she prompted him.
“And…and make sure he was worthy of you.” Cade scowled at the complicated instrument panel instead of meeting her eyes. “I don’t know why I ask you if you’re pregnant every time we go on a mission,” he added. “It’s protocol but also…”
“Also what?” Andi prompted again.
“I guess…” Cade sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Guess I just like to be sure you’re not…you know…not starting anything with anybody. I mean, you’re so fucking gorgeous, you could have any male you wanted on the ship, you know?”
As a matter of fact, Andi didn’t have any such idea about herself. She was tall and awkward and clumsy and though she had great hair and pretty eyes—at least according to Cade—she was also way too big all the way around.
Though she had to admit, that living on the Kindred Mother Ship had lessened that feeling a lot. Since all the furniture and living spaces here were built for seven foot tall warriors and she was surrounded by those warriors on a daily basis, she actually felt almost petite at times—a first for her, which she found she liked a lot. But she’d certainly never thought of herself as gorgeous or imagined she had the ability to get any man she wanted.
“That’s…really sweet of you, Cade,” she said carefully. “I, uh, guess I don’t really think of myself that way. I mean, none of the human guys down on Earth seemed to feel that way about me.”
“Human males are fucking idiots, then,” he growled, his golden eyes raking over her body. “Just look at you, with your full curves and those big, gorgeous eyes—I still don’t know why you hide them. And I like that you’re not so fucking tiny that I’d have to—I mean, a male would have to worry about breaking you if he took you.”
“If….if you took me?” God, what was he saying? Andi felt her breath coming short and her nipples were suddenly tight under her low-cut wrap dress. She really should have worn a bra. She shifted in her seat, pressing her thighs together to try and ease the ache she felt growing there.
She wasn’t really dressed for field work to be honest. But the planet they were visiting was supposed to have a very mild climate and she’d wanted to look attractive for her Protector, so she’d worn a dress instead of jeans or trousers. Her thighs might be thick, but her legs were long and shapely—she’d wanted to show them off. Plus, the top of the dark red wrap dress had a deep V neckline which showed off her cleavage to full advantage.
The decision to not wear a bra was kind of a last minute one. She’d been thinking that maybe during this trip Cade would open up and they might become more than work colleagues. Besides, she liked it when his golden eyes followed her and raked over her body—it made her feel sexy and desirable in a way she never had before. She was wearing panties though—that was a line she wasn’t willing to cross, even to get attention from the big Hybrid.
She couldn’t help wondering if this might be the opening she was looking for. Was he suddenly going to tell her he was attracted to her and he wanted to be more than her Protector?
But he only stared at the instrument panel and growled,
“Just telling the truth.”
Then he seemed immersed in the business of flying the ship, but the silence between them still felt extremely awkward. So much so, that Andi felt like she needed to change the topic and talk about something completely different.
“So, have you ever been to Zo’rath Two before?” she asked, as casually as she could.
“Once,” Cade said. He cleared his throat and squared his shoulders—clearly he wanted to get over the awkwardness between them too. “The whole Zo’rath System is on the other end of the galaxy from your little planet of Earth, you know,” he added. “But Zo’rath Two is the only planet you’d want to visit there—even though Zo’rath Three is actually inhabited.”
“It is?” Andi asked. “But why? Are the people their hostile?”
“Well, no—they wouldn’t be to you.” Cade barked a laugh. “Me on the other hand—well, I don’t think I’d get along quite so fucking well.”
“Why?” Andi asked again.
“Because it’s female ruled for one thing.” He was doing something to the control panel, getting ready to send them through the red gash in space, which always made Andi a little nervous.
“Is it like Yonnie Six?” she asked, referencing the female dominated planet where males weren’t allowed to be anything but bodyslaves.
“Not exactly.” He frowned. “They have kind of a unique situation down on Zo’rath Three. It’s in the habitable zone of the System’s sun and the inhabitants are humanoid—though most of them have green skin and pink hair—but around ten cycles ago, something strange happened to all their males.”