Damn, he must’ve realized what he was saying.
“What makes you think those guys were after you?” she asked. He’d basically admitted he was her bounty, but now she was curious what he’d done to get the label of treason. He was the first bounty she’d ever seen with that.
He dropped his gaze and went quiet. “I know they were attempting to hunt me down, but I’m uncomfortable telling you why I’m a wanted male. I promise that I’m Zeph.”
She blinked, confused. Had she messed up and called him by his name? The vial of medication she’d taken was potent, and she probably shouldn’t have swallowed all of it.
“Is your name Zeph?” she asked cautiously then thought to add, “I’m sorry if I don’t remember you telling me earlier. I was in a lot of pain.”
Raising his eyes, he started purring. “You called me Zeph. You said the word meant an honorable male. I’m that. Even though my empire might not agree, I’ve only ever done things that would make the ancestors proud. You should continue to call me Zeph.”
It took her a moment to remember calling him a good guy. She almost laughed at the misunderstanding, but at least he didn’t suspect anything.
“Great, I’ll call you Zeph, and you can call me Han.”
“Yes, Han. Not Hannah because Han is a strong name,” he said. Wow, she must’ve been chatty earlier. Thankfully she didn’t seem to have given anything away, or he wouldn’t be so friendly. “I’m going to make you food. It’s important that you eat. I’m sorry I don’t have a large selection of food, but the reconsitutor packs I have should be agreeable with your biology.”
The mention of food made her realize how hungry she was. “Don’t worry about what you’ve got. I could eat anything right now.”
“Even beetle stew?” he asked and made a sound that reminded her of marbles clinking around in a cloth bag. That Talin version of a laugh was kind of adorable.
Had she talked about beetle stew? Damn, it seemed she was a real blabbermouth on pain meds!
“Even beetle stew,” she agreed, standing up at the same time Zeph rose to his feet. They ended up standing only a few inches apart, and she was overwhelmed by his presence.
Inviting warmth radiated from him. She always ran a little cold, and it didn’t help that humans tended to like a slightly higher ambient temperature than just about every other speciesout there. Stations and ships were usually kept colder than comfortable for her.
Having this purring male pouring off heat made her want to wrap herself around Zeph and never let go.
The scent of hibiscus made her want to lick him. Would he taste like he smelled?
Would he put his hands on her while she ran her tongue all over him? What would his keratin plates feel like? What about that strip of exposed skin at the base of his neck?
Urges she hadn’t had in a long time swamped her. Before she realized what she was doing, she flattened her hand on his chest and ran it up to his neck.
He tensed and let out a sound that reminded her of a bunch of metal tools being dropped on the ground. That noise brought her back to her senses. Snatching her hand away, she hastily stepped past him.
“I’m sorry!” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. Suddenly she felt horribly cold. What was she doing? He’d been kind and considerate to her, and she was molesting him at the first chance she got.
He focused his sapphire eyes on her. “I’m sorry I startled you with my rattle of surprise. I didn’t expect you to touch me so soon.”
“I shouldn’t have done that,” she admitted, even though she wanted to do it again.
He started purring. “You can touch me any time you like. I’ve never been near a human before, but I know they need a lot of physical contact to stay happy and healthy. I might not be a fellow human, but you can clutch or cling to me any time you need.”
The motion he made with his arms as he spoke made her think he was talking about hugging and snuggling when he saidclutch or cling.
“Um, thanks,” she said. “But I still shouldn’t have put my hand on you without permission.”
“Consider permission granted now and for the entirety of our future together. However long that might last,” he stated quickly. Still purring, he stepped close with his arms open, inviting her to hug him. “You look upset. I’d like to comfort you.”
Giving in to temptation, she accepted his offer. His arms wrapped around her with enough pressure for her to feel comforted but not so tight that she felt overwhelmed or trapped. Heat surrounded her, chasing off the chill.
With a bone deep sigh, she relaxed into his embrace. She never wanted this to end.
Despite the recent sleep, she suddenly felt bone tried. She’d spent the last five years working as a bounty hunter without many breaks. Focusing on retirement had meant she let everything else fall to the wayside.
A few days off here and there wasn’t enough.
