His eyes fastened on her chest. Segonian women rarely had breasts that size. Their hips were not as round either. Both accentuated a waist so narrow he could easily span it with his hands.
Striding forward, Eliana held her arms out to the side and said, “Ta-da! I’m awake!”
He smiled. “So I see.” Even her hair was lovely. No longer lank, it flowed down her back to her waist in thick, shining waves. “You are recovered?”
Smiling, she strolled toward him.
His heart hammered in his chest. The way she walked… Strong and confident, yet arousingly sensual. It was all he could do to keep his body from responding in ways his uniform would not conceal.
“I’m recovered,” she declared. “And wonderfully clean. You would not believe how good that shower felt after being bloody and gross for a whole month.”
Don’t imagine her naked. Don’t imagine her naked.
Adaos entered behind her. “If she had stayed in the cleansing unit any longer, the rest of us would’ve had to do without.”
Dismay widened her big brown eyes. “Oh crap. I forgot you probably have a limited supply of—”
Dagon waved off her concern. “He jests. We have plenty of water.”
She narrowed her eyes at Adaos.
Adaos offered her a crooked grin and shrugged.
Chuckling, Eliana returned her attention to Dagon. “So? What do you think?” She motioned to her new clothing. “Adaos showed me the coolest thing. It’s this room the size of a phone booth. You step in, lasers shine all over you and take your measurements. Then a few minutes later, it flings folded clothing at you.”
He laughed at her description of their uniform generator. “Making new uniforms on demand is more efficient than storing boxes of multiple sizes.”
“I bet it is. Adaos kept trying to steer me toward a gray uniform, but I’m more comfortable in black. Is that okay?”
Black was usually reserved for soldiers in the Segonian military, but it complemented her fair skin and dark hair so well that he was willing to overlook it. “Yes. It suits you.” And technically speaking, she was a soldier… just not in the Segonian military.
“Thank you.” She glanced at the rest of the bridge crew and tossed the men a wave. “Hi, guys.”
They smiled and returned her greeting.
She turned to his communications officer. “Are you Janek?”
He stood. “I am.”
Eliana crossed to him and offered her hand. “Thank you so much for opening communications with me. You saved my life. And listening to you guys when we weren’t speaking kept me sane.”
He clasped her forearm. “I’m glad we were able to rescue you, Earthling.”
Laughing, she released him and glanced over at the navigations officer. “Are you Galen?”
Galen’s eyebrows rose. “Yes. How did you know?”
“I recognized your voice when you said hello.” Crossing to him, she extended her hand. “Thank you for finding me.”
Galen stood and grasped her forearm. “I’m happy I was able to do so.”
A disturbing… something… crept through Dagon as he watched her smile up at the other men. He didn’t like her touching them. Didn’t like them smiling down at her. And definitely did not like the appreciation in the gazes they swept over her form.
She turned to Dagon. “And you…” Closing the distance between them, she stopped a breath away. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
“I vowed I wouldn’t.”
She shook her head. “Most men would’ve assumed I was dead when I stopped responding.”
He had thought her dead when she’d stopped responding. “I hoped you would achieve the unachievable.”
Smiling, she once more slid her arms around his waist, pressed her face to his chest, and hugged him tight. “Thank you so much, Dagon.”
This time he didn’t hesitate to close his arms around her. Though her head still didn’t even reach his shoulder despite her standing straighter, her form was strong now, fuller, and felt far too good against his own.
“You’re welcome.” That was the correct response in Earth English, wasn’t it?
“Wow,” she said in a breathy voice. “You smell really good.”
His cursed body instantly responded.
His men stared.
Eliana stiffened. Tilting her head back, she glanced up at him. Pink blossomed in her cheeks. “I’m sorry. That was incredibly inappropriate. I can’t believe I just said that.” Lowering her arms, she backed away and cleared her throat. “Blame it on… I don’t know. Space sickness. Is that a thing? Space sickness? From spending too much time floating in space?”
“Okay,” he said slowly, borrowing her word and allowing her the cover.
His men grinned.
“So.” She clasped her hands together with another smile, eager—it would seem—to change the subject. “Now that I’m all better, let’s talk weapons.”
Willing his body to cool down, Dagon stared at her. “Weapons?”
“Yes.” She once more motioned to her shapely form. “Mine are gone, and I feel really naked without them.”
Don’t imagine her naked.
Drek. He couldn’t help it. He imagined her naked.
So did his men, judging by their expressions.
Dagon shot them all a glare.
Most hastily returned their attention to the consoles before them.
Janek and Galen continued to watch Dagon and Eliana, smiles toying with the edges of their lips.
“Do you by any chance have an armorer or weaponsmith on board?” Eliana asked hopefully.
“Yes.”
“Excellent.”
“He can supply you with blasters and—”
“Actually, I’m more of a blades kind of gal.”
He studied her. “A blade will not protect you from a blaster.”
“Is there a metal that can repel blasterfire?”
“Yes.”
“Then blades can and will protect me from a blaster if your armorer fashions them out of that metal,” she replied confidently.
Dagon wasn’t sure how to respond. An enemy could fire multiple rounds in the time it would take her to swing a single blade in her own defense.
“Trust me,” she said. “I know what I’m doing.”
He wasn’t sure she did. This was, after all, her first foray into space and the company of alien races that possessed technology superior to that found on Earth.
“I’ve done things you thought I couldn’t before, right?” she asked.
“Right.”
“Then let’s go talk to your armorer.”
With a mental shrug, Dagon escorted her from the bridge.
They strode down the corridor and around a curve, where they came upon two crew members heading their way. Both men stopped midstep and stared.
Eliana smiled. When she and Dagon came abreast of the men, she halted and offered her hand. “Hi. I’m Eliana.”
Oglin glanced at Dagon, then clasped her forearm. “I’m Oglin.” He performed a slight bow. “It’s an honor to meet you, Eliana.”
She shook her head. “The honor is mine.”