But, she pressed her hands against her eyes, now he was taking her back to Krystian. An involuntary shudder raced around her body shaking her bones. She needed to keep herself at the ready for the first opportunity to escape.
“You okay?” Bowie asked glancing down at her.
“Uh, yes. Just a chill. I’m fine.” She flashed him a gaunt smile.
“Hmm.” Bowie stared at her for a couple of seconds. Dev had said if Bowie thought the prințesă appeared at all fatigued, or ill, he was to carry her to the ship. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. No doubt Sveti would not care for that.
He glanced down at her again, almost as if she was reading his mind, she straightened her spine to appear less weary.
The Sennseen was a huge ship. Dozens of people were boarding with them. Most of them appeared human, but these days it was really hard to tell with inter-species mating and physical modifiers and the like.
Bowie greeted people with a nod and a wave but kept them moving when anyone tried to stop and talk. All eyes were on Sveti. She knew her cheeks were blushed with mortification. They all thought she was a criminal that had tricked the warlord beast and kept Miles in danger.
Bowie saw things differently. The men were blatantly ogling her and many tried to stop him to get an introduction. He warned them all off with a harsh frown.
He felt bad for the girl. There was no way this fluff of sweet female had any involvement in the fraud. Miles told them she had snuck food and items of comfort to him, and had managed to help him escape at the risk of incurring her brother’s devastating wrath.
Feeling her suddenly go rigid beside him, he followed the direction of her gaze. Crap. That bitch Rianna was in a huddle with her girlfriends and glaring daggers at Sveti.
Her actions against Sveti could have meant a brutal whipping or even death, but Dev had let Sveti’s compassionate pleas seep in, and he only confined Rianna to her stateroom and put a freeze on her money band. She could not shop, only purchase food.
Her payment and reservation had already been made for the trip before she’d assaulted Sveti, or Dev would have refused her passage.
Bowie wished his sisters could be on board to give Sveti some female support. She’s going to basically be an island alone. The females weren’t going to be friendly to her, and Bowie had seen the way Dev looked at her, there was no way he was going to let any other men near her. He only had Bowie bring her this morning because he couldn’t.
“Ignore her, honey, just smile that pretty smile up at me and pretend she isn’t there.” He dropped his free arm around her shoulders. Sveti did as he said. She looked up at him with a tremulous smile she strove to make steady.
Peripherally as they passed Rianna, Bowie saw the blowsy woman look even more thunderous. That witch had made it clear ages ago she wanted Dev.
What scorched her big ass worse than being rebuffed by Dev, was his interest in Sveti that was obvious to a blind man. Everyone could see it except the big man himself. And the prințesă who obviously feared and disliked Dev.
“This way, Sveti.” He led her through the huge busy atrium of the ship.
It was buzzing and bustling with people making their way on board while visiting and getting instructions to their rooms. Bowie brought Sveti through the crowd and to the lift. Inside, he pressed the second floor button and they were there in an instant.
They walked down the hall until they saw Keldon standing outside a room.
Her brows boomerangs, Sveti said in dismay, “I’m to have a guard here too? I certainly can’t get off the moving airship!”
Nodding at Keldon as he opened the door, Bowie caught the bruise under Keldon’s pale blue eye. It looked like Dev had that talk with him about gawking at Sveti, or coming near her unless she was in trouble and needed help. Inside, the cool air rushed them. It was dim in the chamber.
Bowie pushed a button and the steel shade went up to reveal the loading dock teeming with people outside the one-way window. The room brightened pleasantly.
He took her case into the bedroom and set it on a stand and came back out to join her.
“Yeah, sorry. Dev feels besides the fact you might recklessly try some perilous escape, that you need protection. You must see that yourself after Rianna’s attack on you.” Then there were the men who would take a chance and come after her if they thought she was alone and unprotected.
“Keldon will be outside that door whenever you are inside. Dev has set up a relief guard for him as well.”
Her pained expression pricked his heart. “I uh, have to go. Everything you need is here. Dev says you need anything you are to call him.” He motioned with his head to the wall-com on the wall by the door.
“Um, he said do not let anyone in, and obviously, you can’t leave without being with Dev or one of his team lieutenants, that’s me, Lukas, Tomi, and Connar. Our names and numbers are on the wall-com as well.”
Her voice strained and reedy she sighed. “I understand, Bowie. Thank you so much for your assistance. I appreciate you being so kind and friendly.”
She walked Bowie to the door. He patted her shoulder. “Buck up, hon.” He grew serious. “You know, Sveti, I realize you are afraid of him, but if you tell Dev why you are so terrified of your bráthair he can help you. I promise.”
Her smile saddened. “Thanks, Bowie, but no one can help me.”
“Ah.” He opened the door. “Well, at least think about it, okay?”
She nodded mildly. “Sure.”
Bowie’s wristband buzzed. He lifted his wrist, answered, “Busoni,” and listened. Looking at Sveti he nodded, then said, “Aye.” He picked up the wall-com and handed it to Sveti. “There is an incoming from a Ryen Rembrandt.” His blond brow arched at the thrilled smile that lit her face.
“Oh, thank you, Bowie. He is my,” her cheeks shone with pink, “childhood sweetheart. I guess he would be my boyfriend if Krystian allowed it, but-” She broke off, the thrill dimmed. Accepting the phone she said quietly, “Thank you.”
Bowie smiled and stepped out of the suite to give her privacy. “Remember, do not open the door to anyone except for us. See ya later, sweetie.” Keldon would ensure she stayed in and no one would enter. He’d taken a beating after letting Rianna trick him. Dev expected his guards to be smarter than that.
He grinned and closed the door. Wait until Dev hears about the boyfriend.
The takeoff was smooth and uneventful. After they were airborne for several hours, Sveti was sitting on the couch reading a book she’d taken from the many on the bookshelf in the cozy room.
Occasionally she looked out the window but there wasn’t much to see. It was of course pitch black. The only illumination was the stars and sometimes other ships that passed near them.
Her stomach started rattling and she was just thinking about seeing what was in the kitchenette when there was a light rapping at her door.
“Great. There’s no reason for someone to be here, so it must be trouble. God, I hope it’s not that woman again.” Sveti left the couch and tiptoed to the door and carefully looked out the peephole. Her stomach did summersaults. It was him. The beast. “Oh no, what could he want?”
Her heart started pounding, maybe he was here to mete out the punishment he’d mentioned. Maybe if she ignored him he would go away. Sure he would. She jumped when he knocked again.
“Prințesă, open the door. It’s me, Dravidian,” his deep voice rumbled through the door shearing chills up her spine.
The guard was right there, she thought, why doesn’t he just have him open it?
“Svetiessa.” He didn’t sound angry, just tough. Her name on his lips sounded foreign with his unusual accent.
Wiping her damp hands on her jeans, Sveti unlocked the door, pushed the button and let it slide open a crack.
Staying behind the door, she whispered, “What do you want?”
Chapter Nine
Dev’s mouth twitched and his brows lowered. “I want to come in. Step out of
the way.” He waited. She didn’t move. “Svetiessa,” he said, “I’m coming in regardless. I don’t want to hurt you, move away from the door.”
Her fear of him exuded from the big eyes. She had eyes like a doll’s. Round and like cut crystal. He’d never seen anything like them. His domineering growl wasn’t making her any less afraid.
More quietly, he told her, “I said I won’t hurt you. You know I could smash the door in if I wanted to.” He waited again.
She stepped back from the door panel but didn’t open it. He put his palm on the steel and pushed it aside into the wall. Her eyes widened, no human being could do that.
The door closed automatically after he entered. In a long sleeved, dark blue shirt and black cargo pants, so big and brawny he took up most of the doorway, his hair was loose again, it hung fairly straight down past his shoulders.
Her skin pale as a daisy, Sveti moved away from him and pawed at a few locks of her long curls.
“Thank you,” he said, checking out what she was wearing. Thank Zues, the shorts and that fucking wet dream of a top were replaced by a frilly, pale yellow blouse and jeans. His eyes narrowed at the blouse, ah, good, she was wearing a bra.
He didn’t need her lighting any fires in him or any other males on board flitting around with those plump, unfettered breasts bouncing everywhere.
The jeans outlined her small but curvaceous rump and sexy yet too thin legs. The dark eyes nudged back up to the blouse.
Seeing where his gaze paused, Sveti’s face filled with color. She nervously drew her hair down to cover her front. “Mr. um, Captain Dravidian,” she cleared her throat inserting more strength in her voice, “why are you here?”
His lids levered up to her flushed face then his gaze flit to the wall-com and darkened. Bowie had told him a boyfriend or some-shit had called her. “I’ve come to bring you to dinner.”
At her quizzical look he said, “There is a main dining room on the middle floor. Most of the people on board dine there.”
“Oh, uh, I believe I have sufficient food here, I mean, I haven’t looked but Bowie said…”
The black eyes glanced at the kitchenette and back to her. “It wasn’t a request.” The tone of his rough voice told her she had no choice. He rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows exposing burly forearms laced with dark hair, and set hands that could crush a skull on his lean hips.
“That is,” he glanced pointedly at her kitchen again, “unless you would prefer to provide a meal for me here. You said you were a good cook. A home cooked dinner would be a damned nice treat. My majordomo provides most meals for me, however,” he sighed, “he tends to cook strictly scientifically, there is no depth of,” he thought for the words, “savory flavor.” Hunger flared in his pupils aimed back at her bosom.
A hint of a smile almost broke his austere face when he saw her alarm at the suggestion that he stay there alone with her. “Aye,” his gaze swept down her body, lips now curled in a cold smile, “there’s nothing like a beautiful woman wearing nothing but an apron at the stove-”
“I uh, just need to wash my hands, I’ll be right back.” She turned in a flurry and fled to the bathroom.
A picture of Sveti in only an apron that was nothing but a swathe of material down her front barely covering her nipples and stopping just below her privates fueled his mind as he ushered her down the corridor.
Dev felt the urge to put his hand on the small of her back to guide her. But judging by the rigidity of her spine and rapid blinking, she’d pop if he touched her. He had thought he wanted her to fear him, she should. But now it annoyed him.
When they neared the dining room he did put his hand on her back to guide her and felt her stiffen under it.
He brought her to a buffet type set up. Handing her a tray and a plate he said, “Choose what you’d like.”
Looking over the array of food, she hesitantly picked up a shrimp quesadilla, and caught his raised brow. “What? I love them. Cheesy and gooey and-” She broke off, surprised when he chose the same thing, but quadruple the serving, and he added french fries and a huge hunk of chocolate cake.
He got a beer and waited while she filled a soda.
All eyes followed them as they made their way to a table where Bowie, Tomi and Lukas were sitting.
Setting his tray down, Dev pulled a chair out indicating for her to sit. She set her tray on the table and gracefully slid onto the cushioned chair.
Ignoring Bowie’s mocking grin, Dev plopped down next to her.
Everyone in the room was gawking at Sveti. “Ignore them,” Dev said gruffly to her as he picked up a quesadilla and took a big bite, “they’ll grow tired of staring.” The four men however, unconsciously nudged their chairs closer together making a wall of muscle blocking Sveti from most of the occupants’ view.
Feeling a million eyes on her, Sveti lost her appetite. She pulled and pinched at her sandwich but didn’t eat much.
Bowie and Lukas were talking together about Sveti’s planet, Qoph. Bowie had been there a few times but Lukas had never seen it.
“What’s it like?” Lukas asked, forking a stack of ketchup drenched fries.
“S’alright, mostly humans, a few others mixed in, but nothing else like,” Bowie shoveled in barbeque shredded modified meat and baked beans, tipped a nod at Sveti, “her.” He felt Dev’s frown and smirked at him.
Bowie went on, “The structures are mostly white with a lot of pale green, it used to have a,” he scooped up some beans, “cozy, garden kinda feel, but since Ritrova took it over-”
At the color leaving Sveti’s face, her eyes dropped to the table, he flushed, his voice skittered off. “Uh, it feels somewhat, an anxious cold, now.” Quickly changing the subject, he said, “Anyway, Luke, you been back to Dominia?”
Dev looked from Bowie to Sveti picking apart her sandwich. He’d already put away three of his quesadillas and half of the fourth. “You lost a lot of weight, Prințesă,” Dev murmured, nodding at her plate, “you need to get your strength back.”
Staring at her plate she mumbled miserably, “Doesn’t really matter.”
“Svetiessa, what-”
“Hey,” a man interrupted. Nice looking, tall with sandy hair and green eyes, he smiled at Sveti. “My name is Charlie, everyone is going upstairs to the lounge for drinks and dancing. I’d like to get my shot in first to dance with you-”
“Nay,” Dev snapped tersely without looking at him. The other men at the table looked as surprised as Charlie at Dev’s harsh response.
Charlie’s eyes darted around the table, the other guys were all eyeing him relatively amiably.
Sveti raised her head, her expression towards Dev disturbed at his rudeness, and for speaking for her.
Charlie looked at Dev who had finished his sandwiches and was stabbing at his chocolate cake. “But, Sire, I’m sure she’d like to dance.”
Stuffing a hunk of cake in his mouth, elbows on the table, his shoulders hunched, Dev stared off to the crowd, chewing. “I said no.” His gaze rose briefly to Charlie when the man didn’t move off, then he looked away, his voice a growl, “She does not dance. Get lost.”
Still, Charlie hesitated, his eyes flit from Dev to Sveti whose face was staining pink, back to Dev. Dev’s eyes rolled up to him, under his heavy brow, his lids were so low barely a speck of black eked out.
Charlie gulped loudly, mumbled, “Perhaps later,” and quickly slipped away.
Mortified at Dev’s dictatorial treatment of her, Sveti pushed her plate away and glared at him, he studiously ignored her.
“Ah,” clearing his throat, Bowie awkwardly struck up a conversation about a new ship being produced that used a unique type of fuel. “The uh, Empire Wing they’re calling it, there’s one on display at Station Comp II. Maybe on the way back from,” his eyes flicked to Sveti, her lips tightened, “uh, we can make a stop. What do you think, Dev?”
One shoulder shrugged with Dev’s noncommittal grunt.
Lukas jumped into the a
wkward silence. “Yep, I read about it. What do you think of the roadstal pinions? They the max, huh?”
Bowie, Tomi and Lukas discussed the new ship with enthusiasm. Dev concentrated on his cake and beer, Sveti sat silently and fumed, embarrassed and angry.
After dinner, the group made their way together to the lounge. The bar area was just as crowded as the dining room had been, and louder.
The cocktails were flowing and the people were zealously imbibing. Music streamed from a speaker, people gyrated on a small dance floor.
Tomi dropped his arm around a woman who had sidled up next to him, bumping him with a hip as bounteous as her hello.
Lukas grinned at the dancers, a variety of species dancing in a variety of interesting ways. The walls neon pink, blue lighting illuminated under the bar counter and along the walls giving bright yet mellow light.
Bowie said to Sveti, “What would you like to drink? Wine or something stronger?”
She opened her mouth but Dev brusquely cut her off, “She will have a soda, get me an anfira,” a blend of scotch, cognac, and a strong, dusty green spirit from the planet Zeper.
Golden brows down, handsome lips pursed, annoyance marring his normally devil-may-care tone, Bowie said tersely, “A little liquor isn’t going to hurt her, Dev. We’re with her. Give the girl a break.” He glared right back at Dev’s scowl at him.
“Um, I don’t care for anything,” Sveti said, glancing around. “I need to go to the ladies room.”
This was one of the times Dev wished he had female warriors but none had been available for this trip. He said coolly to Tomi, “Take her.”
Mouth dropping, Sveti’s brow furrowed with her protest, “Oh, really, I’m sure I can find it with no prob-”
Tomi was already getting to his feet. Smiling with a wink at the woman he had his arm around, he patted her abundant bootie and said, “Later, hon,” and held his football sized hand out to Sveti. “Come along Prințesă,” he grinned big, showing all his pearlies.
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