Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 42969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
“Fine—then I guess you’ll just have to get wet because I’m going to get those leeches,” Sylvie told him. “Even Commander Sylvan admits they might have some real medical benefits he could use in the Med Center.”
Kross’s eyes were still red as he performed an elaborate bow and murmured,
“Yes, Your Majesty—your wish is my command. I live only to fulfill your every desire.”
Despite herself, Sylvie had felt her cheeks getting hot. She hated it when he acted like that! She’d seen him bow before when greeting others—apparently, it was a Skellax thing—a mannerism he’d been raised with. But when he bowed to her there was always a sardonic gleam in his changeable eyes that made her feel foolish—as though she was a headstrong child demanding her own way instead of a highly respected scientist trying to do her job!
Despite Kross’s objections, Commander Sylvan had given his approval and they had gone to Minerva Twelve. Sylvie had been wearing a protective cover-all, of course, but the day was so hot and muggy that by mid-afternoon she’d been forced to strip the top part of it down and tie it around her waist. Under it, she had on a thin white T-shirt and under that she wasn’t wearing any bra. Because, like most of the women aboard the Mother Ship, she had adopted the use of float dots instead.
Float dots were tiny, tear-drop-shaped devices that adhered to the bottom of each breast and acted like tiny anti-gravity engines. They caused even the largest and heaviest breasts to “float” and look perky. Which was a good thing for Sylvie, since she’d always had extra-large breasts to go with her extra-large curves—no one was ever going to accuse her of being skinny.
She hadn’t thought much about her outfit at the time—she was hot and sweaty and standing thigh-deep in the swirling, murky blue-green waters of the swamp. So what if she had mostly sweated through her t-shirt? She was too busy to notice and she still hadn’t found any of the elusive leeches!
They must be further out… She waded a little deeper so that the swirling waters came up just past her hips. She hoped the bottom half of her cover-all would keep the moisture out. So far it seemed to be holding and now she thought she saw some of the leeches. They were nearly invisible because their bodies were transparent but when you looked just right you could see the little ripple they made when they moved…
“Hey, Princess—you’re getting out too far!” Kross’s deep voice interrupted her concentration and she jerked her head around to glare at him.
“I’m fine! Just leave me alone—I’ve almost got them!”
She turned back to look down into the water and took one more step forward…only to find herself suddenly slipping under the murky surface.
“Shit!” she heard Kross growl just as the water closed over her head. Then there was a muffled splash and long arms were dragging her up and out of the swamp.
“Told you not to get out too far,” Kross said as he pulled her back to the shallows where the swamp only came up to their thighs—well Sylvie’s thighs and his knees, since he was so much taller than her.
“I was fine—I just slipped! You didn’t have to rescue me—I can swim,” she sputtered defensively, pushing her wet hair out of her face.
“Is that right, Princess?” Kross was smiling but it was an angry smile and his eyes were a burning reddish-orange. “Well what if it wasn’t just a slip? What if one of those fucking water-dragons had grabbed you? Because that’s what it looked like from where I was standing—you went down like something had dragged you under!”
“Well, it didn’t,” Sylvie snapped. “I must have stepped in a hole—that’s all. I’m sorry you had to mess up your perfect hair and clothes,” she added, since he was every bit as wet as she was and he hadn’t even been wearing a protective coverall. His maroon uniform shirt was clinging to his muscular chest in a way that was somehow both mouthwatering and irritating at the same time.
Kross’s angry grin grew even wider.
“Well, at least I know it was for a good cause. You finally found your leeches. And tell me, how do your nipples feel now that you have?”
“What? My nipples?”
Sylvia glanced down at her shirt and saw that the white fabric was now basically see-through and clinging to her tight points. Also, her Kindred protector was staring at them freely, as though he had every right to peruse her nearly-naked chest.
“You perverted pig!” she snapped and slapped his face. Of course, she had to reach up to do it, but she made a pretty good job of it—her palm connected with his cheek hard enough to make her hand sting.
The smile fell off Kross’s face and his eyes went full red for a moment. A muscle in his jaw clenched and his big hands balled into fists. For a moment Sylvie was sure he was going to hit her back, even though the Kindred never hit or abused women.