Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Q 'tar watched to make sure the small female entered her house safely before turning his attention to the pathetic male at his feet. So small but so defiant. He didn't like letting her out of his sight, but he had to deal with the present threat first.

"You don't know who you're messing with," the male tried to snap. "She belongs to Clifton Armitage."

Unexpectedly irritated by the claim, he put his boot on the male's broken arm and watched his face pale. Remembering how the male's fingers had dug into the female's delicate wrist he was tempted to break them as well, but he reluctantly decided it wasn't necessary to convey his message.

"No, she doesn't. Tell him she is under my protection." He removed his boot. "Go."

The male scrambled awkwardly to his feet and backed away a few paces before glaring at him.

"So the little whore has a new protector now? Cliff's not going to like that. I just hope he lets me have a turn at her once he's through. If there's anything left."

The male smirked at him, clearly believing that his assignment as messenger would save him from additional harm. He was wrong.

An icy rage sept over Q'tar as he grabbed the male's broken arm and hauled him closer.

"Neither of you will ever lay a finger on her," he growled.

Another snap, and this time the male's lifeless body collapsed to the ground. His initial satisfaction was quickly followed by annoyance.

Frek. That had not been part of his plan, and he did not usually deviate from his precisely planned missions. Yet the thought of this slistok laying another finger on the small female with the soft curves and frightened eyes was unacceptable. The male had deserved to die.

If he had still been on his home planet of Behran, he would have left the body there as a warning not to touch his female… The female under my protection , he amended quickly. However, leaving the body in plain sight might distress her. It would also attract unwanted attention from the Earth authorities and cause further deviations to his plan.

He picked up the body and threw it over his shoulder, quickly deciding that the male's death made no fundamental difference to his mission. The fact that the messenger did not return should serve the same purpose.

As he carried the body to the male's primitive vehicle, he did a quick survey of the female's house. All of the lights were on behind the closed curtains, and the alarms he'd placed early were undisturbed. He still did not like the idea of leaving her, no matter how briefly. This is for her protection as well , he reminded himself as he shoved the body in the back and took the wheel.

Less than fifteen minutes later, he was running silently through the woods back to town. The vehicle had been left half-concealed in a parking lot at the head of a trail leading to the falls. The body had gone over those same falls. Both of them would be found eventually, but that also suited his purpose. He slowed as he approached his female's house to check his alarms and then frowned.

There was no need to check them - they would alert him if there was any sign of an intruder - and yet it was at least the fourth time he'd checked since he left. It is my job to protect her, even if it is only a temporary assignment , he thought, but he couldn't quite convince himself that the strength of his protective instincts was normal. He was scowling when he disarmed the lock and slipped in through the back door.

Her home was… different to his own domicile. Small and impractical, with too many doors and windows. The windows weren't even fortified and the doors could be kicked open by a child. But the interior was oddly welcoming. He liked the colors and the softness, so unlike the sleek white expanses of his residence, and he liked the way he could smell her scent everywhere.

He stood motionless, relishing the sweetness of her scent, until he realized that her breathing was much too rapid. His frown deepened as he strode into the minuscule living area. She was huddled in a chair by the fireplace, gripping one of the odd drinking containers that seemed to be standard on this planet. The container was clearly too hot to be comfortable, but her hands were wrapped around it anyway, the faint smudge of bruises beginning to show on her pale wrist.

His anger rose again. The marks offended him. Such a fragile female should be treated gently and with respect, not subjected to violence and cruelty.

She jumped when she looked up and saw him and lost her grip on the container, sending hot liquid flooding down her chest. He was at her side immediately, quickly tearing away the wet cloth before the heat could damage her delicate skin. She gasped, her eyes widening and her cheeks flushing as she made an ineffective attempt to pull her garment back together.

"Stop that. You will burn yourself."

He carefully inspected her, relieved to see only the faintest reddening of her pale skin. She was still wearing a lacy undergarment, one that cupped her lush breasts and offered them to his gaze in a remarkably enticing way. He ran a quick finger along the upper edge of the garment, making sure that the fabric was cool to the touch and would not burn her.

As his concern faded, it was replaced by an unexpected rush of heat. Her skin was like the finest Galoran silk beneath his fingers, rising and falling with her rapid breathing, and her nipples thrust against the thin fabric as if begging for his mouth. He had seen a variety of females during his years traveling the galaxy, but never one seemed so perfectly designed for him. Frek. This was a complication he didn't need. And yet he couldn't bring himself to remove his hand, continuing to stroke that impossibly soft skin.

"I… I think I'm fine."

He looked up to find her watching him, her eyes wide and dark. She licked her pretty lips nervously, and he forced himself to release her, then nod and rise.

"Very well. It was foolish of you to drink a hot beverage from an open container."

Her eyes sparkled indignantly.

"I'm not a child. I don't need a sippy cup-" She shook her head. "Wait a minute. Who are you? And how did you get into my house?"

"What is a sippy cup?"

If it would protect her from harm, he would procure one for her.

"It's a covered cup, designed for a child - which I am not."

Her breathing was even more rapid now, her delightful breasts threatening to spill out of the small undergarment in her agitation, making it quite clear that she was definitely not a child.

"Answer me!" she demanded, and he forced his attention back to his mission.

"I am Q'tar delArden and I am your bodyguard."