13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

M isty

It was only by accident I noticed the medical kiosk in the grocery store when we stopped there earlier today. A shallow dive on my wrist-comm informed me the self-contained metallic stall was fully equipped with the medication and knowledge to provide me with birth control.

Now that I've returned to the store alone, I slip into the vertical med-pod, the curved metal door whooshes closed behind me, and a friendly computerized voice asks what I need. Because of my subdural translator, we communicate easily.

The computer takes less than a minute to research Earth women's specific needs, and two minutes later, I'm painlessly injected with what I'm informed is a shot that will last until I request the antidote.

When the door slides open no more than five minutes later, I walk out and grab a rotisserie something or other for dinner. It was already cut into parts, so I didn't have to ask too many questions about what type of animal I'm going to eat. And yeah, no matter what it looks like, it smells too good to throw away.

As I hover back to the inn, I conduct a swift internal debate about whether I'm going to have sex with Zylus, or if I want to keep things at the "just friends" level. Well, I think we passed "just friends" with that amazing kiss last night.

Although we basically just met and I am not now, nor have I ever been, a one-night stand kind of girl, I'm considering letting my passions be my guide. The still, small voice in the back of my head is on warning mode though.

You own a B&B together. You're going to be living in the same house for the next few months, working elbow to elbow, breathing the same air! What if things go south? What if you have a falling out?

What is it they say about romance in the workplace? Oh, yeah, it's a one-word answer—don't. What would we argue about though? What type of kitchen appliances to buy? Truth be told, he's probably right about having state-of-the-art ovens and a large-capacity fridge. When we're at 100% occupancy, we'll need it.

I'm still conducting my internal argument when I walk through the door to a house that sounds eerily quiet. Vortex greets me, a shaggy comet of flying turquoise fur. For a wild animal, someone must not have told him he's supposed to be standoffish.

My voice lifts an entire octave as I coo to him, waggle the bag of smelka snaps we bought for him earlier, and then tease him with what's in the bigger bag.

"See this, Vortex? I got this for you. You're going to love it." After a moment more of increasing the suspense, I pull his gorgeous scarlet bed out of the bag as if I'm a magician producing something enchanted from her hat.

Seeing Vortex running in wild, little circles, you'd think I had supernatural powers.

I make a beeline to the hearth and set the bed down in the perfect spot. Although Zylus said the little chitza would immediately tear it apart, he does nothing of the sort, choosing instead to sit regally on it, then look up at me with the most beautiful, dark, puppy-dog eyes .

It's only now I realize the shower is running upstairs. Since there's no dining room table, I set up dinner on the coffee table and put a few pillows—the ones Vortex hasn't ravaged—nearby, so we can comfortably sit on the floor.

My breath catches when Zylus descends the ornate wooden staircase wearing only loose-fitting pants as he towels his hair.

"I smell food." His gaze sweeps over the little feast I've set out on the coffee table, then settles affectionately on me.

It's as if a lightning strike sizzles through my body, touching everything from top to bottom, but giving an extra zap to the tips of my breasts and between my legs.

I'm a weak, weak woman. Did I really spend the last half-hour debating whether I was going to have sex with Zylus tonight? Who was I fooling? It will be a miracle if we make it through dinner before one of us attacks the other.