“Yeah. All that. Let’s go.” She nudged him to get him moving, tossing a quick wave over her shoulder. “Bye. Have a nice day.”
Again, a few of the crew waved back. The crewman who had spoken earlier relaxed visibly. Something told her that male would enjoy a stiff drink once his shift was over… if khartarns did that sort of thing… drink alcohol. Captain Kader hadn’t offered her any during their many meals, and she hadn’t thought to ask. Was khartarn alcohol even safe for her to drink? Did they have alcohol? She still had so much to learn, which was the other purpose of this tour.
Instead of the elevator, they headed left through a different door and walked… and walked… and walked… and good Lord, how big was this fucking ship?
Semeera didn’t ask the question aloud because she’d been the one to ask for an alternative to the elevator. She just hadn’t known she would be walking a marathon instead.
Captain Kader said, “The main thoroughfare of the ship is built on a spiral around the perimeter.”
She stopped and slumped against the nearest wall, catching her breath. “I give up. Let’s just use the elevator. I’m too out of shape for all this walking.”
“I could carry you.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“It is no hardship. You weigh next to nothing.”
Semeera gave him a huge smile. “You are so good for my ego.” An ego that had been trampled too many times by her ex’s callous comments about her eating less and exercising more so she didn’t crush him—his phrasing—when she rolled onto him in bed.
The first time he’d said that to her she should have divorced him. Insensitive asshole. She’d almost developed an eating disorder because of him. And she blamed him for her post-divorce weight gain because she’d eaten everything she’d been denied to celebrate. And lots of it.
Captain Kader extended his hand.
She shook her head and straightened. “Nope. I’m good. But thanks for offering.”
“You’re welcome.” He gestured to the side. “The elevator is this way.”
Once they were inside, with her clinging to his arm once again, she said through clenched teeth, “I will not be able to continue doing this—riding this elevator—after lunch. Fair warning.”
“Noted. I shall carry you then.”
“You don’t—”
“I will not allow you to overexert yourself. Nor do I want Doctor Gyan berating me for causing you harm.”
She met his determined green gaze and almost melted into a puddle of lust on the spot. Of course she wanted him to carry her. She was ready to climb him right then, but for different reasons. “Well, fine. If you’re gonna be all logical about it,” she said in a mock huffy tone as the elevator came to an abrupt halt.
“I shall.”
She gave his arm a squeeze before letting him go and stepping into a gym. “Wow.”
The equipment and the people using it were impressive. The usual suspects of treadmills and weight machines were present. But the people using the treadmills were running at speeds that made their legs blur and the weights on the machines were massive.
“I’m pretty sure everything in here can kill me.”
“I agree. Please refrain from using them.”
“Hey!” She smacked his arm and then regretted it as the sting radiated through her hand. Shaking it out, she said, “You’re supposed to be encouraging and tell me all I need is time to get used to it as part of my acclimation.”
“I would rather be realistic. Your first assessment is an accurate one. You will not be allowed to use any of the machines.” There was a finality in his voice that left no room for argument.
“Not even the treadmills?”
He glanced at them and then smirked at her. “They don’t go that slow.”
“Wait a damn minute. I am not slow.”
“Whatever speed we were walking earlier, if not slow, is not a speed the treadmills go.”
She laughed. “Fine. Fine. Whatever. But I’m not slow. Your legs are just a lot longer than mine, making you naturally faster.”
“This is true of all khartarns, which is why no machine made for us will ever be slow enough for you.”
Still laughing, she said, “I take back what I said about you being good for my ego.”
“Your ego should not be so fragile that the truth hurts it.”
She sobered with a small nod. “You’re right. It shouldn’t.”
Captain Kader’s expression turned worried. “Artist Sssemeera, my teasing went too far. Forgiveness.”
“No, you don’t have to apologize. It’s not you. Just old ghosts haunting me.” She inhaled a cleansing breath to banish her demon ex’s admonishments to eat less and exercise more and then looked around as a familiar scent hit her nose. “Is that salt water I smell?”
“Yes, the heated pool.”
“You have a saltwater pool?”
“This way.” Captain Kader led her deeper into the gym to the pool.
The massive pool. She really needed a new word to describe everything the khartarns had. Their height dictated everything be big compared to what she was used to, but this pool was at least twice the size of an Olympic one, and appeared way deeper.
Several people swam laps, streaking through the water with their bodies stretched out and their arms at their sides, almost resembling thick snakes.
“They’re fast.”
Captain Kader regarded them. “Are they?” His tone was less than impressed.
“You saying you’re faster?”
“Yes.”
His superior tone shouldn’t have pricked her nerves, but the earlier banter about the exercise machines was still with her. She put her hands on her hips and gave him a look of challenge. “Prove it.”
Without the least bit of hesitation, Captain Kader stripped down to shorts that resembled boxer briefs—YOWZA!—and leapt into the pool, barely causing a ripple. He slid through the water like a bullet. Not only did he catch up to the other swimmers who were past the halfway point, he lapped them and was headed back to her before they’d even touched the far edge of the pool.
He surfaced and gripped the edge of the pool, looking up at her. “Satisfactory?”
Eyes wide and still trying to process what she’d just seen, she said in a breathy voice, “Amazing.” Goosebumps prickled her skin, and she hugged her arms. “Oh my God, that was beyond… anything. Do it again.”
He pushed off the wall and was off with serpentine grace. Even with the slower start, he still shot through the water and made it back to her at the same time as the swimmers he’d lapped the first time.
They stared at him in as much awe and admiration as Semeera did. Some voiced words of praise that Captain Kader ignored as he stared at her. Waiting. But for what?
If she said to do it again, would he? But that was silly. He couldn’t be trying to impress her. And to prove that point, she held up one finger and asked, “One more time?”
Instead of telling her no or making her beg, he did another lap. He wasn’t even winded when he resurfaced at her feet. Again waiting.
“You’re very impressive, Captain Kader.”
“Thank you. I have not used this pool since starting my command. My speed has suffered because of it.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You can go faster?”
“I should be able, yes.” He rolled his neck and then his shoulders. “My stiffness is a testament to my lax training.”
“That was stiff?” She looked at the pool, him, and then the others around him, who wore expressions that mirrored her disbelief. “I’m saying this knowing I don’t know much about khartarns—you’re not normal.”
Several around her nodded with grunts of agreement.
“I am a warrior. We are trained to excel physically in order to be better fighters in battle.”
And she was damn happy for that training because, yum. And did she mention, yum? This was her first time seeing Captain Kader with so little clothing.
The male was distracting in his uniform. Out of it, he was downright sinful. Not even his scales bothered her. All she saw was a broad chest and rippling muscles with droplets of water sliding off that she wanted to lick up.
She fanned herself and stepped back from the edge. “Kind of warm in here.”
“The heat from the pool makes it so.”
Either he was playing along to save her embarrassment or he truly thought the pool caused the heat in her cheeks. Both were appreciated. Except he ruined it by flicking out his tongue. And he wasn’t the only one.
Several people were flicking their tongues and then looking her way.
What? What did they smell?
She wanted to ask but didn’t want to know the answer. They couldn’t smell how aroused she’d gotten. Could they? It wasn’t even by that much. A tingle and some flushing. If that.
There was nothing to smell!
All the attention that was more than curiosity about the human among them said otherwise. And had a few of the males gotten closer?
Oh God, they could smell her arousal!
Now she was freaking out, lusty feelings left in the dust as white-hot embarrassment blazed through her.
Captain Kader pulled himself out of the pool, stood at his full height next to her, and hissed at everyone with an angry glare.
The crowd scattered.
He snuffed, with his tail whipping from side to side, as he gathered his uniform over his arm.
Semeera covered her burning cheeks while staring at the floor.
“Forgiveness, Artist Sssemeera.” Captain Kader’s voice was rougher than usual, as though speaking in a normal tone was a challenge. “They were rude.”
She shook her head, not wanting to open her mouth in case she made her situation worse.
After pulling on his clothes, even though he left his uniform top open with his chest bared, Captain Kader said, “Come. There is a place with privacy where you can… calm yourself.”
And now she wanted a rock to crawl under. Had Captain Kader been able to smell every time she’d gotten excited around him? She’d stopped paying attention when he or anyone else flicked out their tongues and chalked it up as just something khartarns did.
“My room,” she mumbled. “I want to go back to my room.”
“Of course. Forgiveness again.” Captain Kader led the way out of the gym and back to the elevator.
She walked behind him, staring at the floor and using his tail as a way of keeping track of him. On the elevator, she stood apart from him. Even the speed and the discomfort wouldn’t make her latch onto him. Not again. Not after what just happened.
Was he angry? Disgusted? He sounded pretty pissed back in the gym. She wanted to hope it wasn’t directed at her but how could it not be? The last thing he probably wanted was a horny human in the room next door to his, but safety dictated she stayed nearby. Would he move her back to the infirmary?
“Artist Sssemeera?”
She forced herself to look up at Captain Kader but got distracted by the stars over his head. “What?” Turning in a circle, she looked around at the billions of stars twinkling around her. Literally around her.
They stood in the middle of space. But that couldn’t be right. The ship had no windows.
Captain Kader said quietly, “This is the observatory.”
Her worries vanished as she beheld the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen. “I’ve never seen so many stars,” she whispered, scared to speak louder for fear of shattering the moment. “Where I lived on Earth has so much light pollution that only the brightest stars are visible. This… It…” She held her hands to her chest and breathed through the ache such beauty caused her, blinking back tears.
This was her Beauty and the Beast moment. Belle had had her library. Semeera had these stars. She’d never thought she would experience anything close to the wonder and elation a fictional character had portrayed at receiving the greatest gift ever.
She’d told Captain Kader to take her back to her room so she could sulk, but he’d used her distraction to bring her to the one place she needed to be. Nothing burdened her soul at this moment. She only regretted she could never recreate the sight before her on paper in a way that would do it justice.
Voice full of awe and shaking, she quoted Belle without a hint of humor because it fit. “It’s wonderful. Thank you so much.”
“I wish I could experience the stars the way you do now.”
“You don’t? How can you not?” She refused to believe being out in space would desensitize anyone to this level of beauty. Not possible.
He glanced up as he shifted so he stood beside her. “A warrior is trained to search the stars for threats and coming conflict.”
“That’s so lonely. Did you ever see beauty when looking at the stars?”
“I see it now.”
She glanced at him and then blinked in surprise.
He was looking at her.
Her cheeks heated, but not with renewed embarrassment. That tingle of before returned stronger and grew when Captain Kader flicked out his tongue.
He turned his gaze overhead and held his hands behind his back. “I may not see the beauty you do, but the observatory helps calm… erratic thoughts.”
Of course.
She was seeing things that weren’t there. He’d brought her there to use the stars as a proverbial cold shower. It had worked, for the most part. But now the view of the stars was vying with her awareness of Captain Kader.
They stood in silence while Semeera tried to reclaim the wonder she’d experienced when she first realized where she was. It was a task that would be so much easier if Captain Kader weren’t there beside her. She was too much of a chicken to ask him to leave.
Then again, she didn’t want him to leave. Not really. Even knowing she had next to no chance, she enjoyed being with him. The least he could do was close his uniform so she stopped catching glimpses of his chest.
“A few years ago—”
She yelped and then apologized quickly, startled that he’d spoken after so long a silence.
He continued staring overhead. “I angered a superior. He gave an order I disobeyed in a way that led to a better outcome and victory in battle. My actions made the superior appear inept, however, he couldn’t retaliate.” His tail waved behind them.
Semeera glanced at it and then back up at him, sensing that he was telling her something very private and even more important.
“He punished me in the only way left to him. He made me a captain.”
“And… that’s a bad thing?”
“Yes.” His tail swished faster. “It is a higher rank than warrior, but no warrior wants it. Every ship in space must have a warrior aboard as its captain, from battle cruisers to transport vessels. Some ask for the stability of a civilian craft, but most stationed on such are those who transgressed in a way that insulted a superior by being too good. Our duty is to protect the ship and its crew. But the vessels we command will never see battle. Mine especially. It holds no strategic value. Without battle, there is no chance to rise to superior.”
“A backhanded promotion.”
“Yes. One I have hated since learning of it. A hate amplified by my inability to train. Swimming isn’t the only thing I neglect. The fighter I showed you is a joke at my expense. Every five weeks, I am allotted ten hours of mandatory-use flight time.”
“Ten hours!? That’s barely any time at all.”
“I must use the time or else face a reprimand that could cost my rank. Every time I go out, I am reminded of what I’m missing and try to prolong it as much as possible, spending all my time in a single outing. And should I exceed my allotted time while out, my fighter loses power. Only my comm remains active so I can request a tow back to the ship if I do not time my return properly.”
“Wow. Your superior is a real dick.”
Captain Kader let out a humorless chuckle and nodded. “The limit is lifted should the ship ever be in danger requiring I
protect it. But that danger will never happen, as my superior knew. Not this close to Home World. No enemy could ever overcome the armada.”
Semeera rested her hand on his arm in a comforting gesture.
He glanced at her hand and then looked into her eyes. “This ship was my prison, and I hated it. I did my duty as every warrior should, but always with disdain and disgust. Until I met you.” The tip of his tail brushed her left calf in a sweeping motion. It startled her, but she didn’t pull away. “No matter how unfortunate your arrival here, your presence has made me thankful to be given this command because of the opportunity to be close to you.”
“Oh.” Her face heated so much she was surprised she wasn’t glowing. “Y-You’re welcome.”
Good Lord, he was flirting!
There was no way she was mistaking it. None. Captain Kader was definitely flirting with her. And she totally wanted him to keep going. What woman wouldn’t after a confession like that? But how did she tell him she reciprocated besides just blurting it out?
Not that blurting anything out was an option since words escaped her.
She did the only thing that made sense. Moving closer to his side, she gave him a shy smile as she slipped her hand around the crook of his arm. His muscles flexed under her hand, but not to pull away.
Showing off?
That would explain why he hadn’t closed his uniform. Not that she was looking at his chest. She wasn’t. Her gaze was firmly on the stars she could no longer see because her senses were full of the hot khartarn male beside her, who was giving off the faintest scent of wood mixed with a peppery spice. It made her nipples tingle and her clit throb.
She was just about to try speaking when the door to the observatory slid open. Her first instinct was to move away so she didn’t embarrass Captain Kader.
He took the choice from her by wrapping his tail around her thighs and pulling her closer to his side. A motion he performed while still staring overhead like he hadn’t moved at all.
Smooth. Very smooth. Somewhere in the universe there was some silk that was jealous.
Also a little awkward because the people who entered were whispering and it was probably about their captain and his guest. She didn’t want to turn around and confirm her suspicion, but the longer she stood there, the more exposed she felt. The observatory wasn’t the place to find out just how much the captain of the ship liked her.
Alien Mate Experiment Page 10
