Dangerously Hers (Loving Dangerously #3)

by A. M. Griffin

  Eva winked. “I’ll see if I can get Rasha to back off for a little while. He did interrupt the time I set aside for you to get acclimated to Sonis.”

  * * * * *

  Jess stood under the canopied covering that had been erected over part of the training field. Her arms were crossed over her chest. Her right hip jutted to one side and she tapped her foot on the dirt and sand. Impatiently she watched, waiting for her turn with the training simulator.

  “Eva, you said you were going to teach me how to fight!” Jess yelled as Eva somersaulted over the head of a nasty-looking alien, landing behind it.

  Before answering her, Eva punched the thing three times in its back. “I am. I told you to have Lo take you through the form drills.”

  Eva dropped and extended both legs, grasping the simulator’s ankles with them. Eva pulled its legs toward her body. The simulator fell flat on its face.

  “Ha!” she yelled before raising a foot and slamming it hard on the simulator’s face.

  Jess glared at Lo’Ren, who looked to be doing “wax on, wax off” Karate Kid moves. It wasn’t that Jess couldn’t do the moves. They were just so…remedial. She wanted to do more of what Eva was doing. “I thought I was going to learn from you.”

  Eva jumped to her feet as the simulator rolled to a crouching position. After she reached behind it to fiddle with a compartment on its back, it froze in place.

  Eva slapped her pants, making them erupt in a small cloud of dust around her. “You need to learn the basics first, Jess. What’s the issue?”

  Jess closed the short distance and stood in front of Eva. Jess nodded in Lo’Ren’s direction. “She’s not doing too much of anything.”

  Eva grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from her face. “You have to start off slow.” Jess scrunched her face. “What? You thought you could start off by kicking alien ass?”

  Jess looked over at the simulator frozen in a crouched position. Although it appeared to resemble something out of a bad sci-fi Martian movie, she still thought she could’ve at least tried. She squared her shoulders. “I can fight.”

  Eva shook her head and chuckled. Her eyes twinkled in amusement. “If you knew anything about fighting, Sa’Mya wouldn’t have kicked your ass.”

  Jess coughed. “Sa’Mya didn’t beat me up. She got off a cheap shot.”

  Eva used a hand to stifle a giggle. “From what I heard, she broke your nose.” Eva’s laugh broke through and she put a hand over her chest. “But in your defense, she did have formal training.”

  Jess didn’t see the point in arguing her position. Of course Sa’Mya had formal training. She was fucking royalty.

  Eva put up her other hand. “I’m sorry. I just can’t get that visual out of my head. I can’t even picture Sa’Mya doing anything remotely physical.”

  “Well, I did learn how to take care of myself.”

  “I know you can take care of yourself. I’m not disputing that. What you need to work on is form and technique. Go join Lo and when she thinks you’re ready to start officially, she’ll let me know.”

  Jess pouted.

  “I’ll already have to hear an earful from Taio when he gets back. But if you put in the work, I’ll gladly battle for you,” Eva added.

  I don’t want to join Lo’Ren.

  Jess frowned. Lo’Ren probably hadn’t had to fight alien scum off her. Ever.

  “Listen, right now if you went up against one of the simulators or anyone else for that matter, you’d get the shit kicked out of you. You’re all anger and spit.”

  Jess opened her mouth to argue her point but snapped it shut.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Eva chuckled and slapped Jess on the back. “Go see Lo. She’ll take care of you.”

  “Fine.” Jess turned and made her way toward Lo’Ren. “I will but this doesn’t mean I agree,” she said over her shoulder.

  “I wouldn’t have expected you to,” Eva hollered back.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Two days.

  That was all Rasha had allowed her to have off. And she spent them avoiding Rasha. It was a lot easier said than done, considering all he had to do was ask the palace’s heat-signature system to locate her.

  But he never sought her out.

  And she would eventually have to come face-to-face with him again.

  What would she say to him? Sorry I freaked out on you?

  Argh.

  How was she going to work for him now? Just the thought of his body pressed against hers made her tingle. And the thought of doing it again made other things happen…

  She had convinced herself she would take these few days to forget about what happened and to think things through, something she couldn’t do when he was around.

  Being around him seemed to cloud her judgment, made her feel claustrophobic and unable to breathe.

  It had to be his body. He was too fucking big for his own good.

  The reason she found it hard to catch her breath when he was around?

  His lungs. They must be huge, sucking up all the air from around her. Jeez, they probably required three—no, four—times the air a normal human needed.

  And his smell.

  It wasn’t pheromones so he must be wearing some kind of alien cologne. It was probably meant to make females get all hot and wet.

  Horny even.

  The next time she saw him, she would hold her breath. She relaxed a little, settling on that resolution.

  The com-link on her wrist beeped, indicating it was being scanned by the palace’s security system—again.

  Holy hell.

  Didn’t he have other things to do than sniff her out?

  This is it.

  Her time off was up. She couldn’t hide from him forever. No, if he came for her this time she’d speak with him head-on. Let him know their relationship would have to be business only or she would leave.

  Lo’Ren dropped into the chair opposite Jess. Her face was flushed and her hair was still damp, indicating she had just returned from the training field.

  “Shouldn’t you be trying to hide?” Lo’Ren asked, motioning toward the com-link blinking red on Jess’ wrist. “Rasha might be coming for you.”

  Lo’Ren had helped her avoid Rasha on more than one occasion.

  Jess shook her head. “No, he’s given me my two days off. I’m officially back on the clock now.” Despite her composure, her heart beat faster. Everything inside her screamed, “Run like the wind, child!” She crossed her legs to stop herself from doing just that.

  “Ah, the first talk after ‘the deed’.” Lo’Ren leaned back, smiling and crossed her legs. “This ought to be good.”

  The laughter coming loudly from the other side of the room made Jess inwardly cringe. Ever since her run-in with Marcie, Marcie had been doing her best to make Jess feel uncomfortable. Avoiding Rasha and trying not to jump on Marcie was weighing Jess down.

  Since she was dealing with one problem, she might as well deal with the other too. Get them both out of the way, she decided.

  Marcie’s shrill laughter traveled across the room. Jess couldn’t help but glance over to where Marcie sat with three other women. Marcie was talking to her friends and pointing at Jess.

  “I wonder what’s so funny,” Lo’Ren said, staring back at the group with her brows pulled together. “Why are they pointing this way?”

  Jess rolled her eyes and turned away from the women. “This is some kind of fresh hell.”

  “Huh?”

  “Don’t you know, Lo’Ren? I have a rep for being a whore.”

  “A rep?”

  Jesus, she was going to have to spill it out for the alien. “You see, that’s why they’re whispering to each other. ‘Jess has been whoring at a brothel.’ ‘Oh my, really?’ Pft, reminds me of high school.”

  “High school?” Lo’Ren asked, seemingly confused as ever.

  Jess checked out Lo’Ren’s appearance. Getting past her pinkness wasn’t a problem. It was her eyes—they
were strange. Black as coal and too big for her dainty pink face. “Oh, the teenagers would’ve had a field day with you.”

  Lo’Ren looked down, assessing herself. “What’s wrong with me?”

  “Nothing, if you like pink.”

  Lo’Ren opened her eyes wide. “I do!”

  “Jesus.”

  Laughing again.

  I am not going to look.

  Silence, then an eruption of howling laughter.

  She had to.

  Jess turned just in time to see Marcie point to a Rasdon male then point back to Jess. Smiling, Marcie began to fist her hand up and down by her mouth and use her tongue to make her cheek protrude.

  Is she…

  Sucking dick.

  The activity of the room ceased. All she could hear was the loud thumping of her heart. Her attention focused on Marcie and Marcie alone. Marcie turned away in a fit of giggles. She leaned on a friend and wrapped an arm around her abdomen.

  Apparently Jess being raped by aliens was just that damn funny.

  Before she knew it, Jess felt her feet hit the floor. Lo’Ren said something but her voice was muffled and distant. Unconcerned with Lo’Ren, Jess ignored her just as she ignored the alarm that sounded in the back of her brain.

  She crossed the room in long strides. Everyone in her way cleared a wide path, letting her by. She stood in front of Marcie in what seemed like a breath later.

  “What a pathetic whore,” Marcie said, engrossed in conversation with the woman next to her.

  Jess growled low.

  Marcie startled as she faced Jess, locking eyes with her.

  “What the fuck is your issue?” Jess asked.

  The right thing to do would have been to let Marcie answer. But Jess wasn’t in the state of mind to allow Marcie to justify anything.

  Jess balled a fist and sent it barreling into Marcie’s face, striking her in the eye.

  A loud crack sounded throughout the room. All the women around Marcie scattered away in a panicked frenzy.

  Before Marcie could do the same, Jess reached for her hair and wrapped her fist firmly within its locks. With the strength of a madwoman, Jess pulled Marcie’s head down just as she brought up a knee, crushing it against Marcie’s nose.

  Screaming was all Jess heard. She didn’t know where it came from and didn’t care.

  Marcie frantically grabbed and scratched at her hand. “Let me go!”

  Jess twisted her grip, feeling Marcie’s hair pull out by the roots.

  Marcie yelled out in pain and dropped as Jess forced her to her knees, crying.

  Someone took hold of her from behind. “Jess, stop! That’s enough!” Lo’Ren?

  Jess tried to shake the unknown person off. She wouldn’t be satisfied until Marcie’s blood was splattered across the walls.

  “Don’t ever speak my name again.” Jess hit Marcie with a left-handed punch, connecting with the side of her face. When Marcie wobbled to the side, Jess held her steady on her knees.

  “Please, someone save me!” Marcie cried. Blood dripped from her face to the floor.

  “Shut up, bitch.” Jess brought up her foot. What Marcie needed was a swift kick to the mouth to silence her for good.

  Before Jess knew it, she was lying on her back with Eva on top of her, holding her arms to the side. Jess tried to scramble away. Women screamed and hollered all around her.

  “Jess! Stop. Calm the fuck down!”

  “That bitch!” Jess yelled. She searched the room for Marcie. “Where did she go?”

  “You can’t attack people.”

  Jess struggled harder. “Are you fucking kidding me? Do you know what she did?”

  She couldn’t budge. Surprisingly Eva was a lot stronger than she looked.

  “I know what happened. You got her, now consider it settled.”

  Jess watched as some of the women pulled Marcie to her feet. Blood colored her face. One eye began to blacken and swell.

  Good.

  Marcie pointed at Jess, her other hand cupped over her swollen eye. “She attacked me!” Marcie cried out, unsteady on her feet.

  “And I’ll do it again, bitch!” Jess yelled back.

  “Shut up, Marcie. Fuck with her again and I’ll let Jess have free rein on your ass.”

  Marcie looked around wildly. “What? Rasha won’t let her touch me again. I’ll have him kick her out of the palace.”

  In a heartbeat, Eva was off Jess and stood face-to-face with Marcie. “Do you forget whom you are talking to?”

  Marcie searched the crowd. “I…”

  “Go to the infirmary, Marcie. If you’re going to keep this shit going, maybe I need to reassess your relevance here.”

  Marcie blushed, or maybe it was the blood splattered across her cheeks. After a minute Marcie let her small entourage lead her away.

  “Where’s Rasha?” Eva asked after Marcie left.

  Jess stood and shrugged.

  “It seems everyone around here is playing games.”

  Jess ran a hand through her hair. “I’m not playing games.”

  “Really? Then why don’t you know where your boss is? Aren’t you expected back to work today?”

  Jess shifted on her feet. “I do and I am. He’s on his way here.” She held up her blinking com-link.

  Eva closed her eyes. “Sweet baby Jesus, it’s like a soap opera around here.”

  “But—”

  “I don’t want to hear it.” Eva turned to Lo’Ren. “And why didn’t you stop this train wreck?”

  “Huh?” Lo’Ren asked.

  “Don’t blame her,” Jess interjected. “She didn’t have a clue about what I was saying let alone what I was thinking.”

  Eva glared at her. “Go get cleaned up.”

  “But Rasha is on his way.”

  “I’ll handle him.”

  * * * * *

  Rasha entered the communal room, searching for Jess. Instead he found Eva waiting for him.

  “What are your intentions with Jess?”

  “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully.

  “She’s very fragile. You’ll have to move slower if you want this to work.”

  He gave a snort. “I’ve had enough of moving slow and taking it easy. I don’t need your help with females. I’ve dealt with females well before your time.”

  “It doesn’t matter if you’re old as dirt. The old ones fuck up just as easily as the young ones do.”

  He chuckled. “Thirty-one cycles is not considered old.”

  “On Earth you would be forty-six years old. You’re almost an old man from where I’m from.”

  He puffed out his chest. “I’m in my prime. Besides, if I fuck up it’s because I want to.”

  Eva pushed his arm. “It’s an expression, you ox. It doesn’t mean what you think it means.” Eva laughed to herself. “You need more help than I thought.”

  “As I’ve said, I don’t have a problem with females.”

  Eva hooked her thumbs in her pants. “So tell me, what experience do you have with human females? And the ones here don’t count. They’re practically throwing themselves at you.”

  The humans here didn’t count? It didn’t matter. He’d had plenty of other experiences.

  His hand cut through the air. “Human, Ceoltarian, Xi-ching…it doesn’t matter. A female is a female.”

  Eva grabbed his arm and pulled him to an empty set of chairs. “See? That’s where you’re wrong, my friend. Human women are complex to say the least. And well, we’ve been through hell. Some of us have been dragged through it kicking and screaming, while others,” she put a hand on her chest, “have just skimmed the surface.”

  He knew what Jess had been through and he’d seen the conditions of some of the brothels. The poorer brothels weren’t fit for animals.

  “I can handle Jess,” he assured her.

  “Really?” she asked, not seeming to believe him.

  He nodded. He could handle Jess. She was skittish but he’d alleviate any fear
s she had by making love to her again and again and again… “Of course.”

  Eva leaned back. “She just attacked Marcie.”

  Jess attacked Marcie? “Why would she do that? Is she all right?”

  Eva raised a brow. “Marcie or Jess?”

  “Jess,” he said without hesitation. Then added, “Marcie as well.”

  “They are both fine. Marcie is in the infirmary and Jess is getting cleaned up. Marcie was teasing her about being in a brothel.”

  “What? Why would Marcie bring up such a thing?”

  “Jealousy. Marcie is jealous of Jess.” Eva cocked her head to the side. “And I suppose Jess is a little jealous of Marcie as well, which is half the battle, I guess.”

  “Why would Jess be jealous of Marcie?”

  “You are truly hopeless.”

  “I’m not hopeless. I’ve had many females.”

  “I’m sure you’ve had plenty of sex, Rasha. That’s not what I’m talking about. Jess has had plenty of sex too.”

  Rasha narrowed his eyes at her. He didn’t need the reminder.

  “You see? Your reaction right there. That’s what you can’t do. I stated a fact. She can’t change what happened to her. Will you ever be able to forget that she was in a brothel?”

  Thoughts of what Jess had told him and what she had been through were always in his mind. No one deserved to go through what she’d been through, especially Jess. “Yes, I can.”

  “You can, but what about everyone else?” Eva took a sweeping glance of the room. “She needs and deserves a champion. Not someone who’s going to treat her like a piece of ass.”

  “What? I would never treat her wrong.”

  “Do you want to gain her trust?”

  He nodded. “More than ever.”

  “Good, this is what you have to do…”

  * * * * *

  Take it slow. Don’t pressure her. Keep it all business.

  Apparently this was what he needed to do in order to be with Jess. Build a relationship with her. Rasha snorted as he made his way to her apartment. They were meant to be. Humans were so fragile. So unsure of themselves they didn’t trust or act on their feelings. He was in full control of his. Jess was meant for him. Whatever building that needed done could occur after they were as one…bonded.

  He slowed.