by T. J. Quinn
“I’m sure you have more important things to do than to waste your time looking at my rags.” She said, with a faint smile.
“Few things are more important than looking at what’s important for you,” he said, and he sounded so serious, that for a moment she even believed him. “Please, show me.”
She nodded and started showing him the drawings she had made of pants, skirts, tops, and dresses. She had cut a few pants already, using the fabric that looked a lot like denim and she was going to sew them right after she had eaten.
“These clothes are a lot different from what we usually wear.” He said, amazed by her talent.
She frowned. “Do you think that might cause any problem?”
“No, not at all. You might cause a revolution, that’s what might happen. Our women will love these.” He replied, admiring her drawings.
“I’m sure you’re exaggerating. You all seem happy with you clothes and your houses.”
“When we arrived at this planet, the only thing on our minds was how we would survive in a place a lot colder than we needed.” He explained. “So, our main concern was to make the best of the planet’s resources, and I guess we forgot all about the rest.”
“What do you mean when you arrived? Isn’t this your home planet?” she asked, intrigued.
“It is now, but we used to live in a world a lot warmer than this one. But that planet exploded, and this one was the nearest we were able to find.”
“Oh, I had no idea.”
“We focused on the basics, and I guess we forgot there is more to life than just that.” He continued. “Your clothes will be an incredible change, and I’m sure our women will love them.”
“That would be an honor, but I’m sure you’re exaggerating.” She said, in a polite tone.
He was about to say something else, but their food arrived, and the conversation ended there.
They ate mostly in silence and every time he tried to break it, asking her about her work, she would give him short answers and leave it at that.
He helped her clear the table when they were done, and she was about to go back to the cutter when he decided to take another step.
He grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her gently towards him. “Did I offend you in any way last night?” he asked, in a soft tone, raising her chin with the tip of his finger.
“No… Why would you think that?” she denied, quickly. Perhaps, too quickly.
“Then, why do I feel I need to apologize to you?” he insisted.
"You imagine things." She shook her head, trying to pull away from him.
Once more, his touch was affecting her way too much. It was as if he set her on fire, as jolts of energy rushed through her body. She had never felt anything like that, and she didn’t know how to handle it.
But he didn’t allow her. He wanted her near him, and unless she would pull violently away from him, he wasn’t letting her go.
“I want us to be friends. I know I told you yesterday I was going to be very busy, which is true, but I want you to know that I’ll do all in my power to spend as much time as I can with you,” he said, in a powerful tone.
“Why would want to do that? I’m a stranger to you. You have absolutely no idea what kind of person I am.” She grumbled, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. “I could be a murderer for all you know.”
He shook his head. “Give me a bit more credit than that. It’s true I still don’t know much about you, but I do know you.”
She finally pulled away from him, walking towards the huge window that allowed the daylight to come in the room. “You know nothing about me, and believe me, you don’t want to know.” She said, in a bitter tone.
“Let me be the judge of that.”
“It’s useless and pointless. I won’t be around that much.” She assured him.
He closed the distance between them, standing just a couple of steps away from her.
“What do you mean by that?” he asked, with a deep frown. The ridges on his forehead stood out, even more, when he frowned, lending him a fiercer expression.
She realized she had said too much and she quickly tried to find a way out. “I mean… I’m supposed to be going with my soulmate… right?” she muttered.
He still stared at her a few more moments before he nodded. “Yes, but that could take some time. Our males are only able to recognize their soulmates when they reach their maturity.” He replied. “So, you could be stuck with me for a long time.”
“Yes, I guess you could be right, but I really don’t want to bother you more than necessary.” She insisted.
“Believe me; you don’t bother me, at all.”
She cleared her throat and opened up her mouth to add a few more words, but he didn’t let her. Cupping her face with one of his hands, he leaned over and brushed her lips with his.
Colborn couldn't resist it. She looked so lovely, so vulnerable; he wanted to take her in his arms and protect her for the rest of her life. To take away the sadness, he could see in her eyes and make her the happiest women in the universe. Instead, he simply grazed her lips with his a couple of times and without giving her time to step away from him, he walked away.
“I’ll be back, as soon as possible. Stay safe until then.” And with those words, he left the room.
Gil Ra watched him leave; still lost in the haze of pleasure that simple kiss had sunk her in. How was that even possible? She shouldn’t have felt anything. He was nothing but a stranger, someone she couldn’t let in her life.
Caressing her lips where his had been, she looked out of the window, wishing life were different, wishing she wasn't the woman she was.
But it was useless to wish… wishes never came true, and she knew it better than anyone.
She went back to what she was doing, determined to finish the clothes she had promised. She didn’t want to add broken promises to her long list of sins.
Gil Ra was still working when the sun came up in the sky. Only then did she realize she had worked the whole night, nonstop. But she was happy with the results. She had managed to do a couple of pants for all of the girls, and now she was working on a few tops, but she guessed it was time to stop. Her eyes were burning, and her back was starting to ache due to the hours bending over the sewing machine. This machine was a lot easier than any other she had used, but she still had to sew the pieces together.
In Olaf’s factory almost all of the work was done by machines, but here she still had to make most of it. Either way, it was a pleasure working with it, and she was very happy with her work. She just hoped the girls would like it as well.
Yawning, she turned off the machines and headed to her room. She needed some rest before she could face another day.
She was back in her workroom that afternoon when Colborn showed up. “Hello… how are you?” he greeted her, walking straight to where she was standing and planting a gentle kiss on her lips.
She gasped, surprised and opened her mouth to protest, but the daring shine on his gray eyes warned her not to. That was a lost battle.
She took a deep breath instead, doing her best to ignore the waves of pleasure running through her body. “I’m alright, thank you. How are you?”
“Upset.” She looked at him startled. “I just heard you were working the whole night.”
“Who told you about it?” she asked, surprised.
“It doesn’t matter who it was. What is important is that you’re overworking yourself and that’s not good for you.” He scolded her.
"I'm fine; there's no need for you to worry about me. I had a few hours' sleep, and that was enough for me." She assured him.
“No, it wasn’t. You look tired.” He protested.
“I believe I’m old enough to decide what I can or can’t do, don’t you think?” she asked, in an icy tone, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yes, you’re old enough, but you obviously need someone to look after you.” He grazed the tip of his fingers down her cheek. “There’s no point in w
orking yourself up to exhaustion. The clothes can wait.” He insisted.
His touch was so gentle, so caring that she almost sobbed. He was getting under her skin, and she couldn’t allow it. It was too late for her.
“I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me, I assure you.” She said, walking away from him.
Colborn sighed. He was getting used to her retreats. Each time he thought he had managed to gain some terrain with her, she would escape and put even more distance between them. He could she was hurting, but he had no idea how to penetrate the thick walls she had around her.
“Can I take you out for a ride? I would like you to see a bit more of the city.” He invited.
“I thought you were busy.”
“Not today. I’ve reached a dead in and there isn’t much I can do today.”
“I’m sure you have more important things to do than to be my tour guide.” She said, walking back to her working table.
“Oh, you’re such a stubborn woman.” He grumbled, closing the distance between them and picking her up in his arms, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her out of the room.
When he picked her in his arms, her heart skipped a beat, and her lungs forgot how to breathe. Having his body pressed against hers felt like nothing else had ever felt. Her whole body was on fire, and all she could think of was him.
“What…” she started protesting.
“I’m taking you with me. And there’s no use protesting. I’m stronger than you and believe me I can be even more stubborn.” He warned her, as he crossed the palace with her over his shoulder until they reached his vehicle and he dropped her gently on her seat.
She snorted. “You didn’t have to behave like a caveman.” She grumbled.
“What’s a caveman?” he asked, amused as he drove away.
“A rude man.” She said, sulked.
He laughed out loud, and the sound was so delightful that she couldn't help herself smiling at him.
“You’re always looking for excuses. Now you know I won’t pay any attention to them.” He said, glancing at her and loving that tiny smile on her face. He was sure that was the first honest smile he had ever seen on her face.
“I just don’t want you to feel obliged to make time for me. I’m alright on my own, believe me.” She said in a soft tone, not willing to insult him.
“I don’t feel obliged to anything. I really want to spend time with you, get to know you and show you all there is to see on our planet.” He said as he drove around the city. “I want you to fall in love with this place and make it your home.” He added.
Gil Ra felt a huge knot strangling her. She couldn’t tell him that would never happen, that she would never feel home anywhere, that she didn’t deserve to feel at home, not after what she had done.
Quickly, she put on her mask and pasted a smile on her face as she nodded. What could she do?
Colborn noticed the change in her as soon as it happened. Once more, he had lost terrain with her. She had stepped back. He held back a sigh and smiled. So, it would take a lot more than he thought to conquer her heart, but he was sure it would be worth any effort she demanded from him. He wasn’t giving up, that was for sure.
Chapter Six
He took her around the city and then parked the vehicle at the market. The place was open all the time, and you could always find good food in it.
“Are you sure we should be going to a place this public?” she asked, feeling uncomfortable with the people staring at her.
"Don't worry; nobody will bother you. They are just curious, that's all." He assured her.
Most of the shops on the market were of food or clothing, a couple of furniture and not much more.
“Do you people have anything against decorations? You know, paintings, photographs, cushions, jars with flowers?” she asked, still puzzled with that.
The palace was so barren it looks more like a hospital or a prison than a home, and his house wasn’t much better.
“No… we don’t. Like I told you… I guess we got used to having just the basics we forgot about the rest.” He admitted. “What would you put in my house, for example?” he asked, noticing some interest in her.
“I would start in the living room and change all of the colors of the chairs. They are of the same color of the walls, and you barely notice they are there. I would have them of a full chocolate brown, and would certainly add a few colorful cushions.” She started, with more enthusiasm than he had ever heard of her.
“Let’s do it, then.” He said, picking her hand and dragging her to one of the furniture shops.
“Have you lost your mind? You can’t do it. It would cost you a fortune…” she protested, but he kept dragging her behind him.
“Of course not.” They entered the shop, and he started looking around. “Can you see here anything like what you described me?” He asked her.
“This is a mistake. You should think about this before rushing to buy anything.” She tried to put some sense into him, but it was no use.
“Please, help me. Make my house look more like a home,” he asked her, appealing to her good heart. “I have more money than I could ever need in ten lives, so you don’t have to worry about that.” He assured her when he still saw the doubt on her face.
“Very well, but if you don’t like the final results, the blame will be entirely yours.” She finally accepted.
“Yes, all my fault.” He nodded, with a big smile on his face.
She gave him a faint smile but looked around. Most of the furniture exposed there was the same color of the ones Colborn had back at home, a grayish tone she found quite ugly. She looked around, followed closely by Colborn until she found what she was looking for in a corner, a long sofa with threes armchairs in some kind of dark chocolate leather.
“What material is this?” she asked, caressing the soft surface.
“It’s made of zubrie’s skin,” Colborn explained. “The animals we raised for meat.”
“Ah, yes, I remember seeing them on the video the King showed us the day we arrived.” She nodded. “Their skin is amazing.”
“Is this what you were looking for?” he asked, caressing the sofa as well, loving the sensation under his fingers.
“Yes, these would look perfect on your house.” She admitted, taking a seat. The chair was perfect, its cushions adjusted to your body and you felt you were sitting on a fluffy cloud, but it still felt like a chair, it wasn’t uncomfortable, and you didn’t feel as if you sank on it.
“Then we’ll take it.” He decided, turning to talk to the sales assistant, immediately ordering the furniture and asking for it to be delivered at his place.
Gil Ra chose a small table too, made of a gorgeous dark wood that would go perfectly with the sofa and the chairs.
“What else would you need?” he asked her when they left the store.
“A fabric store. I would like to buy some to make a few cushions.”
“Let’s go. There’s one not far from here.”
The place was a bit disappointing. There wasn’t much variety on fabrics, but Gil Ra was able to find three different ones in beige, gold, and orange to give just the amount of color she wanted for the furniture they had just bought.
She also bought the filling, and she was ready.
“Now that we’ve finished shopping let’s get something to eat.” He suggested, with a pleased smile. “Would you like to eat here or back at my place?”
“Back at your place, please.” It still bothered her having everybody staring at her. She was sure that would kill her appetite.
“Let’s go, then.” He looked pleased with her decision, but she chose not to acknowledge that. “Would you like me to order a selection of several dishes like the other day?” he asked, as they drove to his place.
“Yes, that was nice.” She nodded.
“The furniture will be delivered in a couple of days. Will you help me to display them in the room?” he asked, as they arrived at h
is place and he helped her out of the vehicle.
“Yes, if you want me to.”
“Yes, I would be totally lost without you.” He assured her.
Once inside, he ordered the food and turned to look at her. “Would you like to take a shower while we wait? You can put on one of the tunics I keep for my guests.” He suggested.
She was about to say no when she realized she would love to take a shower. She had been working for hours, and a shower would make her feel better.
“Yes, please. I would love that.”
He nodded and guided her to the guests’ room. “I’ll be down the hall in my own room if you need anything.”
"Thank you; I'll be fine."
She went straight to the bathroom, and in a matter of minutes, she was under the warm stream of water, allowing it to wash away some of her stress. When she came out of the shower, she looked for a towel all over the place, but it seemed there wasn’t any. She was still thinking about what to do when she heard Colborn’s voice, behind her at the door.
“Sorry… I thought you were still in the shower… I remembered there were no towels here…” he muttered, his eyes locked on her perfect, little body, with nothing more than her hands to hide it from his hungry eyes.
Gil Ra gasped and tried to cover herself as best as she could do paralyzed by surprise.
“Oh… you’re so beautiful…” his words came out as a sigh, as he closed the distance between them, moved by the passion burning inside him, unable to think, just to feel.
The towel fell to the floor when he cupped her face with both hands and kissed her. His lips covered hers, and his tongue slid inside her mouth assailing it all, leaving no inch untouched, as the fire between them was stirred and fueled.
Gil Ra gasped as she felt his coarse tongue for the first time. The way it swirled inside her mouth felt like nothing else ever did. Describing the feeling was impossible.
When he finally released her lips, to allow some air into their lungs, they were both lost in the haze of passion and arousal. He covered her face with a thousand kisses, while his hands scrolled down her neck, through her chest, right to her round, perky breasts, cupping them easily.
