Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 68478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
He’s got a point, and it’ll give him something to focus on that isn’t detrimental to Harlow and her people. “Fine. Whatever. Just leave the electronics and the ship itself alone.”
He gives me a mocking salute and then jogs away, heading deeper into the ship. I can hear him banging about as he crawls over piles of debris.
Harlow watches him go, then turns to me. “So, just so you know, before the earth-shake, those portions of the ship weren’t exactly stable.”
“Good,” I growl. “Maybe he’ll fall through the floor.”
Harlow chuckles.
Harlow and I work on the computer for hours. I take one terminal and she takes another, and we both work independently, occasionally calling questions out to each other. The programs and commands I know don’t match up with what this machine has, so figuring out how to make things work as I want them to is a challenge. I don’t even comprehend how much time is passing until Farli appears at my side with a water-skin. “Drink something. You have been at this all day, Mardok.”
I take the skin and guzzle it, realizing for the first time just how thirsty I am. My stomach’s growling, too. “Didn’t realize it was so late.”
“You have been very focused,” she says, a tease in her smile. “It is good to see you so happy.”
Am I happy? I guess so. The big, old ship is like a puzzle that I want to figure out, and it feels good to have a skill to put to use. When her brothers took me hunting, I was a mess. I thought I was in good shape, but the way the sa-khui effortlessly jogged through the thick snow and ran for hours, leaping over rocks and dashing over the edges of cliffs to chase prey? It told me I wasn’t nearly as fit as these people, and I felt useless. This, I’m better at. “I’m sorry I spent so much time on this and not on you.”
“Silly.” Farli gives a little shake of her head and puts her arm around my waist. “I enjoy just being in your presence. We do not have to stare into each other’s eyes every moment.”
I laugh at that mental image. As I take another sip of water, I glance around and realize we are alone. “Where is everyone?”
“Mmm. Rukh made Har-loh return to the Lady to rest. She wanted to keep working, but he would not let her. And I believe Trakan is still digging around in the bowels of the ship. I hear noises from that direction every now and then.” She shrugs and snuggles against me. “I thought I would let you keep working. You seemed to enjoy yourself.”
“I want to get as much done as possible before I have to leave,” I tell her, capping the water-skin and handing it back.
“Then do you wish to stay here tonight? I can build a fire and we can camp out near it.”
I like the idea. There’s something about this old ship that eats at my mind, and I don’t want to leave it until I can get more done. Plus, the thought of being here with Farli instead of on the ship, where it feels like all eyes are paying attention to where we sleep? “Let’s do it.”
Her eyes light up with pleasure, and I realize I’ve said the right thing. This is what she wants, too. “Rukh brought back some fresh meat, and I still have some of it. It will not take long to make a fire.”
So she can cook it? If this is my last night with her, on this planet, I want to try how she’d eat it. “I can do raw.”
“Are you certain?”
“I’m sure I’ve eaten worse on a few low-end space stations. I want to enjoy it like you do.” I pull her close to me and press a kiss to her forehead. “Live like you do, even if just for a night.”
“And tomorrow?” she asks in a faint voice.
I don’t want to think about tomorrow. I just want to think about today. I touch her chin, tilting her head up so I can gaze into her luminous blue eyes. She’s different from anyone else I’ve ever met, and it’s strange how little time it’s taken for us to become so close. I’m obsessed with her. I…don’t know what I’m going to do if she doesn’t go with me. “Farli—”
She throws her arms around me and kisses me, silencing my words. Fair enough. I slick my tongue against hers and devour the little moans she makes as our kiss grows deeper, more intense, more erotically charged. I love the rub of her lips against mine, the accidental scrape of our teeth as we grow too enthusiastic. Even when we kiss badly, it’s still keffing amazing. I need this—and I need her—like I need air. I wrap my hand around her thick, wild hair, pinning her against me as lust drives through my body. It’s not enough to claim her mouth; I need more and—