as Wyck lowered into a crouch at my side. His thigh brushed by my knee—the contact cost me my concentration. I kept staring at Vrateus, watching him browse the shelves. My mind, however, was momentarily overtaken by the awareness of Wyck next to me. I had to shift away from him a little, to regain my composure and focus on what was going on in the library.
After selecting a few slates of various colors, the captain headed for the door. He paused just before the exit. Bending down quickly, he pulled out a slate from the red-glowing section then left.
“Did the captain just take a sex video?” Wyck’s eyebrow ridges rose in shock.
“Looks like he wants to have some fun tonight,” I let out a short giggle. “To spice up a date, maybe?”
He gave me a questioning look.
“What’s a date?”
I gazed back at him. “You really don’t know what it means?”
“I suspect it has something to do with sex.” It wasn’t exactly a question, however his voice sounded uncertain.
“A date is when two people who are interested in each other romantically get together to spend some time. Back on Earth, that would often be a dinner or a trip to a movie or a show. And yes, if they like each other enough, there may be sex, too.”
“Why would he need a video if he has Svetlana?” Wyck appeared genuinely puzzled. “They share a room.”
“Maybe they’ll watch the video together?” I was just speculating here since I didn’t know either the captain or Svetlana that well.
“People do that?” he squinted at me, curiosity and disbelief evident on his face.
“Well, some couples do, I guess. It makes sense when you think about it,” I tried to explain. Not that I had that much experience in that department myself. A high school boyfriend and a few casual dates in college were all I had in terms of romance in my past. “If you’re watching a sexually stimulating video, it’s nice to have someone nearby to turn the fantasy into reality, don’t you think?”
He tilted his head to the side. “Have you had a date?”
“A few.”
“With a sex video?”
“Um, I don’t recall watching porn with a guy,” I admitted. “But I’m sure my ex and I have watched movies with love scenes in them, at some point.”
“Does ‘ex’ mean he is no longer your man?”
“That is exactly what it means.”
“Did he die?”
“What? No. We both went to different colleges, and the long-distance thing didn’t work out after a while. Why would you think he’d died?”
He shrugged. “That would be the only way I’d ever give up something that’s mine.”
“Something? You mean a woman?”
He gave me a long look.
“Especially, a woman.”
He kept his eyes on me for a moment longer. “Errocks don’t keep women for long, but—”
“That’s not true,” I objected. “Errocks form long-term family units very similar to humans. They get together for procreation, but many remain as couples for life. If you like each other’s company why separate, right?”
Wyck shook his head. “That is not the errocks’ way.”
“Here on the Anomaly, maybe,” I argued. “But the world is so much bigger than this place.”
He seemed to ponder my words, then shoved the shelf aside, clearing the exit for us.
“We should go back.” He took my hand in his, leading me out and back into the library.
Only when we were already walking down the corridor had I realized that he kept holding my hand, instead of dragging me by my arm the way he’d done on our way to the library.
My thoughts went to what lay ahead for me tonight, and I felt betrayed by the comfortable feeling I got in Wyck’s presence. At the end of the day, he was still the man who was forcing me to strip for the entertainment of strangers.
I carefully worked my hand out of his. With a glance my way, he took a hold of my arm once again then led me down the corridor like the prisoner that I was.
Chapter 10
WYCK
On his way to Nadia’s room that night, he fought a feeling he’d never had before—he was extremely worried...about a woman.
He’d allowed Nadia to go ahead with her plan to dance instead of being touched.
Frankly, he had no idea what to do if he were to touch her in front of everyone. That might be the main reason why he’d agreed with her plan in the first place. The thought that he might do something so wrong it would upset her, make her dislike him,