Retribution (Kall Alien Warriors #3) - Sue Lyndon Page 0,28

a show of checking his wrist comm, even though it hadn’t buzzed or beeped. “I have duties on the bridge to which I must attend, human, but I will visit you again soon.” He gave her a warm look. “I will keep bringing you more books and coffee.” And I will keep watching you as you sleep and imagining what it would be like to take you in my arms and press my lips to yours.

Chapter 10

Now that she had an endless supply of reading material, Layla didn’t spend quite so much time exercising in her cell. She still couldn’t believe General Zamek had provided her with a tablet containing thousands upon thousands of titles, far more than she could hope to read in a lifetime. She also couldn’t believe his promise to never strap her or use an implement on her again.

She noted that he hadn’t specifically promised not to punish her, though, and would be careful not to cross him. She couldn’t fathom any position for her in his household other than as a slave, and slaves on planet Kall were expected to obey their masters or suffer dearly for it. Once they arrived on his planet, she would have to keep her guard up and not forget that her life still rested in the general’s hands.

She flipped through the Kall poetry section on the tablet, her face heating as she thought about the way he’d held her hands, stroked her hair, touched her face and even kinda sorta kissed her forehead that one time. Well, it had felt like a kiss of sorts. He’d pressed his lips to her forehead for a lingering moment and inhaled deeply, as if he were smelling her.

A heated wave rushed through her, settling deep in her core. At some point during this particular conversation, she’d become achy between her thighs. She hadn’t been able to help it. The general’s kindness, in addition to his enticing masculine scent, had overpowered her at the time. Plus, he wasn’t hard on the eyes either. If she were being honest, he was one of the most attractive Kall males she’d ever laid eyes upon.

Her stomach did a small flip as she recalled the unmistakable hardness of his arousal pressing against her stomach. He’d stepped closer to her intentionally, meaning for her to feel his hardness, meaning for her to understand that he desired her.

It was all so crazy and messed up she could scarcely wrap her mind around it. Not long ago, she’d been deathly afraid of him. She still had a healthy fear of him, but there were times when he made her feel safe too. Like when he covered her with his shirt, stroked her hair, or asked her if there was anything she needed to be more comfortable in her cell.

Fortunately, the tablet also contained a clock and a calendar, and she now had no difficulty following the passage of time. Six days had passed since he’d come to her cell, asked her how she was doing, and then returned a few hours later with the handheld super library. And he hadn’t left her alone since then either. At least twice a day, he stopped by the brig to inquire about her wellbeing.

Sometimes when she thought of the general, warmth filled her, and that achiness between her thighs returned too. His attention helped keep the loneliness at bay, and she couldn’t help but wonder if their time together helped him with the emptiness he’d mentioned.

A noise in the corridor caught her attention, and she set her tablet down and moved to peer out her cell. When General Zamek’s huge form appeared, her heart commenced racing and flutters rose in her tummy. Her mouth also felt weirdly dry, and her palms became sweaty.

Knowing he would probably try to hold her hands at some point, as was his habit, she wiped her palms on her pants and stepped into the center of the room, her pulse thundering in her ears as she awaited his arrival.

To her surprise, he entered her cell carrying a package. She greeted him with a tentative smile and said, “Good morning, General. Welcome to my humble abode.”

One side of his lips curled, ever so slightly, and his eyes gleamed with humor. She’d never seen him smile fully, but she glimpsed a hint of a smile every so often, brief instances when that ever-serious intensity of his would slip, and despite her resolve to keep her guard up, she was starting