Caught Between Two Blue Aliens - Celia Kyle Page 0,38

watching Hiren trade off with Sevith on the cleanup was a scene so domestic and aggressively normal that it almost startled Jenna even more. It seemed like a total fantasy—these gigantic, heart-stoppingly handsome, powerful males would so flippantly agree to work together on cooking and cleaning. They were leaders among the Drokten. They were important. Revered.

And here they were, in her kitchen, washing dishes like a pair of domestic servants.

Weird.

“I have to say, I’m impressed,” Jenna remarked as she stood by the kitchen table, hands on her hips as she watched Sevith at the kitchen sink.

Hiren glanced at her, mild amusement causing his lips to twitch as he arched a brow at her. “What impresses you?”

She shrugged. “It’s hard enough to get a human male to clean up after himself. It’s weird to see you two doing it like it’s no big deal,” she admitted.

“Why is it ‘weird’?” Sevith sounded almost offended.

Jenna couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t mean weird in a bad way. I just mean that it’s unusual. That’s all,” she amended quickly.

“Unusual and weird are synonyms in the English language. Are they not?” Hiren piped up, his lips almost pulled into a grin.

Jenna rubbed her temples and sighed. “Yes, I guess you got me there. I meant it as a compliment. As in, it’s unusual how helpful and self-sufficient you two seem to be.” She sighed. “I have a hard enough time getting some of my male coworkers to pull their weight at the diner. Or rather… I had a hard time,” she corrected grimly, remembering she’d been fired.

“Perhaps it is a good thing you will never have to interact with those male coworkers at the diner again,” Sevith reasoned and Hiren nodded his agreement.

“A true male knows how to look after himself,” Hiren added.

“Don’t you two have, I don’t know, staff or robots or something to do stuff like this for you?” Jenna asked, watching with intense scrutiny as Sevith thoroughly scrubbed and rinsed each dish with nearly machine-like precision and movements.

“We did not always hold the esteemed positions we have achieved,” Hiren pointed out.

“Yes, we were not always a commander and an ambassador. There was a time when we were simply warriors—two among many. Soldiers taught to be self-sufficient and to look after ourselves without help,” Sevith explained their origins.

“And they put you on dish duty as part of your training?” Jenna teased.

“Anything and everything to make us more efficient,” Hiren confirmed. “What if there are no cleaning bots or other Drokten and we are in a situation where we are stranded alone? A warrior must always be able to take care of himself. It is good for us to practice this often.”

“You two are just full of surprises. You know that?” She leaned against the table, watching them as they worked. She appreciated how they were not demeaning her for her spartan quarters or the fact that she couldn’t even afford something as simple as a dishwasher. These two rich powerful beings were hand washing her dishes like it was nothing, which was super sweet.

“I hope that is a good thing,” Sevith murmured.

Hiren answered, “I believe it is normally considered a positive trait, yes.”

With a shake of her head, Jenna sidled up next to Sevith at the sink. “Okay, it’s making me feel awkward jut standing here while you two tidy up. Scooch.”

“Yes, we ought to move this along,” Hiren agreed.

Hiren slid to the other side of Sevith, taking over washing while Sevith seamlessly moved to dry the dishes beside him. He then passed each item to Jenna who placed them into the specific locations in the cabinets and drawers.

Jenna was still amazed—stunned—at how strange her life had become. Just the other day, the sheer concept of having a Drokten in her home would have been laughable. Yet, now she was tidying her kitchen with the assembly-line assistance of not just one but two highly regarded Drokten warriors. Males who, incidentally, also seemed completely set on winning her over.

They made a pretty efficient dish-cleaning system, which made Jenna happy in a way she couldn’t quite explain. Like they were all connected on a level she had never had with anyone before. She couldn’t help but feel their hearts were beating as one, their hands and minds and bodies working in perfect tandem. Jenna had never experienced such an instinctual pull toward anyone, especially not to two aliens who were essentially perfect strangers.

Yet, the feeling was undeniable.

Her own body warmed, tingling as a result of