Hanna and the Hitman - Honey Phillips Page 0,30
you mustn’t let it happen again.”
An unexpected pain surged in her chest, but she forced herself to smile.
“I’ll be more careful next time. Let me get you something to eat while you clean up.”
She whisked herself out of the room, determined not to cry.
Aidon stared after Hanna, fighting the urge to follow her. He had seen the look of hurt on her face, but how could he tell her what she had done? The mating bond had been initiated. Even knowing that she was only a short distance away, he longed to be closer. From her innocent response to his statement, it appeared that humans did not suffer from mating bonds. She could never know that he was becoming bonded to her. Their joining might relieve the shifting sickness, but nothing would be able to replace her loss. She couldn’t stay on Pardor, and he would always be drawn back to it. Despair washed over him, but he climbed to his feet and prepared to join her for a meal. She must never know.
Chapter Twelve
An uncomfortable silence filled the air between them as Hanna and Aidon shared a meal. She knew it was wrong, but when he had been touching her, focusing on her so intently, she had felt so close to him. And then he had shut her away.
Stop that, she scolded herself. He was delirious.
And yet it had felt like more. It had felt like he needed her, and no one had ever truly needed her before. She always seemed to be the person in need. Even during her aunt’s illness, her aunt had frequently been the one reassuring her.
She managed another fake smile, resolutely pushing the memory aside. At least Aidon was still awake and she had a chance to ask him about something.
“This translator the Derians gave me.” She gestured at her ear, still reluctant to acknowledge the slimy warmth deep in her ear canal. “It’s only good for speech. Is there something equivalent for written language?”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and started to shake his head, then stopped.
“Nothing directly equivalent, but I do have a learning tablet. It won’t be instantaneous like the translator, but I believe you could learn from it.”
“Please show me how to use it?” she asked eagerly. “There’s not a lot to do while you’re sleeping.”
Their eyes met briefly, and from the heat in his, he was remembering their earlier encounter. He started to lean toward her, and she waited breathlessly, but then he abruptly pushed away from the table. After a quick search, he returned with a tablet and showed her how to use it, keeping a careful distance away.
Determined not to show her hurt, she gave him another bright smile.
“Thank you. This will be a big help.” She took a deep breath, already prepared for rejection. “Since you seem to be feeling better, can you tell me about Pardor?”
“It’s a jungle world,” he said briefly.
She waited patiently for him to continue, and eventually he sighed.
“It has two suns, so the surface temperatures are consistently warm. Plants—and animals—grow to a great size.”
“And flowers?” she asked before she remembered their earlier conversation.
His face softened. “Yes, Hanna. A wide variety in an endless combination of scents and colors. But the saachi is the most beautiful of all.”
Once again, the tension thickened between them, but before he could say anything else, his face flickered to blue. They both sighed. She had hoped that this longer period of calm meant that he was no longer ill.
“I’m going to take another shower before I get too weak,” he said abruptly and disappeared into the bathroom.
The water ran for a surprisingly long time, but when he emerged, he didn’t look any more refreshed.
“Are you all right?”
“Don’t worry, saachi. I’ll make it. I have to,” he added quietly as he turned away, and she wondered if he had intended for her to hear his words.
His head bowed, he headed for the bedroom, then stopped in the doorway and turned back to her. “Where have you been sleeping?”
She really hadn’t been, but she wasn’t about to let him know. “I just curl up in the pilot’s chair.”
“Is there no end to my selfishness? You should have the bed.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You need it much more than I do, and I’m perfectly comfortable up there.”
It wasn’t a lie—the chair was comfortable and so large that she had no difficulty curling up. She didn’t mention that she had rarely slept because she had been too anxious that he would take