The Lasaran (Aldebarian Alliance #1) - Dianne Duvall Page 0,45

cover up as well. It was simply part of their culture.

“Do you think there’s such a thing as sleeping the drug off?” she suggested.

“I doubt it.”

Her pretty face reflected the same frustration that battered him. He had consumed more water than he ever wanted to again in such a short time. The water here on Earth was vile, tasting of chemicals she identified as chlorine and ammonia and something vaguely metallic, making him miss the fresh taste of Lasaran water. Lisa said water quality on Earth varied according to the source and thought filtered water would taste better. But they had no access to that here and no transportation either. So he had swallowed plastic glass after plastic glass of the foul liquid, hoping to wash the drug out of his body.

All that had resulted were multiple trips to the bathroom to relieve himself.

He’d tried steam next. While he had perspired a great deal, all it had done was give him a pounding headache that a cool shower had helped. He’d washed his own clothing then and now wore a towel around his hips. It felt oddly natural, being with Lisa while both wore so little. He just had to be very careful not to let his gaze stray too often to the plump mounds of her breasts that threatened to spill over the top of her towel, because his own towel did little to hide his body’s instant reaction to the tempting sight.

Since the water consumption and steam had not aided him, Lisa had ordered more takeout, this time opting for what she called salads and spinach wraps that boasted many vegetables and a dry meat that came from chickens, which apparently were large birds that rarely flew. She’d also ordered numerous glasses of tea.

Taelon had urinated even more after that, but it had not rid him of the drekking drug. His wounds had not healed… at all… and he still couldn’t read the damn motel employee’s mind.

Nothing they tried seemed to make a bit of difference.

He sighed. At least Lisa had gotten a healthy meal. He had coaxed her to eat nearly as much as he had, knowing she and their baby needed the nutrients.

“Well, the only thing left to do is try to sleep it off,” she said. “You could use some rest, Taelon.” He loved to sound of his name on her lips. “You’re clearly exhausted. I had a really hard time waking you when those soldiers came with their questions.”

“My apologies. Lasarans tend to sleep deeply when we heal. If our injuries are life-threatening, our sleep can become so deep it resembles what you call a coma.”

She bit her lip. Reaching out, she took his hand. “Are your injuries life-threatening?” Her gaze dropped to his bare chest and the ugly wound it bore, then traveled across the multitude of others that marred his shoulders and arms. “Honestly, I don’t know how you’re even managing to remain upright.”

Her concern warmed his heart. “I will survive,” he assured her. “You need rest, too. Why don’t you sleep while I keep watch?”

“I’ll sleep if you sleep.”

“One of us needs to remain alert in case the soldiers return.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

“The soldiers returning?”

She shook her head. “Not knowing they’re coming. I’ve been sleeping lightly ever since I woke from the coma. If they return, the sound of their cars pulling up out front and their doors opening will wake me the way it did before.”

He supposed that would be warning enough. Seeing them pull into the parking lot would only give them a few extra seconds. And it wasn’t as if they had a back door through which they could escape. “All right.”

He followed Lisa into the bathroom. The air inside was still humid from his steam session and the showers each had taken. He watched Lisa run water over the toothbrush she’d purchased from the motel desk when she paid for another night, then squeeze white paste onto it.

She handed him a second toothbrush.

Taelon carefully followed her example.

She smiled. “You look like you’ve never done this before.”

“I have not.”

“You don’t brush your teeth twice a day?”

“No.”

“How do you keep them clean?”

“On Lasara, when we wish to clean our teeth, we fill our mouth with wosuur, a liquid that dissolves any food particles it touches without damaging our teeth, tongue, or gums. Then we spit it out. It only takes a few seconds.”

“That is so cool.” She applied the brush to her teeth, demonstrating