my eyes as nausea rocketed through my stomach.
“Ellis? Honey, are you okay?”
I took a deep breath and forced a smile in Inara’s direction. “Yes, just fine.”
“You look like you’re going to barf.”
“Nah, I’m good,” I said. “So, any new gossip going on I should know about?”
Inara grinned. “You mean other than Rachel breaking down and banging two Draax last night at the celebration in the garden?”
I tried to look shocked. “Seriously?”
“Yup. She was in the common room this morning looking extremely pleased with herself,” Inara said. “Apparently, she had a very good time.”
“Good for her,” I said with a laugh.
“Right?” Inara glanced around before lowering her voice. “Between you and me, I don’t think Rachel was the only lady who had sex last night.”
I studied her. “Did you have sex last night?”
“Of course not,” she said. “I’m not getting involved with a Draax. I’ve never slept with one before but apparently, they’re amazing in bed and I can’t afford to be distracted by the best sex of my life. Wendy is my priority.”
“Right,” I said. “So, who else, uh, do you think had sex?”
As Inara named a surprisingly long list of suspects, I nodded and smiled and hoped like hell that she didn’t name me. Although, it would give me an excuse to tell her just how hot sex was with Galan. I was dying to tell someone – anyone – about my night with the sexy Draax. I’d never been one for kissing and telling but apparently amazing sex made me want to share all the details.
You can’t tell her. I know you like Inara, but you don’t know her that well and you have no idea if she would keep your secret or not. If she doesn’t and word gets to the king that Galan is having sex with you, Galan might get in trouble.
I sighed. There was no might about it. He would get in trouble. Maybe even lose his job in trouble, and I was absolutely not letting that happen. I couldn’t live with myself if I destroyed Galan’s life the way I seemed to destroy all of my loved ones’ lives.
Loved one? Now you love him?
I pushed aside my inner voice. No, I didn’t love him. That was ridiculous. Amazing sex wasn’t enough to make you fall in love with someone.
Was it?
* * *
Ellis
“I am impressed by you, small human.” Uzel dropped his arm around my shoulders before giving me a friendly poke in the ribs with his tail.
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” I liked the young Draax. He’d been friendly and pleasant to me from the start and didn’t ignore me the way most of the other Draax in the docking bay did.
“When you first started, I did not think you would be capable of repairing the vehicles and ships,” Uzel said.
“Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I can only clean and cook,” I said. “Don’t be sexist, Uzel.”
“I know that. Before my mother married my father, she worked as an engineer on your planet,” Uzel said. “I am aware that women can do more than domestic duties. I meant in reference to how small you are.”
His tail poked my bicep. “You are stronger than you look.”
“Hell, yes, I am.” I flexed my arms until my biceps popped out. “Let me introduce you to Chaos,” I kissed my left bicep, “and Fear”, I kissed my right bicep. “These two ladies have helped me kick a lot of ass on the mean streets of Iowa.”
“You have a very strange sense of humour,” Uzel said.
“Thanks. I’m done for the day, are you?”
Uzel nodded. “Yes. Let us do the thing before we leave.”
I laughed. A few days ago, I had taught Uzel a handshake involving fist bumping, hand slapping, hip shaking and, in his case, tail flicking. He’d been obsessed with it ever since.
I held up both my fists and Uzel eagerly bumped them with his own before we whipped through the rest of the handshake. He was grinning and his tail was thumping happily on the floor by the time we finished.
“Thank you, small human,” he said.
“Try and call me Ellis, would you, Uzel?” I said. “For goodness sake, you have a human mom. Didn’t she teach you to call humans by their names or, I dunno, use contractions every once in a while?”
He shrugged. “She tried but I take after my father, she says. All of my friends have human mothers and none of us speak in the manner that humans do.”
“Seriously?” I said.
He waved