“They didn’t waste time in planting their seed.” Sparx winced at the sound of jealousy in his own voice.
“Not long at all,” he agreed with a chuckle that softened his normally harsh visage. “What about Fyeir? Are your men ready for the females to arrive?”
Sparx pulled his hood around his face, shivering at the flow of cold air sneaking around his neck. “As ready as we can be. We’ve listened to the suggestions the women have given us, and I cannot see them finding fault with our execution. Colby even said that Charlotte convinced Bitters to shave.”
“Really?!” Matrix asked in shock, his blue eyes wide. “I told him plain to his face that he needed to shave whatever he had growing there, yet he listened to Saber’s little mate?”
“Apparently,” he answered with a chuckle. “I’ve also instructed the cooks to have the ovens at full flame while they’re here. We have more than enough to burn to make sure the women are comfortable and not freezing during their stay.”
“I don’t mind seeing them a little cold,” Matrix interrupted with a wicked grin, appearing a bit sinister combined with his scar. “In fact, I admit that it is a mesmerizing sight to see when they’re just a tiny chilly.”
“If K’hor catches you staring at Juniper’s tits again, he’s going to kill you.” Sparx shook his head at his friend. “I was the only thing that stopped him the last time.”
Matrix waved the threat away with the swipe of his hand. “I can’t help it. They’re just right there,” he explained, holding out his hands in front of him and cupping them as if he were holding invisible breasts. “And the cotton the Earth females wear hides absolutely nothing. It molds and forms to their—”
“When was the last time you’ve visited the Pleasure Sector?” Sparx eyed Matrix, thinking it might be a smart idea to send him on a mission in that area before he was killed by an angry mate. There were only so many times Sparx was willing to put himself between K’hor and whoever made him jealous. His friend had already used up quite a few of those instances.
“A really long time,” Matrix groaned, rubbing his face. “A really, really long time. I’ve been too busy in the mines to run the ore transfer shuttles.”
“I know I haven’t had a chance to visit the brothels in at least two years,” Sparx admitted. He’d counted recently during a particularly rough night of tossing and turning in his rooms. The lack of sex had definitely added to his frustration lately, which was different than normal. It felt almost as if his body had been woken up from a deep sleep and was wanting to sate its hungers—all of them.
Normally, Sparx could go long periods—years even—without craving the need for a female’s touch. Since they’d brought humans onto Djaromir, that had changed. The constant reminder of the fact that there were women out there who could be possible mates seemed to awaken something within him. Seeing their softness and hearing their voices did something to him.
Not that he wanted a mate.
“It has probably been twice as long for me.”
Sparx nodded at Matrix, the words bringing him back to the conversation at hand.
“Not that the brothels matter, considering our agreement with Earth for the women they have volunteering,” Matrix continued on, not realizing that Sparx was trying to figure out the next time he’d be able to make a trip out to the Pleasure Sector.
Chapter Six
“Wait, did he say to not buckle that strap?” Lucy asked nervously, trying to figure out the weird space suit she’d been handed moments ago.
“No clue,” Rue said, bent over trying to put it on herself.
“These are obviously not one size fits all.” Pulling it up her legs, Lucy automatically sucked in a breath at the tightness of it around her thighs.
“I hear ya, Luce.” Rue panted as she tugged the thick material over her rounded hips. Pulling it hard, she bounced on her toes as if that would help. “I don’t even think these qualify as a one size fits most.”
“I don’t know what you two are babbling about,” Tabitha said with a tone full of snark as she fastened the buckles on the front of the suit she was wearing, which looked three sizes too big. Her sneer zeroed in on Lucy. “I don’t think you’re going to be able to get it zipped up, by the looks of things. Maybe if you watched what you ate you wouldn’t have to worry about your fat ass freezing.”
A collective “oooooohhhhh” went through the handful of women close enough to hear what Tabitha said.
“Did she just say I had a fat ass?” Lucy mock whispered to Rue, uncaring if anyone else heard her or not. She had lost all of her patience dealing with Tabitha and didn’t give a shit who knew it.
“She sure did,” Rue said back, grunting as she pulled the front of her outfit closed finally. “Need backup?”
“Nah, you know I actually like my ass,” Lucy said before turning to face the woman who’d been nasty to her from the moment they met. “It was her tone I didn’t appreciate.”
She wasn’t keen on confrontation, but there was no way she’d let someone else treat her like shit and not do anything about it. Not only would Rue kick her ass if she didn’t stick up for herself, but Lucy also had more self-respect than that. She was, however, also mature enough to try to give Tabitha a second chance. A chance to redeem herself for all the shitty comments and behavior she’d had towards them. Lucy understood that sometimes people were mean as a defense
