As she washed her hair, Penny tried to understand the source of her emotional agony. Maybe having V’rex break up with her was so much more painful because of everything they’d been through together. After all, they’d been fighting for their lives.
All she and Garret had ever done together was order take-out and watch shows on the various streaming services. They’d barely even ever gone out for dinner and a movie, let alone anything exciting or death-defying like what she’d been doing with V’rex.
The fact that there had been so much more on the line during her relationship with the big Hybrid had made it seem more intense, that was all. Or so Penny told herself. But it still hurt.
Oh God, how it hurt.
Ninety-One
Penny stayed in the tub until she was able to get her emotions under control—which meant she was in the bathroom for several hours. She hoped it wasn’t the only restroom and that V’rex wasn’t waiting to use it because she didn’t want to face him until she could look him in the eye without crying.
At last, after hours of self-analysis and talking sternly to herself about how she needed to act like a grown woman and not a teenager who had just been jilted right before the prom, she finally felt ready to get out. She splashed some cold water on her face and eyes to ease the swelling and redness from her prolonged bout of tears, and took some deep breaths.
Then she let the water out of the tub and looked for a towel. Rather than the fuzzy terrycloth rectangle she was used to, she found a long black piece of fabric hanging on the rack beside the deep oval tub.
Penny wrapped herself in it and found that it draped around her curves like silk but was twice as absorbent as any cotton towel she’d ever used. It fell to her ankles too and looked almost as elegant as an evening dress.
A glance in the 3-D viewer told her that she looked fine—if a little pale. Lifting her chin and telling herself everything was going to be all right, she left the bathroom.
There was a door right beside the one that led to the bathroom and she remembered vaguely that V’rex said it would be her bedroom and he had laid out some clothes for her. She was about to let herself in when she heard him calling her name from the front of the ship.
“Penelope? Can I talk to you?” his deep voice asked.
Penny felt her heart skip a beat. She told herself sternly that it was probably nothing but she couldn’t help the flutter in her stomach as she walked quickly towards the front of the ship.
“Yes?” she asked, coming to stand beside the captain’s chair.
V’rex had been staring down at the gleaming instrument panel but when he looked up, he sucked in his breath and she saw his pale gold eyes rake over her body, taking in the way the black towel-dress draped around her curves.
“Gods, you look…rested,” he said hesitantly, at last but Penny had an idea that “rested” wasn’t the word he’d been about to speak. Had he been going to tell her she was beautiful? Could it be that he still wanted her?
No, don’t be silly! she told herself, but she couldn’t help the little candle flame of hope that flickered to life in her heart.
“Thank you,” she said, giving him a small smile. “I’ve been, uh, enjoying your bathroom.” (Which was true, if by “enjoying” she meant “crying her eyes out.”) “Your ship is so luxurious,” she added.
“Won it from a minor lordling on Telex Five in a hand of Double-Blind Jowzer,” he said briefly. “He was a fucking lousy card player but he had good taste.”
“He, uh, certainly did.” Penny looked appreciatively around the plush cabin and nodded politely. “Um…was there a reason you wanted to see me?” she asked at last.
“Oh, right.” V’rex cleared his throat. “Actually, there was. I, uh…” He cleared his throat again. “I was thinking that it’s been a long time since…since your breasts were drained of nectar. And I thought…you might be in pain.”
“Oh…” Penny’s heart sank. She wished desperately that she did need his help. It would have given them an excuse to be together. But she didn’t have a single drop of nectar left in her breasts, so there was no excuse to ask him to suck them.
“Well?” V’rex raised his eyebrows inquiringly.
“I…I don’t know why, but the, uh, nectar dried up,” Penny said in a low voice. “I don’t have the, uh, other problem either. I haven’t had either one since we first went into the jungle, I don’t think. Maybe…” she cleared her throat. “Maybe being away from the air inside the atmosphere bubble has negated the effects of the Mother’s Milk.”
“Really? Not a drop of nectar left?” V’rex gave her a skeptical frown. “You wouldn’t just be saying that because you’re embarrassed, would you? I don’t want you to be in pain, just because we’re Foresworn, Penelope.”
“No, honestly—look.” Penny opened the front of her towel, baring her breasts for him as she had so often in the past few weeks. But this time she felt her heart thumping against her ribs as never before.
Maybe looking at her bare breasts would stir the big Hybrid. Maybe he would decide that he did want her after all and that they ought to be together. Maybe—
“Gods.” V’rex’s deep voice was hoarse and he looked away from her breasts quickly. “I see you’re telling the truth,” he said shortly. “Thank you for telling me so I don’t…don’t have to worry.” He cleared his throat again, still looking fixedly at the control panel instead of Penelope’s exposed chest. “As I told you before, I replicated you some clothes. Please let me know if they fit. If not, I can always make you something else.”
“Oh…” Penny felt crushed
