“Captain wouldn’t like it.”
“If we do it right, he doesn’t need to know.”
Asgii laughed, and the sound sent an icy chill down Joan’s spine. “I like the way you think.”
They proceeded to describe what they planned to do to this theoretical slave in graphic detail as they began picking up cages with a long crane. She kept her eyes down and did her best to try and shut them out.
Maybe she had been a little too optimistic about her lack of worth as a sex slave.
Her cage had been next, and after a short, terrifying trip in a freezing transport, she ended up with the other slaves in the hangar. It was the first time she had realized that the ship carried more than just the animals surrounding her.
And now she was here, literally slaving away for Ukhaan. She hadn’t figured out how to escape yet. All she could do was keep her eyes and ears open and learn as much as she could. It had taken a long time, but she’d figured out how to get away from Kevin, she reminded herself firmly. Just because she was now on an inhospitable alien planet didn’t mean she had to give up hope. Put like that, it sounded impossible—so she decided she wouldn’t put it like that.
With a sigh, she did her best to push it out of her mind and go to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
Chapter Two
Once again, Joan stood silently by the wall, waiting for Ukhaan and his visitor to arrive. She gave the table a quick glance from under her lashes, checking to make sure that everything was perfect. Perhaps she should have double-wrapped the biscuits to make sure they stayed warm…
The door opened and she instinctively looked up. Her breath caught in her throat. The male accompanying Ukhaan was not another Zameetan as she had expected. Instead, a huge alien warrior stood in the opening. A head taller than Ukhaan, he showed no indication of Ukhaan’s devotion to food. Dark turquoise skin covered huge, well-defined muscles, clearly revealed by the tight, sleeveless tunic he wore. Short dark hair, almost black in the dim light, covered a well-shaped head with features very similar to that of a human man—a brutally attractive human man. But he was very clearly not human, and from the number of weapons fastened at his belt and the network of fine gold scars that covered his body, he was equally clearly a very dangerous male.
For a fraction of a second, their eyes met, his a dark, burning gold that went from distant to heated in that one brief interval before she looked away. Dammit, she knew better than to look directly at an alien male. They tended to interpret it as defiance or interest, and she couldn’t afford either.
Ukhaan led the way into the room, gesturing the stranger to a chair as he sat, pontificating about the profit margin on ore pellets versus smelted metal. She paid little attention as she kept her eyes on the ground and hoped—prayed—that she hadn’t made a costly mistake.
“Well, well. Get to work, girl,” Ukhaan demanded impatiently, and she jumped, forcing her focus back to her job.
Her hands shook as she prepared their plates and presented them. As she leaned down in front of the stranger, she could feel the warmth emanating from him and caught a hint of an almost smoky scent, like an applewood fire on a cold night. Would he reach for her—grab her ass or fondle her breast? She already suspected Ukhaan wouldn’t stop him, but to her relief, he simply sat quietly and inspected his plate.
“This looks delicious,” he said, his voice a deep, rumbling growl that set off an unexpected response low in her stomach.
Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself. He’s an alien. A big, scary alien.
But her hands shook and she narrowly avoided slopping gravy onto Ukhaan as she presented his plate. He gave an impatient grunt, but he didn’t retaliate.
“I do the best I can with what I can get here. This planet is so isolated,” Ukhaan complained. “Of course, if I had a job in one of the inner systems, the possibilities would be greatly expanded.”
The stranger took a quick, neat bite of the geflin fish and chewed appreciatively. “I’m not sure that anything in the inner systems could compare to this.”
Ukhaan took a much less restrained mouthful, then nodded. “Definitely acceptable. The girl is learning.” He waved at Joan, who was once more standing by the wall. “She’s my cook. Ugly little thing, isn’t she?”
The terrifying male studied her, his gaze moving slowly from her head to her feet, and she did her best not to flinch. From the heat burning in his eyes, he didn’t find her unappealing. She felt naked and exposed, and a tiny spark of something that couldn’t possibly have been excitement shivered down her back.
“She might appeal to a certain type of male,” he said finally.
“I thought about using her.” Ukhaan was in a jovial mood, relaxed and expansive. “But she’s just so… soft. Like an undercooked sarlan steak.”
Once again, she had to stop herself from shuddering. Thank God she repulsed him.
“Besides, a good cook is a lot harder to find than a good fuck,” Ukhaan continued. “But if you promise not to damage her, you can have her tonight.”
What? No! He couldn’t send her off with this terrifying stranger. It took all of her training to stop herself from objecting. She had thought she was safe from this particular fate, but it seemed that whatever gods had decided to punish her hadn’t dragged her down far enough yet.
“I might just take you up on that,” the stranger said thoughtfully.
