Page 27 of Hope Forged
He grinned, blinding her and sending her heart into a stuttering rhythm. “You have been healed, of course.”
She scoffed, running her palms along her thighs as she always did, to ease the persistent ache. Except, there was nothing, not a dull throb, not a sharp twinge, not even the familiar texture of her poorly knitted flesh.
She gasped and hopped off the bed, reaching for the waistband to strip.
Illan caught her wrist, stilling her movements. “When you are alone.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
His eyes darkened with an unnamed emotion. “You are vulnerable when naked.”
“I am not in danger…” She studied his face but couldn’t find fault with that logic. “Very well.” She marched to his cabin and waited outside the door. When he failed to join her, she faced him. “In here is fine?” she asked, arching a brow at his odd behavior.
He drew in a ragged breath and placed his palm on the panel. As soon as the door closed behind them, she stripped, shoving the pants down to her knees. Her world spun when she gazed upon smooth thighs.
“This…is amazing,” she whispered, stroking her skin.
“I am sorry you suffered for so long.”
She blinked at him while she dressed. He didn’t understand what this meant to her. Or perhaps he did when he’d insisted she trust him. “Thank you. Has Seba been a nuisance?”
His sweet smile formed. “He sniffed the med-E.D. once, but when Brac commanded the floor to heat, Seba settled for a nap. He nudges Brac when he wants another meal.”
She chuckled, believing it. “He does have an endless appetite. I’m glad he’s well. Thank you for letting me bring him.”
“Hungry?” he asked. “We can eat while Brac explains his plan.” He held the door open for her and waited for her to walk through. “What foods did you like as a child?”
Her steps faltered. It had been too many years since the crash that she couldn’t recall the flavors let alone their names.
“A little of everything, then?” He pointed at a bench.
She strode around a snorting Seba whose paws waved in the air as if he chased something.
“A kandyru tisane?” Illan slid a cup onto the table.
She sank onto the metal seat. The hot tisane’s aroma hit her and summoned tears. Sweet, tangy, with just enough spice to burn her throat.
She gasped and clasped the cup to her chest for a deeper inhale. “Mudya used to make this for me every day and when I was sad.” A tear slipped free, but she didn’t care. She buried her nose into the cup before she took a sip. At the flavor, her heart shattered, a sob escaping her defenses.
“I did not mean to upset you,” Illan said, squeezing her shoulder and sending out a ripple of excited warmth. “Perhaps foods from another culture?”
His thoughtfulness wasn’t helping. Another sob slipped out. And just like that, the cup was out of her hands, and his arms were around her, cradling her against his chest.
Stop this.
But she couldn’t. Once the gates were opened, she couldn’t shut them. And when he engulfed her in a hug, what walls she’d erected crumbled. Strength mattered. It had gotten her through being stranded, mauled, losing her mother and now her father.Making things worse was Illan’s unexpected kindness when she’d distrusted his words and actions since they’d met.
She gathered her dwindling control and dismissed the nagging shame on the edges of her conscience. No. She’d been right to expect the worst. And she’d fed him when she could’ve left him out there to die.
His arms tightened, layering her against his body. She should’ve felt smothered, so confined with minimal movement. But… He was hot, giving off a wealth of heat. She succumbed to the urge and nuzzled his chest, which was harder than she’d expected it to be but, somehow, still comfortable.
When he stiffened, so did she, assuming she’d done something wrong. She tried to pull away, but he held firm, not releasing her. This morning, she would’ve fought him. Now, she found it difficult to fight whatever these emotions were that only he seemed to stir.
Seba huffed, rolled over, then whined, chasing some creature in his dream. The distraction allowed her to break Illan’s hold on her. “Yes, perhaps something not Durn?” She forced herself to meet his gaze though she didn’t linger.
Her heart leaped and bobbed in a tribal dance she’d seen her father parody. He’d hollered at the stars while circling the fire, bringing her mother to a giggling mess.
“Very well. Pizza?” Illan gave his attention to a shiny surface next to the replicator. A thin disc appeared with colorful reddish circles sitting on its orange-white base. He slid it before her and peeled a slice off, then another.
