“Tomorrow,” Lily said with sudden determination. “Khar, let us go over task assignments.”
He swallowed a smile.
Greedy, enchanting little human.
* * *
The next chrono-cycle Lily set a merciless pace.
She tore through their shared morning tasks, then all but evicted Khar from the control room, ordering him to make the rounds and install Vegrun’s newly requested features ahead of their next departure while she handled the coding. Khar grumbled, loud enough for her to hear.
In truth, he enjoyed every second of being ordered about by her.
He stayed busy for most of the cycle and barely caught a glimpse of Lily.
That was why both of his hearts nearly vaulted out of his chest when he finally spotted her on the light deck.
She lay stretched out on her stomach on a recliner.
Utterly relaxed.
Naked.
Except for a narrow strip of fabric that somehow managed not to diminish the sight at all. If anything, it framed her curves with deliberate cruelty.
Khar approached with practiced calm.
He lowered himself onto one knee beside her, not too close. He would not crowd her.
Lily cracked one eye open at the sound of his steps and glanced at him sideways.
“I finished my part, Khar. You are not dragging me away from here.”
He chuckled under his breath. He had no intention of spoiling this for her. Mostly, he was considering whether, if he did notbury his face between those soft curves immediately, he might simply expire on the spot.
He restrained himself.
Not here.
Not now.
He also wanted their first time to happen aboard Lily’s own ship, where she felt safe. Because that was what he wanted for her.
Safety.
Absolute safety.
In the most neutral tone he could manage, he asked, “As a cultural question, do human females who blush at the mention of sex usually sunbathe wearing only a ceremonial stripe?”
Lily closed her eye again and continued basking.
“This particular human female missed the sun on her skin,” she murmured. “As for the stripe, some habits are hard to give up.”
She paused.
“And I like my tan lines.”
“Your skin darkens under the light,” Khar said. “But not beneath the stripe?”
