Page 93 of Dancing for the Minotaur

“Because you would not believe me.”

Terra turned fully toward him.

“Now I really want to know.”

Taurex’s golden eyes gleamed with amusement.

“After Last Meal, I’ll tell you.”

She laughed.

“Fine. But if one of those things eats me, I’m going to be very upset.”

His golden eyes were suddenly heavy-lidded.

“They will not eat you. At least, not in the way you are thinking.”

“What?” Terra demanded.

But he was already heading out of the bedroom and back down the hallway that led to the kitchen or “food prep area.”

Realizing she wasn’t going to get any more information out of him, Terra followed.

“You know, for someone who claims to be a serious businessman, you have some extremely suspicious landscaping,” she said to his broad back.

Taurex laughed, the deep sound rolling through the living hallway.

Terra smiled as she followed him back toward the kitchen, but she couldn’t resist one last glance over her shoulder toward the oval window.

The bathing pool waited outside beneath the alien trees, steam drifting over its glowing surface while the strange white and red flowers swayed lazily around it. Whatever pleasure blooms were, Terra had a feeling she was going to find out before the night was over.

And judging by the look Taurex had given her, the experience was going to be interesting.

23

TERRA

By the time they got back to the kitchen, Terra had managed to convince herself that she wasn't going to obsess over the mysterious pleasure blooms until after dinner. At least, that was what she told herself as Taurex began unpacking the living baskets from the Market, though every few minutes her thoughts drifted back to the steaming blue-green pool outside her bedroom window and those strange white and red flowers hanging over the water.

“Tell me what I can do,” she said, rolling up the sleeves of her blouse as she moved toward the broad preparation surface. “You’re cooking for me, so the least I can do is help.”

“I invited you here so that I could prepare a meal for you,” Taurex reminded her as he began removing the humming golden g’rn bulbs and long purple roots from one of the baskets. “You are my guest. Guests should not be required to labor.”

“First of all, chopping vegetables isn't exactly hard labor,” Terra told him. “And second, if you make me sit on that insanely comfortable couch while you do everything in here, there's a good chance I'll fall asleep and miss dinner.”

Taurex looked at her thoughtfully.

“That would be unfortunate.”

“Exactly.” She nodded.

“Very well,” he rumbled. “You may help.”

“How gracious of you,” Terra said dryly.

His golden eyes gleamed with amusement, but he handed her one of the long purple roots along with a cutting implement that looked like a knife except the blade appeared to be a hardened green leaf. Terra took it cautiously and ran one fingertip near the edge without touching it.

“This is a knife?”