Page 57 of Stripped By the Alien

Nora looks at me across the room. I find myself studying the curve of her mouth before I notice what I'm doing. Then she smiles.

The pressure beneath my chest plates tightens immediately, as does the groin shield.

I lower the tablet in my hands and consider the situation. The Gzet have returned to their planet, and if they have the female, then… well, she likely won't be intact. Whatever the case may be, she won’t escape.

I think the Queen can wait a few more hours for her reports.

I rise from my seat. Nora's eyes follow me. For a moment neither of us speaks.

Then I gesture toward the exit. "Come with me."

The words are simple. Yet judging by the expression that appears on her face, she hears far more than the invitation itself. And she’s not wrong.

She rises without argument and falls into step beside me. There are no negotiations. No attempts to conceal where her thoughts have gone. Mine are not hidden particularly well either.

We move through the Beast's corridors together while crew members flatten themselves against the walls to let us pass. I barely notice they exist. My attention remains fixed on the female beside me and on the anticipation growing stronger with every step.

The membrane seals behind us and the noise of the Beast fades into the background.

For several moments neither of us says anything. Nora remains standing near the center of the chamber wrapped from mid-thigh to collarbone in layers of green repair tape with my scorched banner trophy protruding from various places. After everything we've survived together, after battles, furnaces, and impossible discoveries, the sight is so absurd that I find myself studying her in silence.

Nora notices immediately. "What?"

I fold my arms across my chest and study her. "It suits you."

One eyebrow rises immediately. "The tape?"

"You required protection. My crew provided it."

A smile appears on her face. "That sounds suspiciously like a compliment."

I take a step closer. "It does, doesn’t it? It wasn't intended as one. But I’m starting to wonder if you might look good in anything."

"Oh, is that it? You give me ridiculous items from your ship to wear just to test that theory?"

I go closer, towering over her. She doesn’t withdraw, and that sends a nice surge to my midsection. “What did you say?”

Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t retreat. “First you stripped me naked, then gave me a transparent film to wear. Then some kind of silly packing material, and then tape for repairing starship hulls. What will be next? Iron filings? Glass shards? Engine tools?”

I let my gaze travel over her again. The material follows every curve of her body. When she'd first wrapped herself in it, I was impressed by the ingenuity. Now that we're alone, I find myself noticing entirely different things.

“Perhaps,” I play along, delighted at her defiance. “Perhaps I will give you sand to wear. Icicles. Flower stems.”

She scoffs. “Imagine a Chief Harrower without clothing for his captive.”

“Captive?” I ask. “You’re a rescued castaway, not a captive. I would have taken you home to your world if only you’d say where it is. But you remain curiously stubborn, and I have ways to deal with that. Have you healed from your injuries?”

The sudden change of topic takes her by surprise. “I think so– oh. I’m not sure.”

I take one bare arm and examine it. Any injury she had in the furnace appears gone. “We know you can’t have sustained any injuries during the battle, because you’re perfectly protected by the tape.”

“Is that why?” A soft laugh escapes her.

I run a knuckle up her rib cage outside the tape. "The tape protects what is valuable."

Nora's eyes return to mine. The expression she gives me is entirely different now. "And why exactly is this valuable?"

My pulse quickens and I touch the upper end of the tape, picking it loose from her smooth skin. “Let’s find out if anything valuable needs more healing.”