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“Very well.” The tall Lix’dorian male released the handlebars of her scooter with apparent reluctance but his eyes never left Iyanna. “I’ll be in town for some time—perhaps we shall meet again, my pretty little one,” he said to her.
“Don’t fucking count on it,” Dra’vik growled. Reaching down, he lifted the entire scooter and put it on one broad shoulder. Putting his other arm around Iyanna, he escorted her down the long hallway.
Iyanna tried to keep her chin high but there was an itching between her shoulder blades. Turning her head, she saw that the tall, thin, Lix’dorian was still staring at her with a hungry look on his skull-like face.
Shivering, she quickly faced front, but she could feel him watching her all the way down the hall until at last they reached their own room.
THIRTY-FOUR
“You just can’t seem to keep out of trouble, can you?” Dra’vik couldn’t quite keep the exasperation out of his voice as he shut the door of their hotel room behind them.
Room 2777 was beautifully decorated with an enormous round bed draped in pure white fabric and shimmering crystal light globes floating around the ceiling like errant stars. The bed even looked like it might actually be big enough for him, which was nice since most beds weren’t. But right now he was more focused on the little Elite in front of him.
“I didn’t run into his door on purpose,” Iyanna protested. “Though I’m glad you came up when you did,” she added, looking up at him. “He seemed determined that I was the pleasure slave he had called and asked the front desk to send up to him.” She shivered. “I feel sorry for that girl, whoever she is! That guy’s a freak!”
“I’m just glad I got to you before he dragged you into his room!” Dra’vik growled.
He’d parked his own scooter at their room before he had realized Iyanna wasn’t there. When he had looked down the hallway and had seen what was taking place at the end, his heart had skipped a beat—several beats, in fact.
“I’m glad you got to me, too,” Iyanna said. Her eyes were wide and she was looking at him uncertainly.
Dra’vik shook his head and ran a hand over his face.
“I’ve vowed to protect you and stay with you, little girl, but you have to stay with me, too,” he told her sternly. “If he’d dragged you into his room and slammed the door in my face—” He thumped on the inside of their own door to illustrate. “These things are fucking solid. Don’t know if I could’ve broken it down before he got to you and did…what he fucking wanted to do.”
Iyanna bit her lip and he saw the fear on her lovely face.
“Look, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, feeling something in his heart clench. “I just think we have to treat this damn planet like we’re in enemy territory, all right? The way they think they can just grab any female they want here and—”
“Can we please stop talking about it?” she begged softly. “I…I was just starting to feel like myself again. The tea party in the elevator with Tk’tk’tk and Lm-lm was so nice and racing the scooters was so much fun. Those are the kind of experiences I was hoping for on this mission. Not being scared that someone is going to grab me and…and do what they want to me every single minute I’m here!”
She was holding her chin high but she was making the kind of face you do when you’re trying not to cry. Dra’vik could see how distressed she was.
He felt his heart clench again. She looked so miserable—so in need of comfort. On the outside, Lix’dor Prime looked like such a nice, civilized world—who could have guessed at the disgusting corruption lurking beneath its surface? Misogyny was one thing but labeling females as sexual objects to be used by any male who wanted them was a whole other level of despicable. Dra’vik hadn’t been prepared for it and he wasn’t the target of it—Iyanna was. He could imagine how vulnerable she must feel here.
Kneeling in front of her to equalize their heights, he put his arms around her and drew her close.
“It’s okay, little girl,” he murmured, rubbing her trembling back gently. “Everything is gonna be okay. We’ll go to this damn banquet tonight, get the plants, and go home. And we won’t take that fucking public transport again, either,” he added darkly.
“Thank you. That’s exactly what I needed to hear.” She put her arms around his neck and pressed her soft cheek against his.
Dra’vik breathed her in, inhaling her sweet, feminine scent, loving the feel of her in his arms. She was so much smaller than him—so fragile. And yet her curves gave her substance, not to mention feminine allure. She was so beautiful and sweet and courageous and kind—it made his heart ache to know he could never have her.
