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“Nilt got here, was hiding from some trouble he still won’t talk about, and took pity on me. Not without a tradeoff, though. He’d give me my nanotech back if I’d program new functionality for his.”
The reptile humanoid had seemed like an honest man until now. I suppose if all of them are criminals, no one here could be too innocent. Still, I comment, “That sounds like a dirty deal, considering how you hacked Raylin.”
“It’d been several months of no contact with anyone, not even Aard.” He turns to face me, sitting half cross-legged. “Nilt gave me a few of his Gharian nanites and I was able to reprogram some to send back to him while keeping a few for my own use.”
I narrow my eyes because something sounds fishy to me. “How do you guys transfer nanos?”
He shrugs. “A kiss is the fastest way. Program the nanos, send them to my tongue, then transfer. Nilt’s not my favorite person in the galaxy to smooch, but doing so completes the task.”
Somehow, I don’t think that’s the end of the guys kissing activity around here. “So, did you or Nilt have to kiss Quin and S’Tou, too so they’d have nanos?”
Cinq laughs. “No, thank Origins. They arrived with their race’s tech already. S’Tou has Gharian like Nilt and me, of course, while Quin has far inferior Vahdmoshi nanos.”
Cute. “But you’re not biased.”
“Not at all,” he grins. “I enjoy sharing my space and time with the others but I’d prefer to only kiss you from now on.”
Now that’s the best news I’ve heard all day. I can get the tech, contact Aard, and go back home to my mom and life on Earth. I crawl over to him. “Cool, kiss me, give me some nanos, and I can download Gharian like you did English.” His horrified expression surprises me. “What? Is that a faux pas or something? Do I have to fill out paperwork or be initiated in a sacred rite?”
“No, it’s just Lesser world citizens aren’t allowed nanos.” He frowns. “We don’t know enough about the effects or how they’ll deal with the advanced technology. Earlier, when you were asleep Quin had mentioned things were loosening up by the time he’d arrived. How advancements have been made for Lesser world exiles. I’d have to wait a few days before retrieving information again to see how true this is.”
I’m not sure I like being the only one who can’t send messages to the others or work the magic food machine. But then, as much as I like Cinq, getting nanos means I can never go back home. “Why did you risk downloading English if you can’t access the datalinks without being caught? Why couldn’t anyone else do it then send the info to you?”
“That’s where my expertise comes in. I can get in, grab the data, and cover my tracks better than they can. Each one has a good reason for hiding their location, so they have me do the riskier stuff.” He shrugs. “Besides, I wanted to be the first to learn your language, not them.”
“It sounds like you like me,” I tease stupidly pleased at how he might have real feelings for me, matching stuff or no.
“It should sound like I adore you.” He comes closer to me. “I want to say I love you but am afraid you’d jump onto the nearest ship off the planet.”
“You would be right,” I confess, settling in against him when he sits next to me. “But then, I want to leave here and go home no matter what you say.”
“Or what I do?” he counters with a sly grin.
I laugh. “Like what? What could you possibly do to convince me to give up on Earth or ever seeing my mom again?”
“This.” He turns my shoulders toward him and presses his lips against mine. His touch doesn’t mean anything. I can resist him just fine. He moans and slants his mouth, pulling me close. His arms hold me like steel ropes covered in velvet. Despite my efforts to resist him, he’s still hot enough to melt me. I can’t let him because there must be a way back home.
I pull away, breaking our lip lock. “You’re a wonderful kisser, but this isn’t a match or true love like you’ve said.”
Cinq looks me up and down, his brows meeting due to a frown. “How can you not feel this between us? Every cell in my body wants you. Wants to connect with you.” He gives me a brief kiss. “Even if there were a way for you to return, I don’t want you to go anywhere without me.”
He’s intense, which is oddly turning me on. I put a hand on his chest which was a bit of a mistake because damn, his pecs are fine. “You could return with me if we use little bit of a spray tan to tone down your gorgeous skin, maybe.” I run my fingertips up to his neck, reaching to the back, and digging my fingers into his thick, dark hair. “Women at home would be crazy for you.”
Shaking his head, Cinq says in a growl, “There’s only one woman in the universe I want eager for me.”
If any other man uttered those words, I’d laugh, but with him? The way he’s holding me before kissing me again breaks through an armor I thought I had but clearly don’t. He caresses the side of my face. Intoxicated by his touch, I hint, “Too bad this room doesn’t have doors.”
“No need for locks, since I just sent a message to the others. They’ll be busy outside for long enough.”
“What are you planning to do in that amount of time?”
He grins, his face stained with a blush. “As much as you’ll allow.”
I kiss him, giving him a peck on the lips. “Do we need birth control or disease protection?
“No. Safety from both are another benefit of nanotechnology.”
I laugh as he slides his hands up under my shirt. “You really should whip up a batch for me, too. Who knows what a dumb little Earther like me can get into on a strange planet?”
