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In the middle of the pool, I crouched so her feet would touch bottom. Even so, she still clung to me, and with our heights more equal, I could not resist taking her mouth again. I kizzed her, slow and sweet, my tongue gliding softly over hers in the way she seemed to like best.
When we broke apart, she gave a soft sigh. “This is perfect. Thank you.”
I couldn’t bring myself to speak, but my arms tightened around her in complete agreement, and I kizzed her again, pouring everything I could not say into it.
You are mine, my most special Zo-Fee.
And I am yours.
Forever.
We remained in the pool for only a few more minutes before I carried her out. She curled drowsily against my chest, yawning as I set her on a soft patch of moss.
Then I got busy. The tent snapped open with a flick of my wrists, expanding outward. My clean shirt made a nightgown for Zo-Fee, and once I got it on her, I carried her into the tent.
She stirred a little, reaching for me. “Don’t stay outside tonight, please. I want you in here with me.”
“I have things to do—”
Her fingers tightened on my forearm, cutting off my excuse. In truth, all of the Zaarn network reports said this hideaway was safe from predators. I did not need to stand guard.
And my mate offered too great of a temptation.
“I will return in a few moments.”
Outside, I wrung out her garments and spread them across rocks to dry. Then I pulled on my clean pants and carried my comp to the far side of the clearing to call Tark.
“Raxnor! I was beginning to wonder.”
“Did you doubt I’d rescue the Hyoo-mon?”
“Oh, I knew you’d rescued her. The Tula are in an uproar, though no one seems to know why.”
I snorted with amusement. “Except for us.”
“Where are you?”
“The network hideaway in the Shular Mountains, the one just outside the dragon sanctuary we visited a couple of years ago.” There’d been four of us on that mission, and the one thing all my fellow mercs could agree on doing on our day off was riding a dragon. Thank frek I’d done it, too. My familiarity with the winged beasts had certainly come in handy today.
“Got it,” Tark said. “I don’t have clearance to take off at night, but I can come and get you in the morning. The government’s actually enforcing air traffic regulations for a change.”
“I can’t imagine that’s making the Syndicate very happy,” I said. Officially, the lizard aliens had a government, but they were equally ruled by the Tula Syndicate, the largest mob organization in the seven sectors. The mob bosses didnottake kindly to having their shipments delayed.
“Senator Bila must be raising a stink over her missing ‘pet,’” I said. “Or the senator has mob connections.”
“That would explain a lot, actually.” Tark’s tone grew excited. “Like how she bought the Hyoo-mon in the first place.”
He wasn’t wrong.
We talked for a few more minutes, arranging a location for our rendezvous in the morning. There was a tourist village nearby that Tark could pretend to make a delivery to. With the Tula authorities in an uproar, they’d be monitoring all flights carefully. Even with Kirel’s program hacking the satellites, there was no sense in risking the location of this hideaway.
I spun around. The small tent rested in the middle of the moss-lit glen, the gentle glow gilding one of Zo-Fee’s feet, which she’d flung close to the entrance as she settled.
She had adorable little feet.
Lila raised her head as I walked past. She wouldn’t understand me unless Zo-Fee could hear my words and send them to the kreecat, but I spoke anyway.
“Let me have Zo-Fee for the night. It might be my only chance to—” I couldn’t say it out loud, but the sentiment echoed through my mind. It might be my only chance to hold her as she slept, to feel her soft breath on my skin.
