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“There’s not much to do.” I pressed a can of galfruit cider into her hand.
She took a sip, her eyes going wide. “I like this.”
“Good.” I tossed the salad greens with a light seasoning. “Does it remind you of anything from your world?” There was so much I didn’t know about her.
“Hmmm.” She took another sip. “Maybe? I didn’t get to party much while in college, and as soon as I graduated, I was pushing for the ARK Program.”
“You were focused on your goals. I can admire that.”
“Yes. Maybe too much so.” She turned and leaned back against the countertop beside me as I flipped the steaks over. “I thought about that when I was locked up at the lab—that I’d spent so much of my life fighting to get to my glorious future.”
Her hand rose as if reaching for something, then fell to her side. “And here I’d ended up in the future, and it was a little cell. So what had I missed all the fun and parties for? To be a lab rat?” Fire flashed in her eyes.
I sat down the tongs and turned to face her. “The Goddess knew not to waste your potential like that. She brought me to you so that we can find a future. Together.”
Vivv gave me a wry smile. “Saved by a Goddess. I like that.”
“Saved by me,” I growled down at her. “Don’t you forget it.”
“I’m sure you won’t let me,” she teased.
The timer went off, and I removed the steaks from the grill and prepared our plates.
Once we were seated at the dining table, I pulled out my eating knife and pointed to the one I’d left for her. “Since you’re so fond of blades, let me show you how to use a Zaarn eating knife.”
She took to it quickly, cutting deftly with the sharp side of the blade and using the dull side to bring tasty chunks of meat to her lips.
I plied her with lopberries for dessert, loving her delight at the sweet treat. Gravin and the others were correct—the Hyoo-mon females had a love of sweets. I would have to increase the amount of fruit theDaredevilpurchased. My mate would never go without again.
Once Vivv swallowed her last bite of lopberry, she picked up her new eating knife. “Do you carry one of these on you all the time?”
“Yes.”
She took a couple of practice slashes through the air. “Do people ever use them to fight or defend themselves?”
I grinned, my lips pulling back from my fangs. “There is an entire school of fiction based on just such occasions.”
“Tell meallabout it.” She leaned forward, her fierce, eager eyes fastened on me.
We talked well into the night, curled up on a sofa together, sipping galfruit cider. A growing contentment filled me as I tucked her more firmly to my side. Even the purring kreecat pressed to her calves was a comfort. I had friends on my crew, but I’d always needed to hold myself a little apart to remain their captain.
Vivv was the first person I’d simply talked to in years, a conversation of equals.
I hadn’t realized how much I needed this.
How much I neededher.
Small points of pressure walked up my body, and something hard poked my cheek. I cracked open an eye to find Max standing on my chest, ready to headbutt me again.
I growled and started to shift, but a warm weight pressed into my side, and my rulaa tingled with delight.
Vivv-Ee-Aan.
My arm curled more tightly around her back, even as my tail coiled around her thigh.
She murmured something without opening her eyes and nuzzled her face into my shoulder.
We’d fallen asleep on the sofa, the cabin lights dimmed to a soft, golden glow. The cushions weren’t quite as comfortable as a bed, but it didn’t matter—it had been one of the best sleeps of my life.
