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“Sorry. I was wondering if you wanted to have a drink with me. Talk about those animals some more?”
Katie’s eyes were heavy, but something in her couldn’t turn down the chance to get to know her boss and all-around stranger. She nodded, stifling the urge to bite her lower lip with anticipation.
What the hell am I doing?
SEVEN
AXUR
Axur followed an instinct that was foreign to him. He wanted to be around Katie, and not only in a practical capacity. He longed to catch her scent as she spoke, to study the way wrinkles indented her eyes, to know all of her.
It was all very whimsical, but the general couldn’t resist. He told himself, while walking into the lounge and setting the fire ablaze that he would let himself chat with her for a certain amount of time, then head to bed. It was a pragmatic attempt to know the woman who cared for his niece, as the girl’s health and safety were of the utmost importance.
His thoughts rang in his head as he poured dazzling, ruby-red wine. Katie came in, still adorning the clothing she’d worn on their trip to the aquarium. She often donned relaxed, casual wear when dusk fell, loose-fitting, which Axur was half thankful, half cantankerous about. It was best to keep the allure veiled, to let his intrigue dissipate rather than spark at the hint of what lusciousness lay in wait.
All that flew out the window when she waltzed in and sat on the couch, her teal-shaded sweater hugging her mountainous bosom, lining her bodice along a tight trail from her waist to shapely hips. Her bottom was as plump as an apple, he saw when he caught a glimpse without betraying his modest demeanor.
The hand wrapped around the stem of the wine bottle began to tremble as Katie plopped herself down, letting out an overly exaggerated sigh. A smell of wildflowers and honeysuckle wafted over to him, blurring his focus on the glasses.
“That is a really smart girl you’ve got there,” Katie said, running a hand through her hair. “But she is a lot to contend with. Even for me.”
Axur chuckled, taking the wine glasses from the bar and carrying them to the couch. Katie took one from him, her eyes darting away before he could meet them.
“She is certainly a handful. A lot like her parents.”
She abruptly went solemn, and Axur worried he’d ruined the moment. He sipped at his wine, chugging down a bit more than he intended for liquid courage.
“Were they like you, then?” Katie asked earnestly. “Her mom and dad?”
Axur twirled the wine glass under his nostrils. It was a vintage bottle that only high-ranking officers and generals were offered. He neglected to inform her of that, which was the tradition when entertaining those not from the same galaxy. It irked him more than it should have when he realized that Katie was waiting for an answer.
Her leg folded over the other, feet bare, with one hopping up and down with nervous energy. He shook his head, a strand of lavender hair falling in front of his eyes.
“Sorry. It’s been a lot, having her here. And you, uh …”
“I’m a lot?”
“No, no,” Axur replied enthusiastically, placing the glass of wine on the table in front of them. “You’ve been great. I mean, my mind is heavy. Thoughts are scrambled more than usual.”
Katie nodded patiently, a sly grin growing on her face. The fire beyond them roared with a cozy ambiance. Axur couldn’t help wondering what it would take to make the scene even cozier. He wouldn’t mind cuddling up with her in front of the fire, even if his logical mind knew it would be a mistake to open that box of trouble.
“I am playing with you, Axur. Though I know I can be a lot, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
She winked at him. It was playful and certainly flirty. His cheeks grew hot, and he rubbed at his temples to cover the potential change in color.
“It must be a lot,” she replied, “especially after deciding not to have kids. I suppose your brother wasn’t in the military?”
Her questions shot at him like bullets, but there was a genuine curiosity that floored him. It seemed like she was just as interested in getting to know him as he was in getting to know her.
“He wasn’t, no. On this planet, you have to make the decision very early on. Military work is in my bloodline, so it was either him or me. He chose the latter. Met a mate. Had a child.”
Axur returned to his accustomed clipped tone, one that quite obviously ruffled Katie’s feathers in the early days of their meeting. He tried to soften as he went on, noticing a palpable change in Katie’s body language.
She was rigid and, yes, seemingly nervous. When he spoke in a more relatable, calming, monotone timbre, the tension dropped away. He liked to see this side of her. He wanted to massage the strain out of her body.
“That was his choice, of course,” Axur said, reaching for the glass of wine. “And it was my choice to join the military. It all seemed natural, though. We found our callings.”
Though her face had softened, something still stirred in Katie, something that weighed on her brow as she held the curve of the glass between two lovely, delicate fingers. Her eyes were quietly curious, though he had seen them far glossier before.
