Chapter 8 #3
We walked side by side, past the terratherm hub and around the corner to the biodomes, the huge oscillating fans overhead flooding me with Silver’s delicious scent. I hope he likes this.
“What are we doing here? The human biodome is fucked.”
The plasmaglass door swooshed open under my palm scan, and I stood in the open doorway. Silver’s pinky brushed mine as he passed me, and my gut swirled.
I scurried over to the fresh mounds of potatoes and rows of corn I’d planted.
“I salvaged what was left after it overheated, and the corn and potatoes have already started to come up. They seem to love my fertilizer…” In my excitement, I grabbed Silver by the hand and tugged him toward the trays of seedlings I started.
“Look, I also found tomatoes, carrots and rice—”
“Shit…” Silver gulped and took in the vegetables I’d planted and all the trays of lovely little leaves unfurling from the substrate in their trays. “You did all this? I thought all these plants had been fried.”
“They were pretty shriveled…but some still had viable seeds or a bit of green left to revive them.”
“You mean I’m going to be able to eat french fries again?” Wide eyed, he gazed at the mounds of potatoes before turning back to me.
I shrugged. “From what I’ve seen, that depends on whether you can cook them or not.”
His wide grin slammed into me like a punch to the gut. “Smartass.” But when he took three steps toward me and wrapped me up in his arms, the ground might as well have shifted under my boots. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I whispered.
We walked back to his pod, hands brushing and me smiling like a lovestruck idiot.
“What are we watching tonight?” I asked.
“I haven’t seen this one yet, but C highlighted it, so I thought we could give it a shot.” Silver cued the movie while I spooned warm mantu jerky porridge into bowls and handed him one.
“Damn, this is tasty.” Propped on the edge of his thin mattress, Silver shoveled food into his mouth. “These little bean things taste like basil.”
Pleased with his praise, I pulled a chair close to his raised sleeping hollow. “There is some of that shooting up already.” The idea of growing Earther food for a future life with Silver satisfied a part of me I hadn’t known existed.
“I can’t believe you got all that growing.
” Silver flicked on the movie. A projector screen dropped from the curved ceiling above him, and he tilted it so I could see.
We watched in companionable silence—him on his bed, me on the kitchen chair—occasionally throwing in the odd comment about our rotation.
On the screen, two males, one a soldier, the other a florist, were arguing. Just as I thought the soldier would punch the florist in the face, he leaned in and bit the florist’s lip, plastering their mouths together in a searing kiss.
I sucked in a breath. My fangs throbbed.
What was C trying to teach me about Earthers with this choice? I hadn’t the faintest clue. Did I have to get Silver into a state where he wanted to punch me before he’d kiss me like that?
Silver’s spoon clinked against his bowl when he dropped it. His ears and neck flooded with blood, flushing his skin to an enticing pink. “Fuck.”
On screen, the soldier stripped the florist of his clothes, petals scattering all over the counter under them.
My skin heated, and without thought I opened the buttons along my collar, unfolding the uniform to expose my chest and get some relief.
When I glanced at Silver, his eyes were glued to my fingers as they unhooked another button. “Silver?”
His gaze jumped to mine, hot and wanting.
The couple on the screen moaned in the background.
On instinct, I ran my fingers over my chest, drawing him in. “Any room up there for me?”
He licked his lips, following my every move.
Two naked males, dotted with flower petals, writhed on the projector.
“Uh-huh.” Voice hoarse, he nodded and shifted deeper into the sleeping pod.
Fire raced up my spine. A wave of doubt had me slowing my fingers as I unlaced my boots and toed them off, but I persisted despite the nagging reservations. I had next to no experience, and zero at initiating.
I knelt on the mattress, crawling toward where he lay, legs out in front of him, so close I could smell the fragrant mantu porridge on his breath and the rich scent of his blood beneath. Goddess, give me the strength to keep my fangs to myself. “I want to kiss you, Sterling. Can I?”
He visibly shivered at my words. “Yeah.”
His raspy voice twisted my stomach in knots. Heart racing, I slowly lowered my head until our noses met. Hot breath met hot breath, and my tongue dropped free of the fang it had been dancing over to lick up the bead of sweat trailing down his temple.
Silver groaned. “Now.” He pulled me down, resting my body on his, then punched his hips up into mine, grinding his erection against my thigh, seeking relief. “Kiss me now.”
The ring around my d’ink tightened, instantly rock hard at his reaction.
Hovering over him, I loosened the tie from his hair, groaning against his lips while I threaded my fingers through its damp lengths.
With his feather-soft hair cradled in one hand, I dusted my lips over his before dragging my tongue over the plump flesh.
In a flash, he flipped us. Our teeth clicked together as he ate at my mouth, biting and licking and groping my sides.
It lit a flame in me that burned so hot that the venom meant to numb whoever I bit leaked from my fangs.
I had to slow us down or I would take what he hadn’t offered.
That was something I could never let happen again.
He licked at the venom, testing the extent of my control. “Damn, that tastes good. Like apple pie and sunny days and…sex,” he groaned.
“Silver…” I sucked the pulse beating on his throat, rubbing my teeth over it, but I wouldn’t ask. I palmed his chest, smoothing a thumb over the hard muscle, pausing at his covered nipple. “You’re so strong.”
He stiffened above me, his eyes snapping open.
“And beautiful.” I wrapped his hair around my wrist and let it uncoil before startling backward at the closed-off expression on his face.
The florist was nuzzling into the soldier’s neck as they lay under the covers together, morning sunlight streaming over them.
Silver sat back on his heels and turned off the movie. Though the air on level thirty-one was stifling, an icy tension filled the air. What had I done wrong? I should’ve waited for him to initiate.
“Anything else?” Silver asked, his voice as cold as I’d ever heard it.
I reached for him, and he backed away. “What’s wrong?”
“Tell me what else you like about me. What you want from me.” Silver pulled up his coveralls where his shoulder strap had fallen free.
Backed into a corner, I had no idea what would appease him.
A rush of even more extravagant compliments was all that came to mind.
“Silver, I think you’re incredible. You’re great at everything you do, except maybe cleaning.
” I cast a tentative glance at him, but his frown only deepened.
“That doesn’t mean I want anything from you. ” Except your heart.
Sola’s blaze! It came to me. What in hellfire had me thinking it was okay to compliment him? He’d shut down and walked away when I’d offered any sort of praise this past month.
“Uh-huh.” His jaw tightened as he crawled around me, climbed out of his bed and started washing dishes in his small sink. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day. I’m going to clean up and hit the sack.”
My heart plummeted at the dismissal. I still hadn’t told him I couldn’t go without blood for much longer. After scurrying out of his bed and buttoning my uniform, I quietly placed the extra containers of food I’d prepped along with the pie into his tiny cooler.
Defeated, I muttered to his back, “I’m going hunting tomorrow.
” Ashamed, though I wished I weren’t, I lowered my voice even more.
“The full moon’s coming, and I need blood.
Fresh meat should help.” Then, empty basket in hand, I headed toward his open door.
Stealing a glance over my shoulder, I stared at his back, hoping for some reaction.
Forgiveness for overstepping?
A blood offering.
“I’ll see you in a couple of rotations if all goes well.”
“See ya.” Silver waved a hand over his shoulder but never turned around.