Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
Kolt
Skye’s already pink cheeks darkened as she looked away quickly. “I promise you we’re not lovers.” She cleared her throat. “Actually, that was the first time we’ve ever kissed.”
I scoured my memory to confirm her words, but there was nothing there. True, I didn’t remember kissing her before, but I didn’t remember kissing anyone, and my gut told me that wasn’t true. My body had known precisely what to do, how to move, how to part her lips so I could taste more of her.
As thoughts of kissing her sent heat rushing through my body—especially south—I shook my head as if to dislodge the traitorous thoughts. “Then the kiss was unwelcome?”
She made a series of spluttering sounds. “It was…a surprise. I honestly didn’t think you even liked me.”
I stared at her, struck again by how stunning she was. Again, there was a tingle of distrust when I looked at her, but it made no sense, so I brushed it aside. “I cannot imagine that I did not like you. I cannot imagine that I did not want you.”
Skye stood and took a few long steps before turning. “I think we’re getting off-track. We should be focusing on how we’re going to escape, not on kissing or whether we like each other.”
The female was right. There would be time to figure out personal issues after we escaped and…
“Where are we trying to escape to?” I asked, “And where are we now?”
Skye started to walk a small loop, pivoting on one foot and then reversing and walking back the other way.
“We’re trying to escape and get back to our people.
You to your Vandar horde and me to my home planet, although I’m not sure if Lexxona is safe anymore.
As to where we are now, I honestly have no clue.
Someplace hot and under Zagrath control. ”
I frowned. I understood so little of what she’d said.
A Vandar horde sounded familiar, but I had no memory of a planet called Lexxona, and I didn’t know a thing about what places might be under Zagrath control.
I didn’t even remember who the Zagrath were, although I would take Skye’s word for it that they were our enemy.
That felt right, even if I couldn’t recall why.
I watched Skye pacing until I could no longer stand it. “Must you walk like that?”
She paused and turned to me. “Now you don’t like pacing? I’m only following your lead. You said it helps you think.”
“I did?” I slowly stood and started to walk my own small path, the steps soothing in their repetition. “Hmmm. I suppose I do enjoy pacing.”
Skye laughed and shook her head. “Then we can both pace and think about how to escape.”
“Escape,” I repeated, peering up at the small, grated window that was too narrow to slip through and then at the bars for a door. “You said we already tried once?”
She rubbed the back of her neck. “We did. It didn’t go well, although we didn’t make an actual plan. It was more of a slapdash thing.”
Slapdash? I could understand all her words, but some of her expressions made little sense to me.
I tipped my head back again. “Did we try to reach the window?”
“That?” She pointed at the small opening covered by a metal grate. “I don’t think even one of my boobs could fit through that.”
My gaze naturally went to her chest, which I sized up. “I disagree. I think one could fit through.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and leveled a gaze at me. “Your plan is to squeeze one of my boobs through that and then what? They don’t operate independently, big guy. We can’t send it running off for help.”
I tore my gaze away, aware that I was staring and letting my mind dwell for too long on what her breasts would look like when not covered by fabric. “I know that. I do possess knowledge of female bodies.”
“That you remember,” she mumbled. “Why am I not surprised?”
It wasn’t that I remembered specific females, but somehow I knew that I had knowledge of females and how to please them. Not that that helped me in my current predicament.
I strode to the wall under the window, motioning to Skye. “Vaes.”
She didn’t follow me. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Vaes,” I said again, beckoning her to join me.
“I think you’re speaking Vandar, but I’m guessing you want me to go over there.”
Had I been speaking Vandar? The word had been the first one to come to my mind, and it had felt as natural as breathing to utter it. “Yes, I want to put you on my shoulders.”
Her brows popped high as she approached me. “You want me to get on your shoulders so I can reach that teensy tiny window?”
I laced my fingers to make a step for her foot. “We should not eliminate the window as an option until we have tested it. Perhaps it looks smaller from down here.”
Skye grumbled something about us not being that far away, but she placed one of her feet in my hand cradle, anyway.
I hoisted her up, and she awkwardly grabbed my shoulders and hooked first one leg and then the other around my neck until she was sitting on my shoulders.
She stretched her arms as high as she could reach and then blew out a breath that fluttered her lips.
“It’s no good. I still can’t reach.”
“Then you need to stand on my shoulders.” I extended my arms straight up. “Hold my hands and balance on my shoulders.”
“Seriously?” Her voice rose an octave. “I can’t do that. I’ll fall.”
“You will not fall.” Giving orders seemed to come naturally to me. “But if you do, I will catch you.”
More grumbling as she grabbed my hands and leaned forward so she could move one foot to my shoulder and then the other foot to the other shoulder. She still held my hands and was crouching, her breathing heavy.
“You can do this,” I told her, fighting the urge to order her to move faster.
“You promise you’ll catch me?” The words were quiet, but I could feel the shake in her hands.
“I would never let you fall.” Even without knowing my past or hers, without knowing what she truly was to me, I knew in the depths of my soul that my words were true. I would never let any harm come to her.
Without another word, she straightened her legs and let go of one of my hands and then the other. “I’m up!”
“Good,” I said, moving my hands to hold her legs in place. “Now I’m going to move closer to the wall so you can reach the window.”
“Really slow,” she said. “No sudden movements, big guy.”
I took a painfully slow step while keeping my head and shoulders completely still. Then I took another. When I was almost touching the wall, Skye flattened her palms against the surface and released a breath.
“I’m here, and I can reach the window.”
I didn’t look up in case that might upset her balance. “What do you see?”
There was a rattling sound above me. “The grate feels loose, and you’re right, it’s bigger than it looks. I might be able to fit more than one boob through here.”
I allowed myself a grin. “What about the rest of you?”
“Maybe, although getting my ass stuck in here with me halfway out would not be pretty.” She rattled the grate again. “From what I can see, this opening leads to an alley of some kind. I can’t see any people, but I also don’t see any guards.”
Bad news and good news. We could not call for help, but no one was monitoring a potential escape route.
“Also, the stone up here feels gritty,” Skye called down. “It might be possible to wear it down and make the hole even bigger. I’m not sure what we’d use or how long it would take, though.”
Even as I stood holding Skye’s legs so she wouldn’t fall, my muddled thoughts coalesced.
I had been in tougher situations. I did not know exactly what they’d been, but I knew I had gotten out of them.
If Skye was right that I was a battle chief, then it had been my job to strategize and plan.
Somewhere deep within me was the ability to get us both out of this.
A clang at the end of the hall made Skye jump.
“Son of a—,” she cried as her legs wobbled.
I used my grip on her legs to toss her up high enough that I could step back and catch her before she hit the floor. I swung her feet down so she was standing next to me when the guard came into view.
Before I could take a step away from Skye, she twisted toward me, lifted a hand to curl around the back of my neck and pulled me down into a kiss.