17
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Myla
Practically dragging the guys down the corridor, I’m so excited for them to see what I have in store.
Tia (who has been a godsend), helped me with this surprise. Living her entire life on a space station, she never created a version of ‘home’ for herself. She told me her Father wasn’t worth it and her guys had already seen his office, even met him in person, and there was no need for anything further. I can tell there’s no love lost between the two of them.
But she understood why I wanted my guys to see my home, so she helped me create the holographic version of it. I’m so excited to show them!
It was easy to keep it a surprise; the guys were always off doing something with Tia’s men, leaving us a lot of time to get to know each other. Her flamboyant attitude and the way she ignores anyone who might dare to judge has quickly made her my hero. She also helped me come out of my shell—which I never realized I had, until I let go of my self-imposed limitations.
“Where are you taking us?” Vi’del asks as he lazily ambles along behind me.
I shoot him a grin over my shoulder. “You’ll see.”
Standing right outside of the holographic interaction room, I turn to face the guys. Rubbing my hands together, it’s hard to contain my excitement. What I’m about to show them has been my entire life, and I know they’ll love it as much as I do.
“Tia has been helping me re-create our family farm, complete with all the animals. Unfortunately you can’t re-create people from memories alone, but it’s so lifelike!”
I’m overcome with giddiness as the door slides open.
The four of us step inside, the door slides closed, and it feels as if we’re really standing on the family farm. The smell of freshly cut grass until the light breeze shifts, and then the smell of the pig lot. Okay, I could’ve done without that one, but I wanted it to be real. Still, what was I thinking?
Turning in small circles, arms held wide, I say, “Look at this, can you believe it?”
My dog Henry comes loping up the hill with his tongue hanging out, tail wagging. A black and white mostly Border Collie, he’s a friendly dog and looks happy to see me. A smile spreads across my face.
Programmed to look and act just like my dog at home, holographic Henry leaps in the air and almost tackles me to the ground. The guys tense before I drop to my knees and let him lick my face, soaking me in dog slobbers.
“I missed you too,” I say, laughing and nearly toppling under his weight.
Once he’s given me all his kisses, I give his ears a good rub and stand.
“That is your best friend?” Zeno asks, eyebrows rising. I can’t tell if he’s impressed or appalled.
“Yes. Go on—pet him.” I gesture to Henry, who is sitting on his hind legs, tongue hanging out the right side of his mouth.
When Zeno takes a step toward Henry, my holographic dog hunkers down and bares his teeth. Surprised by the reaction, I glance over my shoulder and see all three of them answer his growl by peeling their lips back to show their canines.
What is this?
I move next to Henry, bend down and scratch his floppy ear while giving the boys the stink eye.
“Stop it, he’s just a dog.” Meeting Henry’s large brown eyes, I try to console him. “It’s okay boy, I won’t let the big men hurt you.”
Vi’del scratches his chin, looking a little confused. “You are taking his side?”
“What side? He’s a dog , and none of this is real.”
I huff out a sigh. This is not going as planned.
Tekil straightens. “It feels and looks real enough to me.”
“Never mind!” Exasperated, I turn to Henry. “Go on, go play.” Turning back to the three of them, I stand and point with my head. “Come on, let me show you the rest of the farm.”
I point left across the rolling green hills to where the two-story white farmhouse sits with its wrap-around porch. “That’s my house.”
I follow the three of them up the rickety steps, hoping it will hold their massive weight, then silently chiding myself; of course it will, it’s a hologram. Standing in front of the faded yellow front door, I am amazed at how close it is to the actual sun-faded color of the real thing. Zeno stares at the knob, and no one moves.
Hooking a finger in the loop of my pants, I finally ask, “Umm…what are you doing?”
“I am looking for the security pad, but it is hidden well.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
And then I reach around him and let my fingers curl around the knob, twist, and push open the door. Again, no one moves. I shake my head. This is not turning out how I’d hoped.
“Don’t just stand there! Go in or move out of the way.”
Stepping inside, a wave of homesickness hits full force. My house holds warm memories which makes a smile ghost my lips.
“This,” I wave my hand around the area, “is the living room.”
I watch as they inspect it. Trying to see my house through their eyes, I examine the faded wooden floor that creaks when you step in certain places. A large, floral-patterned couch sits in front of a massive rock fireplace. A few old pictures of me hang on the wall; I re-created every detail as best as I could.
Vi’del heads to the large window with thin yellow curtains. Studying the pane, he grimaces. “How do you keep others out?”
“Well, we don’t really have a problem with others trying to break in.”
Frowning, he inspects the slide lock on top of the window before fingering the curtains. I know it’s not much, but even in modern times, farming doesn’t exactly equal wealth and luxuries.
“Come on, let me show you the kitchen.”
Heading through the doorway, I glance over my shoulder in time to see them duck under the frame. They are so big, all of them over six-feet-tall. My father is only five-nine, and my mother is five-three.
Standing in the center of the kitchen, there’s a small round table with four chairs to the left. The right side has one counter for chopping and the essentials for cooking; nothing fancy.
Tekil is giving it a good once over when he finally asks, “Where are the replicators?”
Entwining my fingers together, I rock back on the heels of my feet and grin. “We don’t have replicators. We cook our food on a stove.”
“I see.” He frowns, and my feet plant firmly on the floor. My hands flop against my thighs.
That’s it? Does he even know what a stove is, or is he just dismissing me? I wonder with a mix of disappointment, anger, and embarrassment. He could at least pretend to like my house, even just a little!
My giddiness is long gone when I clomp up the wooden steps, hastily grabbing the rail with one hand. I’m a little irritated that they don’t even pretend to like it. With each frown, they squash the idea of taking them home just a little more.
Turning left at the top of the staircase, I step inside my bedroom. I’m really not thrilled about showing them around anymore.
“This is my room.” I wave them in and let my arm collapse at my side. My voice is emotionless and cold, but hey, what do they expect?
The three of them crowd inside, making my room appear really small. My double bed with its blue comforter sits next to the far wall. A brown dresser with an oval mirror is placed opposite the bed. The window is draped with a blue floral curtain blowing from a light breeze.
Zeno heads over and examines this window too, frowning yet again as he lowers the pane and flips the latch back and forth.
Tekil picks up a brush laying on the dresser, then checks out various other objects. Flicking open a small pink jewelry box, soft music plays and the little ballerina twirls in circles.
I huff out a frustrated breath and finally give up. “Let’s just go back to the ship.”
I spin around but Zeno grabs my hips with both hands before I can make a hasty retreat.
“Not so fast, little one.”
Turning to face him, I rest a hand on my cocked hip. “Why? You obviously don’t like it!”
He’s shaking his head. “Perhaps we see things with another perspective.”
I shrug. His eyes are different—he is as alien to me as I am to him, they all are—but he should at least be interested to see where I used to live. This farm is a big part of what made me who I am today. That and being held prisoner, this maybe dominant something growing inside me…okay, I’m not really making my point.
Tekil lays a gentle hand on my shoulder, which I suppose is intended to soften the blow when he says, “We see how unprotected you were living here.”
My arms flop in the air then collapse at my sides. Why don’t they get it?
“There’s nothing I need protection from on Earth! And even if there was, that’s why I have Henry.”
Okay, that’s not entirely accurate. Earth isn’t some perfect utopia; there’s always a chance, albeit small, that someone might break in and kill us in the middle of a robbery…but it’s a teeny, tiny chance that doesn’t really count.
Vi’del crowds me, boxing me in with his arms braced against the wall. His breath caresses my face, making my core tighten and my heart gallop.
“If you want an honest opinion,” he says, “I actually like seeing where you lived, and where you slept. But looking at your sleeping quarters, all I can think is that that bed is too small. The four of us would need to take turns, and still, we might break it.”
The breath rushes from my lungs and my mind fills with images of me and him on the bed together, arms and legs everywhere as he ravishes my body.
My hand reaches down to cup his cock. A slow, wide grin spreads across my face when I feel his erection standing ready, and I lift one brow seductively. “Want to give it a try?”
His mouth brushes against mine, luscious lips moving slowly in a tender kiss. I’m lost, and then he shatters the moment. “I wish. But I do not have the time to go slow, like you deserve.”
I almost offer a quickie, but even with the three of them, I’m not that bold. Yet. I swallow hard.
“Let me show you the barn,” I say breathlessly.
Vi’del holds his body against mine a moment longer, then pushes back against the wall.
Zeno leans in, his massive shoulders against the doorframe. That smirk on his face drains my desire entirely. I push around the three of them, heading down the stairs and out of the house as quickly as possible.
Tekil, the ever-observant one, trots up beside me. “Is something wrong?”
I slow down, then turn to face him. Hands on hips, I’m irritated.
“I don’t know how you can all get revved up in an instant and then turn it off like a switch. Especially when you—or rather ya’ll— never even had sex before me, on this ship! I mean, you should be wanting it all the damn time. You’re men , for cripes sakes!”
I blow a strand of hair from my face, fuming and exasperated.
“It’s not that we don’t want you…”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. There’s a lot of work to be done. Maybe one day you’ll let me in on the lucrative secret. And how do you know how to work my body every night if you were virgins?”
“Just because we never had sex doesn’t mean we don’t possess the knowledge,” Tekil replies calmly. “And now we know what we were missing.”
Always the sensible one… I think fondly.
Zeno’s hand circles my wrist, pulling me in front of him. His fingers lightly trace the outline of my jaw. “Unlike the original Kintue, we follow our instincts.”
How terrible for the originals. Living their entire lives without knowing pleasure and sex…
Vi’del snags me around the waist, pulling me away from Zeno and into his arms. “Don’t feel bad for them,” he says, as though he can read my mind. “They are perfectly fine with the way things are. We, on the other hand, will not turn back to the old ways.”
Threading his fingers through my hair, he grabs a handful and forces my head back. Soft lips move over mine, and quickly turn more demanding. Slowly, I slide my hand over his chest, moving down his hard abdomen until I reach…yep, he’s still hard.
Vi’del moans into my mouth and breaks the kiss. “We cannot. Your bed is too flimsy.”
“There’s always the floor.”
“I have to get back to work soon.” At least I hear the remorse in his strained voice.
It takes a minute (or three) for us to calm down enough. When I turn, Tekil and Zeno have amused expressions on their faces.
Zeno pushes off from the side of the house. “Show us the rest of your farm.”
Stepping off the porch, I head down the hill, and when we reach the pig lot surrounded with a barbed-wire fence, turn left for the barn.
Glancing over my shoulder, I see Zeno bending to inspect the sharp fence. “Now this is interesting. Your animals are more protected than you are.”
Finally, something impresses him, and then he follows it up with a slight. Just as I was about to open my mouth, two curly-tailed pigs come squealing around the corner. Zeno jumps to his feet, then haunches down. Tekil and Vi’del straighten.
Realizing that Zeno plans to fight the pigs, I laugh. “You could never catch them.”
And just like that, I’ve returned the favor with a minor insult. He shouldn’t talk that way about the family farm. Even though I wanted to get away, I’m still proud.
Zeno’s face morphs into seriousness. “Is that a challenge?”
“No,” I reply, laughing. Although, watching him chase after a pair of pigs would be comical… “Come on, let me show you the rest.”
In the field just beyond the barn, black and white cows graze. To the right, the mares gallop around a rink.
Pulling open a barn door, I almost kick a chicken as it dashes outside. “In here, we keep the hay for the cows. We also store grain for the winter.”
My calico cat Puff ambles out of the barn, stretching her front legs while scratching with her claws. In a leisurely stroll, she rubs her body against Tekil’s leg.
Tekil’s face is unreadable as he stares down at the kitty.
“Don’t worry, she won’t hurt you,” I tease.
He smirks down at my furry baby. “With her small size, there is no way she could hurt me.”
Why is everything a challenge to them? First Henry, then the pigs, now Puff!
“Come here, Puff.” I reach down and pick up my kitty, holding her at eye level. “Leave the grumpy man alone.”
“I am not grumpy,” Tekil says defensively.
Setting Puff back down, she runs off, leaving us alone. I watch her until she’s out of sight before announcing with a shrug, “Well, that’s it.”
“You miss your home,” Vi’del says, reaching out to take my hand.
“A little,” I reply guardedly, not wanting to admit how much I actually do miss Earth. “I just wanted to show it to you.”
“It is a very nice place.”
I really don’t believe him, but what can I say? “Thanks.”
Zeno steps forward and takes my other hand. “Maybe we can check with Moak and the others, see if they have a program for Kintuke.”
My face beams. “I would love to see it!”
“Are you ready to go?” Tekil asks.
Glancing over my shoulder, I take another look around. I’ll miss my family home, but maybe someday, we can all visit. Or maybe I can persuade Mom and Dad to visit me.
My eyes find Zeno’s and a sad little smile tips my lips up. “Ready.”
As we walk out into the ship’s corridor, I realize that this project has been enlightening. Seeing their reactions and knowing how unhappy they would be here only made things real. I had to choose—even though there really isn’t a choice. Somewhere, somehow, these three have become important to me; I now understand more than ever that I could never, ever leave them.