Chapter Six
“M…m…my boss?” Jess pointed a finger at Rasha. “Him?” Anyone but him.
Eva nodded and Jess backed away. She tripped over Josanis, sending them both crashing to the floor. Josanis was stuck underneath her legs. His little face went from golden to bright red in seconds, then pinched into a frown before he began to wail. Lo’Ren and Eva let out horrified gasps and ran to him.
Jess lifted her legs off him, freeing the toddler to roll away from her. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured.
As soon as he saw his mother rushing to his side, Josanis stretched out his arms, waiting for her to pick him up.
“You’re okay, faker.” Eva grabbed him and rocked him. “Just yesterday he tumbled down the stairs leading to the private gardens without so much as a peep.”
JB and Rasha offered Jess a helping hand. She ignored Rasha’s and grabbed for JB’s, allowing him to pull her to her feet. I don’t need his help, she thought as she wiped at imaginary lint on her pants and shirt.
As she calmed Josanis, Eva hurried to Rasha’s side. “Jess, Rasha is the head guard. And with that comes a lot of responsibility. To put it mildly, he needs a lot of help. He can barely keep all his accounts and meetings in order. Taio complains about it all the time. I’m so glad you’re here to straighten him out.”
JB choked on a laugh. “You have got be kidding.”
Eva glared at JB. “You are not helping.”
JB covered his mouth with one hand and held up the other. “Sorry, but this is too good. So much for making a good first impression, Jess.”
Jess didn’t see the humor in the situation like JB did. She’d come all this way, hoping for a brand-new start…for…for…nothing?
“Jess, please. You and Rasha will work out fine,” Eva said.
No we won’t. I called him names…to his face.
Jess shook her head. “I can’t do this. Maybe this was a mis—”
“Oh no, we’re not leaving.” JB sobered. “You were all spit and hellfire a little while ago. Stop being a pussy.”
Her eyes flew back to Rasha. “But…”
What had she called him? Oh yeah, the Jolly Green Giant. And Gigantor—Jess couldn’t forget that name either.
I fucked up, again. She inwardly groaned.
“Jess, Eva has promised that you will help manage me.” When Jess didn’t immediately reply, Rasha continued. “I have not had a personal assistant in a long time. Eva has assured me you will be able to keep me on task.”
Eva beamed and nodded. “If anyone can handle him, it’s you, Jess. He needs someone hard and firm and you’ve already proven that you’re both.”
She’d also proven that she was confrontational, had a smart mouth and could not follow directions…
“Oh yeah, I think this would be perfect for you, Jess.” JB gave her a hearty slap on the back, causing her to stumble closer to Rasha.
She clenched her fist, resisting the urge to slam it into JB’s agreeing mouth. She didn’t want to worsen her already bad reputation.
“I guess if you don’t think you could handle the job or you’re too scared to work with him, I’ll let you out of our agreement,” Eva said.
Was she too scared? Maybe just a little. She would never admit it. But damn Eva for knowing exactly what buttons to push.
“I’m sure Kane and Sa’Mya won’t mind if you return to Laconia. Although I’m pretty sure Sa’Mya has probably thrown out everything you left behind,” JB added.
At the thought of going back to Laconia with her tail between her legs, Jess pushed all fear aside. She squared her shoulders. “I can handle anything.”
“Well good, that’s settled,” Eva said. “We’ll let you two get acquainted while I show JB to his room.”
“Wait…now?” Jess asked as Eva and JB started for the door.
“Now is as good a time as ever. Rasha can finish up the tour and we’ll all meet up for dinner,” Eva said over her shoulder.
Heat flushed across her skin. “But—”
“Does he bite?” JB asked Eva.
Eva cocked her head to the side. “I don’t think he’s the biting type.”
Jess’ jaw dropped.
“I think this is perfect. It’ll give the both of you a chance to start fresh.” JB winked and followed Eva and Lo’Ren out. “We’ll see you at dinner.”
Jess wanted to follow them but Rasha stood between her and the door. She could go around him. But he’s so fucking big.
And he’s standing there…watching me.
She gulped.
She was alone.
With him.
“Eva said I should give you a lot of compliments.”
Huh? She watched his face for a hint of amusement. Was he making fun of her?
“She said human females appreciate compliments.”
Jess shifted. What exactly is his angle?
He looked around the room. “You have a very nice apartment. It is filled with a lot of…things.” Rasha’s gaze finally settled on her and her heart skipped a beat yet again. “Do you need to freshen up before I show you to the offices?”
Jess almost laughed in his face. It didn’t matter how much counseling she had or what her heart was doing, she would never get undressed with him nearby. “No.”
Rasha nodded. “Very good. We can leave.”
He walked out the door and stopped to wait for her. “Are you ready?”
Jess crossed her arms over her chest. “We’re going to your office and nowhere else?” Like the dungeon.
He motioned down the hall. “I was going to take you on a tour but if you’d rather go straight to the offices…”
Jess gave him a sideways glance. Eva trusted him and he was her new boss. She had prepared for this. She was ready to put all fears aside and start her new life.
She nibbled on her lower lip. What if he tried something? What if he took her somewhere else besides his office? What if…
Rasha smiled and his eyes brightened. “I don’t bite, remember?”
Her stomach fluttered.
It’s not his bite I’m afraid of.
Rasha couldn’t help but notice that while Jess walked by his side, she kept at least an arm’s length between them at all times. He would have preferred her closer. He didn’t go so far as to think that their bodies could touch. That he could feel her skin on his. No, despite her strong outward appearance, Jess was afraid, something she tried to hide.
But…just maybe…his arm could brush against hers.
Her gaze darted in his direction. She moved closer to the opposite wall, widening the gap between them. Her scent was still heavy as ever, lingering in the air. She smelled like ripe fruit, delicious, succulent.
“I’m glad you decided to come with me,” he said, breaking the silence that hadn’t seemed to bother her.
“Pft, we couldn’t stay in my apartment. The choice was obvious.” She walked with her shoulder brushing against the wall. As she approached a colorful picture of a landscape hanging in a large ornamental frame, she paused. Rasha only guessed she was thinking about how to proceed. Finally she separated herself from the wall and went past the picture.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?”
Her eyes flickered to him. “No, um…yes.”
“Why?”
Jess looked him up and down. “You’re gigantic.”
“You called me a gigantor before. Did you mean it to offend?”
Jess quickly shook her head. “No, not at all.”
They walked in silence before he asked, “Did Eva explain your job and duties to you?”
She cleared her throat. “Umm…yeah. I’m here as your personal assistant.”
For now. He nodded.
“Listen, about earlier—”
“You will not apologize again. As my assistant you will need to stand up to others, as well as me, when needed. You showed that you are strong. That is a good trait.”
A pink tinge rose up her neck and then across her face. “Thank you.”
“Speaking of work, Eva mentioned you might want to have some time off before starting.”
“No.” Jess brought her thumb up to her lips and nibbled on the nail. “I can start as soon as possible.”
The thought of replacing her thumb with his cock crossed his mind. His nostrils flared. Blood rushed to the thickness between his thighs. He resisted the urge to reposition it as it strained against his pants. “Good,” he drawled.
He couldn’t help but watch her as she walked. She was unlike any of the other humans who occupied the palace.
She towered over the human females on Sonis. The skin suit she wore was molded to her body as if it had been poured on to every delectable muscle, line for line. Her earlier boldness, the knife strapped to one thigh and the blaster to the other reminded him that she was used to taking care of herself.
Her walk was purposeful, stride for sensuous stride. Her thighs were muscled and lean and right now, he longed to have them wrapped around him, preferably quaking from ecstasy.
His breathing quickened. Mine.
From the moment he had laid eyes on her, she’d belonged to him. Even though it meant going against Eva’s wishes, the need to stake his claim before any of the other guards could overrode his agreement with Eva.
If I fall behind her, I can get a look at her…
Without warning, she stopped, catching him off guard.
“Is something wrong?”
Jess placed a hand on her blaster and stared at him hard. “Listen, big guy, I’m here to work. Nothing more.”
Under different circumstances he would have taken her gesture as an act of aggression. But on her…his cock twitched and strained.
He tilted his head. “I’ll not ask you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
That was true. She would beg for him to take her.
Her lip rolled into a snarl. Her hand flexed over the handle of her blaster. “I know what you’re thinking and FYI, I don’t want to do that—ever—with you.”
He wanted to move closer but didn’t, afraid it would only cause her to run away. “I didn’t mean to offend, just making a statement.”
She growled. “I’m not here to be your plaything. I’m here to work.”
He relaxed with his back against the opposite wall. “Correct. You are here to work.”
“Only,” she added. “Eva said I would be safe here.”
He nodded in affirmation. “You are safe. I’ll not harm you and neither will anyone else.”
While her eyes darted to the guard who walked past them, his did not. She was his only concern.
“I’m safe,” she said more to herself than to him.
“You are safe,” he repeated.
Her hand gripped and then released her blaster. “Shit.”
Every human female on Sonis had come with a past, or “baggage” as Eva had termed it. Eva hadn’t told him what had become of Jess after the Loconuist invasion…yet.
He held an arm out, indicating their direction.
Jess glanced down the hallway then back at him.
He shrugged. “Or if you prefer, we could stay here and talk—get to know each other better.”
“Humph, we are not lovesick puppies.”
“Lovesick puppies?”
She rubbed the back of her neck. “Never mind.” She straightened. “I’m ready when you are.”
He led the way again. “You will find that I am not a bad boss.”
“Glad to know, but I’m still wondering…”
He glanced at her. “Are you wondering why you came to Sonis?”
“Yeah.”
“You wouldn’t have come if you didn’t trust Eva.”
She nodded.
“She entrusted your care to me.”
She nodded again.
“You can trust me.”
“We’ll see.”