Part 36 (1/2)
She was quiet for so long, he thought she wouldn't answer. Just when he was about to ask again, she said, ”We have two jets-and two pilots.”
He tensed, astonished. ”You would give me the fighter?”
”No. The Winchester. Charon's private jet.” She spoke with difficulty. ”You could go home. Take it to your Air Force. Let them crack its mesh and find out what they can about Charon. I get the Banshee.
And my freedom.”
Thomas closed his eyes with relief. It only lasted a moment, though. She hadn't agreed to this option. If he was too enthusiastic for option three instead of option one, she might get angry and take two instead.
With Alpha, he could never be certain.
”So where does that leave us?” he asked.
”I've spent a lot of time going over the records in my internal library, both the fiction and nonfiction.”
He didn't know what to make of her new topic. ”And?”
”In matters of intimacy, consent plays an important role for your species.”
Your species. Not hers. At least now he could see where this was going. ”That's true.”
”If I force you to go to Brazil, you probably won't be happy.”
”I would go nuts being kept that way.”
She began to ma.s.sage his shoulder muscles. ”You would never have to work again.”
”I would be bored crazy. Why do you think I never retired?”
”We would find things to do.” She leaned close, and her whisper tickled the sensitive ridges of his ears.
”You would have me. Any time you wanted.”
Thomas almost groaned. ”You don't debate fairly.”
”I want you to be happy.” She sat up and continued working on his muscles. ”I don't understand why you have become so important in my programming, overriding even my codes for self-preservation.
Nevertheless, it seems to have happened.”
Thomas put his hand over hers. ”What are you going to do?”
”I don't know.” She turned her hand over and curled it around his fingers. ”In a few days, you will be well enough to fly the Winchester home.”
”Yes, I think so.” Two days might be pus.h.i.+ng it. If he had trouble while he was alone in the jet, he could end up in the water. He doubted he could force himself to stay here any longer, though.
”Take that much time to decide,” Alpha said.
His hand tensed around hers. ”Decide?”
”If by the time you're well enough to fly the Winchester, I haven't convinced you to take option one, you can go home.” Quietly she added, ”We will each have our own life and we will never see each other again, unless your Air Force or NIA catches me, a possibility I will use all of Charon's resources to avoid.”
He could well imagine. ”It's my choice?”
”Yes.”
Thomas let out a silent breath. ”Thank you.”
Her voice lightened. ”I get two days to convince you.”
Intrigued, he tilted his head back. ”What did you have in mind?”
Alpha slid out from behind his chair, her body brus.h.i.+ng his, her leather smooth on his skin. She came
around in front of him. Taking both his hands, she tugged. ”Come on.”
Thomas stood up carefully. ”Alpha . . .”
She regarded him like a sleepy black cat. ”That's me.”
”Last year, after my first heart attack-” He hesitated.
”Yes?”
”I didn't want to touch a woman for months.”
”Why?”
”Well, at the time I thought it was the drugs.”
”Is that how you feel now?”