Damaged Goods by Poppy Rhys

Author:Poppy Rhys [Rhys, Poppy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-23T00:00:00+00:00

10

DOMMIK

The relentless rain hammered against the floor-to-ceiling windows lining my bedroom, mirroring my internal madness. Despite how tranquilizing the rhythm was, the warning of Gnorix's nearing wet season only heightened my frustration as I lay beside Piper.

It was nothing short of miraculous that she'd survived this long. The fact she hadn't contracted a deadly illness or ingested something that could've done worse to her than the xixi spice cubes—insane.

While Jorni had seen fit to equip her with counterfeit identification chips so he could exploit her rare human status for his patrons, he failed in so many other areas. Piper was untested, unvaccinated, and wildly vulnerable. She'd never received proper immunizations or been warned about potential allergens based on her genetic profile.

A growl that I couldn't suppress rumbled in my chest.

She'd been primed for a medical disaster.

With an exasperated sigh, I roughly scrubbed my face.

Piper shifted beside me, her sudden movement pulling me out of my dark thoughts. She rolled toward me and draped her arm across my stomach, her cold nose nuzzling into my side as she snuggled closer. The feel of her cold nose was a reminder I probably should've adjusted the temperature in the room.

Too late now.

So caught up in my own head, I'd been careless.

By the deep rhythm of her breathing, it was clear she wasn't waking up any time soon, even as the dark sky began to lighten into a dreary gray.

The shot she received had caused her extreme fatigue and, by the time I'd gotten her into a transport, she was mumbling incoherently and clinging to me for comfort.

It was... nice.

More than nice.

It was unsettling how right she felt in my arms. Her chilled fingers provided a welcome relief, a balm to my overheated skin, and I found myself savoring the simple pleasure of being near.

Fucking idiot, that's me.

Despite how Toraxy would birth a litter of spawnlings if he knew Piper was with me, leaving her with her roommates didn't sit right. Protocol be damned, her safety was more important.

So, going against my training, I brought her to my place. She didn't complain, except to comment about my apartment being cold and lonely and I needed plants to keep me company.

She isn't wrong.

This apartment was just a set of walls to sleep in while on assignment. Only temporary. Everything was only temporary.

"You'd love my home on Sevori," I murmured, staring at the ceiling, the words more for me than her sleeping form. Carefully, I laid my arm along her back, craving the contact while keeping her close.

The idea of introducing her to my world, my family, ignited an abrupt yearning.

If I thought it wouldn't wake her, I'd tuck her under the comforter. As it was, I'd barely been able to drag my shirt over her naked flesh once she'd stripped out of her damp clothes before she passed out on my bed.

Seeing her naked back, how the dip along her spine led down to the flare of her hips and her perfectly curved ass? I'd struggled to breathe.

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