The Devil In My Arms by Athena Storm

Author:Athena Storm [Storm, Athena]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Athenaverse Press
Published: 2022-12-05T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Three

Olivia

I have to admire Yarvok even more than I did before. Not only did he save us from the space baboons, but he did so with such perfect aplomb none of them were even killed.

I’m sure the alpha is going to be aching for a while, but I suspect it will recover. Any Vakutan probably could have torn those things apart limb from limb. But Yarvok assessed the situation calmly and came up with a solution that inflicted the minimum amount of harm.

There’s nothing like a man who can think during a crisis, not to mention a man who can take care of you in a pinch. Can take care of you period.

If he didn’t already get my motor running, it certainly would be now.

Yarvok comes over toward me and I have to resist the urge to pinch my nose shut.

“Ugh, you smell like one of those things now.”

He sniffs his shirt and grimaces.

“You might be right. I guess I hit him so hard his musk glands went off.”

“that or he has a protective stink spray like a skunk from Earth.”

Yarvok laughs and looks himself over.

“I suppose I need a shower.”

He runs over to the lake and leaps into it. He strips off his shirt and wades over to the waterfall.

Yarvok makes a big show of scrubbing himself like he’s taking a shower. I roll my eyes but I can’t stop myself from laughing.

When he gets out of the lake, he smells, well, better, but—

“You still need a shower, but at least you won’t stink up my car, now.”

He starts to get into the car and I grab the control pad and lock the door.

“No way, you’re dripping wet. Go stand behind the thruster array on the hovercar, we’ll get you dried off in a jiffy.”

Once he’s been blown dry, I allow him into my luxury hover car. Yarvok and I replay the day as we travel through the air, all of the highlights and lowlights. We cheer the former and laugh at the latter.

“How do you feel?” he asks from the passenger seat.

“I’ve never felt more alive.”

I give him a look and he arches his brows.

“Perhaps you should join me in the shower.”

“Perhaps I should.”

“Then hurry to your place.”

“Your place is closer.”

“Good point.”

The inertial dampeners are strained to their maximum as I execute a highly inadvisable U turn. Fortunately there’s not much other traffic here in Touchdown yet. I suspect that will eventually change, unless it becomes the first metropolis to truly embrace mass transit.

“Now my quarters are only meant to be temporary,” he says. “They are somewhat bare and spartan compared to what you are used to, I am certain.”

“Do your quarters have a bed, Yarvok?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then that’s all we need.”

He grins ear to ear.

“And a shower.”

“Oh yes, and the shower. We can’t forget the shower.”

I pull up in the alley beside his place. The big, squarish building houses over a hundred temporary quarters.

As we travel up the steps to his room, I feel possessed of a giddy warmth, a kind of excitement I’ve never quite known.

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