But at last, Drung seemed to think that the confrontation wasn’t worth it. With a disgusted snort, he turned and lumbered out of the dining area, leaving the rest of the crew to sit in stunned silence.
Twenty-Eight
“Well, that was quite a scene at Last Meal tonight,” Need remarked.
“It was, my Lord,” the girl agreed in a low voice.
She still looked shaken after the confrontation with Drung and Need supposed he couldn’t blame her. The Damn Trollox was fixated on her to a worrying degree. Need couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen the big idiot so focused on one thing—not that he usually paid much attention to Drung. As much as he could, he tried to ignore his Trollox crewmate—though that was impossible where Lan’ara was concerned.
“Last meal was lovely up until the end though,” she said, cutting into his thoughts. “Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal we made them.”
“You mean they enjoyed the meal you altered to make it new and delicious,” Need pointed out. “And those desserts were amazing too—you really have a flair for cooking, girl.”
“Thank you, my Lord.” She blushed prettily and dropped her eyes shyly. “And thank you for protecting me from the Trollox,” she added softly. “He was terribly frightening but I felt safe with you shielding me.”
Need had the sudden urge to promise that he would always shield and protect her—to take her in his arms and swear that she was his and he would never let her go.
No, he told himself sternly. No, can’t do that. Have to let her go!
“Well,” he said, as heartily as he could. “You’ll be glad to hear you won’t have to worry about Drung much longer. I put in a call to Genu Six today to let Senator Pouncenblast know that you were safe and available.”
“You did?” Her voice was flat and her face fell, almost as though he’d given her bad news instead of good.
Need frowned at her, perplexed.
“Aren’t you happy? This is what you told me you wanted, girl. And it certainly gets you out of Drung’s way. Not to mention the fact that you’ll be living in the lap of luxury on a private island on Genu Six for the rest of your life.”
“Oh, yes. Yes, of course, my Lord.” Lan’ara made an attempt at smiling, which didn’t look very convincing to Need. “Thank you,” she added. “For being thoughtful of my future.”
“You’re welcome,” he said and wondered why he felt deeply unhappy at the thought of losing her. He ought to be glad he was getting rid of the girl who threatened to take and break his heart, just as Cleah had when she died and left him. He should—
“…tonight?” Lan’ara’s soft voice brought him out of his reverie.
“What was that, girl?” he asked, frowning.
“I asked how I am supposed to bathe tonight, my Lord,” she said. “Considering that the wash blossoms seem very…attracted to me and the blasts from the sonic shower are so…er, stimulating.” She cleared her throat and looked embarrassed as she spoke but Need understood what she was asking. How could she bathe without being molested or stimulated by either the bath or the shower?
It was a ticklish situation to be sure. Need frowned as he thought. At last he said,
“Maybe I’d better just bring you a bowl of hot water and a cleansing cloth. You can have your bath out here.” And he indicated the living area.
“Yes, my Lord. As you wish.” Lan’ara nodded submissively. “Whatever you think is best.”
The more he thought of it, the more Need was certain he’d solved the problem. A big bowl of hot water and a cleansing cloth—the kind that instantly dissolved and absorbed any kind of dirt or impurities and left the skin squeaky clean—sounded like the perfect solution. The girl couldn’t be molested by the wash blossoms or stimulated by the sonic waves that way, which meant that, for once, he could keep his vow not to touch her again.
Feeling like he had unraveled a very tangled problem, Need went to the food prep area and found the largest bowl he could. He brought it back to his quarters, filled it with steaming hot water, added a cleansing cloth, and placed it on the low table beside the couch.
“There you are, girl,” he told Lan’ara. “Have your bath and then I’ll dump the water and we can get some sleep.”
Then he started to leave the room to give her some privacy. But Lan’ara’s soft voice stopped him.
“My Lord, would you stay?” she asked softly.
Need turned his head and frowned at her.
“Stay? Whatever for, girl?”
“To help me reach areas I cannot reach myself. Like my back,” she added innocently, when he narrowed his eyes. “Please, my Lord—I cannot sleep properly unless I’m clean all over.”
“Well…” Need hesitated. He knew he ought to go, ought to keep his distance and keep his vow to himself not to touch her. But as he considered the matter, Lan’ara was already undressing.