“My name is Olivia,” Liv stormed. “And I’d rather not go to a hospital, or whatever your version of a hospital is, and have everybody and their brother see me dressed like this!”
“I know your name. You have no idea how many times I said it over and over to get through the night.” Baird’s hard expression softened. “Lilenta just means little one or dear one in my language.”
Liv had no idea how to respond to his remark about saying her name to get through the night so she skipped over it. “I still don’t want anyone else seeing me until I get my clothes from home,” she protested.
His eyes raked over her again and she realized this was the closest she’d been to him yet. Even when they’d kissed, there was some space between their bodies. But now she was sitting on his knee with her hands resting lightly on his broad shoulders for balance. She wanted to draw back but he had her in an awkward position with one large, warm hand encircling her ankle and the other cupped firmly at her waist.
“Don’t worry about your outfit,” he murmured, nodding at the thin black nighty. “Sylvan is the warrior who witnessed our ceremony—he’s my half brother and he won’t touch you the wrong way.” His eyes blazed for a moment. “No one will.”
Liv blew out a breath. “You’re not going to give up on this, are you?”
“You’re my responsibility now. Mine to care for, to cherish, to protect.” He said the words simply as though it was the most normal thing in the world to have complete accountability for a woman he’d never met before that day. “If you’re hurting I can’t rest until I ease your pain. Understand, Olivia?”
“All right.” Liv felt like she was setting a dangerous precedent letting him have his way but there didn’t seem to be anything else she could do. “As long as I don’t have to see anyone else besides, uh, Sylvan until I have decent clothes on,” she added quickly when he smiled.
“Don’t worry. I don’t want other males looking at you in that little bit of nothing either,” he murmured. “Now let’s go.”
Before she could protest, Baird swung her up into his arms and rose in one smooth motion, as though she didn’t weigh a thing.
“Hey, I can walk you know!” She wanted to struggle in his arms but the ground was suddenly a long way down and she had no desire to fall on her ass on the tarmac.
“No you can’t. You’re injured.” He strode easily along, heading for the small car he’d said was their ride. Liv wondered how he was going to fit his huge frame into its tiny interior and also how he planned to drive it out. The enclosed parking lot didn’t have any entrance or exit that she could see. Then he let out a low, guttural growl that might have been a word in another language and suddenly the outside of the car began to shimmer.
Liv blinked, trying to get her eyes to focus on what was happening. The car was changing right in front of her, becoming larger and more roomy as well as streamlined. When it was finished, something that looked like a sleek silver rocket turned on its side was in front of them.
“Password protected,” Baird explained as a door popped open and he deposited her gently inside. “A necessity since the humans are always trying to get their hot little hands on our technology.”
“I’m a human,” she reminded him pointedly. “And would it kill you to share some of that technology with us?”
Baird looked surprised. “We’ve given you cures for most of your diseases. You don’t need the secret of interstellar flight.”
“Why not? Did it occur to you we might like to reach for the stars too?” Liv didn’t know what she was getting upset about. Maybe it was just a reason to fight and work off some of the tension she’d built up being so close to him.
“You can’t, not right now anyway,” Baird growled. “The Scourge is still up there, Olivia. You may have missed it down on your peaceful little planet but there’s a war goin’ on right over your head.”
“And you’re taking me up into it?” Liv felt a sudden surge of panic. No one knew exactly what it was the Scourge did to their victims but it was supposed to be pretty nasty.
Baird sighed heavily as he buckled himself in beside her. “Didn’t I pledge to you to protect you with my life? You really think I’d put you in danger like that?”
“Well what was I supposed to think?” she flared, reaching for her own straps and buckles—all of which were hopelessly too big, as though they’d been made to fit someone twice her size.