Ajos: The Restitution - A Sci-fi Alien Romance, Book 1, стр. 18

“Aker.”

The alien had to tilt his head almost ninety degrees to look Ajos in the face.

“Commander Ajos, how surprising to see you here.” The fly guy’s voice was normal. She didn’t know why she’d expected him to buzz a little when he spoke. “You are injured to the point of needing medical attention?”

“I am here to assist with the humans.” Ajos turned to her. “Please run diagnostics on this female.”

The fly alien turned to her and outstretched his hand. He had six fingers that looked slightly hairy.

Kerena took his hand, and he squeezed it so firmly, she winced a little.

“Oh, my apologies.” Aker didn’t have any lips. At least, she couldn’t even see his mouth. His nose was like a relaxed ball sack that hung down his face and moved as he spoke. It was difficult not to stare. “I am still learning human customs. The human named Piper taught me the shaking of hands. Did I not do it correctly?”

Kerena smiled.

She was good at judging people within the first few moments of meeting them, and this alien seemed like a good enough being.

“Just a little too hard on your grip there.” She smiled.

The doctor nodded. Or, at least, she thought he did.

“I will work on the pressure I place on my hand.” He moved his head, and she assumed by the angle that he was looking up at Ajos. “Show her to the scanner. I will be right with you.”

Ajos jerked his head in a nod as the short, little doctor hustled over to Athena and Xul, who were waiting a few steps away.

She watched them converse and noticed their gazes kept moving to the room with the strange woman inside, but she couldn’t pick up what they were saying.

Between the general noise of wails and sobs within the emergency room, the three were speaking in hushed tones.

“This way,” Ajos said, and when she looked up, she realized he was studying her like he always seemed to be doing.

Forcing a smile and pushing away her apprehension, Kerena followed him over to a machine that stood against the wall in the room.

It looked like one of those ring lights photographers used in their studios.

“Stand here,” he said. “It will scan you, let you know if there is anything of concern.”

When she didn’t immediately step forward, Ajos made a sound like “hmm” in his throat.

“I will show you,” he said as he stood under the ring light and Kerena watched as the thing moved to adjust itself to his height.

A green light formed a circle around his head and proceeded to move down his body.

“This is technology we scavenged from a Tasqal ship,” he said, and Kerena realized that the entire time, he’d still been studying her.

He had the advantage to do that. She had to look up every time she wanted to look at his face.

“The Tasqals…” She’d heard the name so much now, she could almost imagine what they looked like. Probably a huge warrior race that went around plundering. “Is there not much access to technology on this planet?” She paused. “Which planet are we on, anyway?”

“You are on Murn GZ and no.” The green ring of light had almost reached his knees now. “The Tasqals restrict the movement of goods to planets that do not form treaties with them,” he said. “Murn GZ is not eligible for any treaties.” His facial muscles stiffened. “Not that we’d want them.”

“So it’s like an embargo?”

Ajos’ head tilted slightly as his hairless eyebrows knitted.

“I do not know what an em-bahr-goh is,” he said, stepping from under the machine just as the green light disappeared.

As he moved, a full-body 3D image appeared in the space he’d just stepped out of.

Kerena’s eyes widened.

The image spun as he moved it with his fingers and her eyes widened some more.

It highlighted an area at the back with a glow, and Ajos stepped behind the image of himself to look at the area.

He did something to the image, tapped a setting, and suddenly, the clothes on his 3D self disappeared.

It took less than a second for her to realize that she was looking at a full-3D representation of Ajos naked and her eyes widened in their sockets.

Was this normal?

Should she look away?

Kerena cleared her throat, but her eyes wouldn’t move.

For science.

She was observing for science.

That was her job, wasn’t it?

Well, it had been.

Ajos had a broad, firm chest and memory of how she’d snuggled into him without knowing what she was doing came back to her immediately.

Despite that his skin was such a strange color, nothing about him made her squeamish. Instead…he was so very interesting.

Without realizing, she took a step forward toward the image.

Out of respect, she should probably turn and give him some privacy as he checked out the injury on his back but, instead, her gaze fell farther, moving down the muscles etched in his chest and lower.

He was a fighter, and it showed.

His body was fit, carved impeccably, and not an ounce of fat was present.

Muscle. Pure muscle.

Because of his height, her gaze didn’t even have to fall far before she was looking at his crotch.

And…

This time, her eyes bugged out when she realized where she was looking.

There was nothing there.

Apart from a noticeable bulge, his crotch was smooth.

What the…

Kerena released a breath at her stupidity. Of course, the image wouldn’t be anatomically correct. Why would they make it so it displayed the genitals for all to see?

“It seems I have sustained a minor injury to my posterior when we fell during the explosions.” Ajos’ voice reached her ears and Kerena pulled her gaze away, the warmth in her cheeks giving away the fact she’d been doing something inappropriate.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She cleared her throat. He’d gotten hurt that time when he’d grabbed her and shielded her while they’d been thrown around like rag dolls. “Do you need to have the fly doctor check it out or…”

As Ajos stepped from behind the 3D projection, she couldn’t meet his