Honour by Viola Grace Read Free Book Online Page B

I could see to do it. I have never really enjoyed sitting at a desk.”
    With an amused smirk, Acuar grabbed the pillows from their bed and dropped them on the floor. He lay on his belly next to her, and she propped a pillow under her breasts while she looked over the first proposal. The Thwicks were requesting edible grasses, and the forest had supplied twelve different species.
    She asked him about the fibres in the different species, the amount of sunlight and the necessary water needed to grow them, as well as their sentience out of the Yalki system. Honour made several notes and nodded when Acuar gave her a moving account of how grasses were pleased to be of use to those who needed to eat them provided that the end process put them back where they could receive nutrients from the tail end of the digestive process.
    “Manure must be returned to the soil or must be provided to fallow fields. The processing of the waste is up to the species provided that the requisite base nutrients are still in play.”
    She could not believe that she was writing a contract stipulation about poop, but there it was. She sighed and kept working on the treatment of the seeds as Acuar gave the details to her.
    She did learn that all seeds were kept in a storage facility under the surface of Yalki. No one was getting to them unless they went through the entire population first. The seed vaults were sacred.
    “So, what is a fair price for the seeds?” Acuar nudged her with his elbow, looking at the files.
    “Current rates for a controllable food supply are the price of a moon, right now. When you add that the Thwicks are dangerous and few people will deal with them, you can set your own pricing. So, do you want currency or tech?”
    He grinned. “You can ask for either? Most races only offer currency.”
    “It is a bright new day. So, currency or tech?”
    She tried not to wriggle. He was stroking one hand up and down her back; her light clothing was no barrier to his touch.
    “Tech. We need some upgrades to the station and some personal conveyances on Yalki 6.”
    “That is not a very creative planet name.”
    He chuckled, “Its local name is the Sighing Bride. Is that better?” He shifted, and his fingers trailed over her shoulders.
    “It is a little better. If she is the Sighing Bride, who is the host?”
    “Her host is the primary moon in her orbit. He is faithful and dedicated, but he is the first stop for all visitors.”
    She chuckled and noted that they were reading by the light of her skin. “How long am I going to glow?”
    “Until you decide that you no longer need to read those files.”
    She snorted. “We have only made a decision on one out of eleven files.”
    “They have waited for a year, they can wait for a night longer.” He moved toward her and slid his hand up the back of her thigh.
    She turned on one hip and piled the files and data pads up neatly. She didn’t want to trip over them in the morning.
    Honour used her own fingertips to trail over his shoulder and arm. “What can’t wait for a night?”
    “Me.” He rolled her to her back and they made a mess of the files.
    Distracted, she decided that she could fix it in the morning.
     
    Honour woke in the bed in his arms. “Morning, Acuar.”
    He nuzzled her neck. “Your scent is sweeter than the rose you call your own.”
    Blushing was the natural response.
    He stroked his fingers along her cheek, “And this colour rivals the petals of that same flower.”
    She squirmed. “Thank you?”
    Acuar laughed and rolled with her across the bedding again. “You are most welcome.”
    They were wrapped in her hair and his. She was pinned in place. “That was sneaky.”
    “It was. I am very proud of myself.” He nuzzled his way down her body, her arms tangled with his.
    A knock at the door brought his head up. “You didn’t.”
    She laughed. “I can’t help it. It has been a long time since dinner.”
    He sighed and their hair untangled, allowing her to