Free Promenade a Deux by ID Locke Page B

He looked to be in his twenties but was chronologically only eight years old thanks to an accelerated growth regime. His skin was cinnamon colored and matched the ultra short hair on his head. His eyes were human shaped but completely black and it wasn't until you were very close that you saw they were faceted like jewels. His upper arms were heavily muscled and used for grasping, gripping and even crushing, like a scorpion's claws. The lower arms were more in line with regular human ones and were used for all fine motor skills. He could even perform independent tasks with each set of arms at the same time. His tail was as thick around as my thigh and exactly like a scorpion's and he did produce the highly toxic Deathstalker venom. If he used his stinger and the stab didn't immediately kill his enemy, there was more than enough venom delivered in the one hit to kill a full grown man a few times over.
    I thought he was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen in my entire life.
    "Please, El-Ashir, call me Doctor Bertram. Would you be so good as to put Abigail back in her tank? She's impossible to please when you're around. No other male can compare to you."
    A blush heated my cheeks when I thought of how that last bit sounded, but El-Ashir laughed and deposited Abigail back in her tank. She went up on her back legs and when he closed the lid, she looked utterly dejected as she sank into the soft sand. I smothered a sigh. I was going to have a moody scorpion on my hands later.
    "She likes you. She says you are kind. That is why she never stings or pinches you," El-Ashir said with a smile.
    I looked at El-Ashir in surprise. "And you know that how?"
    "She told me. She is really quite the little chatterbox."
    I stared at El-Ashir with my mouth open. Nobody had said anything to me about him being able to communicate with scorpions. Not that I was involved in bringing the Gen-Mods' abilities to the forefront or even teaching them the basics of language and general interaction with people. I was just the consultant on all things insect, arachnid or crustacean and responsible for offering the best combinations based on what the military wanted the Gen-Mod to be able to do. Excitement surged through me at the idea that he could actually communicate with scorpions, pushing my desire temporarily to the side.
    "Can you talk to all scorpions? Or is it just some? Oh, God, this is so thrilling. Do you have time to talk about this or were you on your way somewhere? If you're busy right now, can you come back later to talk to me?" My hand landed on one of his upper hands and gripped it tight in my enthusiasm.
    El-Ashir smiled at me and giddiness exploded in my belly at that look. That look couldn't possibly mean what I thought it meant. I wasn't that up on intimate signals, but not even my virgin self could miss the heat and intent in El-Ashir's gaze. His eyes clearly said that he knew of my attraction to him and would love to act on that. I didn't understand how he could know I secretly lusted after him. I hadn't said anything to anyone in the facility about my attraction to El-Ashir or being gay. Even when I infrequently left the base, the gay-friendly bars I went to were generally well off the beaten path.
    Before I quite knew what was happening, El-Ashir twisted his hand under mine, his big fingers clamping around my wrist. His other upper hand darted out and snagged my other wrist. He tugged down slightly until my face was level with his. I could see myself reflected thousands of times in his faceted eyes. My breath caught at the possessive move and the desire I could see in his face. There was no way this could possibly be happening.
    "Abigail said you think I am beautiful. She said you desire to mate with me and she does not understand how that is possible as we are both male. She said if there is a way for that to happen and I am acceptable to the idea, she would like you to be happy because you are kind and give her plenty of fat,