Alex pulled a pillow over her head to block out the bright light shining from the ceiling. Although she hadn’t drunk much last night, the lack of food in her system had ensured a mild hangover this morning. Her head pulsed, and her mouth was thick and dry.
Wilson, who’d somehow managed to find her way to the second floor and into Alex’s room last night, squirmed until her face was smooshed under the pillow as well. She blinked at Alex with her wide, intelligent eyes and gave a short little purr. The tuey rolled over and over in a circle, her large ears flapping around her head until she stopped upside down and trumpeted quietly at Alex.
Despite herself, Alex grinned. “Is this your way of telling me it’s time to get up?”
With a groan, she rose. As she used the bathroom and readied to face whatever the day threatened to bring, she thought about Auzed.
Last night, she’d thrummed all over as his deep rumbling voice lulled her. She’d forced herself to listen to what he’d actually been saying as well, but it’d felt so good to just be next to him and hear him talk.
After they’d returned inside, he’d become a little distant, and although it was unfortunate, she understood. He likely still held a bit of a grudge against her but was trying to be professional. For someone as uptight as him, this whole situation must be torture.
She planted her bare feet on the lift, Wilson by her side, and commanded it to go down. To her surprise, it responded. A muted conversation floated to her when she reached the first floor. She spotted the corner of Auzed’s large shoulder, just out of sight through the open front doors.
Before she could convince Wilson to play it cool so she could eavesdrop, the tuey had skittered outside and caught his attention. His eyes met hers, then scanned her body. Was it her imagination wanting it to be true, or did his perusals always take a beat too long?
“There’s food waiting for you in there.” He motioned to a small grass-green compartment on the kitchen wall, then turned back to whomever he was talking to.
Alex crossed to the compartment and then quickly tried to smooth the cowlick that always popped up on the crown of her head. She found that the inside of the compartment was warm and a plate of food lay waiting inside. Had he cooked this too? ’Cause he’d already been up, or specifically for her? Either way, she quelled a small smile. It wasn’t every day a sexy guy made her breakfast, after all. Ray never had. He’d always been more of the “can’t you just Postmates it?” type.
Sniffing at the hunk of lumpy pink…bread, maybe?…she took a small bite. It wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever tried, but not the best either. Like a stale, crumbly English muffin. Still, it was better than the smashed bugs she’d been surviving on the past few days.
She studied Auzed as he said goodbye to the visitor, who was still out of sight, and stepped back inside. He wore simple clothing. Comfortable and so different than the tactile pieces he’d sported when they’d first met. A berry vest—the same cut as the soldiers from yesterday but in a softer, more relaxed fabric—covered his broad, naked chest devoid of that odd undershirt from yesterday. His pants were a bit tight as well.
Although she appreciated the amount of smooth skin and rigid muscle displayed by the outfit, she felt bad about how out of place he looked in it. She wondered if the clothing choices for men here were meant to be revealing. Was it a cultural norm as the opposite was for women on Earth?
He made his way over to her, and her gaze kept straying to his wide shoulders and those curling, shimmering markings as they disappeared beneath his top. She focused on her food instead.
“The regents would like us to visit the market tree today.”
She glanced up at him and saw that restrained look on his face again. “Th—” The large bite of crumbly bread she’d taken threatened to fly out with her words, so she covered her mouth and finished chewing. “Thanks for the food.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Sorry the quality isn’t better. I…don’t cook often.”
“Well, I don’t cook at all, so I love it. No work, and I get food. It’s a dream come true.” She thought she saw the corner of his mouth twitch and wondered again what he would look like if he smiled.
“Would you like me to make you more? You seem to be very hungry.”
Heat rose on her cheeks, and she followed his gaze down to her almost-cleared plate. “Aren’t you supposed to say you love a girl with a big appetite?”
He shifted from foot to foot again and tilted his head. “Why would your appetite affect my affection for you?”
Because that’s what guys in romantic movies say. Unsure how to respond, she shrugged. As she licked her lips to make sure the crumbs were gone, his gaze focused on the movement.
His voice was a bit raspy when he said, “Is it because human males like to watch your mouth as you eat?”
Heat bloomed low in her belly at his fixed stare and the dark tone of his voice. A squeaky “no” was all she could manage.
She had to bite back her tongue to keep it from running over her lips again. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own where Auzed was concerned.
He focused back on her eyes and made a low, thoughtful sound as if he didn’t agree.
“Do you like to watch my mouth?” Alex had no idea where that had come from, and she felt her face immediately flamed. She wasn’t a shy woman when it came to flirting or men. In fact, she was usually pretty brazen, but she wasn’t sure he wanted her attention in that way. And if he was trying to keep things platonic between them, she should try to do the same. No need to make either of their lives any harder.
But to her surprise, rather than stiffening and hastily changing the conversation, he rumbled, “Unfortunately, I do.”
A little thrill raced up her spine, and in a moment of delight she wondered if he wasn’t so closed off to her as she’d thought. But then his expression grew tight again.
“I should pick out your outfit today.”
So much for that. “Oh yeah? Is it makeover montage time?”
He shot her a perplexed look as he hunched over and rummaged through the bag of clothing Noito had left with them the day before. She licked the last crumbs of her breakfast off her index finger and ogled his thick thighs and firm ass. Don’t sigh, don’t sigh.
“Just making sure you don’t walk around in evening wear.” He gave the white outfit she still wore from the night before a pointed look. “Like you are now.”
“This old thing?” She laughed, twirling in place. “It’s so comfy, though. What was I supposed to sleep in, if not this?”
“I don’t believe most Sauvenians sleep in clothing.” He held her gaze as he handed her a few folded items. “I think it tangles with their tails.”
Did that mean he’d slept naked last night too? “You don’t strike me as the commando type, Auzzy.”
She was about to correct herself, knowing he didn’t like the nickname, but his mouth softened and tipped into the faintest smile before falling again. Maybe he did like it after all. “Sorry, Auzed.” She grinned as she spoke, seeing what his reaction would be.
A muscle twitched in his jaw, and she had her answer. He wouldn’t admit it, but she was certain he did, in fact, like the name.
“Get changed, and we’ll leave. You can pick out any clothes you’d like while we’re out.”
“Oh yeah? On whose dime? By the way, did they pack makeup in there?”
After hearing about how women-obsessed the guys on this planet were, she expected Auzed to act a certain way. Immediately tell her she didn’t need any makeup and was beautiful. Her confidence faltered when instead he easily answered, “No. You can get that while we’re out too.” He started to walk away.
“Uh, well, do you think I need any? Do I look alright without it, I mean?” Back home, Alex had worn makeup every day of her life since she’d turned fifteen, the age her mother had finally allowed it. She didn’t always wear a ton of it, mostly mascara and some lip color, but it was now hitting her that she’d been makeup-free for weeks. Here was a hot guy seeing her mussed, blemished, puffy-eyed morning look, and she hadn’t thought anything of it. Not until just now.
His brows drew together as he studied her again. “You seem very concerned with my assessment of your appearance all of a sudden. Are your males particularly picky?” His shoulders tensed a fraction. “Does your boyfriend prefer you with makeup?”
“Ray? Yeah, he does…did…does? He’s not really my boyfriend anymore.” She unfolded the clothes and half studied them as the urge to blatantly announce her availability shot through her. “I mean, besides the fact that I don’t do long distance.” She chuckled at her own joke, but Auzed only watched her. “Uh, well, I was going to break up with him anyway.”
Auzed crossed his arms over his chest. “Why?” As soon as he’d asked, he appeared upset with himself. “No, never mind. I don’t need to know—just go change.”
“Okay,” she chirped, hiding her disappointment as he stalked through the front door.
Muttering to herself, she headed to her room. What the hell am I doing anyway? Even if I did get him to flirt with me, what then? Alex didn’t know what she wanted to happen with Auzed. She was attracted to him for sure. She liked his hard outer shell and wanted to dig deeper. But did she want that because she actually liked him? Or because it was a challenge and she was curious? All of this, from her abduction to her harrowing adventure through the forest, felt just like a movie. And Auzed was the broody male lead you couldn’t help but be intrigued by.
After changing into the multicolored shirt and pants, she pouted at her reflection in the mirror. “I look like MC Hammer.” With a sigh, she joined Auzed by the front door. He tipped his chin as he quickly took in her appearance but said nothing. “Who picked this stuff out for me?”
“Don’t like it?” The question was innocent, but his lips twitched.
“If I were a foot taller and had a tail and a skin tone that didn’t clash with these particular colors, then sure.” The hole in the back of the underwear provided to her had been enough to indicate these pieces were not made for a tailless wearer. She fiddled with the flap opening near her rear, making sure it was closed.
He leaned toward her, drawing her attention back to him. Damn, he smelled good.
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t particularly like my outfit either.”
“Yeah, but you look sexy!” she said in exasperation. “I look like…”
Auzed flinched like she’d insulted him. He stood frozen for a moment, still leaning toward her before stretching and clearing his throat. She could see his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he shuffled in place. “You need to remember what we talked about. About how we should act together.”
Forgetting her own ridiculous appearance, she smirked. “Oh, I forgot. You compliment me, I don’t compliment you, right?”
He muttered a sound of agreement but still seemed perturbed.
She stretched her arms wide to show off her outfit. “Well, Auzzy, maybe you should practice before we go out in the real world. I could use an ego boost too, ’cause I feel like someone just tossed me into a bin of fabric and sent me on my way.”
“Very well. You…” He looked her up and down with scrunched brows. “No. Ah, your…” He gestured to the shoes she’d slipped into that were a size and a half too big, then shook his head.
Alex wanted to laugh at how flustered he’d become. “Nothing good about my outfit?”
He took a deep breath and smirked, seeming to alight on something. “Well, if you fall off our transport platform, at least you’ll float down to the net.”
Alex’s chin dropped in stunned humor. “Was that a joke, Auzzy?”
His eyes widened at her broad grin. He frowned and turned on his heel.
“Not just a joke but a sick burn too. Oh man. Auzed is funny.” She trailed after him, badgering his retreating form.
With the patience of a saint, he guided her to a new floating platform and waited for her to step on and grip the handlebar before joining her.
Turning within the circle of his arms, she peered over his shoulder and searched for Wilson. “Should we wait for Wilson to come with us?”
“No. Tueys have lived in this forest forever and are excellent gliders and climbers. She can find you if she needs to.” To illustrate his point, he guided the platform away from the hanging house with a lurch.
Facing the wrong way, her hands shot out to steady herself on his firm arms. He let out a grunt. And pulled the board to a stop so she could spin toward the bar.
Incrementally she rotated her body, gripping his right bicep to steady herself. As she turned, she ran her hands down his thick forearm until she faced forward again. He let out a low growl from behind her then steered the platform forward again.
“I know. No touching, sorry.” He’d outlined again last night how odd it was for Clecanians to touch one another out in the open. Even when they were alone together, it was uncommon for a woman to touch her husband unless she was seeking sex.
“Maybe I could show you how to operate one of these on your own.” His voice was husky when he spoke. He may not want her to touch him out in the open, but he liked it.
She peered at him from over her shoulder. “Why are we following all these rules, though, anyway? Everyone knows I’m not Clecanian. Won’t they assume I’m going to act differently? Humans touch their partners. I’m not going to start sucking on your neck at the mall or anything. I don’t like that much PDA, but surely me touching your arm isn’t going to be the end of the world.”
He growled and abruptly steered their platform out of sight behind a low-hanging branch laden with leaves the size of hula hoops. She was about to ask what he was doing when he moved behind her. Stepping close, he placed his right hand on her stomach and pulled her back against him.
Alex’s breath caught in her throat, and her sex clenched. She could feel something large and hard pressing into her back.
“This is why,” he breathed into her hair. “Touching may be normal for you, but it isn’t for me.”
Alex’s breaths picked up speed, and her grip on the handlebar grew slick. God, she hoped he wouldn’t move away now that he’d proven his point. She held back a whimper when he replaced his hand on her belly with his forearm and plastered her more tightly against him.
He took a step to the side, bracing his feet apart, and let go of the handle altogether. He swept her hair off her neck and dipped his head. His warm breath brushed over her ear as he rumbled, “How do you expect me to concentrate when you talk about sucking on my neck?”
“I… It was an example…” Her words died in her throat as his nose brushed the curve of her shoulder and he inhaled deeply. She felt her core growing hot and slick.
He ran his large palm down her arm, and she shivered. “When a Clecanian female touches someone like this and calls them sexy, it means she’s looking to be pleasured. Is that what you want?”
Fuckin’ A, right now it is! Pride and a little fear of floating high in the air kept her from shouting her agreement. At the brush of his lips against her ear, she moaned aloud.
The sound seemed to rouse him, however, and she immediately clamped her mouth shut.
He pressed his nose into her hair and let out a frustrated growl. “Give me a moment.”
Alex held the handle tightly as Auzed leapt onto the nearby branch and paced. God, she wanted to help him with his problem. Instead, she took the time alone to calm herself down as well. Slow breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth helped, but she knew herself, and without any relief, she’d be hot and bothered for a while.
She bit her lip and daydreamed about how good he probably was in bed. Husbandry school. He’d explained it last night and she’d let it go without too many questions, but now she burned to know what kind of grades her big, grumpy, fake fiancé had gotten.
