by Ruby Dixon
“Oh. Okay.” I snuggle in against his chest, sleepy. “Thanks, babe. Good call.” It really is. I get distracted by conversations and everyone seems to want to talk. I’m exhausted, though. It’s been a long, long day and going to bed with S’bren sounds wonderful. “Night, Harlow.”
I can hear her chuckle as I’m carried away. “Night.”
S’bren is warm and comfortable to lean against as he takes me to our hut. I’ve never been inside it, because asking that in the past would have meant he’d expect me to move in. The Penny from before shied away from that idea. The Penny from before was kinda dumb.
I’m curious to see what his hut is like, though. Is it sturdy and warm inside or is it worse than being in the cave? Gosh, I hope not. I don’t want to hurt his feelings if it’s terrible. I need to feign enthusiasm no matter what because he worked really hard on it. I remember several days when the men did nothing but build huts, because they thought it meant they could get a woman into their furs. As I recall, Bridget’s the only one that fell for that trick and it hasn’t turned out so well for her.
S’bren climbs the step onto the platform of his hut, and then pushes aside the leather flap over the door and enters. It’s dark inside, but I rub my eyes and look around as he sets me gently on my feet.
“It is cold in here,” he says. “Let me fix the furs for you and then I will make a fire.”
He unrolls furs while I look around at the hut. Even though it’s dark, I can see there’s…not much of anything in here. One basket of belongings, a few rolls of furs that he’s prepping for a bed, and that’s it. There’s a firepit in the center, the edges lined with large rocks so it won’t touch the wood flooring. The ceiling is high and covered by stitched leather, opening up to a smoke hole at the top. It’s just large enough to be comfortable, and small enough to be cozy.
“There,” S’bren says, and then he begins to peel my layers of clothing off, as if I’m so tired I’m utterly incapable of undressing myself. It’s cute. I’m getting less tired by the moment, though, as his hands move over me and pull my clothing off.
“Where’s all your stuff?” I ask him, gesturing at the hut. “This isn’t a home.”
He shrugs in the darkness and pulls my tunic over my head, then gestures that I should get under the furs. “It is not a home until my mate is here. Now that she is, we can make this a home together.”
Aww. Did I think he was sweet before? It’s nothing compared to how I feel now. I curl up under the furs, brimming with happiness and humming with resonance. S’bren kneels by the fire pit and begins to work, and when a spark flares, I catch sight of his tail, awfully close to my hand.
I think about what Elly said and my khui hums louder. Furtively, I reach over and brush my fingers over his tail in a light caress.
He stiffens, shoulders tight, and goes completely still.
I smother a giggle and stroke up and down his tail again.
S’bren sucks in a breath. “W-what are you doing?”
“Touching my mate.”
“But…there?”
“Should I stop?”
He lets out a low groan. “No.”
“Forget the fire,” I tell him. “Come join me in the furs.”
For a moment, I think he’ll protest, but he shucks his clothing with haste and then climbs into the blankets with me. He lies on his side and pulls me into his arms, kissing me hard, his hands kneading and gripping my ass tightly. I wrap my fingers around the base of his tail and stroke it like I would his cock, and I feel him shudder with arousal.
My cootie is humming in my chest, loud—just as loud as his. That tiny bit of vibration just adds to the pleasure and I give his tail a squeeze before sliding my hand to the front of his chest and pressing him back into the furs. “You stay there,” I whisper.
He rolls on his back, frowning. “Where are you going?”
“Nowhere,” I say. “It’s just my turn to be on top.” I slide a leg over his hips and take his hard cock in my hand, dragging it up and down my slick folds to wet him…and because it feels amazing.
S’bren groans, touching my arms and then letting his hands fall to the sides, as if he doesn’t know what to do with himself. “You can…hyoo-mans do this?”
“Oh yeah.” I glide him through my folds again, rocking against him. “We do lots of fun stuff.” I feel sexy and powerful in this position, maybe for the first time ever. In the past, I was always worried that my larger size might be uncomfortable for my partner if I got on top of him. With S’bren, I never have to worry about stuff like that. It’s glorious. I give him a wicked smile and fit the head of his cock at the entrance to my core—where I’m already soaking wet and ready—and guide him in.
We both groan.
His hands, frantic and needy, grip my arms, and I guide him to my hips instead. I work his length deeper into my body, my movements slow and cautious. S’bren is less so—he thrusts up against me and pulls me down on his cock, all eagerness. As a result, I’m stuffed full of his cock faster than is comfortable, and I suck in a few quick breaths, trying to adjust to the feel of how big he is like this. Not that he’s not normally huge. It just feels magnified like this.
Even now, his spur presses up against my clit in the most delightful way. I wriggle in place, testing it out, and nearly come from that small movement.
“Ride me,” S’bren breathes, lifting me up and dragging me back down against him. “Ride me, my mate.”
I brace my hands on his chest and begin to work my hips. Slowly at first, then with increasing speed as need and resonance overtake me. My breasts bounce and swing with every flex of my hips as I work up and down on him, but I don’t care. I’m too lost in sensation, too fascinated with the feel of him inside me, too busy chasing that orgasm to care how much of me is jiggling.
Then, everything squeezes tight, and I gasp, my body stiffening as the orgasm explodes through me. S’bren murmurs my name, over and over, dragging me up and down his stiff length even as I come and come and come. Because he doesn’t stop, neither does my orgasm, and then I’m crying out as a second, harder one hits me, right on top of the first. His breath hisses through his teeth, and then he slams me down on his cock as he climaxes deep inside me, and it pushes his spur against my clit and makes me come a third mind-blowing time. The world tilts as my entire being seems to fall apart and slowly piece itself back together. Thighs trembling, I collapse on top of S’bren’s chest and pant, dazed at how good that was.
He strokes my hair. “Welcome home.”
I close my eyes and smile.
Epilogue
PENNY
It’s a beautiful day for a wedding. The twin suns come out despite the cold, blustery weather, and while it’s not quite a sunny day like it would be back at home, it’s still gorgeous and special.
The tribe sits on the beach, on both sides of the shell-lined “aisle” that the other girls made for me. I’m wearing a special tunic trimmed with white fur, and thanks to Callie’s help, it has a deep neckline that shows off my cleavage and has small flowers and vines embroidered along the hem and cuffs. There’s nothing that passes as a floral bouquet around here, so I carry a leafy concoction of fresh herbs that smells wonderful and will probably grace a cup of tea later, because we’re all about practicality in this tribe. On my head, I wear a veil made from the parachute. It’s not over my face, but covers my hair, clipped into the back of a high bun.
I’m every bit the radiant bride as I come down the aisle to my waiting groom. S’bren devours me with his gaze, even though it’s been days and days since our khuis stopped the most urgent humming. That means I’m pregnant, and I should be a little worried about how quickly my world is changing all over again, but for some reason, I’m not. I’m just surrounded by joy.
I smile at Elly and Nadine, my bridesmaids. On the other side of S’bren, M’tok and Bek are his groomsmen. Gail waits for us, her hands clasped, and she beams a smile in my direction as I stop in front of S’bren.
He reaches for me and pulls me in for a kiss.
Gail clears her throat politely even as I giggle. “It’s not time for that yet,” she chides him.
“Impatient mud-brain,” M’tok murmurs, nudging his brother.
S’bren just grins down at me and steals a kiss anyhow. “No sense in waiting.”
I just laugh. He makes me so stupidly happy.
“Dearly beloved,” Gail begins in a loud voice. “We are gathered here today to witness the human ceremony of union for S’bren and Penny…”
I want to pay attention to the words. I really do. I’ve waited all my life for a wedding, haven’t I? But I can’t stop looking at how fine my S’bren is. His long hair is pulled back into a neat braid, and his tunic has been fitted so it emphasizes his broad shoulders. He’s got the same white fur trim on his tunic as I do on mine, and I think of how many sleepless nights Callie must have put in to do this for us and make a mental note to thank her and repay the favor. Maybe she’ll want one of my favorite surprise tea blends that S’bren has an uncanny knack for, or maybe—
“Do you have the ring?” Gail asks.
Oh. We don’t—
I’m utterly astonished as S’bren produces a ring and holds it out to me. It’s not made of metal, but a fine, pearly shell that must have taken hours and hours to carve out. My mouth drops open in surprise as he takes my hand in his and puts the ring on my finger…only to find out that it’s far, far too big. It doesn’t even fit right on my thumb, and he looks utterly crushed.
“It’s perfect,” I tell him quickly, squeezing my fist shut so it won’t slide off of my thumb. I’m going to braid a cord and wear it around my neck, because it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that S’bren cared enough to do this for me, and I want to shout to the world how happy I am.
Thank you, resonance. Thank you, cootie.
“You may now kiss the bride,” Gail says at the end of the ceremony. And S’bren grabs me and hauls me upward so I can put my arms around his neck, and he kisses me with my feet dangling off the ground.
Everyone cheers and laughs.
Beaming, I brush my veil back over my shoulders again and beam up at my husband. I look out at the cheering tribe. Everyone’s here—except I’rec, who’s still bitter about the situation. We’re on a blustery, cold beach and after this, we’re going to have a wedding feast with the last of the noodles and sweets from Mardok’s cache, and then life’s going to go back to normal. It’ll be cold and there’s no running water and every day is going to be hard work. Nothing will come easy—not clothing, not meals, not bathing, or even giving birth. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad life. It’s just a different one than I thought I’d have back on Earth.
S’bren’s big thumb brushes over my knuckles in a tender caress, and I think to myself that even if I could have chosen, I’d choose this world—and S’bren—every time.
“What happens now?” My mate—my husband—asks as he turns to me.
I smile up at him. “Everything.”
Author’s Note
Hello there!
This book was like a big, warm hug to write. I love Penny. I love S’bren. I love that they’re not super-complicated people. Penny acts first and thinks later. S’bren doesn’t think he’s very smart. But together, they are MAGIC. And fun. Lots of fun. While I love writing a good argument (see the last book) I also love writing a couple that’s just out to have a good time and enjoy themselves.
Even though they’re pretty straightforward, Penny and S’bren have layers. Writing books is a bit like therapy, because I can give characters issues that I’ve struggled with before. Like Penny jokingly calling herself ‘Good Time Penny’. We’ve either all been ‘Good Time Penny’ at one time or another or we know someone that does that. They’re so eager for approval that they end up subverting their own desires and needs just to make their partner happy. It’s affected Penny, too, but when she finds the right guy, he quickly puts a stop to that.
S’bren also blossoms a bit in this story. I try not to give anyone major hangups when I know the story is going to be lighter and more fun, and so S’bren doesn’t have a transformative ‘makeover’ moment but it’s there as the story progresses. He starts out uncertain, looking to his brother for advice in all things, and doubts himself. By the end of the story - and with Penny at his side - he’s confident in his choices. He’s willing to go after what he wants and he’s not going to let M’tok take the lead anymore.
(Well, he probably still will let M’tok lead most of the time, but that’s because M’tok’s a bit more of a mastermind type. He’s always plotting!)
BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
That whole ‘tea’ thing.
In my head, it was a fantastic idea, another “look at how different the aliens view this from their perspective versus a human female perspective” sort of moment. In reality…I goofed. A lot of people have been unhappy with this storyline and I totally get it! Many of you feel it crossed a line that can never be crossed, so I totally understand. I included it because I wanted a big “I can’t believe he fucking did that” moment for Callie to have to deal with for M’tok but intentions aren’t always what matters.
So why is it in this fucking book too, Ruby? You asshole!
Because…I already had it as part of the plot. But S’bren’s very different from M’tok and I hope seeing his reaction once he realizes what he’s done helps things. If not, I totally understand if you don’t like the book. I’m always swinging for the fences, but occasionally one hits a foul ball.
On the bright side! The whole ‘kidnapping mates’ thing is no longer a secret, and so it’ll be fun to see how it plays out for some of our more aggressive, lonely men who realize this. I’m setting up a lot of threads for future storylines and I’m excited to see what’s coming for our tribe. Things are slowly heating to a boil, and it’s bound to explode soon. Look for some hardcore drama in future books!
Oh!
And I brought Bek and Elly to Icehome! The other day I was re-reading something with them in it and got all sad because I missed them. (I know, I’m weird, I miss my own characters.) So they’re visiting Icehome and looking at the stars on the beach. :) I hope you enjoyed seeing them again as much as I enjoyed bringing them back.
What’s next on the schedule? January is going to be Vordigar’s story. If you missed the mention of him, he was Tassen’s friend in WHEN SHE’S READY. That’s a standalone novella that was part of the Read Me Romance podcast, which means it’s in audio and totally free! The narrators did an amazing job and the man’s voice is TO SWOON OVER so if you’re into audio, go check it out! The story’s available on Kindle, too.
Beyond that, I’m hard at work at SWORN TO THE SHADOW GOD but it’s going to be a girthy beast (I like ‘em thicccc) so it’ll be a bit longer for that one, but keep it on your radar!
Much love,
Ruby!
The People of Icehome
The ‘Castaways’ (Icehome Tribe)
Lauren/Lo – Adult female at the beach camp. Once had glasses. Likes to be a problem solver. Resonates to K’thar, newly pregnant. Friend to Marisol.
Marisol – Terrified adult female at beach camp who is fond of hiding. Gets stranded with Lo on the island. Resonates to T’chai. Due to his sickness, their resonance is ‘turned off’ by the healer.
Hannah – Resonates to J’shel when the island tribes arrive. Newly pregnant. Resident busybody. Now assistant to Veronica.
Angie – Adult female at the beach camp. Pregnant with mystery baby when awoken. Gives birth to Glory (a clone female). Resonates to Vordis. Now pregnant again.
Glory - A qura’aki clone baby, implanted in Angie. Newborn and cute as hell.
Willa – Adult female with a southern twang. Lo’s friend. Gren’s most ardent defender. Resonates to Gren. Pregnant.
Gren (rhymes with HEN) – Beastly, feral ex-gladiator male. Attacks on sight. Resonates to Willa. Soft and fuzzy, ac
cording to Aayla.
Veronica – Newest healer on the planet. Resonated to Ashtar upon arrival. Bit of a klutz. Needs to work on her bedside manner. Has enlisted Hannah to be her assistant.
Ashtar (Ash-TARR) – Flirty golden ex-gladiator and former slave. Drakoni male who can shapeshift to a “battle form” as a dragon and has the ability to communicate telepathically. Resonates immediately to Veronica. Stud.
Vordis (Vohr-DISS rhymes with Floor-Miss) – One of the red “twins,” ex-gladiators of a race called a’ani. Longtime friends/brothers with Thrand, another clone. The really devoted one. Hot sauce. Resonates to Angie.
Thrand (rhymes with ‘Bland’ - no one tell him this) – One of the red “twins,” ex-gladiators of a race called a’ani. Longtime friends/brothers with Vordis. The hotheaded, competitive one. Ketchup. Resonates to Nadine.
Tia – Teenager at the beach camp. Flirting with Sessah…and probably everyone else. Treats all the unmated men like they’re her personal harem.
Nadine – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Huntress and go-getter. Resonates to Thrand.
Callie – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Harry Potter fan. Resonated to M’tok. Also hated M’tok for a long, long time. She gets over it.
Bridget – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Friend to Veronica. Hooked up with A’tam. Broke up with A’tam. It’s complicated.
Steph – One of the adult females at the beach camp.
Raven – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Blonde, despite her name. Hippie parents. Likes to sing.
Penny – One of the adult females at the beach camp. Learning to hunt. Human sunshine. Loves adventure and a good time. Stolen by S’bren. Resonates to S’bren.
Devi – Chatty adult female at beach camp. Scientist nerd. Hair flipper. Loves dinosaurs. Resonates to N’dek and is newly pregnant.
