“I…need to use the bathroom,” she said, shifting her legs to take some of the pressure off her full bladder.
“Of course.” He waved his arm toward the bathroom.
Tabitha eased toward the edge of the bed and slid her feet to the floor. Every little ache and bruise from her fall from the fence and their tussle earlier made itself known as she stood up. She walked past him, her gaze flicking toward the bedroom door.
“You may shower while you’re in there,” Zevris said.
She stopped and looked at him, wrinkling her nose. “Are you saying I stink?”
Not that she’d blame him if he said she did. After everything that had happened today—including sitting on his bed for hours in damp, dirty jeans—she was sure she didn’t smell like roses.
Zevris tilted his head. Somehow, the gesture drew her attention to his pointed ears, and for an instant she longed to nip at one of them or trace its tip with her tongue.
“I have smelled nothing on a dozen alien worlds that approaches the sweetness of your fragrance, Tabitha,” he said. “And to be clear, I am not referring to any perfume you might wear, or the smell of your antiperspirant, soap, or shampoo. Your scent is a lure I will never be able to resist.”
Tabitha bit the inside of her bottom lip. Her cheeks felt warm, but they weren’t the only part of her that was flushed. She squeezed her thighs together. Why did he have to say things that made her heart quicken, her stomach flutter, and her core pool with desire? Why couldn’t he have been cruel so it would be easy to hate him?
She brought her fists to her mouth, brows drawn as indecision warred within her.
“Tabitha?”
Lowering her arms, she met his gaze. “Please, Zevris, just let me go home. I won’t say anything to anyone, and maybe…maybe we can go about this the right way. You can—”
“I cannot.” He dropped his elbows onto his thighs and leaned forward, bowing his head and shaking it. “I can’t risk it. Can’t risk you.”
Tabitha pressed her lips together. She didn’t know why he thought she’d be in any danger, but it hurt that he didn’t trust her. She recognized the ridiculousness of that—he had no reason to trust her, just as she had no reason to trust him. They barely knew each other.
Her feet were in motion before she could consider what she was doing. She spun and ran to the bedroom door, closing her hand around the knob.
Zevris uttered a word she did not recognize—but which was undoubtedly a curse of some sort—and was behind her in an instant. She’d barely turned the knob when his big arm banded around her middle and swept her back against the solid muscle of his torso, breaking her hold on the door.
She struggled against him as her feet left the ground. “Damn it, Zevris! This isn’t right. I’m not your prisoner!”
He took a step forward, pinning her against the wall with his body. Tabitha gasped, hands flat on the wall, as she felt something hard and thick probing just above her ass. There was no doubt in her mind what that was.
Zevris leaned his head down so his mouth was close to her ear. “No, but you are mine all the same, Nykasha. Now you can either behave and shower yourself, or”—he smoothed one of his hands down her side and slipped it up under her shirt, making her belly quiver with the touch of his palm—“I can undress you right here, right now, and we’ll take one together.”
“You wouldn’t!” She squeaked when the tips of his fingers dipped behind the button of her jeans.
“I’m having trouble finding a reason not to, Tabitha.” He pressed his nose into her hair, running its tip along the rounded shell of her ear. “I would be happy to wash my female, especially between her—”
“I’ll do it!” She bucked her backside against him.
Apparently, that was a mistake; Zevris groaned, and murmured in a deep, husky voice, “Pity.”
For a moment, his already hard body tensed further, and then he pushed away from the wall, lifting her again as he spun around. He set her neatly on her feet and released his hold on her.
She didn’t look back at him as she darted to the bathroom, swiftly shut the door, and locked it.
Twelve
Panting, Tabitha turned and pressed her back against the door. Her eyes locked on the large window above the jacuzzi tub. She crossed the room, stepped into the tub, and shoved up the black blinds, revealing a frosted glass window. She pushed up on the window panel. When it didn’t move, she flipped the locks and tried again. It refused to budge.
She growled, smacking her hand against the glass. The sound made by the impact was oddly dull and resonant.
His front door hadn’t opened either, even though she’d sworn she’d unlocked it. The deadbolt had been undone, the knob had turned freely, but the door had simply refused to move. It was like some invisible force had held it in place.
Was he using some sort of super high-tech device to secure the windows and doors? Considering how convincingly his technology could mask his true appearance, she didn’t doubt he had some kind of alien security system in place. She had a feeling that this glass wouldn’t break no matter what she hit it with—but she was tempted to try, regardless.
Of course, even if she did manage to break the glass, there was a fifteen-foot drop to the ground to deal with afterward. Not that she’d have the pleasure of falling—she knew Zevris would be all over her before she could squeeze her ass out the window.
Shoulders sagging, Tabitha pressed her forehead against the cool windowpane.
Why couldn’t he trust her a little? Tabitha wasn’t against being with him—she was drawn to him, she desired him, even more so now that she’d discovered he was an alien. But…not like this. Not by force. He could’ve let her return home and dated her like a normal human being. Like he had been trying to do before, well, this. She would never have told anyone what was behind his mask. She just wanted to take it slow, wanted them to get to know each other, wanted him to be sure she was the one he really desired.
She’d been used, betrayed, and dumped by guys who she thought cared about her. The connection she felt she and Zevris shared…it had already greatly surpassed what she’d had in her past relationships. This felt real, like he was the one. But she wasn’t naïve enough to believe that this lust was love at first sight. She just didn’t want him to regret this, she didn’t want him to feel like he had no other choice because she’d been too damn curious. She just…didn’t know if she’d survive the rejection and heartbreak.
With a defeated sigh, Tabitha turned and looked around.
The layout of his bathroom was similar to hers, though his seemed a little larger—and his jacuzzi tub was definitely bigger than hers, shaped like a triangle rather than an oval. For an instant, Tabitha imagined herself stretched out in his tub, surrounded by a mountain of bubbles with the scent of lavender filling the air. She imagined arms wrapping around her, and large, rough palms cupping her breasts before sliding down her belly toward her pussy to stroke her clit with those long, dexterous fingers.
She groaned. “Damn it. For real? Stop it, Tabby.”
She forced that image out of her mind—secretly tucking it away for later—as she perused the rest of the bathroom.
It was a mixture of neutral colors, with large, light gray tiles on the floor and built up along the side of the tub. The brown walls bisected by a strip of white tiling with smaller squares of light and dark gray scattered through it.
The walk-in shower next to the tub had a fancy showerhead, a built-in seat in one corner, and it looked large enough for three or four people to stand in comfortably. The glass wall separating it from the rest of the bathroom was crystal-clear and borderless. A wide, double-sink vanity stretched across one wall, with a big mirror above it. The toilet was tucked in a little alcove in the corner.
Like the rest of the house, there was minimal décor here; a couple generic pictures of flowers, a couple pillar candles on wicker candle stands, and plush brown towels hanging from the towel rack.
&n
bsp; Tabitha climbed out of the jacuzzi and moved to the vanity. Her bright pink toothbrush was in the toothbrush holder next to his blue one, her deodorant stood next to his, and her hairbrush lay beside his comb on a small, rectangular silver tray. She took a quick peek inside the drawers and cabinets to discover her other toiletries neatly mixed in with Zevris’s.
Both at Nan’s and when she was rooming with Mia, Tabitha had had her own bathroom, her own space. Sharing with someone felt so domestic, so intimate. So…right.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary here. All perfectly normal, all perfectly natural, like it was just a bathroom shared by an everyday, average guy and his girlfriend. Except…
She stepped over to the toilet and lifted the seat.
The toilet was spotless. Not a speck of urine anywhere.
Okay, so not an everyday, average guy. But she’d already known Zevris was none of those things.
Tabitha blew her hair out of her face and lowered the seat. How could he be any more perfect?
After a glance at the door to make sure it was still locked, she flicked on the fan and hurriedly used the toilet. When she was done, she washed her hands, brushed her teeth, and undressed, folding her clothes and setting them on the counter. Her skin pebbled with goosebumps in the cool air as she turned on the shower. Once the water was nice and steamy, she stepped into the shower and closed the door behind her.
She groaned as the hot water struck her body, closing her eyes and relishing the heat. As soothing as it was, however, it couldn’t hold back the wave of exhaustion that struck her in that moment. Days of packing, moving, and unpacking, followed by the fight she’d put up today, had drained her severely… All she wanted to do was fall into bed, cuddle in a blanket, and sleep.
Tabitha opened her eyes. The shower’s glass was all foggy now, creating the illusion that she was in her own comforting, secluded space. She reached for her shampoo but halted her hand before she could take hold of the bottle. Tilting her head, she regarded Zevris’s shampoo. She picked up his bottle, opened it, and sniffed. It smelled of spices and musk, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the man himself.
She’d never smelled anything as masculinely divine as him. If she could replicate his scent and make it into a soap, she’d make a fortune.
Closing the bottle, she returned Zevris’s shampoo to the shelf, grabbed her own, and continued with her shower.
When she was done washing and rinsing herself, she turned off the water, wrung out her hair, and opened the shower door to grab a towel. The towel was surprisingly soft and large—large enough to wrap around her entire body without leaving the annoying gap her shorter towels always did. She dried off and stepped out onto the rug.
Tabitha froze.
Her clothes were gone. In their place was her black satin and lace camisole and those black and hot pink panties Zevris had picked out of her underwear pile, both folded neatly.
“I’m going to kill him.” She clenched her fingers around the towel. “You pervert!”
Despite the closed door between them, Zevris’s laughter carried to Tabitha clearly; it was deep, rich, and rolling, at once good natured and tantalizingly wicked.
“I’m going to double kill him.”
Tabitha pressed her lips together as anger simmered within her, but that furious heat was swiftly accompanied by heavy dread and self-loathing.
Zevris had come into the bathroom.
Zevris had come into the bathroom while she’d been showering! The locked door hadn’t stopped him at all, and she’d neither seen nor heard him.
But he…he’d seen her. He’d seen her.
It didn’t matter that his vision of her must’ve been distorted by the foggy glass, the shadow of her body was enough.
She opened her towel and looked at herself in the mirror, focusing on every imperfection; the extra roll on her sides, her not-so-flat stomach, the silvery stretch marks marring her belly, hips, and thighs. Old, hurtful words, words she’d tried so hard to forget, echoed in her head.
Just wanted to see what it was like with a fat girl.
You’re too soft and jiggly. You’re lucky I got it up to begin with.
Her last boyfriend had even hooked up with other women because Tabitha just hadn’t been enough for him. Or, in his words, she’d been too much. Too big.
Tabitha shoved back those memories, that old pain, crammed it all into a mental box and buried it as deep as she could. There was plenty to worry about in the present without digging all that crap up.
She pulled on the panties and cami and wrapped the towel around herself, tucking the end in tight. Once her hair was brushed, she stepped out of the bathroom.
Zevris was sitting on the end of the bed, his long legs spread and his torso leaned back, propped up on his arms. He’d removed his sweatpants, leaving him clad only in a pair of green boxers. Almost every little bit of him was exposed for her viewing pleasure. His tail lay atop the bed, curled to one side, its tip flicking lazily.
Tabitha stilled as she ran her gaze down his body. His thighs and calves were muscular, and even his freaking feet were perfect with their long toes and short black claws.
“Why are you wearing the towel, Tabitha?” he asked, his voice low and teasing.
She snapped her eyes up to meet his. He had one eyebrow arched, and his lips were slanted in a crooked smile.
“Because someone took my clothes,” she said.
“I left clean clothes in their place.”
Heat engulfed her cheeks. “They can barely be called clothes.” She glared at him. “And I locked the door. You shouldn’t have even come in!”
“My female required clean clothing to wear after her shower. I simply acted to accommodate her needs.” He ran his gaze over her body slowly, deliberately, and it was so hot and heavy that she almost felt it on her skin. “Take off the towel, Nykasha.”
Tabitha tightened her grip on the towel, shook her head, and took a step back. “No.”
Zevris sat forward, abdominal muscles rippling, and stood up. His eyes remained on Tabitha as he stalked toward her, his stride smooth, graceful, leisurely—like a predator advancing on prey that could not escape.
She backed away as he neared, but it was only a moment before her back was against the wall. He placed his hands on the wall to either side of her, caging her in, once again reducing her whole world to nothing but him. No one had ever made her feel as tiny and petite as he did. She tilted her head back, locking her eyes with his.
He lowered a hand to her shoulder, where he hooked the thin strap of her cami with his claw. “Take off the towel, Tabitha.”
“No,” she said again, her voice much weaker than it had been a moment ago.
“Hmm.”
Faster than she could perceive, he grasped the towel and snatched it off her as easily as if she hadn’t been holding it at all. His movement produced a little burst of air that fluttered the hem of her cami around her hips and caressed her now bare thighs.
Zevris swept his gaze down slowly, dragging it over her body, his eyes flaring brighter as they moved. “Fuck.”
As he tossed the towel aside, something thin but strong looped around Tabitha’s lower back and drew her against him. She only realized it was his tail when the soft fur at its tip brushed her outer thigh. Zevris dropped his hands to her backside. Her breath hitched, and she slapped her palms against his chest, planting them firmly, but she knew she couldn’t separate their bodies even if she used all her strength.
He palmed her ass with both hands and groaned as he squeezed.
She opened her mouth to protest, but all that emerged was a gasp as Zevris lifted her off the floor. His hands slid to her upper thighs, guiding her legs to move around his waist, and they complied as though they’d wanted for nothing more. She threw her arms around his neck, telling herself it was just for the need of something to hold on to.
Zevris spun around and strode toward the bed. His tail brushed over her calf, reaching for something behi
nd her, but she could not look away from him to see what it was doing. There was a brief flutter of fabric from the bed—like the covers being swept aside—and then Tabitha was falling backward.
She landed atop cool, soft sheets, and her damp hair fanned around her. Zevris didn’t let her go. He came down over her, his hips still wedged between her thighs, bracing himself with one hand on the mattress beside her head.
He raised his other hand, settling it on her elbow, and slid it up her forearm slowly. His touch was gentle but firm, and it spread thrilling sparks across her skin. That hand continued higher and higher until it finally reached her wrists, which were still crossed behind his neck. Zevris grasped both her wrists in his big, strong hand, ducked his head slightly, and guided her arms down.
Though she longed to touch his chest, to run her fingers over the ridges of his muscles, she let her arms fall, settling them on the bed to either side.
Zevris reared back and stared down at her. His gaze was so bright, so intense, so heated and hungry, that Tabitha swore he was about to devour her. He placed his hands on her sides, his thumbs close enough to Tabitha’s breasts that her breath caught in her throat. As he trailed his hands down toward her hips, palms rasping over the satiny cami, he released a low, appreciative growl. Desire pooled in her core.
His touch was even lighter than before—it was outright teasing her now, especially with the fabric of her cami separating their skin. But his hands were not the only things teasing her. His cock, long, thick, and as hard as steel, was pressed against her pussy, throbbing rhythmically.
He…actually wants this. Wants me.
Tabitha’s nipples stiffened, their outlines immediately visible through the cami. She lifted her arms to cover herself, but they froze when Zevris growled again and shook his head.
“No, Nykasha.” He leaned down, slipping a hand under her head to twine his fingers in her hair. His lips were within an inch of hers when he stopped. “There will be no hiding. You are beautiful beyond words, Tabitha.”
Taken By The Alien Next Door Page 14
