His smile tilted slightly. “Hi.”
“Was there something you wanted to show me?”
“There is.” He settled his hand atop hers, taking gentle hold of it and lifting it away from the banister, and he didn’t release it as he walked into the bedroom. With only the lamp on the nightstand turned on, the room was cast in a dull light that made it feel smaller and more intimate.
Her heart raced as she looked at the bed, but he led her past it until they were standing before the closed bathroom door.
Reaching forward, he took hold of the doorknob, turned it, and glanced at her over his shoulder. “Close your eyes.”
Tabitha arched a brow but couldn’t stop her smile as she did as he asked, “Should I be worried?”
“My goal is to ensure you never have to worry about anything, Tabitha.”
The door latch clicked. A moment later, the soothing smell of lavender washed over her, strengthening as Zevris led her into the bathroom.
He released Tabitha’s hand and settled his palms on her waist, startling her, but she didn’t open her eyes. She felt his big body at her back, felt the strength of his hold, the slight prick of his claws through her clothing. A thrill raced across her skin, making it prickle with goosebumps.
Zevris turned Tabitha gently, moving his body with hers, and lowered his head. His breath tickled her ear as he whispered, “You may look.”
Tabitha opened her eyes and gasped softly.
The lights were off, but the bathroom was bathed in a warm orange glow from the numerous tealight candles arranged around the bathtub and on the counter. Bubbles rose over the rim of the tub, shimmering in the candlelight. Flower petals of several different colors were scattered along the edges of the tub, between the candles, along the vanity, and on the floor. Real flower petals.
A bottle of wine and a wine glass were set beside a folded hand towel at one corner of the ledge running around the tub, with one of her romance books sitting atop the towel.
She twisted slightly to look back at him, and Zevris lifted a hand to his hair, combing his claws through it.
“The candles and the wine are yours,” he said, just a hint of sheepishness in his voice. “I’ve not yet gone to the store to purchase things for you. I will compensate you for them.”
Tabitha looked back at the candles. They were simple, easy, cheap things to make, and usually sold alongside her more elaborate decorative candles. She couldn’t be mad at him for using them. Especially not when he’d been thoughtful enough to have gone through the trouble of setting this up for her.
When had she last taken time for herself? When had she ever taken time to pamper herself and relax?
“You did this…for me?” she asked.
“I did.” Zevris released his hold on Tabitha and stepped around her, stopping in front of the tub. He picked up the wine bottle and jabbed his thumb claw into the cork. He shifted the bottle to a sharper angle, twisted his hand, and tensed the muscles of his arm. The cork came out with a soft pop.
He poured the wine into the glass and set the bottle down again, placing the cork beside it. “You’ve worked hard, Tabitha, and I’ve not made the last couple days easy on you. You deserve relaxation. You deserve luxury.”
Zevris turned to face her, lifting one of his large hands to her cheek. His fingertips slipped into her hair, grazing her scalp with the tips of his claws, and he angled her face up toward his. “Think of me as you read your book.” Lightly, he brushed the pad of his thumb across her lower lip.
Her lips parted, and she felt herself swaying forward infinitesimally, so close to sucking his thumb into her mouth, to pressing herself against his hard body.
He dropped his hand and walked around her, leaving her briefly stunned.
“I will be thinking of you, Nykasha,” he said just before the door closed.
Tabitha was suddenly alone in a room so quiet she could hear the whisper of tiny bubbles popping.
“Four weeks,” she breathed, clutching the front of her shirt and pressing her hands against her belly as though that could alleviate the growing ache deep in her core.
She turned back toward the bath. No one had ever done anything like this for her. Of course, she knew he was just doing this to win her over, and, well…
It was working.
Tabitha switched on the fan, removed and folded her clothes, and set them on the corner of the counter, far away from the burning candles. Using one of her hair clips, she wound her braid up and pinned it atop her head before returning to the tub.
She brushed her fingers over the petals scattered along the side and smiled. She could just imagine him outside, hurriedly picking them off his flowers, which he must have done when he’d taken Dexter out earlier. Had he fetched the wine and the book at the same time? The wine had been in her fridge, ready for her to drink in celebration once she’d finished unpacking.
Guess I don’t have to worry about unpacking for a while, though.
She chuckled to herself and carefully climbed into the tub.
The water was hot, but not scalding—it was absolutely perfect. She lowered herself into the water, lay back, and closed her eyes with a sigh, relishing the heat. The gently popping bubbles surrounded her, and the scent of lavender, fresh and sweet, soothed her senses.
Opening her eyes, Tabitha picked up the wine glass. She breathed in the fruity aroma of the Pink Mascato before taking a sip. The wine’s bubbles tickled her tongue, and the sweetness filled her mouth. She took another deeper drink before setting the glass down, refilling it, and picking up the book.
Tabitha couldn’t help but laugh as she looked at the cover. It was a headless torso with tanned skin that matched Zevris’s.
Think of me as you read your book.
And she found herself helpless but to obey. Not long after she’d cracked open the book and begun reading, Tabitha had increasing trouble focusing on the words. The text soon lost all meaning. All she could think about was Zevris.
She pictured him as he’d been that morning, lying naked beside her with his clawed fingers wrapped around his cock, pumping his fist up and down, gradually gaining speed. His expression tense, his blazing eyes fixated on her, his breath coming in ragged bursts.
Her memories of the way the light in his eyes had flared as he came, the way he’d kept his gaze upon her even as his body was in the throes of his climax, and that bestial growl he’d released were vivid. All that had stoked the fires inside her to an inferno—both then and now.
He’d made it clear that she’d been the only thing on his mind, that she’d been what had driven him wild, that she’d been all he needed to work himself to completion. And his lingering gaze afterward had told her his appetite was far from satisfied.
Tabitha closed the book, set it aside, and took another long drink of the wine. She bit her lip and glanced toward the bathroom door. Zevris was just on the other side. She’d be spending another night in his bed, lying against that gorgeous body, with his arms wrapped around her. How would she find sleep when her body was crying out for pleasure? When she craved his touch, his lips, his tongue, his…cock.
She needed to take the edge off, to find some relief from the desire thrumming throughout her body, from the ache between her thighs that was worsening with every minute.
Closing her eyes, Tabitha took in a deep, calming breath, and slowly slid her hands up to her breasts. She cupped them, kneaded them, and tweaked her nipples, creating a piddling, unsatisfying whisper of pleasure.
Brows creasing, she imagined Zevris’s hands in place of hers. She imagined his palm smoothing down her belly, his fingers brushing through the small patch of hair before he reached her pussy. Imagined his fingers spreading her, skimming along her folds, dipping inside to gather her slick before moving up to her clit. Those fingers gently circled that spot, again and again, moving rhythmically, allowing her to become accustomed to his touch before increasing in speed.
Tabitha’s breath caught, and she bit her lip harder. Th
e water diminished the sensation, but it was there, building and building…
She snapped her thighs together around her hand as she came, sealing her lips to keep from crying out. Her body tensed, her core contracted, and she moaned quietly as a flash of pleasure shuddered through her.
Tabitha breathed slowly through her nose as her muscles relaxed and the quivering of her pussy eased. Her skin felt flushed and warm—too warm. Rather than assuage her need, she’d only sharpened it. The orgasm had been stale, unsatisfying, passionless.
Pulling her hand free, Tabitha frowned. She knew what was missing.
Zevris.
It wasn’t his hand touching me, no matter how hard I imagine it.
Her hands were smaller and didn’t possess his strength, her fingers didn’t have his calluses or his claws. And her body damn well knew it.
With a sigh, Tabitha drained the rest of the wine from her glass, pulled the tub’s plug, and stood up. Water and bubbles sluiced off her. She reached for the towel hanging close by and used it to dry off before wrapping it around her body. Once the towel was secure, she moved to the sink.
Between the wine and the bath, her body was languid, and warmth lingered on her skin. But the relaxation hadn’t eased the heavy ache of desire in her core.
After a groan, she brushed her teeth and unbraided her hair, letting it fall in waves around her shoulders. She glanced at her pile of folded clothes before sweeping her gaze around the bathroom. Zevris had either forgotten to set out pajamas and underwear for her or had purposely left her without.
She’d bet on the latter.
She didn’t feel like putting her clothes back on only to take them off again in a moment. She’d just have to go get panties and pajamas herself.
Tabitha blew out all the tealights, plunging the room into darkness. She felt her way to the door. As soon as her fingers bumped the doorknob, she wrapped her hand around it, opened the door, and stepped into the bedroom.
Zevris’s eyes were upon her immediately, as fierce as ever. The covers were drawn down, and he was sitting on the bed with his back against the headboard and his hands intertwined over his lap. He’d removed his jeans and was currently wearing only a pair of black boxers. Tabitha found herself both grateful that he had those on and disappointed that he wasn’t naked.
His gaze raked over her slowly, up and down and back again, so intense that Tabitha swore she felt its caress on her skin. Zevris was looking at her like he could see straight through her towel—and like he yearned for what he saw.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. His eyes didn’t leave her for even an instant as he walked around the bed and approached her. She remained still, clutching the towel in her fingers. She had a sense of déjà vu, that this had happened before, but she knew this time would be different.
Zevris stopped in front of her and lifted a hand. The pads of his fingers brushed her shoulder as he caught some of her dangling hair, stroking it with his thumb. “Did you think of me, Nykasha?”
Seventeen
Before Tabitha could respond, Zevris leaned a little closer, and his nostrils flared with a deep inhalation. A deep growl vibrated in his chest, and his pupils dilated. “You did.”
Tabitha’s sex clenched, and slick gathered in her pussy as his deep voice resonated within her. She shivered; it had nothing to do with the slight chill in the air.
“I did,” she admitted, dropping her gaze.
He swept her hair back over her shoulder and slid his hand up to her neck. His touch was everything she’d craved from him—firm, confident, callused. He curled his fingers around her throat and pressed his thumb beneath her chin, tilting it up and forcing her to meet his gaze.
His eyes searched hers. “But you found little satisfaction.”
Not a question, but a statement.
Cheeks burning with shame, Tabitha caught her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded once.
Zevris gently pried her lip free using his claw and soothed it with gentle strokes of his thumb. He raised his other hand and skimmed his claws along her arm, making her flesh tingle delightfully. “Let me give you the pleasure you desire, Tabitha.”
Tabitha’s lips parted, and she released a shaky breath. That ache in her core intensified, spreading outward to her breasts to harden her nipples.
Zevris slipped his hand into her hair, clutched it at the roots, and tilted her head to the side before lowering his face. He brought his mouth to the place where her neck and shoulder connected and brushed his lips over her skin, at first in a caress, then more firmly in hot kisses. She felt his warm breath and the wet flick of his tongue, felt his tail as it slid up and down her calf, as it teased the sensitive spot behind her knee.
Tabitha’s breath quickened. His touch was electrifying, and his mouth made her flesh buzz with pleasure in places she’d never thought possible. She felt drugged, lulled into euphoria, unable to resist his allure. “Zevris…”
“It does not mean you are accepting me as your mate,” he rasped. “I only wish to pleasure you. To feel you tremble beneath my touch, to taste you upon my tongue, to revel in your cries of ecstasy.”
She curled her toes into the carpet, barely containing a whimper. Then he nipped her with his fangs.
Her pussy contracted with sudden, unbearable need. Tabitha gasped, her body rocking toward Zevris, and she released the towel with one hand to clutch his forearm. The mingled pain and pleasure of his bite was overwhelming.
She tried to come up with reasons to stop this, to stop him, but those reasons vanished as swiftly as they came. She didn’t know if it was the alcohol clouding her judgement or if it was simply the haze of lust, but in that moment, she didn’t care. He’d offered to give her pleasure, and Tabitha…she wanted it.
She wanted him.
Like he’d said, this didn’t mean she was taking him as a mate, it didn’t mean she was making an important life decision on a whim, it didn’t mean she was committing to anything… To anything but pleasure, anyway. This was just a single moment she could embrace.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Zevris groaned, sliding his arm around her and settling his palm on her lower back, just above her ass. His body tensed around her, and he drew her just a little closer. He grazed the tender flesh of her neck with his teeth as his mouth worked its way up behind her ear, sending thrills through her that made her eyelids flutter shut.
His tail coiled around her leg and squeezed. She could feel the hard stab of his erection against her belly. She leaned into him, sliding her hands along his sides, running her fingers over his muscles, feeling his heat. His scent enveloped her; she greedily breathed him in.
He drew back from her abruptly and crouched, dropping one arm behind her legs. He rose in a smooth motion, sweeping her feet out from beneath her and lifting her against his chest.
She gasped, eyes wide, and looped her arms around his neck, her body stiffening as though he might drop her at any moment. “Zevris!”
He chuckled as he carried her toward the bed, seemingly without effort—like she weighed no more than a feather. “Get used to calling out my name, Nykasha. You will do so many times before the night is through.”
She turned her face toward him. He was grinning wide, his eyes were glowing, and there was a thick strand of hair dangling across his forehead, granting him a rakish appeal that made her heart lurch madly.
Zevris laid her atop the bed gently, and Tabitha couldn’t help but compare this to a groom carrying his bride to their bed. He climbed on after her and braced himself over her with his hands to either side of her shoulders. The humor in his eyes faded, and was replaced by a smoldering blend of ravenousness, awe, and lust.
He lifted a hand and brushed the back of a claw over her eyebrow and down the side of her face. Drawing his hand back up, he trailed that claw down from the center of her brow, along the bridge of her nose, and over her lips, which he then stroked with his thumb.
Tabitha slipp
ed her tongue out, touching its tip to his thumb, tasting the saltiness of his skin. His expression went taut, and his eyes darkened.
Leaning back, Zevris spread Tabitha’s hair out around her before he moved his palms to her shoulders. He slid both hands lower still, following her collarbone until he’d hooked his fingers under the towel to either side of the spot where she’d tucked the corner in.
Tabitha swallowed thickly. Her brow creased, and she clutched the bedding beneath her, suddenly wishing she’d drank more wine; the alcohol’s effects seemed to have already faded. She could really use some more of that liquid courage right now.
What if he didn’t like what he saw? How could she handle watching as the hunger in his eyes faded or, even worse, turned to disgust?
His tail stroked her leg and said softly, “Ah, Nykasha, you’ve much to anticipate, but nothing to fear.”
Zevris tugged on the towel, loosening it, and peeled it open, revealing her naked body beneath.
A different sort of heat flooded Tabitha, this one born of shame and embarrassment. She looked away from him, unwilling to witness what she feared most. Unwilling to see his expression change. She drew up her knees, pressed her thighs together tight, and moved her arms to cover herself.
Zevris growled and caught her wrists in his hands, spreading them apart and pressing them to the bed on either side of her head. Her eyes widened as she returned them to Zevris.
His fangs were bared, and his eyebrows were low. “You will not hide your body from me, Tabitha.”
He slowly smoothed his palms up her arms to her breasts, cupping them both. Her breath hitched as he stroked his thumbs over her pearled nipples, sending bolts of pleasure straight to her core.
“You have no reason for self-consciousness or shame,” he said as his fingers kneaded and caressed her flesh. “I feel I have waited an eternity to see such beauty, and my wildest imaginings could never have done it justice.”
Zevris clasped one of her breasts and lowered his head, taking her budded nipple between his lips. He sucked it into his mouth, teasing it with teeth and tongue, sending shivers of delight along her spine. A soft, whimpering cry—perhaps his name—escaped her lips as she moved her hands to his head. Her hips undulated of their own accord. Her pussy clenched, and her clit throbbed.
Taken By The Alien Next Door Page 19
