She unbuttoned his jeans and drew the zipper down.
“You don’t have to, Nykasha,” he said, taking loose hold of her upper arms.
Some of the pressure on his shaft eased, but the relief was infinitesimal, and now it was laced with uncertainty.
He’d never had this done to him. Though he’d seen such acts performed before coming to Earth—and had seen them countless times in those sexual instruction videos—he’d never participated, and he’d never even dreamed of it before Tabitha. There were too few female falorans for him to have ever expected a mate of his own, and his profession had offered him plenty of distraction from any such urges.
“I know,” Tabitha said, pushing his jeans down his hips. Her eyes locked with his. “But I want to.”
She lowered herself to her knees and dragged down his boxers. His cock sprang free, and Zevris hissed, his body stiffening, when her hand closed around his base. She was still for a moment, but his shaft twitched in her hold. That pressure was so immense that he was certain he’d spill his seed right then.
Tabitha pumped her hand, stroking him slowly. Zevris groaned, belly quivering with the unexpected, overwhelming pleasure of her touch. Seed beaded at the tip of his shaft.
Tabitha’s tongue slipped out to wet her lips. Bracing her other hand against his thigh, she looked up at him as she brought her mouth down on his cock, closing her lips around the crown.
“Fuck!” Zevris growled as his hand reflexively darted to her head. He buried his fingers in her hair and breathed, harsh and fast, through his fangs. He bucked his hips, forcing his cock deeper into her mouth. Tabitha gasped, and his chest fluttered with alarm, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she tightened her grip at the base of his erection and sucked.
“Tabitha,” he rasped. Nothing had ever felt so good. Her mouth was hot and wet, creating the most exquisite suction, and every tiny movement seemed likely to be the one that would make him burst.
She drew back, trailing her tongue along the underside of his shaft. He shuddered with pleasure each time it ran over one of his nodules. Finally, her tongue reached his tip, swirling along the slit to gather his seed. Her moan reverberated through him, making his balls draw up tight and a thrill shoot through his spine.
“Ah! Fuck…” Zevris threw out his other hand to brace himself on the workbench, needing it to hold himself upright. His grip on Tabitha’s hair tightened, and it took all his willpower to keep from thrusting his hips, to stop himself from fucking her face as badly as he wanted to fuck her.
She sucked him deep, her eyes never leaving his as she worked his length. Though she could not take all of him into her mouth, she used her fist to make up for it, pumping it in time with her lips.
The pressure within Zevris built to a torturous level, and the pleasure grew along with it. The sensations were so strong, so intense, that he couldn’t tell whether he’d spill his seed or if his mind would shatter into countless pieces as fine as stardust first. Either way, he would be undone.
And he didn’t want her to stop.
His own touch had never brought him even a sliver of this pleasure. What Tabitha was making him feel was well beyond anything he could’ve dreamed, was beyond his comprehension, was beyond not only this world but the whole universe.
He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would feel like to truly be inside her.
His lips peeled back, exposing his fangs as he took in ragged breaths. In his lust-hazed delirium, only Tabitha remained—her bold, confident movements, as unrelenting as his own had been moments ago; her soft lips and hot, tight mouth and the occasional scrape of her flat teeth along his shaft; the cloud of her aroused fragrance engulfing him.
She tightened her fist and sucked harder, rubbing her tongue against the nodules on the underside of his crown.
Zevris’s mind—and his self-control—shattered.
He lifted his hand from the workbench, taking hold of her hair on both sides of her head, and pumped his hips. Each of his thrusts was punctuated by a snarl, and each struck him with a surge of pleasure.
Tabitha dropped her hand from his shaft, bracing herself with her palms against his thighs. Staring up at him with those big, gleaming, lustful eyes, she curled her fingers, digging her blunt nails into his skin.
Everything within Zevris tightened at once, the pressure suddenly so immense that he couldn’t talk, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.
A roar tore up from his chest as pleasure burst through him. His cock pulsed, and his seed erupted into Tabitha’s mouth. She made a sound of surprise, but she quickly swallowed, sucking on him again, coaxing out more seed.
His torso sagged forward as waves of ecstasy blasted through him, but he kept his hips moving erratically. By the time she’d milked him for everything, his arms and legs were trembling, and his breath was coming in strained pants.
Tabitha pulled back, and his cock slipped free from her mouth. Loosening his grip on her hair, Zevris reached down and grasped her chin, tilting her face up toward him. He swiped his thumb over her swollen bottom lip, rubbing his seed into it. She licked his thumb before she took it into her mouth and twirled her tongue around it.
Zevris inhaled deeply; the air was scented heavily with their arousal, but the smells were separate. He yearned for them to be combined, for them to come together to form a new fragrance that was unique to them—the scent of their mating bond.
He growled and pulled his thumb free to brush the backs of his knuckles over her cheek. “Ah, Tabitha. I cannot wait to make you mine.” He sank into a crouch before her. “Until then…”
She giggled, offering no resistance as he gently laid her back and spread her thighs wide.
He grinned down at her. “Until then, I’m going to drink my fill.”
Zevris lowered his head, and his female’s laughter quickly gave way to breathless moans of pleasure.
Nineteen
Though Tabitha’s eyes were on the TV screen and the movie it was playing—The Princess Bride—most of her attention was elsewhere. Elsewhere, of course, being Zevris.
She was lying on the couch with her head on his lap, and he was gently combing his fingers through her hair. It was such a simple, soothing thing, and she nearly shivered in delight every time those fingers touched her scalp. It meant the lightest, teasing scrape of the claws on his ring and pinky fingers and the brush of the rough, callused fingertips of his index and middle fingers; he’d kept those claws trimmed short, just for her.
His other hand was resting possessively on Tabitha’s side, its fingers occasionally stroking or creeping tantalizingly close to her breast, and he had his tail draped over her waist, the fluffy tuft at its tip curled against her belly.
Tabitha couldn’t fully ignore that Dexter was on the couch, too, or that he was lying on top of her feet, but that didn’t matter. At least her feet were nice and warm. Not that she’d been wanting for heat over the last week.
This whole situation—lounging on the couch, watching a movie with an alien—was so unreal, so unbelievable, and yet so…normal. This was what her life had become, and, well…it was good. Really good.
She’d spent a week here in Zevris’s home, and the routine they’d fallen into was equal parts mundane and out of this world. Every morning, Zevris had woken her with pleasure. Whether it was with his fingers, mouth, or tail, he’d ensured she started each day in a happy place. He’d not once asked for anything in return—but that hadn’t stopped her from reciprocating.
And oh, did she love to reciprocate. She loved the way he trembled under her touch, the way he tasted on her tongue, and most of all, the way he lost control. Zevris coming undone was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. It made her feel powerful. And when he pleasured her…he made her feel beautiful, made her feel wanted, made her feel like she mattered.
He made her feel loved.
After her daily wake-up call, he would cook breakfast, letting her relax afterward with a cup of coffee or tea as he took Dext
er for a walk, and often shared the bathroom—and the shower—with her as they got ready for their day. They’d spend some of the day apart, Zevris in his garage workshop and Tabitha in the room he’d given her to use for her own business.
On the first day of this arrangement, his power tools had been so loud that she’d cranked up her music to drown them out. As soon as he’d realized, he’d apologized, and installed some sort of device that muted the noise—but she’d kept playing her music anyway. Just yesterday, as she was singing along and moving her hips, he’d snuck up behind her, drawn her away from the table, pressed her up against the wall and used his hand and tail on her until her cries of pleasure were louder than the music.
The unexpected breaks he took during the day had become something she eagerly anticipated, to the point that she’d taken a few herself. She loved watching him work, watching the way his arm muscles bulged when he lifted something heavy, the way sweat glistened on his golden skin, especially when he’d remove his shirt. Of course, her going into the garage often led to him carting her out so he could have his way with her.
Tabitha could have sworn she was turning into a nymphomaniac. But Zevris seemed to crave her as much as she craved him.
Aside from the sexy times, she loved just being with him. He would’ve catered to her every whim if she allowed him to, but she didn’t want a slave. She wanted a partner. She loved it more when they cooked dinner and cleaned together. She loved talking with him, joking with him, listening stories of the planets he’d been to and the missions he’d conducted—though she knew he left out a lot of details, particularly the gory ones.
She had told him about how her parents had abandoned her when she was a baby, had told him about Nan, had told him about how she’d gifted Dexter to Nan for Christmas one year and how small, innocent, and adorable he’d been. She had told him how she’d come to love making soap and candles, told him about her friend Mia and Mia’s now-fiancé, Josh, and how close they all were. No matter what the subject was, Zevris listened with unwavering attentiveness, as though he was absorbing every little tidbit he could regarding Tabitha.
No guy had ever treated her like Zevris did. Hell, no man had ever even looked at her like he did—like she was the most precious thing in all the universe.
Tabitha was…happy. Even though it had only been a week, and even though he’d technically kidnapped her, she’d never felt so happy.
And it was getting harder and harder not to just…love him.
Was she crazy? Hadn’t she been hurt in the past by allowing herself to get so caught up in a relationship too quickly? She’d blinded herself to the warning signs just for want of companionship, had justified or ignored the poor treatment she’d received for so long, foolishly thinking it would save her from the inevitable hurt. She’d made the mistake of believing that pouring her all into a relationship meant she’d get the same in return.
But this felt different. Zevris was different. Everything he did and said seemed genuine. She knew exactly what he wanted from her, knew the mission he was on, and knew that his desire for her went lightyears beyond that mission. What she had with Zevris felt real.
Tabitha felt as though she was already in love with him. An alien.
And they hadn’t even kissed yet! She kept waiting for him to kiss her, for him to initiate that bit of intimacy that was somehow both more innocent and yet more meaningful than what they’d done so far, but he seemed to be waiting for something, himself. Despite the way they’d pleasured one another, she knew he was holding back significantly.
Was Zevris waiting for her to lower her defenses, for her walls to come down, for her to embrace him fully?
She didn’t know how much longer she would be content with only hands and mouths. It was amazing, and she never wanted him to stop, but she knew it wouldn’t be long before she needed more. Before she needed all of him.
Before she accepted everything he had to offer.
But was she ready for that?
“Inconceivable!” declared Vizzini on the TV.
The word jarred Tabitha from her thoughts; its timing had been so perfect that it was difficult to believe it hadn’t been a response to what she’d been thinking.
But Inigo leapt to her rescue. “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Seven days ago, falling in love with her alien captor had certainly seemed inconceivable. Now…it felt inevitable.
Zevris laughed, a deep, rich sound that seemed to come straight from his gut.
Smiling, Tabitha turned her head to look up at him. “That one hit your funny bone just right, huh?”
“It speaks directly to my experiences in communicating with humans. English is one of the most convoluted, confusing languages I’ve ever encountered.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, English doesn’t always make sense.”
“It has its moments of beauty, though.” His eyes dipped to her, flaring with that blue light that made her feel all warm inside.
Tabitha turned her attention back to the movie. This was one of her all-time favorites, something she’d wanted to share with Zevris just like Nan had once shared it with her, but again, she couldn’t focus on it. “Zevris?”
“Hmm?”
She looked up at him. “Take me on a date.”
His hand in her hair stilled, and the one on her side tensed. Even his tail seemed to stiffen and coil a little tighter. He frowned, and a crease formed between his eyebrows. “Tabitha…”
She pushed herself up onto her knees to face him, placing one of her hands on his chest and the other on his shoulder. Dexter, clearly annoyed that she’d pulled her feet free from beneath him, huffed.
“You trust me, right?” she asked.
Please say you trust me.
She could not bear to have her heart crushed by him telling her no, not after everything they’d shared.
He looked into her eyes, expression tight, and was silent for several seconds, seeming to search for something. She could feel the tension in him; she knew his struggle. His duty to his people, to protect them and their secrets, against his feelings for her.
Tabitha’s chest constricted when he parted his lips and drew in a soft breath.
“I do,” he said.
The air left her lungs in a rush.
The enormity of Tabitha’s relief was so strong that she nearly sagged against him. She lifted her hand off his chest and reached up to stroke his jaw. His stubble was abrasive against her fingers, and she couldn’t help but recall all the times she’d felt it against her thighs.
“Then take me out on a date,” she said. “A real date. Somewhere in public, around people, like…like a normal couple. I want this to work between us, and I need to know that I’m not just a prisoner here, that you can really, truly trust me with your secrets, like a partner. Like…a lifemate.”
Zevris sighed and lifted a hand, raking his fingers through his hair. “And I suppose I need to know that a date can be a pleasant experience.”
Tabitha arched a brow at him. “Do I want to ask?”
Though she had no right to be, she was jealous of every single woman he’d taken out since he’d come to Earth. Had he looked at them like he looked at her? Touched them as he had touched her?
Had he…kissed them?
“No, and I would rather forget.” He dropped his hand from his hair and cupped her cheek. “You are the only female who matters to me, and you stand high above all others. Even when you threw a stone tray at me and kicked me in the groin, my experience with you was far more pleasant than any date I’ve been on.”
“I won’t apologize for that.” She stared at him, trying to keep a straight face, but couldn’t help the laughter that slipped out. “Okay, never mind. I’m sorry. Well, sorry, but not sorry. You were kidnapping me.”
Zevris chuckled and shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize. I admired you for the fight you put up. It was admirable. I am still sorry you were placed
in a position where you needed to fight at all.”
Tabitha looked over her shoulder to glance at Dexter. He raised his eyes to meet hers. She smiled at the puppy-dog look he gave her.
She turned back to Zevris. “I can’t say that I’m mad with where we ended up. I’m…happy, Zevris. You make me happy. I would just like this thing we have between us to be…real.”
“It is real, Nykasha.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, brushing his fingers over the rounded shell before following it down to her jaw to capture her chin. His lips curled into a smile that was at once soft and sexy. “And I will do all I can to help you feel it, too.”
Tabitha smiled widely. “So you’ll take me on a date?”
Zevris wrapped his arms around her and dragged her onto his lap, guiding her legs to either side of him so she was straddling his thighs. He squeezed her ass with both hands and looked at her with those hot, hungry, loving eyes.
“As you wish,” he said, echoing her favorite line from the movie playing in the background.
Giddiness flooded her. It was hard not to read a very specific meaning into his words, especially given what they were watching.
She leaned forward, pecked a kiss on his cheek, and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. She took in a deep breath, loving his combined scents of musk, sandalwood, and cedar; any one of those would always make her think of him. “Thank you.”
Again, Zevris stilled. His body heat seemed to intensify for a moment, and then he moved his hand, sliding it up her back to tangle his fingers in her hair. He drew her head back to look into her eyes again. Somehow, his gaze was even more intense than before. “Anything for you, Nykasha.”
Twenty
A date. I am finally going on a date with Zevris.
Tabitha had been excited about this moment since she’d asked him to take her on a date two nights ago, but now that the time had come, she was anxious. Everything had been perfect between them here in his house. Would he be different in public? Would he…would he be embarrassed to be seen with her?
Taken By The Alien Next Door Page 22
