by Alana Khan
I don’t listen. Rather, I pay attention to the sound of the waves of the great salt water less than five hundred feet away. I listen to his ragged breathing... and my own. I fixate on the desperate need in the aching tips of my breasts. And I focus on the look of boundless appreciation on his face.
I breach the scant inches between our lips. He rumbles a sound of satisfaction deep in his throat, then bestows soft, sensual kisses.
“Tara.” On his lips, my name sounds like devotion and approval.
His kisses aren’t desperate. They’re not a race to the finish line or a means to an end. They’re sufficient just as they are. The kisses are sweet, tantalizing. They ramp up my desire.
Why did I put that pelt between us? It would be heaven for his jutting cock to pulse against my belly. To notice every time it kicked or responded to me. If I felt bold, I could wiggle just a few inches south and suck him into the welcoming warmth of my mouth.
Perhaps he can read my mind, because those big, strong hands slide behind me, one hand lodges at the small of my back, one cradles the back of my head. I’m not going anywhere.
His tongue slides between my lips, requesting admittance. Yes, please! I open to him and he owns me. Jax-Xon the shy gentleman has left the building and a big, green alpha male has taken his place.
He slings his leg over my hips and hauls me closer with it. The piece of fur that kept our flesh separated is scrunched between us, but not doing its job at all. The suede halter he made still covers my breasts, but they’re smashed against his chest so hard I’m sure he can feel my pebbled tips ready to pierce his skin.
His cock is riding my naked midriff. His hips rocking in a rhythm old as time. And his tongue is penetrating my mouth, delving my depths, tasting me as I’m tasting him.
I have no desire to pull away. In fact, my hands slide around him, grab the luscious globes of his perfect ass, and pull him even closer. I wrestle my leg from between his so I’m open to him. Even though I’m wearing the panties I was abducted in, it’s as if there’s no fabric between us as I ride his rigid cock.
I’m drenched, dripping for him. I want him to fill me so badly I can’t think straight. And then little Aliyah stirs mere inches away while her mother practically impales herself on a man—no not a man, an alien.
Leaping up, I check on my daughter to confirm she’s still sleeping. I’m wearing panties and this triangular suede halter Jax-Xon made for me. I wonder what I look like, silhouetted in the faint light drifting in from the planet’s two moons.
My body still on fire, I can’t contain the urge to look at him. He’s on his side, naked from head to toe. His cock pulses in rhythm with his heart.
His gaze doesn’t waver from mine. It’s full of unapologetic, raw desire. I walk to the open doorway hewn into the tree. We’re two, maybe three stories up. The saltwater smells sharp and briny. Moonlight ripples on the waves. The sea sings its rhythmic song as it washes to shore, then recedes, leaving only foamy bubbles behind.
He pads over, slips his arms around my waist from behind me and leans his chin on top of my head.
I plan to write a long, strict memo to my traitorous body, reminding it I don’t do men. Because every muscle, cell, and fiber is happily content to have his naked body close to mine, humming with contentment in the clutch of his warm embrace.
“I should have asked, Tara. I should have waited. My desire is strong for this.” He lays a soft hand on the swell of my hip. “Every male wants the joys of the flesh. But I want more. I want you.” He pets my hair with his palm. “You and little Aliyah.”
“I’ll sleep by the fire. Tomorrow I’ll show you and the youngling the Lorinxes, and then we’ll go back to the village. If you hate me for what I just did in the furs, I’m sorry. I’ll keep you safe even if you move to another hut.
“If you don’t hate me, I’ll do everything in my power to show you I can be the best male for you and the best Poppa to Aliyah.”
I’m unashamed as I watch him walk naked to our pile of furs. I notice every muscle in his body slide and bunch under his skin. My fingers itch to caress the hard, firm globes of his ass. If his picture was in the encyclopedia, it would be under the words ‘power’ and ‘grace’.
He bends to retrieve one pelt, then stalks back to the fire, near where I’m standing.
“Don’t be sorry Jax. I was a willing participant. It’s just...my world’s been turned upside down. You understand that, right?”
“Life surprises us. It gives us awe and heartache and joy. When it offers joy, I snatch it and savor it for as long as the Gods allow.”
He wraps himself in the fur, then closes his eyes.
Chapter Four
Tara
“Wow!”
Jax-Xon didn’t lie when he promised something wonderful. The Lorinxes are beautiful and graceful. It makes me wonder if we had similar animals on Earth millennia ago, and if that’s where the stories of mermaids originated.
The porpoise-like mammals love leaping into the air, much to our delight. Sometimes they do simple jumps then slide back under the water. Sometimes they spin, then pierce the water without making a splash.
Their cobalt blue scales shimmer in the sunshine. Their faces are more human-shaped than the elongated faces of dolphins. What made me do a double-take, though, is the luxurious hair on their heads. It makes them even more beautiful and gives them all different personalities. After an hour of watching, Ally and I’ve given them nicknames and made up stories about their pasts.
“Velvet and Chandler are going to get married,” Aliyah says with finality as she points to the pair who jump up and back into the water in a graceful duet. “They love each other are going to make a baby.”
“I think you’re right, honey. They seem to have fun together, don’t they?”
“Yep, just like you and Jax-Xon.” She seems thrilled with her pronouncement.
A jolt of fear flashes through me. Did she see Jax and me making out last night?
Jax snakes his arm around my waist and pulls us together tightly as if Ally’s statement gave permission for him to court me. I’ll wriggle out of his embrace soon, I decide. Just let me bask in it for a moment more.
We have front row seats on the ledge of the treehouse. Jax and I are sitting on the edge, our legs dangling. Aliyah’s happily nestled on Jax’s lap. He doesn’t seem to mind her constant wiggling, or her nonstop chatter.
When the Lorinxes move down the beach to other waters, Jax-Xon helps us climb the sturdy vines to the ground and we walk the beach for miles.
Aliyah’s so full of energy she trots up ahead, finds a fabulous shell, and runs back to show us. We have nothing to carry the shells in, so Jax promises to bring us here another time so Aliyah can start a collection.
While Ally darts ahead, Jax leans down and scrapes into the sand near the water’s edge to unearth a fabulous shell the size of my daughter’s palm. It’s a thin disc, perfectly round, with exquisite designs etched into it—almost like a sand dollar, but far more intricate. The colors are shimmering blues, purples, and greens. When he swivels it in the sunlight, the colors swirl like a hallucinogenic dream.
“Beautiful.” It’s a fascinating, never-ending display of fireworks.
“Like you, Tara,” he breathes, pegging me with an adoring stare.
I shake my head to shut him up. I’m not used to men showering me with pretty words.
He grabs my chin with infinite gentleness and leans in. “I’m not a perfect male, Tara, but I never lie. I have no need to. When I call you beautiful, I mean it.”
Our gazes meet, then lock. My center-of-gravity dips and I feel unsteady. Then Aliyah runs up the beach, pushes between us, and leaps into Jax-Xon’s arms.
“I tricked you,” she giggles, and smashes two little handfuls of sand into his long, lustrous, black hair.
“You’ll regret that,” he threatens as he runs with her into the sea-green water. “It’s safe,” he calls to me over his shoulder, never missing
a step.
I don’t feel at home on this planet. I barely know any of these people except Jax-Xon. There have been few waking moments where I haven’t yearned to go home, although I’m not sure what’s pulling me back, my life there was full of heartache.
But nobody gave my daughter the ‘you need to be miserable’ memo, and she’s having a blast. She’s bonded to the big, green guy and obviously he’s bonded to her or he would have spanked her for that little shenanigan. Instead, they’re having the time of their lives out in the water.
It’s like a switch flips in my head. I’ve seldom had an experience like this before where one moment I believe one thing, the very next second I’ve completely changed my mind. But right here, this minute I feel the shift from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.
I’m here. On this planet. It doesn’t matter what’s happened in my past. It doesn’t matter what might happen in the future. This moment, right here, right now, is the only thing that’s real.
I’m not going back to Earth. That ship has sailed, or to be more accurate, that ship has crashed. It doesn’t matter that I made a promise to myself that I don’t do men. Maybe I just need to amend that to the staunch belief that I’ll never do another Earth man.
The only time I have is now. I’m going to grab it.
I set the precious present on the fine, pink sand near the tall burgundy grasses. I’ll treasure it. It’s my first present from Jax—I don’t want it to be the last. Shucking my clothes where I stand, I laugh and run into the waves to join them.
Jax-Xon
Something changed for Tara that day at the beach two handfuls of days ago. She joined Aliyah and me in the water and seemed unashamed of her body. And happy. She laughed and smiled for the first time since I met her. Her sadness disappeared like magic.
Since then the three of us have been like the family I’ve always dreamed of. She knows everyone in the village and has made a few friends. Cooking has captured her interest and she’s pestered her friends with questions so she can learn more quickly.
She’s preparing to serve us her first stew.
“Let’s see if you like it. Seasoning it with seaweed was a bit of a stretch, but La-Donna promised it would be yummy. What do you think?”
“Good, Momma,” Aliyah announces, but she likes everything we put in front of her. She’s a happy, easygoing child.
Tara looks at me, waiting for my pronouncement, her mouth scrunched to the side like she does when she’s worried about something.
“Very good,” I say after my initial taste. It’s far better than I expected for a first effort. “What’s the best word for very good food?”
“Delicious!” Aliyah shouts between bites.
“Very good delicious food.” I nod.
“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Tara says as she sits near us on a tree stump, “La-Donna invited Aliyah over for a sleepover tonight. The kids have been getting along so well we thought it would be great fun.”
Soon Aliyah’s ready to go and in joyous spirits. “My first sleepover, Jax-Xon. Will you miss me? I’ll miss you.”
“Come hug me before you go.” I reach to give her a good squeeze. She’s almost my height with me sitting on a low stump and her standing, so she jumps up, throws her arms around my neck and gives my cheek an enthusiastic, childish kiss. I rise, step away from the fire, hold her under her arms and twirl her around until she squeals with delight.
Will Tara scold me? Was this too forward? But when I look at her, she’s beaming with pride.
“You guys are adorable together,” is all she says as she banks the fire.
The three of us stroll to La-Donna’s and watch the younglings play. When Aliyah arrived, she acted as though she wasn’t used to rough-and-tumble games. Now, she’s worked up a sweat playing bladder ball with her friends. It’s good to see.
“Can we make a detour?” I ask Tara as we walk home. I want to take her to one of my favorite places. It’s not far from the village.
Tara
He leads me to a little clearing in the woods. This would be a lovely spot in the sunlight. But now, the shadows cast by the full moons are peaceful and romantic.
An almost-perfect loop of trees surrounds this little circle of grass. On the ground is one large log. We sit on it and I enjoy the quiet in the gloam.
The evening insects begin their nightly chorus. We’re far from the prying eyes of our tribe. It’s nice to have a respite from mommy duties. It’s just Jax and me. We gaze at each other for a moment. Sometimes I want to get lost in those jade green eyes.
At the very moment I think he’s going to kiss me, he leans back and grabs something off the ground. He must have hidden it behind the thick log, waiting for the perfect time.
Without breaking the connection of our glance, he puts a wooden flute to his lips and plays. The melody is rich and full and primitive. I close my eyes and it evokes images of the male who carved it. There’s no rush to his music. The tune meanders, lilting high, then dipping into deep, mellow tones.
Every time I hear him play this flute—and I hope it will be often—I’ll remember this moment in this clearing. It will conjure the humid smell in the air, the call of the birds in the distance settling down for the night, and the raw desire in my male’s eyes.
My male. I’ve been calling him that in my mind since the great salt sea. This male is everything a female could want: raw power, unabashed lust, soft kisses, belly laughs, and innumerable kindnesses to me and my daughter.
I can let my old vows go. In the olden days, on Earth, I was correct to declare “I don’t do men.” Here I can turn over a new leaf. I’ll just change the saying a bit to “I’ll just do one man, but he has to be terrific, like Jax-Xon.”
He’s in no hurry. We both know we’ll end up under the same fur tonight. But we can spend time here, surrounded by the silent sentinel of this circle of trees. I can let him woo me. He can be proud knowing all the hours he practiced this instrument were put to good use courting the female he wants to impress.
The reedy sound of the flute reverberates in the trees and leaves above, then dies in the still air. My eyes are closed as I memorize every detail of this moment.
His strong arm slips around my waist and he tips me toward him so my head rests on his bicep. I move my head and listen to the steady thump of his heart, then place my palm there.
What a perfect time and place to be alive. With Jax-Xon.
He kisses the top of my head; his lips move as he whispers in the hushed quiet of this magical circle of trees.
“You’ve stolen this hunter’s heart, Tara.” He reaches for my hand and rests it on my thigh, our fingers entwined. “And made me happier than I ever imagined.”
Everything is slow and quiet here—there’s no rush for anything. “From the blue of your eyes to the curve of your neck, I find you beautiful and endlessly fascinating.”
A bird coos high above our heads.
“You and your daughter bring me joy. Will you stay with me? Will you become my mate? Can I be a father to Aliyah? I can never replace her real father, but I’ll do my best to be worthy of you both.”
I don’t want to interrupt this wonderful moment to tell him about Ally’s sperm donor, or that he’s far exceeded expectations on the father front. I want to bask in his offer.
“Mate?”
“We’d be together forever. As long as the Gods allow. I’ll care for you the best I’m able. I’ll provide for your needs and allow you the freedom to find your own place in the tribe. I’ll love you and Aliyah with all my heart and soul.”
I’m basking in his words. Letting them flow over me and warm my heart. My head’s still on his chest, my ear pressed to his beating heart.
“If you don’t want me, Tara, I’ll take you and Liyah to my father’s house. He’ll keep you safe—”
I didn’t realize my silence would give him that impression. I pull away to look him in the eyes—and smile.
“Of course I want t
o stay with you. You’re the most eligible, loveable male on this or any planet.”
I sling my arms around his powerful neck, pull him toward me, and kiss those magenta lips. A noise rumbles up from deep in his throat. I’m not certain whether it’s happy satisfaction or pure lust. It doesn’t matter—it’s sexy.
He pulls me onto his lap and kisses me warm and sweet and slow. He imbues this kiss with all the love and longing a male can articulate without words.
My palms bracket his huge, beautiful, green face and I pull back before we get carried away.
