“Hazel, I really think you should stop now.”
Her gaze fastened on his and she hummed as she swallowed more of him. She nearly smiled in satisfaction as his eyes practically rolled back into his head. Her lips moved faster, sucked harder, and a moment later she was rewarded with that salty-sweet taste filling her mouth. He groaned with his release and his knees buckled a bit, but he braced a hand on a nearby tree.
Hazel licked her lips clean and rose to her feet. “How do you feel now?”
“That was incredible, Hazel. I’ve never come in someone’s mouth before. I was worried I would choke you or I would taste bad.”
“Actually, you taste really, really good.” She licked her lips again. “I don’t mind doing that anytime you want me to. I think I enjoyed it as much as you did.”
He pulled her close and slammed his mouth down on hers. His tongue thrust into her mouth and she moaned as she fisted his shirt in her hand. He kissed her savagely, more thorough than any kiss she’d ever experienced before. It was fierce and delicious, and Hazel wished it could go on forever. When he pulled away, he smiled down at her.
He pulled up his pants and fastened them, then reached for her hand. “Let’s take a walk, and then we’ll head back to the city and I’ll take you out to dinner.”
“What about the girls?”
“I’ll text Brielle and tell her to order room service, whatever the girls and she want to eat.”
“We’re really going to have a day to ourselves? Or rather an evening?”
“When is the last time you did something without your daughters? Or went on a date?”
“I haven’t been on a date since Abby was born, and I guess the last time I did something alone was while they were in school. But it’s summer break so even if we hadn’t been sleeping in the park, I still would have had them with me all day every day.”
“School… I hadn’t thought of that. When does it start back?”
“It was supposed to start this week, I think. I couldn’t register the girls last month because I didn’t have an address. They want to see a utility bill, another form of proof of address, and a photo ID. I didn’t have any of those things.”
“I’m going to make some calls tomorrow and we’ll get the girls registered in the school they’ll attend once we’re able to move into that house. I forgot to tell you John called and said the owners accepted my offer. He was going to get closing set up as fast as possible, which means once we have a date, you’ll have to go furniture shopping with me.”
Her jaw dropped. “That huge house is ours?”
He smiled broadly. “Did you realize you just said ‘ours’?”
“Well, I…”
His arm tightened around her waist. “Does that mean you’re almost ready to accept me as your mate?”
“It was a slip of the tongue.”
His heated gaze fastened on her lips. “I like it when your tongue slips… and slides, and does that thing where it curls around --”
She slapped a hand over his mouth before he could finish that sentence, and felt him smile against her palm. Hazel drew her hand away but was drawn by the merriment dancing in his eyes. He really did turn her world upside down, but in the best of ways. She’d thought she was finished with men, and yet here he was, worming his way into her heart and making her question everything she’d ever believed about males. But maybe it had more to do with him being a Terran than it did with him being a male. Maybe all people from his world acted like Reyvor did.
“You really think we should register the girls at some school in a rich neighborhood?”
“What if we signed them up for the same school where Evie goes? She’s Xonos’ adopted daughter and it’s the same school Brielle and Syl plan to send their children when they’re old enough.”
“What school is that?”
“Hamilton Academy.”
Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “That school costs like twenty grand a year! The girls could go to college for a year at that price.”
“I’ve heard they discount siblings, but even if they didn’t I can still afford it. They’ll get to know Evie whether they go there or not because I’m friends with her parents.”
“I haven’t agreed to be your mate yet. I can’t let you pay that much for my girls to go to school.”
He stopped walking and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Our girls. You may not have agreed to become my mate yet, but you will. I don’t think that was a slip of the tongue earlier. I think you want to be with me, but you’re scared. And that’s okay. I understand, after everything you’ve been through. But I would never harm you, Hazel. Not physically and not emotionally. You’ll never be safer with anyone than me.”
Was he right? Had she already, at least some part of her, decided she would marry him? She’d accepted so much from him already… a place to live, clothes and shoes, meals. She let him hold her girls and share new experiences with him, and she knew she wouldn’t hesitate to leave them alone with Reyvor. In her heart, she knew he would protect them against the world if it came to it. Was it possible he’d do the same for her?
“Just think about it, Hazel. I’m pressuring you to make a decision, but I think you should let me register the girls at school tomorrow. They could start next week and wouldn’t be too far behind.”
“What if what they’ve learned in public school hasn’t prepared them for a school like that? They might be way ahead of the girls and I don’t want them to feel stupid.”
“Then I’ll hire tutors to get them caught up. I’ll do whatever it takes for them to feel like they belong. I want them to have the best of everything, and most importantly, I want them to have stability. I think going back to school will give them a dose of normalcy that’s been missing. No, they aren’t on the streets anymore, but we’re living in a hotel. A nice one, but it’s still a hotel. I think it’s time they made friends.”
“You’re right.” She blew out a breath. “I’ll agree to let you pay for one year of school for the girls at the academy, but if things don’t work out between us, they go back to public school next year.”
He smirked. “You like me and you know it. I predict by next week you’ll be begging me to marry you. Especially if Nikki keeps giving you the stink eye.”
“Stink eye?”
His smile dropped. “Isn’t that an Earth saying?”
“Yes, it is. I just didn’t realize you’d seen the looks she’s been giving me.”
“They’re hard to miss. I think you’d be dead if looks could kill. She’s far from happy with you right now. I don’t kid myself. I know she doesn’t love me, but she does crave the things I can give her -- a home, regular meals, and things that make her feel like a normal girl. You’ve done the best you can, Hazel, but maybe it’s time to let someone else step in for a while.”
She swallowed hard. He was right. He could give her girls things she could never dream of providing, at least not right now while she was jobless. And even if she had a job, she couldn’t spend the kind of money Reyvor did. Was she being selfish and denying her girls a happy home? He hadn’t been wrong earlier. She was scared. But if she were honest with herself, she wasn’t scared he would hurt the girls in any way, she was scared she would love him and he wouldn’t love her back.
“You can register the girls for school. And you can tell them about the house.”
“But?”
“I still want a little more time before deciding if I’m going to marry you.”
Maybe she was just being stubborn, but her hands shook when she thought about tying herself to him forever. He’d spoken of his wife only a few times, but what if he wasn’t over her? She knew he felt guilty about not spending enough time with her, but what if she’d been his one true love and he could never love Hazel that way? She had to decide if she could trade that once in a lifetime kind of love for the comforts he could provide.
He looked a little sad at her words, but nodded, then led her b
ack to the bike. It seemed their quiet time in the park was at an end and they were headed back to the city. She knew she’d ruined the moment, but she still had a lot of thinking to do.
Chapter Nine
Reyvor stared at the bedroom ceiling with his arms folded behind his head, so he wouldn’t reach for Hazel. He hadn’t come to bed tonight until he was certain she’d fallen asleep. He ached for her, wanted her more than his next breath, but she still held herself apart from him. He’d tried to show her he cared for the girls and her, wanted them to be his in every way possible, and still she pushed him away. He could give a rat’s ass about the large house he was buying. He was purchasing the monstrosity because the girls had wanted it, and the moment he’d stepped inside, he’d easily seen himself tucking them into bed in the bedrooms they’d selected.
Why was she being so stubborn? Obviously she felt something for him or she wouldn’t have slept with him last night, or blown his mind in the park earlier. Or had she been with him as a way of saying thanks for everything he’d done for them? He’d seen enough human movies to know women sometimes did things like that. It made his heart hurt thinking Hazel had slept with him to say thank you and not because she’d really wanted him, even if he had caught her masturbating with his name on her lips.
All right. Maybe she did desire him, but it obviously wasn’t enough. Was she just in lust with him and unable to love him? He wasn’t sure if it was because of what her ex had put her through, or perhaps because Reyvor was an alien. Whatever the cause, she seemed incapable of loving him, and he was falling for her fast and hard. He already loved those girls like they were his own, and he hoped like hell he was given the chance to be a father to them, and possibly have more children with Hazel. He wanted to fill that large house with children and laughter.
She rolled in her sleep and pressed herself against his side, her small hand resting on his stomach as her head nestled on his shoulder. She mumbled something in her sleep and he frowned. Had she just said “why can’t you love me”? Was she dreaming of her ex? Was that why she couldn’t commit to him? Because she was still in love with the man who had hurt her? Anger burned in his gut as he thought of all she’d suffered.
“Reyvor.” His name came off her lips like a whisper. “Don’t leave me.”
She was dreaming of him leaving her? Did that mean she thought he didn’t love her? Well, in all honestly, he wasn’t sure he was completely there yet, but it was just a few baby steps away. She was the most breathtaking woman he’d ever seen, and not just because he liked her looks, but she had a genuinely good heart.
It saddened him that he hadn’t felt this way with his mate. He’d cared for her, but she’d never made him feel complete. He’d been content and he’d treated her well, but he knew she had deserved so much more. It had been selfish of him to claim her when he’d known he didn’t love her. He should have allowed her to wait for someone who could give himself to her completely, but he’d been enchanted with her beauty.
He’d seen enough pairings to know his kind usually fell in love quickly, and fell hard. Just look at Brielle and Syl! Xonos had once told him it had taken a little while for him to fall in love with Victoria, but he’d been attracted to her from the beginning. And that was what was happening between him and Hazel. He’d been attracted to her from that first night and he could feel himself falling in love with her little by little.
A noise drew his attention and he eased out from under Hazel. When he entered the living room, he heard a sniffle but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Then he spotted Nikki in a corner, her knees drawn up to her chest and tears streaming down her cheeks. He walked toward her and knelt at her feet.
“What’s wrong, Nikki? Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“Have a nightmare?”
She shook her head again.
Reyvor rubbed his chin then scooped her up and carried her to the sofa, where he sat and placed her in his lap. She hiccupped and sniffled again. Some of the stiffness went out of her and she leaned against him, her head tucking beneath his chin.
“Sweetheart, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” He rubbed her back lightly, hoping to soothe her.
“She’s ruining everything.”
“Who’s ruining everything?” he asked, but he had a feeling he knew.
“Mom.”
“Why do you think she’s ruining everything?”
“I want you to be my dad, but she won’t marry you. I know she likes you, but she told me before there would be no more men in our lives. She thinks everyone is going to treat her the way my dad did, but I know you wouldn’t do that.” She looked up at him tearfully. “I love you, Reyvor. Why can’t we stay together?”
His heart was breaking. “I love you too, Nikki, but we need to give your mom a little more time. I don’t know why she doesn’t want to be with me, but I can’t force her to love me. And it wouldn’t be fair of me to ask her to stay with me if she didn’t think she could ever love me. Everyone deserves the chance to fall in love. Especially your mother.”
“I want her to love you and I want us to be a family. I know Winnie and Abby want the same thing. And it’s not just because you took us shopping. You’ve been nicer to us than anyone ever has, except Mom.”
“Nikki, if the decision were mine, I would make the four of you my family, but I can’t force her to be with me. If she decides she doesn’t want a future with me, saying goodbye to the four of you will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
She looked up at him. “Even harder than losing your other wife?”
He slowly nodded. “Even harder than that. The truth is I wasn’t a very good mate to her. I didn’t love her like I should have and that’s something I’ll always have to live with, but I’d like the chance to do things the right way this time. I fall in love a little more with your mother each day. I’d be the luckiest male on Earth if she chose to be with me.”
“Will you tuck me back into bed?” Nikki asked.
“I’d be happy to.”
He rose with her in his arms and carried her to the second bedroom, where he laid her on the bed then drew the covers over her. On impulse, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, much the way he’d seen Hazel do on occasion. Nikki beamed up at him, then turned onto her side and closed her eyes.
When he entered the living room, Hazel stood in their bedroom doorway with tears streaking her cheeks. Were all of his girls going to cry tonight?
“Did you mean it?” she asked softly.
“Did I mean what?”
“Everything.” Her cheeks flushed. “I woke up when you left the bed and I listened at the door. I heard your entire conversation with Nikki.”
He clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides. “I didn’t mean for you to hear any of that.”
“You’re good with her. With all three of them.” She moved closer. “Did you really not love your mate?”
“I know that doesn’t make you want to take a chance on me, but no, I didn’t.”
“You told Nikki you’re falling in love with me. How do you know you love me if you didn’t love your mate?”
“Because I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. If you leave, I’ll be heartbroken, but I don’t want you to stay unless it’s what you really want to do.”
She nibbled on her lip and looked like she was thinking very hard about something. He knew the moment she’d made her decision because she gave herself a little nod then took a deep breath.
“You really want the girls to be yours?” she asked. “Enough to get their dad to sign away his rights and you adopt them?”
He was surprised by her question. “Of course, but is that what you want?”
“I think we should leave the girls here and go to Vegas and get married. If we take them with us, I don’t know that there would be much for them to do, and I think we need a little alone time.”
His jaw dropped. “We should do what?”<
br />
“I said we should get married.” She fidgeted. “I think we should become a family.”
“Hazel, are you doing this because it’s what you want or because it’s what Nikki wants?”
“I… care about you, Reyvor. I can’t say I love you, but I think I will in time. You’re great with the kids, and you take care of me even when I’m stubborn and butting heads with you. If you still want to marry me, I would be honored to be your wife.”
“You’re sure this is what you want?”
She nodded.
“Then I’ll see if the girls can stay with Victoria and Xonos while we’re gone. Or maybe Thrace and Avelyn would like to have them. They’ve been trying to get permission to adopt from the Intergalactic Adoption Agency. Their daughter Lily is adopted, and they’re great with her, but they both would like a larger family and Avelyn is unable to have kids.”
“And you’d trust them with the girls?”
“I’d trust Thrace with my life. He works security for the Terran station and Avelyn stays home with, Lily. I have to tell you… Lily isn’t a Terran or a human. Her looks are startling. She’s red with black hair. And has fangs.”
“I’m sure she’s wonderful.” Her look said she wasn’t so certain. “I look forward to meeting your friends. Nikki and Winnie are good around small children, but Abby hasn’t been around someone younger than her before. I’m sure she’ll be a good girl though.”
“We should get some sleep. I’ll just make a quick call to set up the jet for tomorrow and see if Thrace can watch the girls.”
Hazel backed toward the bedroom. “I’ll be waiting for you in bed then.”
After she’d disappeared into their room, he picked up his cell phone off the end table and quickly called Thrace. When his friend answered, he sounded less than pleased to be receiving a call so late.
“Whoever this is had better be dying,” Thrace growled into the phone.
“Not dying, but I do have a really important question for you.”
Hazel and the Alien Biker (Intergalactic Brides 5) Page 9
