She threw on a pair of slippers and peeked out her door. There weren’t any sounds she could make out. She hurried down the hallway to the stairs she’d come up with Gerri and went down one level. Instead of taking the turn that brought her to the second set of stairs, she made a right and went down a hallway with giant windows to the outdoors. She stopped and glanced out. Her breath stilled in her chest. There were two moons. How the hell were there two moons?
“This is some Twilight Zone type shit I got myself into,” she mumbled.
When she got to the area she felt was right around where the room she’d been sleeping, she saw two double doors with the same lion emblem on them. She knocked. No noise came from inside. Slowly, she turned the knob and pushed one of the doors. The room was like a museum.
Giant in size, filled with books and artwork she’d never seen. She rushed in and closed the door behind her. Immediately, she browsed the cases of leather-bound books. Shit. They weren’t in English. Careful not to hurt any of the bindings, she pulled one out of its spot on the shelf and glanced at it. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear it was ancient Egyptian. How could they have ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs in books?
The scent of food caught her attention. She turned to her left and saw a tray of meat, bread, and fruit sitting there. Gerri must have arranged for her to eat. Thank goodness, she’d been starving.
She took the book with her to the massive, wooden desk and sat on the biggest chair she’d ever seen, which sat across from an even bigger one. She felt like Goldie Locks, except she was dark as chocolate and her hair was definitely not golden.
The food didn’t look familiar, but her stomach growled and her mouth watered. She knew she was hungry. She might get sick later, but she needed food now. There was a note next to the food.
Enjoy. -G.
Gerri was just awesome. At first bite, flavors exploded on her tongue. She chewed and moaned with each bite. That whole travel thing had taken a lot more out of her than she realized. She picked up a glass of what smelled like fruity wine and took a gulp. It was delicious. The flavors of different fruits combined with what she could only assume was a different kind of liquor and shot straight to her head. She couldn’t stop drinking it. It was addictive and so delicious. Once she’d had a glassful, she put the empty cup down and picked up what looked like a strawberry, but of a deep blue color.
“What are you doing in here?” asked a deep, male voice that scared her half to death.
She dropped the berry and shot to her feet, her heart pounding so hard she swore it was going to pop out of her chest. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” She didn’t bother looking at the man who scared her. Instead, she bent down to pick up the fruit from the expensive-looking carpet before it stained. “I can’t believe I almost messed up this carpet. It looks like it’s worth more than my entire life savings.”
“Did you just curse at me?” asked the same voice, now with a note of shock.
She rolled her eyes and got up. “Yes, I cursed at you, but to be fair, you deserved it after scaring the shit out of me. Hasn’t anyone ever told you to make noise so you don’t give a person a heart attack?” Finally turning to glare at the man. “You shouldn’t…”
She gulped, forgetting what she was going to say momentarily when her gaze collided with a giant. Holy shit. It was Bigfoot! And Bigfoot was sexy as hell. Weren’t giants supposed to be ugly? She could tell the man was so tall she’d need a ladder to get up close and personal with his face.
With big broad shoulders and a mane of long hair the color of sand, he would not be someone anyone could forget. Then there were his eyes, flashing a bright, golden hue she’d never seen in all her thirty-five years. Unlike her dark chocolate skin, his was pale and glistened with sweat. Like he’d been running around in his almost-see-through shirt.
Her gaze dropped to his crotch and stayed there. She should look away. Look away. He was staring at her, and she was staring at his dick. What the fuck was wrong with her?
“I shouldn’t what?” he asked. The soft rumble of his voice gave her goose bumps.
She fought her hormones for dominance, trying to remember why she’d been annoyed. The hint of a grin on his face pissed her off even more. He knew she’d been staring at him.
“I almost destroyed priceless heirlooms. You shouldn’t scare people. I could have choked on my food,” she snapped, glowering at the sexy bastard.
He raised a dark brow and glanced at the almost-empty plate. “Your food?”
“Are you hard of hearing? Because if I have to repeat everything I say, it’s going to take all night telling you to make some noise so you don’t kill a person by scaring them half to death.”
He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets, and took a careful step forward. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
She pushed the uneaten food away from the book she’d been glancing through. “Is it your turn to use the library?”
He blinked, his gaze filled with amusement. “I don’t usually ask for a turn.”
“That’s right. It’s probably available for people to come in and out at all times, no?”
The way he stared at her made her hot and uncomfortable—like she was a glass of that wine she’d been drinking, all tasty and delicious. Men didn’t usually look at her like that, and it was kind of scary and exciting at the same time.
“I have access all the time. Day or night,” he said slowly.
She took a step back, adding some space between her and the big, sexy man. “Well, uh, this is a really nice library. Gerri told me to check it out. I think she’s probably off doing some serious matchmaking already. I sort of feel bad for the king, though.”
He stopped mid-stride and frowned. “Why? He’s able to take care of himself. There should be no need to feel bad for him.”
She snorted a giggle. “Have you seen Gerri? She’s going to make it her business to get that guy a woman, whether he likes it or not.”
His lips pressed into a tight, thin line. “I know. She’s very hardheaded.”
“Ah, don’t be angry. I’m sure whatever she does, he’s got coming. She mentioned he was a pain in the ass.”
“Oh, the king is definitely a pain in the ass,” he agreed.
She nodded, feeling more at ease talking about a king to someone she didn’t know. “I see you agree with Gerri. She said he’s difficult. Do you think he’s difficult?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. I guess it depends what it is you want from him. He likes things his way. Without any excuses. He feels he could find his own mate without any help.”
“Did it work?” She blinked.
“No. Gerri was right. He needs help.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Can you imagine him thinking he could find himself a wife and then failing?” She winced. “Ouch. I bet that didn’t sit well with him. Some big, macho guy failing at what he was so sure he could do without any help? That’s gotta hurt.”
He continued watching her as she backed away farther, putting the giant desk between them. “Are you afraid?”
She stopped and slapped her hands on her wide hips. “Hell, no! Why should I be afraid? Not like you all eat humans.” She bit her lip and felt her blood run cold. “Do you eat humans?”
He barked a laugh that changed his features from darkly sensual to gorgeous and smoking hot. “Maybe we do. You are tiny.”
She tapped her foot on the carpet. “I am not tiny. I’ll have you know I’m a big girl, thank you very much. I’m considered quite big on Earth. In fact, most men don’t want a girl as big as me, because this is not what society deems to be beautiful or sexy. So don’t you call me tiny.”
Another wide smile spread over his lips, sucking the air out of her lungs. “You’re growly and feisty. I like that.”
Oh, brother. “I should go.”
He shook his head. “Why? It doesn’t bother me to have you here. Stay.”
She was so damn tempted, especially with the way he pushed the re
st of the fruit to the other side of the desk—the side with the massive chair lined with gold and a big lion’s crest in the center.
“I guess I can stay for a little while.” She offered her hand to him and smiled. “I’m Isabella. Everyone calls me Bella.”
“Trey.” He said, grabbing her hand and lifting it up to his lips.
A hot shudder raced down her spine and shot straight to her pussy. “Nice to meet you, Trey.” Thank god he couldn’t read her mind, or he’d know she was having some downright filthy thoughts about getting his gorgeous face between her legs.
NINE
Alyx knew he shouldn’t lie to his future queen. He knew it, but she was there with Gerri—there to help the matchmaker find him a wife. Well, too fucking bad. He wanted Bella, the assistant. And the best way to get her was to trick her to see him as a random male instead of the king.
Was it wrong? Without a doubt. But he was still going to do it. Giving Bella his childhood nickname wasn’t the best way to start a relationship with her, but he already did it and wasn’t taking it back. The lion inside him pushed with a massive roar to claim his mate. She was the one. All it had taken was Gerri showing up for his mate to appear. He’d never live it down.
Bella pulled back his chair and made herself comfortable on it. Seeing her in his seat did something to him. It cemented the fact that this was the woman. She was it. Even if her scent hadn’t immediately pulled his lion from sleep, her personality and wit transfixed him.
“You just got to the castle with Gerri, didn’t you?” he asked, wanting to know anything and everything about her. His mate. His queen. The pounding of his lion’s incessant growling to stamp his teeth marks on her and claim her was getting hard to ignore.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
The words hammered in his head. She glanced at the wine glass, and he immediately refilled it for her.
“It was kind of a hard trip on me. I hope the king doesn’t think I’m rude, but I needed to sleep so badly.” She lifted the glass to her lips and sipped. He clutched at the jar as he listened to her moan while she swallowed. “This is so good. I swear to god, I’m going to need a recipe before I go home. Or a barrel. Either works.”
Home? She was home already.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
He had to bite his lip to stop his growl.
“What happened with your trip?” He frowned, noticing the bruises under her eyes. She did have a harsh trek. Normally blood vessels didn’t burst unless a person fought the gravitational pull.
She drank her wine in two gulps and sighed. “A frickin’ panic attack. That’s some crazy shit. I don’t normally get that.”
He made a mental note to send tea up to her room. “Are you feeling any better now?”
She grinned softly. The wine was getting to her. He saw it in the way her pupils dilated and how she leaned her head on her hand. “I feel great. It’s pretty late, isn’t it? I can’t tell time so well here. Not with two moons.” She laughed. “You guys don’t do anything half-assed, do you?”
He refilled her wine. “Not really sure what that means, since we have nothing to do with there being two moons in Aurora.”
“I gotta tell you, that’s a beautiful name for your world.” She sighed and voiced it slowly, “Aurora.”
“I like yours better. Bella.”
“I like how you say my name,” she said the words low enough that if he hadn’t had sensitive hearing he wouldn’t have caught them.
“How is that?” he asked, his fingers itching to get a hold of her.
“You have this strange accent that is so sexy. How many languages do you speak?”
“Over three hundred. All our inhabitants speak almost every major language on Earth along with some dialects. We are also familiar with other galaxy languages from nearby.” He met her gaze and almost groaned at the scent of her desire. “Back to you, Bella. You are beautiful. It’s appropriate for you.”
She shook her head. “You’re just saying that. Men don’t call me beautiful. Not that I need anyone to, but they don’t normally say that. Fat, yes. Beautiful, no. Not that I don’t think I am beautiful.”
He hated that she didn’t see what he saw. “You shouldn’t debate the beauty I see. I don’t see what others from your world, tainted by whatever they consider beauty, see. I see a woman with beautiful hair that shines like silk and a body that makes everything in me hard. Your curves are not just desired on this planet, they are preferred in a female. And everything from your hair to your waist to your tiny feet makes me want to get on my knees and kiss every inch of your body. Not just that,” he said, staring at her mouth. “I can tell you have a fiery spirit, and I like that. Don’t tell me the beauty I see isn’t there.”
She blinked, leaning forward. “That might be one of the sexiest, most romantic things a man has ever said to me.”
He leaned forward, meeting her over the edge of the table. “You deserve romance, Bella.”
Desire clawed at his gut, pushing him for a taste of her. Her eyes filled with a sexual haze he knew too well. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. All he needed to do was take what she was freely offering.
“I think,” she licked her bottom lip, staring at his mouth, “I should go back to bed.”
His chest ached from how hard his animal pushed under his skin from the need to touch her. He was two seconds away from pouncing over the desk and tearing the clothes off her body. The material was so flimsy staring at it could probably get it destroyed. “I’ll walk you to your room.”
No way in hell was he letting her walk the halls with Brecc and Eros staying in the castle. The last thing he needed was for one of them to become infatuated with his mate.
She stood and rubbed at the leather of his desk chair, her robe falling open to reveal her shorts and a tank top that dipped low enough to show a big portion of her breasts. “This has to be the softest leather ever made. I’m in love with it.”
Screw it. He’d give her the damn thing if he could continue watching her rubbing it and making that face of pure pleasure.
He marched around the table, letting his lion guide him to her. They both wanted her. Now. But he’d wait. It might fucking kill him, but he’d wait. She picked up the tray of leftovers and her glass of wine.
“What are you doing?” He’d never seen a woman do that.
She raised her brows. “I’m dropping off this stuff at the kitchen before I go back. I can’t leave a mess in this library. The king would probably have my head,” she giggled then opened her eyes wide. “He’s a lion king. Like the cute little one in the movie.”
Alyx nodded. “I know.”
Her eyes widened. “I bet he purrs.”
“I don’t think so.”
She laughed and nodded. “All cats purr. I bet he purrs.”
“No. He does not purr. He’s a king. A lion king. He most certainly does not purr. An Alpha in every sense of the word,” he said, describing himself as accurately as possible. “He is a leader, and everyone looks up to him.”
Bella snorted a giggle. “I bet he’s old and that’s why he can’t get a girl.” She leaned into him, whispering conspiratorially, “I bet he can’t get it up. He’s old and purrs. Like a kitty cat. A poor crotchety Alion king.”
“What?” he roared.
She giggled harder. “I’m sorry.” She brought her finger to his lips, shushing him. “They’re going to catch us and send us to the dungeon. You gotta stop making me laugh.”
“There’s no dungeon here.” He finally realized she was drunk. The wine had gotten her hard, so hard she was barely staying on her feet and mostly leaning on him, but she didn’t seem to notice. He’d never seen a human woman drunk—not in person. He’d seen videos from everyone else who’d traveled, but this was new. He took the plate out of her hand along with the wine glass. “I’ll take this to the kitchens later.”
“But—”
He picked her up, stopping her from falling on her face in the process. She ga
sped, wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing her face mere inches from his. His cock turned rock hard at the need he saw in her eyes. He got to her room in record time, once she told him where she was staying. He didn’t bother telling her the room had been chosen for his future mate to use as her parlor. Instead, he stopped by her door and continued to hold her in his arms.
“Nobody’s ever picked me up before,” she breathed. The scent of the Sidaii wine clung to her lips. “You’re really big, Trey.”
“I am.”
A smile spread over her lips. Soft. Seductive. So fucking perfect he could only envision kissing her then and there.
“I didn’t realize how much I like big.”
His heartbeat thundered so hard in his chest, he swore she would hear it and ask about it. “I’m glad you find me acceptable.”
He was fucking ecstatic she liked his size. Most of the women in Aurora were used to big men, but she was an earthling. That meant she was used to smaller men.
She leaned forward and inhaled. “More than acceptable. You’re hot as hell, and you smell so good.”
She wasn’t from his planet, so he didn’t know how she could scent his mating pheromones, but he liked it. No. He loved that she was turned on by his scent. Really turned on, from the way her heartbeat increased and her body temperature rose.
She rubbed her nose over his neck and inhaled again. “It’s so strange. Your scent reminds me of how it smells after a rainfall. Like wet earth. I love it.”
Fuck waiting. Still, he held her in his arms. He leaned into the door of her room and inclined his head in, taking her lips with his. Fire erupted in his veins and shot down his back. She gripped the back of his head, digging her nails into his neck. Her taste was sweet, sexy, and more addictive than any amount of Sidaii wine.
TEN
Bella moaned. Her body heated to degrees she never imagined. Trey plunged his tongue into her mouth and explored with the precision of a general. He sucked. He licked. He drove her mindless with his kisses. Passion sizzled between them. Explosive. Desperate. The sounds of her harsh breaths pounded in her ears. She couldn’t think straight if her life depended on it. All she knew was this giant of a man was kissing her like it was the end of the world, and he had to get his fill. Like she belonged to him. And she fucking loved it.
The Alion King: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Paranormal Dating Agency Book 6) Page 4
