by Jaylee Davis
“Wreckage from a Krellian fighter hit and disabled my ship.” He growled again before he continued. “I survived the crash, but I don’t think the locator beacon was so lucky.”
“Does that mean your people don’t know where you are?”
“It will take them longer to find me.”
Bethany bit her lip. Not good. Another hiss sounded in the shower.
His voice was softer, almost hesitant when he spoke again. “I need assistance.”
“How can I help?” She stared at his blurred form as she strained to see him.
“Does your culture have an objection to touching?”
“What?” She was dumbfounded, and would’ve never guessed he’d ask something like that.
“I apologize for shocking you. It is of no matter.”
“No, wait. I think we’re just having a communication breakdown. What is it you need exactly?”
His deep sigh seemed filled with regret. “I have a cut on my back, making it difficult to clean.”
Bethany gasped and almost choked. He needed somebody to wash his back? Oh, my god. This could get kinky strange, but she’d already trampled a few moral codes. What did another one matter? On the other hand, was she ready to see catman nude? She took a deep breath for courage and dropped the bags onto the floor.
“Turn around and I’ll wash your back for you. I’ll try to be careful.”
She slid the door open. The sight of him damn near overwhelmed her. His back was turned toward her, and it took several seconds to figure out in detail what she was looking at. He was so…colorful. His muscular arms and shoulders were striped just like a tiger. His long mane reached midway down his back, and she glimpsed black stripes fanning out from a thin black line that ran down his spine all the way to the base of his tail. The patterns on his legs matched his arms.
Bethany gaped at his powerful physique. She couldn’t stop staring and wondering if his front was as impressive as his back. Her gaze zeroed in on his gorgeous striped muscular ass and long tail. Vren wasn’t entirely naked. Her mouth dropped open.
He wore the cutest little black thong underwear she’d ever seen. The broad waistband rode high on his hips and the back strap split apart to accommodate his tail. She was dying of curiosity to see the front. Her imagination ran wild. Catman had to be huge since everything else about him was humongous.
Muscles rippled in his shoulders and arms as he reached up and lifted his long hair away from his back. Water droplets splashed her face and revived her from a stupor. Bethany glanced down. She was still dressed in boots, jeans and a button-up shirt.
“I need to take off my boots first. Hold that pose,” she said and blanched. Hold that pose? What was wrong with her?
She slipped out of her boots and tossed them into the bedroom. She gathered the last remnants of her dignity, stepped into the shower stall and closed the door behind her. His large body blocked most of the spray, but she didn’t want to chance flooding the bathroom floor. She grabbed a washcloth, a bar of soap and worked up a good lather. All the while, she studied his back. A long cut below his left shoulder blade marred his skin.
“I see it. It’s not deep, but it’s pretty long.”
He acknowledged her assessment with a deep grunt.
She started between his shoulder blades and scrubbed his back. She took care to gently wipe the soapy cloth around the cut. The temptation to rub her palms over his thick shoulders and down his sinewy back was almost irresistible. She wanted to touch him so bad. His skin looked amazing, striped and suede-like, the same as his face.
“That feels good,” he said. “No one has ever washed me this way.”
“No one, ever?” Bethany found that hard to believe.
He shook his head. “Our females do not like to tend to males. I hesitated to ask you to help me. I did not wish to insult you.”
“Oh. Uh, um, well, human females like to tend to their men sometimes. It’s what couples do, you know. They help each other. It’s not insulting.”
He glanced over his shoulder and looked at her with a hopeful expression. “Do you want me to wash your back now?”
Bethany laughed nervously. She couldn’t tell if he was teasing or if he was the most literal ninny she’d ever met. The corners of his mouth lifted in a hesitant smile as he waited for her answer. His eyes sparkled, mesmerizing her.
Talk about the cat getting your tongue. She remained speechless for a few seconds. The only thing that responded to him was her body. The idea of his large hands on her naked back did shocking things to her. She clenched her thighs together and prayed she wouldn’t cream her jeans.
“Oh…um…I think I can do that myself. Uh…later. After you’re done.” She swallowed hard, dropped the washcloth and backed away.
To her surprise, he turned around and took a step toward her. Her back hit the shower door and she let out a startled yelp. He stopped and stared at her. His nostrils flared as he drew in a deep breath.
“You are aroused and are ready to couple, but you act frightened.” He stepped back. “I do not understand.” His eyes narrowed to green slits and his ears swept back. It made him look more ferocious. “Does my appearance disgust you?”
Mortified that she’d insulted him, Bethany blurted out the truth. “No, you don’t disgust me! I think you’re amazing looking and very attractive. You’re just really big. And I don’t know anything about you. Human women like to get to know someone before they get…close.”
His expression softened and his lips formed an encouraging smile. “For us, coupling brings us close, and we get to know each other very well. It is a time saver.”
I’m sure it is, Bethany wanted to say. Instead, she said, “Well, we prefer talking to each other first.”
Not quite the total truth since many human couples went from saying “hi” to groping each other in a matter of minutes. She was pretty sure catman meant full out, body to body naked contact when he spoke of coupling.
The idea of having sex with him made her stomach flutter and sent a spike of desire to her pussy so hard it almost made her moan. He was incredible to look at. She wanted to run her hands all over his hard-muscled body and explore every inch. She slid her gaze downward to marvel at his ripped form. She admired his wide muscular chest and washboard abs, which tapered to a tight, trim waist. It was what she didn’t see that surprised her.
The waistband of his thong dipped low across his lower abdomen where it held a triangular piece of material snugly in place. There was no sign of a bulge or any evidence of an erection between his beefy thighs. He looked a lot like an anatomically incorrect life-sized doll. She couldn’t help but stare in disappointment. Bethany had expected, anticipated, so much more, considering his enormous size.
“Bethany?”
His deep voice startled her. Bethany jerked her head up and gazed straight into his wondrous eyes. Vren’s sly smile stretched into a broad grin. He’d caught her staring, and seemed to have guessed what she was looking for. Her mind raced to find some way to recover from her flub in manners.
“So you bathe in your underwear?”
He huffed out a small laugh. “I do not wear underwear. All Alliance fleet personnel must wear a uniform while on duty. This is how I dress when I am not on duty.” He hooked his thumbs under the waistband at the front of the thong-like garment and tugged it downward just a bit, drawing her gaze once again to his crotch. “This is a tapa. All D’Lyrians, males and females, wear this. Our females also wear small strips of decorative cloth to cover their breasts. We males enjoy looking at them.”
Tapa reminded her of tapas, the Spanish word for appetizers. Bethany refused to think about what kind of snack might be hidden behind his tapa so she concentrated on his last statement. At least he’d said his species name. D’Lyrian.
She nervously cleared her throat and looked back up at him, confused. “You enjoy looking at the females or the cloth?”
His smile vanished and his expression turned serious as i
f he dissected each word of her question. He blinked, unnerving her once again. Suddenly, his face brightened.
“Both,” he said with a satisfied grin.
Damn D’Lyrian alien! Bethany crossed her arms over her chest and stood as tall as her short frame allowed. It was a struggle, but she somehow managed not to tap her foot in irritation.
“I’ll leave so you can finish your shower.”
She spun around, slid the door open and quickly stepped out of the stall. She pulled the shower door closed behind her, determined to not look back at him. She grabbed the two trash bags off the floor, but before she made it out of the bathroom, she noticed his tapa draped over the top of the shower door.
Curiosity killed the cat, Bethany. She couldn’t stop her mind from countering her warning with the part about how satisfaction brought the dead feline back to life.
She hurried to her closet and then shoved the bags to the very back, behind all her clothes. Afterward, Bethany slid on her boots. She needed to park the old ranch truck in the shed beside the barn. Until she could clean the blood off the backseat, it was best to keep it hidden. If Caleb or any of his goons were bold enough to trespass on her property, she didn’t want them to make any discoveries. Her fear for Vren grew by the minute, and her attraction to him kept pace.
Chapter Four
The small female became more enticing with each passing moment, and he couldn’t seem to keep his thoughts focused on finding a way out of his predicament. There was a good chance he wouldn’t leave the planet alive. He preferred to concentrate on her instead. She fascinated him, and her enticing smell tempted him to consider something forbidden.
After she’d slipped around him in the bath area, he couldn’t help but track her. He’d used the cut on his back as an excuse just to lure her closer, to have her touch him. Even through the wet cloth, her hands were a balm against his skin. He thought her delicate human features were very pleasing. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, much like the color of Earth’s oceans when seen from space. Her pale gold hair and the soft appearance of her skin, which was several shades lighter than his own, fascinated him. She was much shorter than any female who’d ever caught his attention, but her figure seemed lush from what he could make out beneath her clothing.
He’d been serious about wanting to wash her back and any other areas he might talk her into letting him touch. Her shirt closures were undone at the top and they parted just enough to give him a peek at the upper swells of her creamy breasts. They taunted him and made his mouth water. The second she’d turned and walked away, he could hardly control the urge to grab her hips and pull her pert little ass tight against his groin. His cock twitched as it grew inside the confines of his pouch. He groaned in frustration.
He was out of his mind for even thinking about coupling with a human. The very idea was insane. He should just be grateful for the little female’s help. He also knew she was very concerned about something. He could scent her fear, but she didn’t seem to be afraid of him anymore. While she’d stared at him in the shower, he’d smelled her arousal, so sweet and tempting. He clenched his jaw, aching to discover how her cream would compare to a female of his own kind. He yearned to taste her, to lick and kiss her. He’d start with her lips, then her neck and all down her body until he could bury his mouth in her sex. No.
She was too small and frail, he told himself in an attempt to douse his inappropriate desire. Human females weren’t as sturdy as D’Lyrian females. They couldn’t possibly handle a warrior such as himself. He might hurt her if he penetrated her. His cock jerked in disagreement and pushed against the seam of his pouch as it swelled larger at the mere thought of coupling with her.
Vren pressed his forehead against the shower wall and sucked in deep breaths. The water had washed away all the smoke smell and stench of animal blood. His head felt much better, and he was certain his injuries weren’t too severe. Just clearing his senses had helped. There was only one problem. He could smell the female much better. Her scent lingered in the shower. He listened for a moment to check if he could locate her in the dwelling. He heard her quiet footsteps just beyond the sleeping area. He wanted to finish, and didn’t know if she’d be shocked by what he needed to do next. He didn’t wish to break any cultural taboos. The exterior door to her dwelling opened, then closed. She’d gone outside.
He decided he had privacy and enough time. At his bidding, the vise-like muscles along the inner seam of his pouch relaxed to allow his enlarging penis to emerge. Once free, it grew to full length, swollen hard with sexual need. He poured more soap onto his hand and spread the slick liquid over the shaft and lathered all around the base to wash thoroughly. Satisfied he was clean, he fisted his aching cock and slowly slid his palm up and down. In its present state, he’d never be able to tuck it back into the safety of his pouch. He had to come. It wouldn’t take long.
He pumped faster and imagined with each stroke that he thrust deep into the little female. She’d be perfect for him, so tight and wet. His head dropped back as he came. Thick white bursts of cum jetted against the wall. Each shot made his hips jerk. The shower spray removed all traces of his climax.
Sated for the moment, he rinsed his body a final time and then took a few moments to revel in the rare indulgence of an actual water cleansing. He relaxed so much a soft purr vibrated within chest. The inner muscles of his pelvis contracted to retract his penis into its secure position within the pouch. Once inside, the seam closed so tight it seemed to disappear. Now that he felt more in control of his instincts, he was anxious to talk to her again. He turned off the water, stepped out of the shower and dried off.
Earlier, Bethany had been afraid, and he guessed her fear had something to do with the humans who’d found the crash site and then tried to track him. Now that he was able to think more clearly, he realized his presence might put her in danger. The idea of her being harmed because of him sent a surge of rage through him. At the same time, he wanted to make sure no one hurt her, ever. He’d protect her. He’d kill anyone who tried to harm her.
Overcome by a fierce urge to rush out of the bathroom and find her, he gripped the doorframe to stop himself. What was happening to him? Had he lost his mind? He’d never experienced such strange emotions before, and quite frankly, he didn’t like them.
He blinked, then snarled in exasperation. He gave the mirror a sideways look to examine his image. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He appeared the same as always, except he was naked. Vren jerked his tapa off the top of the shower door. He pulled it on before he fastened the waistband over the base of his tail. No matter if he could escape from the planet or not, he had to get away from the human female as soon as possible. She was entirely too distracting.
After the night cycle ended, he’d leave her dwelling and rely on his personal locator implant to signal his position. A shuttle anywhere in Earth’s atmosphere would pick up the weak transmission. Whether his comrades could gain permission to land on the surface or not might be a problem. Commandant Tram was bound by a temporary treaty with Earth’s government—no unauthorized landings. Vren’s chances were bleak, at best.
Convinced that a course of action even without a formal plan was progress, he strolled out of the bathroom and staggered a few steps before he fell flat on the floor. He managed to cushion his fall with his hands, but there was no hope of getting up. The room spun and made it impossible for him to find his balance. A sharp pain stabbed his head. He closed his eyes. It seemed to help block out the dizzy sensation. He rolled onto his back and waited for his condition to improve. He hoped it would.
* * * *
Bethany pulled the shed doors together and then snapped the combination lock into place. The truck was hidden for now. With her shotgun clutched in one hand and her sat phone and flashlight in the other, she took off at a trot back toward the house. He should be done with his shower by now. If he’d go to sleep, she’d clean up, then try to call Juan to find out if her foreman had heard any news about
an alien spacecraft crash landing on Earth.
She hoped the news media hadn’t found out about Vren’s ship. On second thought, they might be helpful. She didn’t know if Caleb would report the crash or not. Maybe she should. Surely, the Pure Earth group wouldn’t dare harm him in front of a horde of news reporters, and the Alliance could rescue him. On the other hand, if she recalled the publicized terms of the negotiations correctly, the Alliance couldn’t land any of their spacecraft anywhere else on Earth without proper authorization. All they could do was deliver their ambassadors to the NWG headquarters or scientists to NASA.
He hadn’t exactly landed, but he certainly wasn’t authorized to be on the planet right now. She wondered how much time it’d take his people to negotiate for his return. If it took too long, Caleb would eventually force his way onto her property to continue the search. The very thought threatened to send her into a senseless panic.
Why hadn’t she listened to her brother and friends when they’d warned her about how dangerous it’d be for her to live all alone at the ranch? Damn them all for being right, she grinched. None of that mattered now. Somehow, she had to keep him safe.
Bethany dashed up the porch steps before she flung the house door open. She rushed inside, then closed it and latched the deadbolt. She leaned back against the sturdy wood and blew out a tense breath before she tossed her phone and flashlight onto the nearby kitchen counter. Thank god her parents had been avid hunters, and had taught her how to respect and shoot most types of firearms. She leaned the shotgun against the doorjamb. A nine-millimeter Beretta handgun with a full clip was in the top drawer of her bedside table, and she kept a hunting rifle under the couch in the living room just in case of an emergency. She hoped like hell she wouldn’t need any of them. A loud thud coming from her bedroom caught her attention.
For god’s sakes, what’s the alien doing now?
