Kraving Tavak (The Krave of Everton Book 4)

by Zoey Draven

  Stella nodded but didn’t pry even though her answer only flooded her with more questions.

  “Of course, I understand,” Stella said.

  They walked in uncomfortable silence after that but then Valerie started filling it by pointing out various plant life around them. The woman lit up when talking about plants. Stella learned that she had a garden of her own, that it kept her busy, and that she was researching the native plants of Dumera.

  “This is my home,” Valerie finally said, stopping in front of a massive jivera tree after they stepped off the main stretch of road. Stella couldn’t help but notice that the ground was much springier and spongier out here in the forest than it was in the city’s center.

  “It’s lovely,” Stella complimented, smiling. And it truly was. She looked at the garden Valerie spoke about, just around the back of the jivera, and it was much larger than she’d thought, enclosed with a fence and lit up by little solar lanterns.

  “My mate made those for me,” Valerie told her, catching her looking at them. “He’s very handy. He likes to invent things.”

  Stella smiled, hearing the obvious love for Dravka in her new friend’s voice.

  “So anyways, you must come over for tea. How about tomorrow afternoon? I’m not sure what your working hours are but Eve will be so happy to know you’re coming.”

  Tomorrow?

  She had a shipment coming in in the morning but if she worked fast to unload it, she could probably squeeze in tea.

  “Tomorrow works great,” Stella answered, reaching out to squeeze her hand.

  “Wonderful!” Valerie exclaimed. Then her gaze darted beyond Stella’s shoulder and she lifted a slim finger. “You see that jivera tree? The one with the really big, silver ladder?”

  Stella nodded, inspecting the home. There was a yellow light glowing from the inside. Everything was darker out here but Stella would take the darkness over the heat any day.

  “That’s where Tavak lives. He’s home now,” Valerie added, making Stella’s heart begin to pound. She’d distracted herself up until this point but now she would have to face Tavak after their disastrous night together, especially when he’d made it clear he didn’t want to see her. “I think he’s been working really late into the nights. He’s usually at the labs this time but Dravka mentioned he’s been staying late.”

  Stella wondered if that had something to do with her. Or if maybe he was still missing his brother and wanted to distract himself with work. Or maybe both.

  “Thank you,” Stella said, turning back to Valerie. “I’m so glad we finally met.”

  Her nerves must’ve showed on her face because Valerie gave her a pat on the shoulder.

  Hesitantly, she said, “I know Tavak can be…difficult to get to know. But he really is a big softie on the inside. You know that, right?”

  Stella nodded. Softly, she said, “I do. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t care about him.”

  Her words made Valerie relax. The brunette gave her an encouraging smile.

  “Good luck,” she said. “See you tomorrow.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  At the top landing of Tavak’s jivera tree, Stella took a calming breath. A large wood door stood in front of her. There was a long, circular porch that seemed to wrap its way around the entire tree, though sections of it didn’t have rails. Fresh sheets of wood were scattered around, as if Tavak—or possibly his brother—were fixing up the porch fencing.

  Up close, the jivera tree’s trunk was even more massive than she’d thought. Like the archives, she assumed the homes on the inside were constructed inside its hollowed out trunk. Walls built. Flooring placed. Windows cut. She’d never been inside one so she didn’t know what to expect.

  Stella raised her fist to the door and knocked lightly. There was large, natural, darkened knot by the handle. She wondered if the door was made from the insides of the tree.

  Her heart thumped when she heard heavy footsteps inside. She jumped when she heard a female laugh but it echoed around the forest and she realized it had floated through the trees, from a jivera nearer to the town.

  In the quietness of the forest, it was easy to hear.

  Stella had her gaze fastened on the wood knot by the handle and she looked at it as it began to retreat back, as the door was pulled open. Then her eyes were on strong legs encased in black material. When she looked up, Tavak’s eyes had already begun to swirl.

  “Hi, Tavak,” Stella started softly, tucking hair behind her ear, and flashing him a quick, small, nervous smile.

  His expression was unreadable when he saw her standing on his doorstep. She didn’t miss the way his eyes flashed behind her, looking for the person who told her where he lived, no doubt.

  “I met Valerie in town. She showed me where you lived because I told her I wanted to talk to you. Because…because I’ve been worried.”

  The last part came out quiet and soft.

  Seeing him in daylight, framed in the threshold of his own home, was strange, Stella realized. Forbidden even. Of course, she’d spied on him in town if she spotted him, but otherwise, she only ever saw him at night. In the bar.

  And the last time she’d seen him, he’d been above her. Inside her body. His face had been angry, his jaw ticking, with sharp lines of moonlight across it in the shadows of her bedroom.

  Stella shifted to her other foot, studying him warily. He seemed frozen in place. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken. He was frowning.

  Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she’d crossed a line she wasn’t supposed to cross with him.

  “I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have come,” she said quickly, her throat tightening. She began to turn, embarrassed, her eyes desperately searching for the silver ladder she’d climbed up. “I’ll just—”

  A large, warm hand wrapped around her forearm, stilling her. Jolting her. How long had she studied those hands, wrapped around his goblet at Reji’s? A few nights ago, they’d felt like suede across her skin and between her thighs.

  Stop.

  Stella looked up at Tavak hesitantly. He didn’t say anything but he pulled her forward, stepping back from the door and allowing her entry into his home.

  Immediately, she was hit with the tantalizing scent of him. One she’d always loved. All over.

  Stella blinked, swallowing hard, feeling Tavak’s hand release her arm. They were lingering just inside the door, which Tavak closed, his palm spread wide over the wood. When he turned to face her, he didn’t move away. There was only a couple feet separating them and Stella looked up, breathing him in, her heart throbbing in her chest.

  “Hi,” she said again, quietly.

  Something flickered in his eyes. The swirling began to slow. His expression softened, ever so slightly, which made Stella relax. At least a tad.

  She studied him, noticing that he seemed…tired. Keriv’i didn’t get bags under their eyes like humans did—at least like Stella did—but there was a strain around them and a slowness to his movements that was abnormal.

  A thought occurred to her, making her nibble on her lip. “Did I wake you?”

  He shook his head. “Veki.”

  Stella swallowed and nodded, relieved. She glanced around his home briefly but didn’t want to seem too nosy, especially since she knew that Tavak was so private about his life.

  From what she could see, the home was a large circle—which made sense considering they were in the trunk of a tree. Half of the circle was where they were standing now. A living space was to the left, comfortable and cozy-looking with cushions and padded chairs, and to the right was a cooking and eating area. A fire oven was pushed to the far wall, as well as a cooling box for fresh food, and a long table for prep. A slab of glittering knives was tacked onto the wooden wall.

  Towards the back of the circular space, she saw a darkened horizontal hallway and could make out a couple doors. She assumed that was where the bedrooms and the washroom lay.

  Stella was surprised how big it was on th
e inside. Tavak was a tall, bulky male—his brother too—and it seemed like a perfect amount of space for a Keriv’i. Above them, the ‘ceiling’ of the tree was a darkened shaft but Stella could just make out the top, where the hollowing out had ended.

  Her perusal had taken only a couple moments but when she looked back at Tavak, his gaze was fastened on her, and she flushed at being caught.

  She cleared her throat.

  And figured they shouldn’t ‘beat around the bush,’ or so her mother used to say.

  “I thought we should talk,” Stella started quietly. “You know…about what happened.”

  Tavak’s expression darkened slightly. His hand came up and he scrubbed it down his face once, a human gesture that made her pause.

  “You just haven’t come to Reji’s in a few days and I didn’t want—I didn’t want you to think that…” Stella trailed off, not finding the words, even when she’d been thinking about what to say to him for days.

  The truth was, even if he didn’t see anything more with her, she still wanted to be his friend. She liked him. Maybe that made her a little bit pathetic but Stella didn’t care.

  “That night doesn’t have to change anything between us,” Stella finally murmured quietly, her face flushing a little. “I know it was…it was a little weird.”

  Weird didn’t seem like the right word to use, especially when Tavak’s jaw twitched. Especially when she was talking about a male and how sex with him had been.

  Stella hurriedly added, “And, um, it’s okay. I know it happens to males a lot. And it wasn’t a big deal. So I just didn’t want you to feel like anything had changed.”

  God.

  She was really stepping in it.

  Especially when Tavak cursed a little under his breath when she was trying to explain away his, erm, malfunction a few nights ago.

  Stella bit her lip because she felt herself wanting to babble on in her nerves.

  Tension built up between them. Stella could feel it rising and she was getting more and more nervous as the seconds ticked by.

  Because the truth was that Stella had enjoyed the build-up of that night. She’d liked—more than liked—the way he’d taken charge. She’d liked his rough words in her ear, the way he moved his hands over her body like he owned her.

  The male had brought her to an orgasm in record time. He’d known exactly where to touch her, alternating between gentle and hard pressure over her clit. He’d read her body expertly well. Like he’d…

  Well, like he’d been with human females before. And maybe he had.

  Stella swallowed, a little jealous over faceless women who may or may not exist. Which was ridiculous. Especially when she didn’t even know if Tavak liked her as more than a friend. Or if he’d just wanted to scratch an itch and she’d…been there.

  This was it. She really needed to leave here with a clear answer, one way or another.

  “Look…” she started, licking her dry lips. She kept her voice quiet, partly because she was worried it would shake if she raised it and partly because they were still standing very close to one another. “If you just want to be friends and nothing more, I understand. If you’re…if you’re not attracted to me, I understand. But I would rather just know right now if that’s the case. So I can know for certain and move on and not…”

  Not waste more time wanting a male that will never want me back.

  Stella’s hand shook when she fidgeted with a string coming loose from her tunic. She needed new material soon.

  “We can still be friends if that’s the case. If you want to,” Stella added quietly, casting a quick look up at him. His expression was getting dangerous again. The longer she talked, the more thunderous he looked. “I just—mmph…”

  Tavak had her back against the door and he was kissing her.

  Tavak. Was. Kissing. Her.

  Stella’s eyes were open. As were his. And he looked angry. Furious at her.

  But his kiss was so, so gentle. Those lips were soft and she made a mewing sound in surprise and delight.

  Tavak deepened the kiss, sliding his hand up into her hair, his dull claws scraping against her scalp and Stella fucking melted.

  God, she’d missed kissing. Kissing Tavak felt so good, and for a moment, she gave in to it completely.

  Her eyelids fluttered shut even though she was frozen in place, her hands trapped between their bodies. Tavak was hard and unyielding against her, pressing her into the door so she couldn’t move, but Stella didn’t mind it. It was strangely…Tavak.

  She’d begged him to kiss her a few nights ago. Now she knew what she’d been missing.

  Because Tavak was a damn fantastic kisser. And again, Stella felt a sting of jealousy wondering about all his past lovers.

  He made a gruff sound in his throat as his mouth grew more demanding. That long tongue licked at her own, sending shivers racing down her spine. Hot and tingling.

  He still hadn’t said more than two words to her. That wasn’t lost on her.

  But finally, after long moments of Stella feeling like she would pass out from the lack of air between them, he gave her a breather and growled, “Has anyone told you you talk too much, vellia?”

  Stella swallowed. “Y-Yes.”

  A rough, amused sound tore from him and then he was back at her lips, pressing into her as her neck tilted back, her head leaning against the door she’d walked through mere moments before. Her throat was exposed to him and his other hand came to it, angling her head back even further so he could have full access to her lips.

  His hand was warm and strong. If any other male had his hand to her throat, Stella would be frightened. But not with Tavak. She only felt desire and this driving need to submit to him.

  It was crazy.

  But everything she felt for Tavak didn’t make sense.

  She swallowed, feeling the resistance of his hand as her throat bobbed. His tongue traced the inside of her mouth. Her head spun. She made a little whimpering sound, trying to get closer. Then Tavak moved those lips again, gently at first before becoming more demanding. He nibbled at her bottom lip. He sucked on her tongue. He devoured her until Stella felt like there was nothing left.

  The hand at her throat slid down. He took one of her hands trapped between them and Stella drew in a shocked, ragged gasp when he curled her hand around his cock, straining and hard and thick in his pants.

  He growled, jerking his hips into her touch and Stella’s hand unconsciously curled tighter, as if afraid he’d take it away from her. Again.

  “Does this answer your question, vellia?” he rasped, his husky, rough words caressing her like velvet.

  Stella’s eyes were wide even when he swiped his tongue across her bottom lip. Her nipples were tight and painfully hard. The space between her thighs was throbbing. Why did she always respond to Tavak like this? Like he controlled her body and her pleasure was always going to be his?

  It made the desire she’d felt with her past lovers laughable. She wondered if this was how it was always supposed to be or if this was just…Tavak.

  Still, Stella needed to be absolutely certain, even though her hand was around him and she could feel him pulsing against her thumb.

  “I need to hear you say it,” she whispered.

  That expression got dark again. Those eyes swirled.

  He pulled back. His hand went to her throat again—she wondered if that was a Keriv’i thing, if this was one of the things Lubbina had spoken of—and he tilted her head back again so she stared directly into his eyes.

  “I get hard almost every time I see you,” he told her, his voice like sandpaper. “And I have friends, vellia, but you can be certain that I don’t dream of fucking them. I dream of fucking you.”

  Her breathing went shallow.

  “Is that what you needed to hear?” he purred, dark and sinful.

  Stella was beginning to think that she was in over her head with Tavak. That she’d underestimated just how much she desired him. Because right
then, she felt like if he ordered her to orgasm, just his voice would set her off.

  She’d never felt anything like it.

  Tavak seemed to realize the same thing because he studied her expression, his nostrils flaring, his eyes narrowing.

  A soft cry tore from her throat when his hand left her hair…when it came down between their bodies and he pressed the pad of his fingertip against her clit. Right on it. Like he knew exactly where to find it, even with the thick material of her pants between them.

  He circled and rubbed, fast and hard, and Stella’s knees trembled.

  But it was his kiss that set her orgasm off like a bomb. She gasped into his mouth, her hips jerking against his touch. Her hand tightened on his cock, which made him curse, soft and strained.

  She bit his lip, drawing it into her mouth, as pleasure exploded between her thighs, traveling up and around her entire body.

  A rough growl met her ears. Against her lips, he said, “You’re so vauking good, Stella. Pax, come for me.”

  A whimper escaped her, her pleasure compounding at his words.

  Unbelievable, she thought, keeping his eyes, those swirling, beautiful orbs watching it all. Tavak’s body jerked slightly, a rough, ragged groan tumbling from his throat.

  Then it was over and her limbs were trembling. If it wasn’t for Tavak pinning her to the door, she would have fallen in a heap on the floor.

  That was…insane, she thought, still in disbelief that only a small touch and a kiss had brought her to such an amazing orgasm.

  Something wet was blooming underneath her palm and her lips parted in realization.

  “Vauk,” Tavak murmured, pulling her hand away from his cock quickly. His brow was furrowed, his jaw tight. Even with that fierce expression, his voice was surprisingly soft when he asked, “You see how crazed you make me?”

  Oh my.