Tempting Auzed: The Clecanian Series Book 4

by Victoria Aveline

  She’d been peering toward the field, but upon hearing Fierad, her head snapped around so fast she almost cracked her neck. She felt Auzed shift behind her, and her heart constricted. How could a man like Auzed ever be considered anything less than drool-worthy? And how dare this hijo de puta insult him. “Excuse me? Did you mean to phrase it like that?” She cocked her hip out, gave him her most condescending stare, and waited.

  “I… No, I—” Fierad stumbled over his words as he tried to decide whether to hold his high-and-mighty ground.

  Before he could figure out what to say, she raised three fingers in the air in front of him. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

  Fierad straightened. “Three. Why?”

  “Oh good, I thought maybe you had trouble seeing.” She shifted to the side so Fierad had a clear view of Auzed then gestured to him as if he were a prize on The Price Is Right. “Then use your damn eyeballs and answer your own question. Just look at him. Enough said.”

  No longer caring about what she should and shouldn’t do, she reached out and laced her fingers through Auzed’s. To her relief, he squeezed her palm and allowed their hands to remain clasped. She chanced a glance toward him and saw a small, smug grin tugging at his lips.

  The odd melodious horn blew again, and as before, men streamed onto the field. The difference was this time, there were only ten men as opposed to the hundred from yesterday.

  She turned back to Fierad and found his eyes had narrowed, becoming fiery and livid. He’d finally recognized her for what she was. Not a weak, confused alien in need of guidance and protection but a strong, outspoken woman who knew exactly what she wanted—not him.

  Fierad tried to say something else to her, but she interrupted. “Have a nice game. My future husband and I would like some privacy.”

  His nostrils flared, and a look crossed over his face that made her pause. Was she being stupid for poking him and being so disrespectful? Maybe.

  A booming voice sounded from all around and described the challenge of the day, but she couldn’t concentrate on it.

  Though Auzed had been reserved and infuriatingly polite throughout this exchange, he now stepped in front of her, his large body seeming even wider than it had before as he squared off. “She has requested you leave now,” he said in a dangerous growl.

  She peeked around Auzed’s side and found Fierad had locked gazes with him. At length, he shot her a final glare and left.

  When they settled into their seats, the men had already started doing whatever they were doing, and her ears were buzzing with anger. God, that guy was such an asshole. If he ruined the wonderful time she was hoping to have with Auzed…well, she had no clue what she’d do. Nothing most likely. But it would really suck.

  Without having to ask, Auzed pulled up the screen she now knew was used to order food. Even though Fierad had soured her mood, she couldn’t stop her lips from squirming into a grin. If she knew how to read in the odd language or what any foods were, she’d want to do her own ordering. But the fact that Auzed kept taking the initiative with things like this was so freaking sweet.

  Deciding she wouldn’t let Fierad ruin her day, she leaned forward and kissed Auzed on the cheek.

  Over his shoulder, he glanced at her with lifted brows. “What was that for?”

  Hefting her shoulders in a shrug, she shot him a wink. “I have eyes.”

  Warmth seeped down her scalp when his chest bowed a bit and a confident grin spread over his face.

  Focusing on the field again, she saw the ten men had been arranged in a circle, all on their own boards, and were typing into podiums in front of them. Some men were higher up than the others, and every time another man ascended, the crowds cheered. “What’s going on here? I missed it because of Detective Douchebag.”

  “There are five rounds with ten players each. They have to solve riddles and answer questions.” He pointed to lines of script on the screen in front of her, and she understood the audience was being shown the riddles too. “Their board ascends every time they get one right and descends if they get a question wrong. The first three to make it to the top will move on and join the males from the four remaining rounds of the day.”

  “That’s exciting. I love riddles!” Alex chirped toward Auzed. “Read me one. Maybe I can solve it.”

  “Alright. What has six legs and can be seen but not when it is heard, and heard but not when it is seen?”

  Alex scrunched her brows and thought for a few minutes while she watched two of the men stomp their feet as their boards lowered. Finally giving up, she said, “I have no idea.”

  “I believe the answer is a whistle gnat. Two of its antennae are commonly called legs, but they aren’t really. It flies so fast that it emits a whistling sound and is invisible to the eye. When it stops flying, it no longer makes that sound and is visible. Clever.”

  She wrinkled her nose and nodded. “Yeah, I’m not going to be able to answer riddles about things on an alien planet, am I?” She chuckled.

  Her body stiffened as one of the cameras that were broadcasting the game came to float by them. Between Fierad, the lack of privacy, and her inability to understand any of the riddles being asked to the players, she was ready to leave. Maybe they could go back to the market instead. She scanned the crowded arena. It was likely nothing was open right now, though.

  The hovering camera zoomed toward them a bit. Auzed unlaced his fingers from hers and shifted ever so slightly away from her, his body growing hard the way it did whenever he was with her in public. He must’ve noticed her body immediately deflate because he leaned toward her and whispered, “How about we leave?”

  She shot him a grateful smile, even as her insides twisted. She knew he hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings by removing his hand from hers, but it was still a blow. After everything they’d been through together, he continually chose to act the way he thought Clecanians should act. It was true he’d been relaxing more and more when they were alone or around friends, but in public he still wanted to act the right way.

  She hated and loved this trait. He had an internal code he followed, and although annoying, she couldn’t help but respect him for sticking to what he believed. Even if it meant he’d ditch her when he resumed his role as head guard.

  It was probably for the best that their relationship was temporary. Although she didn’t mind his strict adherence to the rules now, she might grow to resent it in the future. Their personalities just couldn’t work together long term, could they? Alex needed certain things from her partner, and physical touch was one of her love languages. That didn’t stop just ’cause they were in front of other people.

  Not to mention the Earth-shattering information she’d gotten from Meg last night. If there was even the slightest possibility that she could return to her family, she couldn’t lead him on. His refusal to open up to her about his life confirmed he felt the same. He allowed himself to be free with her, but only to a point.

  No. They’d never work. But she could still enjoy his company for now and then spend the rest of her life fantasizing about what could’ve been. Hell, maybe in a few years if she managed to get home, this would all feel like a distant memory.

  She made her voice cheery as she spoke. “Let’s wait to see Gosten, and then we can leave. Gotta show our support.”

  ***

  Lucky for Auzed, Gosten was in the next group of contestants. Though he wasn’t the fastest to answer his questions, he was the most deliberate, only answering when he was sure he was right. As such, his progress to the top was slow, but he managed to stay ahead of most contenders.

  Auzed glanced to Alex for the billionth time, or so it felt, and tried to interpret her mood. Ever since they’d sat down, she’d been off. Stiff and quiet. Had he done something to upset her? Or was she still on edge because of Fierad?

  The visit from the Sauven guard had been infuriating but also enlightening. It seemed as though the male had no solid leads and was trying to coax some kind of a
dmission from Alex, by pushing the theory that she’d been confused when she’d agreed to be with Zed.

  Was it really so unthinkable that she might pick him? He ran his eyes over her, now grinning and cheering Gosten on, and an angry part of him acknowledged that it might be. She was so full of life. So carefree and warm and open. All the things he wasn’t. He’d never even considered there could be more for him outside of a prestigious career and occasional sibling bonding.

  What if he could convince her to actually marry him? He took a long gulp of his drink and internally shook himself. What was he even thinking? He loved his job. He didn’t want to quit. Give up the only thing that had ever made him feel worthy. Besides, if he wasn’t a head guard or a soldier, what could he even offer Alex?

  Maybe he could convince her to see him casually. The brief sexual encounters some Clecanians had in between marriages weren’t ideal, but he’d take what he could get.

  His chest warmed and bowed at the memory of her defending him to Fierad. Perhaps she did think he was a fine choice. But was she giving him too much credit? He was a mixed-breed Clecanian with a bad temper, no friends, and few hobbies. Fierad was right. She only liked him now because she didn’t understand there might be someone better for her. Someone who enjoyed plays and allowed themselves to drink and have a good time. Her mate. Whoever that may be.

  She was deep in thought again, a line forming between her brows.

  “Is everything alright?” he asked tentatively.

  “Yeah. Just a little tired.” Her gorgeous mouth curled into a weak smile, and he couldn’t contain his frown. That fake, forced grin didn’t look right on her. He wracked his brain for a way to rekindle the internal glow she always seemed to have and landed on a thought.

  She clapped and hooted as Gosten became the second male to reach the finish, but that tightness remained around her mouth.

  He stood and pulled her up with him. “Let’s go. I want to show you something.”

  Chapter 20

  After a meandering ride through Sauven, they reached the edge of the city. A wooden booth placed against a large tree contained an unenthusiastic male youth. His eyes were focused on a live projection of the games they’d just departed. A yellow kinyberry jelly hung halfway out of his mouth. Auzed cleared his throat to get the kid’s attention while Alex glanced around curiously.

  He hadn’t told her what he intended to do here yet, and so far, it looked rather mediocre. Just a ramshackle hut at the edge of the city.

  The young male glanced up. “Hello. Are you wanting to rent…” His eyes locked onto Alex and then widened in recognition. Immediately straightening and smoothing his hands over his loose, rumpled vest, the male sputtered, “Uh. Do you want a sky lounger?”

  Alex’s lips quirked as she noticed the boy’s sudden fascination with her. She gave him a wide, warm smile that made the male blush from the tips of his ears down to his scrawny chest. “I’m not sure. Gotta ask the big guy,” she said, tipping her head toward Auzed.

  The male darted his gaze between them and finally wheezed out his question to Auzed.

  “Yes. Do you have a menu?” Zed asked, trying to keep the humor out of his voice. The poor lad was already embarrassed enough as it was.

  “Oh! Uh…of course.” He fumbled around the small space and handed Zed a small cube that projected a menu screen.

  “You’re a human.”

  While scrolling through the options, Zed heard the male utter the words under his breath as if he hadn’t meant to say them aloud at all.

  “How could you tell?” Alex joked.

  He glanced back up after making his selections to find the male had gone as purple as his dark, spiky hair. Zed coughed to hide his chuckle and handed the screen back to the boy.

  “I’ll get this ready right away.” He backed up and slipped a little before righting himself and exiting through a hole in the tree.

  Alejandra’s real smile was back in place when Zed peered at her, and his heart seemed to skip a beat. “Looks like teens are awkward on every planet.”

  “I’d probably have tripped over my own feet if I’d seen you at his age too.”

  His compliment was immediately rewarded with a flush stealing over her cheeks. He could feel the purr build in his chest, but he squashed it.

  “So, what exactly is a sky lounger?”

  Before he could answer, the young male returned, out of breath and sweaty. “It’s coming around now. If you’ll follow me to the lift.” He stepped onto the narrow walkway between them and guided them to the back of the tree, where a rail-enclosed platform waited. “Please use this if you have any problems or need anything else. We’ve got a few males working up top today, but we weren’t expecting any visitors until tonight, with the games and all.” Eyes glued to Alex, he handed Zed a sleek communicator.

  She made a show of slipping her arms around Zed’s bicep as they lifted into the air and gave the young male a small wave goodbye. The poor kid looked reasonably shocked, his yellow eyes becoming as wide and round as Wilson’s.

  Alex giggled, and when the male was out of sight, she gave Zed a playful grin. Then, for some reason, her gaze became apologetic, and she stepped away from him. “Sorry. I couldn’t help it.”

  It took him a moment to understand what she was referring to, then a light clicked on. She must think he still didn’t want her to touch him in public. Though he hadn’t told her about his change of heart outright, nothing could be further from the truth. Based on his adamant urging otherwise only a few days ago, he could see how she might not understand. How was she to know that nowadays he felt cold and on edge every second between the moments they touched?

  He recalled how wrong it had felt to move away from her earlier at the game. Was that why she’d been acting so strangely? When the camera had focused on her, he’d put distance between them on instinct. Years of experience told him a female wouldn’t want to be seen engaging in an intimate act like that in public. Especially not while being broadcast to so many. He hadn’t given it a second thought at the time.

  Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her close. “You’ve converted me. If I had it my way, you would never stop touching me.”

  A grin tugged at her lips, and she gazed up at him with a suspicious raised brow. “Really? But at the game—”

  “I thought it would make you uncomfortable.”

  She gave a quick snort. Her focus strayed to the treetops they were quickly approaching, and her brows knit. “How high are we going?”

  “Topside.”

  Her gaze bounced between him and the underside of the tree canopy. “You mean we’ll be able to see the sun and the sky? Is there nice weather today? Oh my God, I don’t even care!” She let out a little squeal.

  Satisfaction shot through his bones, heating him from the inside out. Never had he gotten such gratification from being the cause of someone’s happiness.

  As they neared the highest layer of dense tree canopy, they saw a beam of sunlight shining through a carved-out opening. Too bright to look at, they both had to shield their eyes while they passed through it. The sudden heat and white light all around told him they were now topside. He pressed Alex’s head into his chest, not wanting her to attempt to open her eyes sooner than was necessary.

  “Oh no! Did Rew forget to give you glasses?” called a gentle voice from next to them.

  Zed listened as someone rustled through a drawer or maybe a bin. Alex bobbed up and down excitedly, and he grinned.

  “Here you go.” The male pushed some glasses into Zed’s hands. He slipped his on, then put Alex’s on for her.

  When he opened his eyes, he saw a sea of endless treetops in every direction. The tiny white vinasy blossoms that grew on crawling vines blanketed the leaves of the trees. The heat from the fiery-orange afternoon sun baked the flowers and made the air sweet with their warm scent.

  A short older male waved at them, drawing Alex’s rapt attention. Her mouth was hanging open in the mo
st adorably satisfying way.

  “I have your lounger all ready to go.” He gestured toward a large white floating platform outfitted with huge, cushioned sunbathing areas, a small stocked kitchen, and a perfectly round shallow pool.

  Alex spotted the lounger and put a hand to her heart, grinning from ear to ear. “It looks like the front of one of those fancy yachts or something. We get to go hang out on that?”

  Anxious to get her alone so they could enjoy their day away from prying eyes, he gently urged her to board the lounger. “Yes, we do. Just you and me.”

  He tipped his head to the older Sauven male dressed head to toe in a protective sun suit and took the control the male offered.

  “Anywhere particular you’d like to be placed?” the male asked while sneaking glances at Alex, now exploring the cupboards of the lounger.

  “Somewhere with a nice view. You choose.”

  The male nodded and, after a last lingering look at Alex, retreated into a shaded floating hut.

  Alex had decided to wear a soft pink dress today. As she bent to search the various compartments around the lounger, the hem of her skirt lifted, and he couldn’t bring himself to feel bad for ogling her.

  Realizing that if he was being graced with this view, others were as well, he activated the upgraded privacy settings. The faint flash of a shimmering bubble all around them was the only indication that their privacy shield was in place. Now he could relax, knowing no one could hear or see them from outside the lounger.

  “It’s too bad there isn’t any sunscreen,” she said, digging through a compartment of towels set in the floor.

  Zed’s brows drew together. Maybe she didn’t realize he’d activated the shield. “I have our screen up. Do you want me to increase the shade?”

  Sitting back on her heels, she cocked her head at him. “We aren’t speaking the same language right now. I’m looking for lotion to rub on my skin so I don’t get a sunburn.”