Auzed grinned and remained poised in place. He needed her to be desperate for him. As desperate as he was for her. Slowly he angled over her and pressed an open-mouthed kiss between her shoulder blades, then pushed forward, sinking into the wet heat of her sex.
A low, prolonged moan from deep in her chest rode on her exhale and caressed his senses. With her legs tightly clamped together as they were, the sensation of his broad head inching into her was almost too much. Letting loose a ragged groan, he lifted to his haunches and clutched the swell of her hips, ensuring he buried himself fully.
Alex’s delicate fingers were balled into fists on either side of her head, and small moans escaped her lips with each breath. Angling forward again, he planted his palms on her shoulders. Sprawled over her like this, his pelvis tight against her ass, their size disparity was obvious. Lifting to her forearms, she curled up toward him, arching her back, and peered up at his face hovering above. He gazed into her amber-flecked brown eyes and gripped her chin with his right hand. Gently he guided her up to his mouth and kissed her upside down, sucking and nibbling her bottom lip from their new position. She whimpered and rocked her hips as if needing him to move but trying to wait for his lead.
Her chin still held in his fingers, their mouths still locked together, he slid out a few inches, then surged back into her. The feel of her silky core gripping him, flooding with liquid, snapped a piece of his control. He thrust into her again, a little more forcefully this time. The shaky moan she released into his mouth told him she liked the strength behind his movements.
That was just it, though, wasn’t it? She liked him for the good and bad. Liked the spikes of emotion and his rough hands on her body. He didn’t have to shroud himself in layers of etiquette and convention when he was around her.
Suddenly, they weren’t close enough. He needed to feel every quiver of her body as he fucked her.
Releasing her chin, he lowered onto his elbow and wrapped his forearm around her shoulders. She sank her head back against his chest and clutched his forearm, scratching his overheated skin with her nails as his hips pumped faster. He matched each of her cries with growls of his own.
They were both slick with sweat; his chest glided over her exquisite curves as he thrust, keeping his rhythm steady and forceful. It wasn’t difficult to slide his fingers under her slippery pelvis. He rubbed the pleasure center at her entrance with quick swipes of his fingers. The choked cry she made and the feel of her teeth biting down on his forearm made the slight pain on his wrist buried beneath their bodies worth it.
“Yes, Auzzy. Right there. Please.”
Goddess, that name. Her name for him. For as long as he lived, she would be the only one to call him that. He buried his face in her hair, tightening his forearm around her shoulders until her chest lifted slightly. His body was stiff and livid, aching for release, but he kept it at bay somehow. Alejandra was so close.
Her heels between his legs lifted and pressed into his ass just as her body began to tremble. Breaths shaky and stilted, every muscle in her body clenched. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted to fall with her or watch as his beautiful female came apart for him, writhing and crying out.
The choice was made for him when her inner walls clenched, her palm rose to wrap around his neck, and her orgasm pulled his own from him. They exploded together, shouting their noises of pleasure into the empty sky. His, a booming bellow as he pulsed into the depths of her clenching sex. And hers a strangled cry followed by a breathy sob as her hips undulated against his fingers.
He relaxed against her, his breath coming hard and fast. With effort, he kept his weight from crushing her completely. She trailed kisses along his forearm, pausing every so often to gulp in a shaky breath. A purr of pleasure and contentment rumbled through him.
She jumped, releasing a harsh cry.
“What’s wrong?” Auzed immediately rose off her, hovering close enough to see where he’d hurt her. Pain lanced through his chest at the thought, and his hand shook as he tentatively brushed the hair from her face.
Her wide smile and light giggling made him boneless with relief, and he collapsed onto his back next to her, one hand across his chest. “You scared me!” he barked with a smile.
“I’m sorry.” She grinned and all but dragged herself to him, spreading her arms over his chest. “When you purred, I felt it inside me. I wasn’t expecting it, and I’m very sensitive down there at the moment.”
“Ah,” he breathed into the sky. “Good to know.” The weather was hot, yet now that their bodies weren’t pressed together, he felt the ghost of a chill. Threading his fingers through her hair, he pulled her scalp toward him and planted a long kiss on her temple, basking in the faint hint of his scent that lingered on her skin.
They lay there in silence, softly caressing every inch of each other they could reach. The sun was lower in the sky now, casting the world in a peachy-gold tone.
Her fingers strayed down his abdomen and then his thigh and paused on the portion of his marks that were blackened. “What happened here?” she whispered against his chest. Her gaze caught his, and he could make out the apprehension in their depths. She didn’t think he’d answer her. It was personal, and he’d been struggling to keep at least part of his being away from this creature. But it was no use. She wanted it all and, even more terrifying, he wanted to give it all.
He slipped his fingers over her hand, his thumb rubbing her palm underneath, and gently massaged. “You remember what happened to my mother and my brother?”
Alejandra gulped; her brows raised in surprise. “Yeah, the war, right?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. She was so adorable when she was trying to be subtle. He made a small sound of agreement. “Like I told you, my brother’s marks were scarred beyond repair and he became a different person. People stared at him and whispered about the way he looked, and I could see the way it hurt him, changed him. I tried everything I could think to help but nothing worked. One day I decided that if I couldn’t make him feel better, at least I could suffer with him. I snuck into our bathroom and tried to burn myself with a cetr torch so he wouldn’t feel so alone. I was only able to char a small portion of my marks in private before my father caught me.”
Alex’s hand froze on his thigh. Her gaze flashed from the blackened marks back to his face. “How old were you?”
He stroked her hair and thought, but the sympathy and compassion for him shining in her eyes made it difficult to recall anything. “Mm, twelve, I think.”
Her jaw slackened a bit, and she shook her head. “Your internal compass always points to hero, doesn’t it?” She covered the area with her palm and rested her chin on his chest again. “What did your brother say about it?”
“Nothing. I never told him. To this day, anyone who sees it just assumes it’s an injury I got from my days in the military. My father was the only one who knew…and now you.”
She swallowed again, and the flutter of her heart quickened where their chests met. Had her pulse sped because she was overwhelmed? Should he have kept the story to himself?
Inching up his body, she placed a soft, healing kiss on his mouth. Without much effort at all, considering their bodies were still slick, he tugged her on top of him and deepened the kiss, cradling her skull with his palm.
“Can we stay here forever?” She sighed and relaxed against him. “How long do we have this sex raft for anyway?”
Auzed chuckled, inhaling her scent and trying to ignore the press of her core to his abdomen. “As long as you want. At least until your dress is dry, though.”
She pulled her head up and searched around them until she found the garment. With a mischievous grin, she rose and collected her dress. He watched the sway of her hips and the jiggle of her small breasts as she sauntered to the edge of the pool. The softening sunlight bounced off her warm brown skin and glittered against the water of the pool. He was beholding a damn goddess; he was sure of it.
A dark freckle u
nder her right breast caught his attention, and he chided himself for not giving her front half as much attention as the rest of her. Perhaps she’d let him pleasure her again before they returned to the nest, and he could remedy the error.
Her eyes locked on his when she reached the pool. She lifted the dress between her pinched index finger and thumb, then released it. The fabric fanned out over the water before darkening and sinking. “Oops.”
Chapter 22
Just as Alex had predicted, she and Auzed lounged in the golden light of the setting sun until faint stars twinkled in the lavender sky. He took his time learning her body, his hands roaming brazenly over her skin. Though she’d been pulsing with need for a while now, he hadn’t pushed her any further.
She could tell he wanted her again. If his swollen erection didn’t express it, then the blazing heat warming his pale-green eyes did. But he only stroked her body, occasionally focusing on one thing or another. A beauty mark here. The red imprint of his fingers on her hips there.
It was as if he were attempting to record every detail in his mind. Because we’ll be going our separate ways so soon? Her heart fractured at the idea.
He was the sexiest man she’d ever met, but as she lay in the twilight examining her own reactions to him, she understood this clawing need was more than just lust. More than a need to have sex with the drop-dead gorgeous alien who made her see stars.
She wanted to bare herself to him and have him bare himself in return. No humor and lightness hiding the depth of her emotion. No thick armor hiding his. She wanted to make love to Auzed. She’d never craved that intimacy before and couldn’t imagine ever wanting it with anyone else.
But she couldn’t ask him to give up his life for her. It wouldn’t be fair to him. Especially since she didn’t know what she wanted for her future anyway. Last night, when she couldn’t sleep through Meg’s snoring, she’d called Lily.
They’d talked about so many things, including the fact that Lily had fallen head over heels for an alien of her own. Her mate, Verakko.
Lily, so closed off and impenetrable when they’d first met, radiated with warmth through the communicator. No doubts. No reservations about staying here forever with one man, who’d die before letting her go.
But Lily also didn’t want to return to Earth. She had no one there worrying about her and wondering where she’d gone.
Alex’s family, on the other hand, were probably putting up posters and searching for her even now. Which would be futile. Alex could just picture her tiny abuelita cursing out the police when the leads inevitably dried up.
And what if they ended up blaming some innocent person for her disappearance? What if they blamed Ray, her boyfriend—ex-boyfriend now. He was no catch, but Ray wouldn’t lay a finger on her. He didn’t deserve the scrutiny he was likely getting.
How could she just leave them all to suffer without at least trying to get back? She wished she could live two lives. One back on Earth surrounded by familiarity and family, and one here with Auzed.
She glanced down at his fingers, now lovingly circling the freckle on her ribcage near her breast. No marks lined those hands. He wasn’t her mate. With her gaze, she traced the hard line of his jaw and the steady pulse thrumming along his corded neck. His eyes, pale green and framed by golden lashes, were so soft in comparison to the rest of him.
But no matter how alluring he was, they weren’t spiritually bound for all time. A part of her was relieved about that. If his marks had appeared, she’d be trapped here. From what he’d told her, the consequences of abandoning a mate were dire. She could never…would never put him through that.
No. She couldn’t ask him to give up everything he held dear just to watch her fight to return home. To leave him. She had to let him go.
The tenuous cord keeping her heart bound in her chest would surely snap when they finally separated, and he’d end up taking more of her along with him than he knew.
But it wasn’t that time yet. And since her heart would be broken either way, there was no sense in holding back. His eyes widened when she drew up and planted a long kiss on his lips. His mouth split into a lopsided grin before he folded his heavy arms around her and turned their kiss into something scalding.
***
After a few more lazy hours basking in each other’s company, the chill of the night air finally pushed them to return the lounger and venture back to the nest. So unlike their first few days here, Auzed remained glued to Alex’s side, always touching her.
Any reservations he’d had before had dissolved in the wake of their intense day in the sun. When he wanted to smell her hair, he leaned down and buried his face in her waves. When the mere inch that separated them felt too distant, he’d pull her into his body, rejoicing in the immediate sigh she always released before leaning back against his chest.
Clecanian couples never did this, and he now truly understood why. It was addictive. Being able to reach out and feel your female in your arms whenever you wanted was like a drug. How would he manage going back to being alone?
“I’m exhausted.” She yawned while halfheartedly covering her mouth with the back of her hand.
Auzed grinned, something he was having trouble not doing today. He bent his head to her ear, taking one hand off the bar of their travel platform to brush her hair away from her neck. “I’m not done with you yet, female.”
The shiver that ran through her at his words sent a rush of blood to his cock. He rumbled a laugh and squeezed her against him more firmly, showing her what he was referencing. When they floated alongside the deck of the nest, Wilson was waiting for them.
She tooted her trunk as they approached, but the sound was different than the normal trumpets of annoyance she made. They stepped into the nest and Wilson followed, wrapping her body around Alex’s neck in an embrace. Then before he knew it, Wilson was scrambling toward him.
She pounced at his leg, and Auzed tensed for the attack. Alex would never forgive him if he hurt the creature, even if it had struck first. All he could do was brace for the sting of teeth and claws. But when he looked down, he saw the tuey had wrapped her little body around his ankle and was giving him a tight squeeze of greeting as well.
He remained frozen with his leg planted forward awkwardly. Looking up, he found Alex had pulled her lips between her teeth to keep the broad, teasing smile from her face.
His own mouth twitched. “Stop it. I thought she was going to claw me or something for taking you away all day.”
“Oh, Auzzy. Were you afraid of little Wilson Phillips here?”
Wilson finished her affectionate assault and scampered out of sight.
“She’s bonded to me, right?” Alex crooned, the tone drawing his focus in a snap. She stepped forward and gripped his hand, pulling him toward the lift. “Well, she can probably sense how happy you made me today.”
Her bright smile was radiant, lighting him inside and out in her glow. She didn’t belong here in the dark underbelly of Sauven. She belonged in the sun, where the world shone as brightly as she did.
His purr built in his chest, and he waggled his brows. “Give me some more time, and I bet I could become her new favorite person.”
Alex burst out in melodic laughter. It rang through his chest, bolstering the intensity of his purr. He pulled her against him and took her mouth in a fierce kiss as they rode to the second floor and shuffled clumsily into her room.
She gasped when he gripped her around the waist and tossed her onto the bed, tearing off his shirt before she hit the mattress. She giggled as she bounced and tugged her dress overhead. He’d just spent hours admiring her naked body, but he still couldn’t get enough.
He worked on the fastenings of his pants and internally thanked the Goddess for every square inch of her he beheld. Sliding off her underwear, she laid back, grinning and completely bared to him. That damn tightness squeezed around his chest again. Heat prickled down from his scalp to his shoulders at the sight of her wantonly parting he
r knees. A challenge glinted in her eyes.
Kicking off his pants, he braced his legs apart at the foot of the bed and took himself in hand, enjoying the view and the quick dilation of her pupils as she watched him stroke himself. Her small breasts, tipped with dark-brown nipples, jiggled as she took in a shaky breath. “Come here,” she demanded.
His foot twitched to obey despite himself, but he stayed his feet.
She frowned, letting out a huff to show her frustration.
Four thin tree trunks rose to the ceiling at each corner of her bed, acting as bedposts. Reaching for the two at the foot of her bed, he wrapped his palms around them and waited, an unspoken challenge.
Never could he do this with a Clecanian female. If he was asked to give pleasure and refused, demanding his own instead? Well, it wouldn’t turn out well for him. But Alex was not Clecanian. A fact he couldn’t imagine ever despairing over.
She smirked at him, and her mind behind her lovely brown eyes worked, deciding whether or not to submit. Then finally, she lifted onto her knees and crawled toward him, holding eye contact as her body swayed side to side in time with her progress. He watched her inch closer with rapt focus. His heart bashed against his chest, and blood pulsed through his raised arms and his shaft.
Lifting onto her knees on the bed before him, she gazed up. “You think you’re real slick, don’t you?”
He rumbled a chuckle and bent his head until their breaths mingled. “Not slick yet, gorgeous.”
She tried to smother it, but the grin that broke out over her face at the innuendo was too powerful. He loved that he could bring it out.
From his standing position, her eyes only reached his chest. She scooted a bit closer, purposefully brushing the head of his stiff cock over her low belly and causing him to hiss in a breath.
A hint of his precum glistened on her skin, and his grip tightened on the trunks. The posts had been great for showing off his cocky, relaxed stance, but now they were the only things holding him back from forgetting their game and pouncing on her.
Tempting Auzed: The Clecanian Series Book 4 Page 21
