Tempting Auzed: The Clecanian Series Book 4

by Victoria Aveline

  Lifting her palms, she ran them over his chest, brushing his nipple with her pinky finger. He sucked in a breath and exhaled, his purr mixing with a growl. Her lips quirked. She let her palms wrap around his back and pulled herself closer to him, trailing soft kisses along his pecs and down his stomach.

  She gave a short groan of appreciation when she reached his abs, kissing each one in turn and spreading her knees wide to get lower. By the time she licked the blackened portion of his markings on his thigh, he was all but gasping for air. Maybe this had been a bad idea; he was going to explode as soon as she breathed on his cock at this rate.

  As if she knew exactly what she was doing to him, she paused and caught his gaze. With a small grin, she took him into her mouth. The buck of his hips was unexpected, as was the string of curses he let out at the feel of her tongue swirling around his head.

  His arms began to shake with the effort not to crush the trees under his hands into pulp, but he couldn’t look away. Her dark brown hair fell in waves over her back, and her lashes were lowered, her cheeks hollowing as she sucked him deeper into her mouth. His fingers itched to bury themselves in her hair and feel the rocking of her head back and forth, but he didn’t trust himself not to squeeze too tightly.

  When her hands reached farther around his back and her nails sank into each side of his ass, he knew she had to stop. Like lightning, his hand shot down and speared into her hair just like he’d imagined, but instead of feeling her move on him, he tugged her away.

  She released him with a pop, breathing hard. Color burnished her cheeks and chest all the way down to her nipples. Gripping her hair a little tighter at her skull, he angled her gaze to meet his. She flashed him a grin. “You taste like sunshine.”

  A harsh groan exploded out of him, and his mouth descended on hers with enough force to push them both into the soft mattress. He needed to be inside her, now. Snaking his hand between their bodies, he swirled his fingers around her core and moaned to find her already dripping and ready for him.

  He sat up and grasped her hips, ready to flip her over, but she stilled him with a hand to his wrist. “No. Let’s stay this way.”

  Confusion wracked his lust-dazed mind for a moment. “Really?”

  She propped herself up on her arm and ran a thumb along his jaw, seeming entranced by it. Her brows drew together. “Yeah. Why? Don’t want to look at my face while we do it?” She played it off like a joke, but he could see the flash of insecurity behind the question.

  Gripping her face with both his hands, he caught her gaze. “If I could only look at one thing as I lay dying, it’d be your face.” She rolled her eyes and grinned, clearly taking his heartfelt and very serious comment as an exaggeration. It was probably better if she thought of it that way, so he didn’t correct her. “I’ve just never had sex this way before.”

  Her hand stilled while tracing the shell of his ear, and her eyes widened in shock. “Never?”

  Heat raced up his neck, and the urge to explain away his inexperience flared. “Clecanian females have pleasure centers deep inside, not outside. The easiest way to reach it is from behind.”

  Understanding relaxed her expression back into serene arousal. “Oh. Well then…” She laid back, crossing her arms above her head and stretching. Lifting one leg and then the other, she draped them over his thighs, then scooched forward until he was poised at her entrance. “It’s about time I blew your mind.”

  He barked out a laugh. She preened at the sound. His mind had been blown by her since that first day in the forest when she’d kissed him.

  Rather than pushing into her right away, he remained on his haunches, admiring the view. He let his palms slide along her thighs and then higher, watching as her nipples pebbled into hard points and the flush returned to her chest. Covering one breast with his palm, he dipped his head to the other one. The small freckle on her ribcage called to him, so he bent and kissed it, nuzzling the underside of her breast along the way.

  With patience he didn’t know he had, he pressed into her core, tight and wet for him. She let out a moan of pleasure and buried her hand in his hair. Her grip tightened when he suckled her nipple into his mouth and swirled his tongue. She arched her back up to him so sweetly, rocking her hips to help bury him deeper.

  When he was seated fully, he grazed his teeth over the side of her breast, nipping gently before moving to the other side. To keep her from writhing on his shaft any harder, he settled his weight on her, trapping her hips under his. But it didn’t have the intended effect. Her cry only intensified, and he realized with a wide grin that in this position, the small pleasure center at her opening had direct contact with his body. No wonder she liked it.

  He pulled away and then thrust back into her, curling his hips until she shuddered. He was propped on his elbows, her face below him. She beamed at him, and something shifted in his chest. The smile playing at his lips faded, and he stilled.

  Alex’s gaze grew concerned. Lowering to his forearms on either side of her shoulders, he framed her head with his hands and ran his gaze over her face, needing to look at her. Needing her to look at him. A wave of some astonishing emotion rocked him, but it took a moment to identify. It was love.

  The feeling had always been there, just under the surface, yet something about this moment had caused it to roar to the forefront, no longer content to be ignored.

  She must’ve seen it in his eyes because her grin faded too. They gazed at each other. Warmth and passion and tenderness sparking between them and turning the joining of their bodies into something…more.

  He kissed her, a deep, slow kiss that had his throat tightening. Clutching at his neck, she kissed him back and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. At length, he drew out of her and began rocking into her with slow thrusts, angling his hips so the pressure never left her pleasure center.

  The purr that broke from his chest was deep and resonate. She whimpered into his mouth and shuddered underneath him, her orgasm already so close. Her body stilled, and her lips parted against his on an inhaled breath. The rocking motion of his hips became rougher as he felt her muscles clench around him. He gazed down at her, not daring to blink. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and her brows were drawn together in an expression that almost looked like pain.

  Then her lids flashed open, and she cried out, holding onto his back, her nails scoring a path down his spine. His shaft swelled inside her, the convulsions of her core too much for him to take. Slamming into her with his head buried against her cheek, he quickly found his own release. He roared against her hair as he came, pulsing inside her.

  His chest heaved against her breasts, and he kissed each of her closed eyes. Then her cheeks, her temples, the lines around her mouth. And finally, her lips.

  After a while, when their breathing settled, he rose from the bed and retrieved a cloth. She grinned at him with sleep already glazing her eyes as he cleaned them both up, like she’d never seen anything sweeter. Climbing into bed, he pulled her against his chest and extinguished the overhead light.

  He wasn’t sure if this was how humans slept when they shared beds, but it was what he wanted. Her skin on his. The thrum of her pulse on his fingers circling her wrist.

  He breathed in her scent and stared into the dark room. Whatever had just happened to him was indelible.

  His career, his reputation. Did any of it matter to him as much as Alex did? The answer was clear. Her breathing deepened, and a surge of pride melted his bones, knowing she felt safe enough to fall asleep in his arms. That she wanted to fall asleep in his arms.

  Movement was out of the question at the moment, but tomorrow he’d call his Queen. If sacrificing his job was what it took to be with Alex, he’d do it.

  Deeper introspection gave him pause. He’d do it, sacrifice the life he’d grown used to…but only if it meant forever. He’d need to convince her to become a demskiv. To be shunned and sneered at by most of the Clecanian population for the rest of their lives.<
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  He’d be treated even worse. Not only would he be considered a male who’d stolen a female away but one who’d stolen a human, someone else’s potential mate. Unless she turned out to be his. But that was unlikely. Some sign of recognition should’ve shown up already. Still…it wasn’t impossible.

  The rush of emotion he’d experienced a few minutes ago felt like the mating pull—at least he assumed it did, but no marks covered his hands and his eyes hadn’t changed. Alex would’ve told him if they had. She knew the importance.

  What if he quit and she agreed to be with him, and then someone else recognized her? His arms, wrapped around her body, squeezed too tightly, and she squeaked. He loosened his grip, but the dread boiling in his gut didn’t abate. Doubt rolled in.

  He couldn’t do this with her. Not if it wasn’t forever. He could already see it now. What would the Traxian half of him do if another male came along, attempting to steal her away after they’d been together for months, years, decades? She could be recognized at any time.

  And even if it never happened, if no one ever recognized her, he’d always be looking over his shoulder. Hiding her from view and urging her to stay inside, out of sight and scent of everyone else. What kind of life would that be for either of them?

  Alex, so full of life and adventure, would grow to despise him if he cloistered her away. But what else could he do?

  Let her go?

  Chapter 23

  “Alex, wake up.”

  Gentle fingers brushed the hair off her face and traced a line down her back. Pleasurable goose bumps raced over her skin. She kept her eyes closed, hoping he’d do it again.

  She was rewarded with a soft kiss to her bare shoulder.

  “We slept through the morning. If you want to watch the last round of the games, you need to get up.”

  With a deep groan of indecision, Alex stretched her arms, still sprawled facedown on the warm mattress. She grinned; it smelled like him. “Okay, I’m up,” she said without rising.

  “I made breakfast,” Auzed rumbled from above her, pressing another soft kiss to her shoulder before lifting off the bed.

  She heard him walk out of the room and forced her eyes open. If she didn’t, she’d accidentally drift back to sleep. Her body was stiff and sore yet boneless with satisfaction at the same time. They’d made love long into the night and few times in the early morning as well.

  He was just too much. Too good. Too sexy. Too honorable. She’d already started wondering if it would be possible to see him every day and not be reduced to a sobbing puddle of tears and hormones. He was the head guard at the place she was expected to live after all. That wouldn’t do. She wouldn’t be able to look at the man she loved day after day and not have a breakdown.

  She’d need to find somewhere else to live. Maybe a nice apartment—if those existed here—with a few of the other humans who wanted to get back to Earth. If it really proved to be too unbearable, she could always look into moving to another city. One where the marriage laws were similar to Tremanta and she could choose to remain single. No one would ever compare to Auzed. She was sure of it. He’d ruined her for all other men.

  With a sigh, she rose and got ready. Love, fear, guilt, frustration, confusion. They all churned in her belly, creating waves. The warmth of love would crash through her and she’d feel lighter than air one moment, then a tide of heartache would wash the warmth away, leaving stark loneliness.

  The only thing she could think to do at the moment was ignore it. As she ventured to the first floor and found Auzed exercising on the deck with Wilson rolling around his body as if his one-handed push-ups were the best type of game, she knew it’d be impossible.

  After a hurried breakfast alone while Auzed cleaned off and dressed, they set out on their way to the final round of the marriage games. He held her close as they glided toward the arena, making her pulse quicken with awareness. At least Meg would be with them again today to help distract her.

  Because they were late, their daily walk around the arena was more of a jog. She politely greeted everyone who came toward her, but, with a quick apology about the time, she forced each suitor to all but power walk alongside her if they wanted to say more than a sentence.

  When they reached the entrance to their seating area, Alex was surprised to find Meg and Daunet hadn’t arrived yet either.

  Her shorts rode up as she settled into their familiar seats. She’d worn the white silky two-piece set she’d mistaken for pajamas their first night here. Auzed wore bright-blue pants and a tight vest of the same color that dipped low on his chest and exposed his magnificent body, now tinted with a hint of color from their day on the lounger.

  The electric blue of his clothing reminded her of the cloudless sky from yesterday. Her body heated as other memories assailed her. He stilled, then turned to her with a raised brow and flaring nostrils.

  “If there weren’t cameras watching your every move, I’d take care of that need for you. But since I cannot, I’d kindly ask that you control yourself, female.” He shot her a wolfish grin, flashing white teeth, and she blushed. She kept forgetting he could smell her arousal.

  Crossing her legs to camouflage the scent, she reached over and slipped her hand into his. He squeezed her palm and purred.

  “Who we rooting for today?” Meg cheered, skipping toward them with her hands raised.

  Daunet sauntered behind Meg and shook her head in amusement. “This human never settles.”

  Both women relaxed into seats next to them. Daunet was wearing an outfit similar to Alex’s, except hers was a butter yellow that enhanced the beauty of her pastel pink hair and pale skin. Meg, on the other hand, looked stunning in a fluorescent-pink dress that flowed around her shapely hips and chest.

  Alex glanced around the whole stadium and saw that the bright neon colors were typical for the last game of the year. Auzed had explained it had something to do with old traditions involving games being played in relative darkness back on the old world. Bright colors were easier to see in the dim forest.

  “Gosten is still in the game, so we’re rooting for him,” Alex called.

  “Ooh, nice. What about enormous Sparta man?”

  “Him too.” Alex grinned, recalling how enthralled they’d both been with the large brute who’d bowled through opponents that first day.

  Auzed’s grip on her hand tightened a fraction and lines appeared around his mouth as he contained a frown. Her chest expanded at the slight show of restrained jealousy. She didn’t particularly gravitate toward jealous men, but in her mind, there was nothing wrong with a person getting a bit peeved when their partner showed interest in someone else.

  She ran a soothing hand along his forearm, and his shoulders relaxed. He shot her a quick look that said, You’re killing me.

  “The Queen allowed you to be off duty?” he asked Daunet.

  She grinned. “Yeah. I’m not going to relax completely, but she made it clear that my trip here with Meg was more of a test run than strict guard duty.”

  “Test run?” Alex questioned loudly above the sound of horns announcing the game was soon to start.

  Meg leaned forward in her seat and beamed. “Yeah! A while ago, the Queen announced she wanted to send a few humans out traveling so the rest of the Clecanians could get to know more about us. Not many wanted to sign up, but—”

  “But of course you did.” Alex chortled.

  Meg rolled her eyes in exasperation. “It’s an all-expense paid trip around the world, where I get to meet new people and be fawned over. Of course I signed up! I was the first to sign up, and I’ve been nagging the Queen’s aid, Metli, about it ever since. I wouldn’t be surprised if the trip was finally approved because Metli threatened to murder me otherwise.” Meg chuckled.

  Daunet chimed in. “The Queen wants each female to have a chaperone. I’ll be able to enjoy my time as well, but I’ll need to keep an eye on her. Explain customs and money and help keep the suitors at bay.”

  �
�Oh yeah, that’s right,” Alex said, her brows knitting together. Meg sought to enjoy life in whatever ways she could, and that included lots of talking and drinking…and flirting. How was that going to work with the reserved cultural norms of this planet? “Aren’t you worried some person will recognize you as a mate? I’m sure that’s half the reason they’re sending you out at all. They probably assume it’ll happen.”

  She let out a breath. “Not really… I wouldn’t say I’m soul-mate material.” At first, Alex assumed Meg meant she wasn’t cut out for long-term relationships because she preferred the single life, but the brief glint of insecurity shining in the woman’s eyes had Alex questioning that assumption. Did Meg think she was undeserving of a soul mate?

  Before Alex could question her, Meg eyed Daunet and said, “But just in case, we’re working on a plan to deal with that little inconvenience.”

  Daunet’s expression went sour, her lips pursing. “You are working on a plan. I want no part in it.”

  Meg waved her away. “It’ll probably be fine anyway, though, ’cause from what I’ve learned, all the couples were mated after spending a bunch of time together. Ipso facto, I limit my dalliances to one night—” she clapped her hands together as if performing a magic trick, “no marks!”

  Alex shook her head. Meg was going to leave a wake of heartbroken Clecanians wherever she went.

  Daunet leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. “That is not how things are done here.”

  Auzed turned to Alex and smirked at the comment. He’d said almost precisely the same thing to her countless times. She narrowed her eyes at him and stuck out her tongue.

  Meg continued to argue with Daunet as if they’d discussed this many times over already. “Well, the reason I’m going around the world is to show everyone how humans do things, right? Are you—” Horns, louder than normal, blared through the arena, cutting her off, so she shouted over the noise and continued, “Are you going to be a buzzkill for the entire—”