She chuckled and leaned closer, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “It’s fine. I’m not dying.”
A corner of his mouth tilted up. “Good. You’re not allowed to.”
Tabitha smiled and pulled away. This time he let her go. She slipped from the bed, aware of every muscle that had been worked last night—and especially aware of the tenderness between her legs. As she walked to the bathroom, she could feel Zevris’s gaze on her naked body as though it were a physical thing. If he were any other person, she would have been embarrassed, would have sought to cover herself up, but he’d shown her plenty how much he desired her. All of her.
When she reached the bathroom doorway, a thought occurred to her. She cringed and glanced back at him. “But you miiiiight want to check on Dexter. He hasn’t been out since we left for dinner last night.”
Zevris’s expression fell. “Svesh.”
He rolled out of bed so fast his legs got tangled in the blanket and he dropped to the floor. He released a longer stream of alien words that Tabitha assumed were all curses. As he stood up and angrily kicked at the bedding that had tripped him, tail flicking erratically in agitation, Tabitha couldn’t help but admire the view of his toned ass—even as she covered her mouth to hide her silent laughter.
She slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, her need to pee becoming unbearable.
After she relieved herself, she took a quick shower and brushed her teeth. It was only as she rinsed out her mouth that she glanced up at her reflection and noticed the glimmer in her eyes. Brow creasing, she leaned closer to the mirror. Her breath hitched.
Streaked within the green of her irises were strands of faintly glowing blue. She turned her head from side-to-side. The blue flickered as her eyes moved in and out of the direct light, but it was so soft either way that it was barely noticeable unless she was actually looking for it.
Was this…part of the bond? Zevris had never told her that there would be physical evidence of it. She touched the outer corner of her eye.
“I guess if anyone asks, I can say I’m wearing contacts.”
It was such a strange thing, but she…liked it. The change was pretty, like she had glitter in her eyes, but more than that, it was proof of her bond with her mate.
My mate.
I have a mate!
Grinning, Tabitha stepped out of the bathroom and got dressed.
She snatched the blankets off the floor and laid them on the bed. As she was about to leave the room, something caught her attention on the nightstand. For a moment, what she was seeing didn’t register; she had to do a double take to be sure that it was real.
Her cell phone was lying on Zevris’s nightstand.
Tabitha’s eyes flared. It’d been over a week since she’d last had her phone.
She picked it up and tapped the screen, expecting it to be dead, but the time and date appeared. The phone was nearly fully charged. With a smile, she put in her passcode, and her phone unlocked. There was a single missed text.
Strange. I would’ve expected more by now.
She clicked on the message icon.
Sooooo, how did the date go? Did you get your sexy thang on? You did have sex, right? Give me the deets! Mia had written.
How did she…?
Tabitha scrolled up, and her smiled dropped. There were whole conversations between Tabitha and Mia that had taken place throughout the week.
“Are you serious?”
She wasn’t surprised that Zevris had a way to bypass her passcode—the man was an alien with super crazy techy stuff. But this…
Tabitha growled. She stalked out of the bedroom and hurried downstairs. She heard Dexter barking from the back yard, and made her way to the back door, slid it open, and stepped outside.
Dexter was running circles in the grass, keeping within the borders made by the low concrete curbing around Zevris’s planting beds, his tongue lolling happily. But Tabitha’s gaze only lingered briefly on the dog.
Zevris was standing at the edge of the patio, and he turned to face Tabitha as she shut the door. He was in his human disguise, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans, low-slung around his hips, granting her full view of his golden, sculpted muscles in the morning light. His hair was disheveled, and his jaw was shadowed with stubble. His lips curled into a smile that made Tabitha’s knees weak.
He met her gaze; his eyes were bright despite the hologram masking his true appearance, and they still held that lustful gleam. F-me didn’t cut it. His were full on fuck-me eyes, and they were only for her.
Yes, please.
Damn it, Tabitha, you’re supposed to be angry right now!
She pressed her lips together and glared at him as she held her phone up with the screen facing him. “What is this?”
Zevris’s smile took on a sheepish slant. “Your phone.”
“You know what I mean, Zevris.”
He sighed and lifted a hand, combing his fingers through his hair and dragging back the wild strands that had been dangling over his forehead. “Those are the messages I’ve exchanged with Mia, pretending to be you.”
“These are my private conversations, Zevris.” She flicked through the messages, stopping on one he’d sent two days ago. “You even told Mia we were together!”
“I gave her as little information as I could, and didn’t say anything untrue,” he replied.
“This is wrong on so many levels. You don’t snoop through people’s phones, especially the phone of someone who is your…your mate! It’s an invasion of privacy and it shows you have absolutely no trust in that person.”
He closed the distance between them smoothly, dipping his chin to keep his gaze upon her. “I trust you, Nykasha. That’s why you have your phone back. I should have done so sooner. I was simply acting to protect my mission and prevent suspicion. Mia is someone you care about. I did not want her to worry.” He reached up and caressed her jaw, his lips spreading into a grin. “I was also confident in my skills. I knew you were mine the moment I saw you, Tabitha.”
Tabitha opened her mouth to scold him some more, paused, and closed it. She couldn’t be mad at him for that…could she?
Ugh. I should be, damn it, but I’m just…not.
She understood why he’d done it, and, well, none of what he’d told Mia was actually wrong. Tabitha and Zevris were together.
They were mates. He’d just…announced it a little prematurely.
How crazy was this? She was mated to an alien. Her alien from next door.
Knowing she was likely wearing the biggest, goofiest grin ever, she stepped closer, rose on her toes, and pecked a kiss on his jaw. “You’re lucky I like you so much.”
“I certainly am.” Zevris put his hands around her waist and drew her against him. He stared at her, a ravenous gleam in his eyes. “I missed breakfast in bed this morning. Shall I have it on the patio, instead?”
Dipping his head, he captured her mouth.
Tabitha moaned and slipped her arms around the back of his neck. He dropped his hands to her ass, taking a handful of each cheek, and squeezed as he clutched her closer, inserting a knee between her legs.
She gasped as he ground his knee against her pussy, and he took that opportunity to sweep his tongue into her mouth. Tabitha clung to him as he devoured her. His lips were hot, and his tongue was demanding. Whispers of pleasure bloomed within her core, making her clit throb with need.
Dexter barked, startling Tabitha. She pulled her head away and watched as Dexter chased a squirrel.
“The universe seems determined to block my cock today,” Zevris grumbled, tightening his hold on her.
Tabitha burst out laughing. “You know what cockblocking is?”
“I am living it, female.”
She snickered and rubbed her nose against his. “Well, consider it punishment for going through my phone.”
Leaning back slightly, she brought her phone into the space between herself and Zevris, tapped the camera icon, and switched i
t to the selfie lens. She extended her arm and angled the phone toward them. “Now stoop your pervy butt down and smile!”
Laughing, Zevris did as she commanded, hunching his back to get his face into the frame. Once they were both smiling up at the camera, she took the picture, then turned to reward him a kiss on his cheek and pulled away.
But he stopped her before she could escape, keeping one hand on her ass while the other smoothed back loose strands of hair from her face. He leaned close, staring into her eyes. An awed gleam joined the desire always blazing in his gaze. “The blue is more pronounced today.”
She smiled up at him. “Will they get brighter?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen the change as it happened.” He gently brushed the pad of his thumb just below her eye. “But I hope it won’t. I’m rather fond of your eyes as they were.”
Her heart fluttered, and the warmth in her core radiated outward to heat her whole body. “I love the blue.” She reached up and caressed his cheek. “I’m now yours.”
A growl vibrated in his chest, and his gaze dipped. Tabitha knew right away that he was going to kiss her again. Before he could, she withdrew, stumbling back toward the patio door.
“Tabitha…”
She wagged her finger at him. “Punishment. The blocking of the cock. Remember?”
Zevris dropped a hand to his groin, squeezing his very pronounced bulge through his jeans. “This punishment will not extend beyond our morning meal, female.”
She grinned, unable to look away from his hand. “We’ll see.”
Tabitha caught her lip with her teeth. No, it probably wouldn’t last much longer. She was dying to have him between her thighs, to have him filling her, stretching her, but she could punish him in other ways. She could lick and suck him close to completion only to stop at the last moment and leave him on the verge of spilling. Though that’d be torturing herself, too…and, well, she didn’t want that. She longed to have him thrusting inside her with all the ferocity burning inside him, and she knew that her punishment would only make their coming together all the more passionate.
As though reading her mind, Zevris said, “I’ll keep this punishment in mind, Nykasha, when you’re crying my name in pleasure and begging me for more.”
With a laugh, Tabitha retreated into the house. Her body was thrumming with arousal; she knew it wouldn’t be long before he made good on his promise.
Reaching up, she touched her cheek. It was sore from how much she’d been smiling lately. She couldn’t recall ever being this happy. She turned her phone toward her and brought up the picture she’d just taken with Zevris. Her smile softened.
There was something in his eyes and in his smile, something so powerful and deep that she couldn’t deny its presence even if it seemed far too soon. That light, that brightness, that joy…Zevris looked like a man in love.
And she saw the same thing mirrored on her face.
She lightly brushed her finger over the image before opening her messages.
Maaaaaybe, she typed out to Mia, adding a winky face with the tongue sticking out.
The blinking dots appeared on Mia’s side of the messenger immediately, followed by, Don’t you DARE hold out on me!
Tabitha chuckled. I don’t kiss and tell.
She attached the picture of herself and Zevris and pressed send.
Mia promptly responded with, OMFG!!!! He’s so fucking hot!!!!!!
A gif of a woman fanning herself appeared right below, and another of a woman fainting.
Girl, you better have jumped that man’s dick and rode it to kingdom cum, Mia wrote.
Tabitha couldn’t stop laughing as the texts continued to scroll with gifs—a train ramming a small tunnel, cream spurting out of a long, narrow pastry, the old school finger in the fist-hole, and multiple images of people thrusting their hips and humping.
On a serious note, Mia texted after the spammage, you look absolutely gorgeous, Tabby. I’m so happy for you.
Tabitha smiled and turned to look out the patio door. Zevris was running across the lawn, playing with Dexter, his lips stretched in a grin and muscles flexing. He was gorgeous.
And he’s mine.
Twenty-Four
Tabitha swayed her hips to the music as she laid out her next batch of soap bars, arranging them in neat rows. Their fragrance washed over her—wisteria and cyclamen with a touch of fresh rose and a few subtler citrus notes. The bars were a harmonious blend of vibrant yellow and sunny orange with pear green swirled along their upper edges. Between their scent and coloration, they were reminiscent of summer.
She smiled as all those special summer things flitted through her mind—warm breezes, blue skies, fragrant flowers. Lemonade and barbeques; swimming in lakes, ponds, and pools. Hot neighbors who turn out to be even hotter aliens in disguise.
Okay, so maybe that last thing wasn’t necessarily linked to summer…but she had met Zevris during the end summer. That had to count, right? That was good enough to redeem summer a little after years of sunburns and boob sweat.
With the soap bars in place, Tabitha sorted through her stacks of ingredient cards until she found the proper bunch. Humming along with the song playing in the background, she paired each bar with a card.
Though it was still four weeks before she’d have her booth at the farmer’s market Autumn Harvest Fair, she wanted to have everything ready to go well in advance. That was how she and Nan had done it every year. Selling homemade items at that event had been as firmly ingrained a tradition for the Mathews women as Thanksgiving turkey and presents on Christmas morning.
As always, those thoughts of Nan were bittersweet. Nan had loved the farmer’s market—not just for selling her creations, but because there was so much to see, taste, and buy.
Tabitha reached for one of the little poly bags, but her hand stilled atop the pile. She drew in a deep breath and blew it out quickly, wrestling back her sorrow.
She’d missed the Harvest Fair that had happened a few months after Nan’s death. The thought of going without her had been too much; Tabitha’s pain had been too raw, the hole in her heart had been as vast as the Grand Canyon.
The fair had been strange the following year. Tabitha’s booth just hadn’t felt the same; the fair itself hadn’t felt the same. Of course, Tabitha had recognized that she was what had changed. All the people, some of whom she’d seen at the fair every year since she was a little girl, had been just as friendly, the food and smells and festivities had been just as wonderful, the fall weather had been just as pleasant.
It was all just missing something without Nan there to enjoy it all with.
But this year was different. She wasn’t going alone, and she was far more excited and eager than she was melancholy. With Zevris alongside her, selling his woodwork, everything would be great, and she’d get to have the added enjoyment of introducing a newbie to the farmer’s market.
Four weeks…
She’d lived with Zevris for nearly a month now, and already couldn’t dream of life without him. It seemed unreal. They’d filled that time with so much, had created so many amazing memories. How could she not be eager to create a lifetime’s worth of memories beyond those?
They’d gone out several times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at various restaurants in and around Portland. They’d gone hiking, had strolled through parks, had walked Dexter along the Willamette, had visited local sights and had braved a few tourist traps. They’d even gone to see a couple movies in the theater and had spent one evening watching a hilarious mystery rom-com play.
She’d enjoyed every outing with Zevris, especially those during which they’d just…spent time together. As much as she loved sharing those experiences with him, they didn’t need movies or shows for entertainment, didn’t need food to converse over in order to enjoy one another’s company. Simply being with him and talking to him was a joy; everything else was a delicious bonus.
She finally plucked up one of the little bags, sandwiched
a bar of soap between the ingredients card and a business card with her logo and information on it, and slipped the soap into the bag. She’d packaged thousands of soaps like this over the years, and now that she was moving, her hands did the work automatically. What was that called? Muscle memory?
I have a few muscles that are aching with the memory of Zevris…
Heat flared low in Tabitha’s belly, and she pressed her lips together. She had work to do. She was not going to walk out into the garage to jump her man’s bones.
At least not right this second.
As she continued bagging soap bars, her eyes flicked toward her computer desk in the corner. She smiled to herself. Sitting prominently atop the desk was the wooden keepsake box with alien symbols carved on the lid, the very one she’d examined when Zevris had first taken her into his workshop.
The heat in her belly shifted up into her chest, and her heart melted a little more. He’d gifted her the box this morning, and it would’ve been a wonderful gift on its own, but there’d been more to it. When she’d lifted the lid, she’d discovered that it wasn’t empty.
Zevris had placed an eclectic collection of items inside the box, each of which pertained to something they’d done together. There was a napkin emblazoned with the logo of the restaurant he’d taken her to on their first date, a ticket stub from the first movie they’d seen together in the theater, a tiny twig from the stickwork sculptures they’d visited in Orenco Woods Nature Park. He’d put in the teeniest, most perfect little pinecone she’d ever seen from a hike they’d taken in the Tillamook State Forest. There was also a bookmark from Powell’s Books, her favorite bookstore in Portland; she still felt bad for him having had to carry what must’ve been a hundred pounds of books when they’d left.
But he hadn’t acted as though they strained him in the slightest, and he’d even said one of the romantic things he could have ever said to her when they’d first walked into the store.
Taken By The Alien Next Door Page 27