by Dixon, Ruby
"I am vastly entertained," he murmurs. "Please. Go on."
I scroll over the text, looking for the spot I stopped in when Nassakth leans over and pulls my legs into his lap. "What are you doing?"
"I am getting you comfortable so you can continue reading." He slides out from under my legs and then I'm laying on the side of the bed, still clutching the datapad. "Here, take your shoes off."
I watch him as he pulls one of my shoes off, and then the other. His big fingers skim over my ankle, and then he glances up at me. "Well?"
"Well what?"
"Keep reading. As I said, this is very educational."
Like I'm supposed to concentrate when all of this is going on? I shoot him a narrow-eyed look and try to focus. "Where was I…okay." I find the spot and lower my voice. "Not when his mouth was moving toward her secret pleasure zone, the spot that ached whenever he kissed her—"
My words break off in a squeak as Nassakth glides his hands up my trou and activates the auto-fastener. It falls open and he pulls the fabric from my legs, leaving me in nothing but my tunic and a pair of panties.
"What are you doing?" I whisper.
"I thought it was obvious." Nassakth leans in and begins to kiss my ankle. "I am heading for your secret pleasure zone. You said it was aching, did you not?" He leans forward, his lips brushing over my skin.
"T-that's in the story." Mostly. It's also happening to me, but I don't admit that. "I thought you said they could hear everything we do. That the walls are thin."
"They will, and they are, so we must be very quiet if I am to work your secret pleasure zone with my tongue."
"Please don't call it that," I breathe.
"Your…poo-see?" he offers.
"Maybe not that either."
"Your hot, wet little cunt?" he suggests, and there's a gleam in his eyes that tells me he's enjoying this far too much. I watch, breathless, as he crawls forward on the foot of the narrow bed and continues to kiss up my leg. He puts my ankle on his shoulder and moves forward. "Please keep reading. I am enjoying this immensely. Does he put his mouth on her? Let us keep going."
Something tells me he's not talking about the book. With a whimper, I pick up the datapad and continue to read.
60
KIM
Oh shit.
The hero—Lachlan—does put his mouth on the heroine in the next paragraph. I make a strangled sound in my throat, even as my belly quivers with hot anticipation. I want this. I'm not new to this. So…why does it make me so shy? Why does the thought of saying "Yes, please, put your mouth right here and pleasure me" fill me with such intense embarrassment? I'm a grown woman. I should be able to claim what I want.
"Kim?" Nassakth looks up from where he's kissing up my leg. His tongue brushes over my skin, hot and ever-so-slightly raspy in that fascinating way of his.
"Yes?"
"You have grown quiet." Our eyes meet and he rubs one hand up and down my leg. "Is something wrong?"
I let out a pent-up breath. "This is just…hard for me."
He pauses and I can practically see the dismay on his face as he sits up. "Because you do not want to be with me?"
"What? No! That's not it at all." I reach for him, wanting to comfort him, and stroke my hand over his mane. "You're wonderful. It's just…it's hard for me to read this and tell you exactly what I want in bed. I know that's what you want from me, but…it's hard. When I think about directing you like that, even with a story, my throat wants to lock up."
"There is no need to be shy with me. I am your mate." He moves forward on hands and knees, until he is looming over me on the small bed, and presses a chaste kiss on the tip of my nose. "Your pleasure is my pleasure."
"I know. I wish I could be bolder. I just…maybe I need time."
Nassakth reaches up and strokes my cheek with his knuckles. "You speak as if you are doing something wrong. Kim, I love all of your responses. I love the way your cheeks color and the way you look at me when I touch you. I love the way your breath catches when my mouth moves over your skin. I am pleased with everything that you are. If you cannot be bold, let me be bold for you."
I lick my lips and then put my hands in his mane, pulling him down for a kiss. It's hard and brief and urgent, and when I lift my head, I tell him, "I like being with you. You make me feel good…unless you lie to me. Then I want to punch you in the mouth."
He chuckles, the sound deep and low and so, so sexy. "My first instinct is always to protect you, but I am trying hard. I want to include you in everything. You are my mate." Nassakth lightly presses a kiss to my mouth, landing on my upper lip. "The reason I greet the sunrise with joy." Another kiss. "The reason I smile." Another kiss, this one on my chin. "And the reason I eat bread, even when the texture is disgusting."
"Okay now," I chuckle. "I get it. No more bread."
"Oh, I will eat bread if it makes you smile." He nuzzles at my throat, his tongue flicking over my skin. "I will eat everything that you put before me, and I will eat it with greedy mouth and hungry tongue." His voice dips low and sultry, and suddenly I realize we're not talking about bread any more.
My breath catches in my throat. Do I dare take the bait he's offering? "I think I might have something for you to nibble on."
"Oh?" He moves lower, mouthing my breasts through the fabric of my tunic, his tongue scraping over my nipples. He sucks hard, and even though there are layers separating us, his mouth feels scorchingly hot and so, so good. "Is it juicy? I do love a fresh…juicy…treat." With every pause, he bites at my nipple.
I whimper. "It's pretty juicy right now," I admit. I'm so wet I can feel just how slick I am between my pressed-together thighs. "Maybe you should…taste it and find out." It's so hard to choke out the words, because I've neglected my own desires for so long. I've been a thing to give pleasure, not to take it, and even now, being intimate with a guy I'm crazy over, it's hard for me to demand that my needs be fulfilled. "But if you don't want to, that's okay too," I rush out, just in case he feels obligated.
Nassakth purrs low in his throat. He looks up at me, and crawls lower down my body, to where my panties are, and pushes my thighs apart. He gazes between them while I hold my breath, and I can see the crotch is damp with my arousal. "It does look quite juicy," he murmurs, and then leans in and licks me, hard, through my panties.
I bite down on my knuckles, whimpering again. Quiet, I remind myself. Must be quiet. Others can hear.
"Shall I unwrap my delicious meal?" my praxiian mate asks. "Or shall I save it for later, when I am in private?"
Is he asking if I want to stop? Is he CRAZY? "You should eat it now," I blurt. "This is as private as it's going to get for the next week and I don't think I can wait."
His purring grows louder, so strong that I can feel it shivering through the bed. "An excellent idea. I am quite, quite ravenous." Nassakth rubs his mouth against the spot he just licked. "Shall I unwrap my meal now?"
It seems a silly question to ask. Like, of course he should “unwrap” me and take off my panties. But when he looks up at me, I realize what he's doing. My clever, sneaky praxiian is getting me to participate in my pleasure. He's asking me what I want and making me respond. He's giving me a little bit of control so maybe later, I can have a lot of control. Because he wants me to feel good. He wants me to want this with him, and he wants me to take as long as I need to, because he'll be there with me every step of the way.
A hard knot of emotion forms in my throat, and it's hard to speak around it. My words are choked, but I want to answer him. "Yes, please. Unwrap everything. It's all for you."
He curls one claw around the fabric of my panties at the hip, and I can hear the material tear as he drags his claw downward. "My favorite meal," he murmurs.
"No one savors it like you do," I whisper, feeling incredibly stupid and silly the moment the words leave my lips.
They're the right thing to say, though. Nassakth looks up at me with such a mixture of pride and arousal that it makes m
e want to say all kinds of dumb, kinky things. As long as I'm with him, they're never dumb. They're just words. Just things we say to tell the other they're appreciated.
"I love you," I whisper, because I realize in this moment I absolutely do.
61
KIM
Nassakth pulls the scraps of my panties off and buries his mouth between my thighs.
Which is great…except I just confessed love to him and he's ignoring it.
I tell myself that it's no big deal, that I just need to relax and let him go down on me, because it's going to be incredible…except I can't let it go. "I love you," I say again.
Nassakth grunts.
Just…grunts.
That kills it for me. I push his head away, glaring at him. "I'm suddenly not in the mood."
He licks his lips, gleaming from my arousal, and I want to shudder with how needy that sight makes me. "Are you certain? Because you taste like you are in the mood."
Is he…just not getting this? "Nassakth, I just told you I love you."
"Yes. Twice."
I spread my hands. "Aren't you going to say you love me back?"
His brows furrow, and he tilts his head. "Is this a human custom?"
I try not to feel too indignant or wounded—this has to be a cultural sort of misunderstanding. "Yes. If I say that I love you, it's a big deal. It means I'm giving you my heart. It means I want to stay with you forever. The least you can do is say 'I love you' back."
He gives me a patient look. "Kim, have I not shown you how much I care? Do I not demonstrate it every day? Of course I love you. How can I not? You are the most perfect female I have ever seen." He leans forward and presses a kiss to my knee, then my thigh. "You are kind, and gentle." Another kiss, and he's heading toward my pussy again, I just know he is. "You are brave and honest." Another kiss, this time on my inner thigh. "You are beautiful, and smart, and resilient. You stand up for what you believe in. You make me happier than I have ever been, and I cannot wait to see our cubs grow up."
His words make me glow inside. "If that's how you feel, then just say it. I like hearing it."
"I love you," he tells me, and presses a kiss to my mound. "I love you. I love your taste. Your scent. Your softness. I love all of you."
Okay, now I'm getting even more aroused. I squirm against his grip, sighing when his mouth settles between my legs again. "I love you too. You're very kind and gentle."
He lifts his head. "I should let you know…that is not what you want to tell a gladiator."
I giggle. "Okay then. You are fierce and bloodthirsty."
Nassakth grunts again, and he parts my folds with one finger, then gives me a slow lick that makes my toes curl. "Better."
"You're…unh…so strong," I continue, my hands going to his mane as he licks me again. I rock my hips against his face as he does that tongue-curling thing, practically cupping my clit with his tongue and then begins to suck. "Oh fuck, you're so scary. And rough. Everyone's afraid to get into the arena with you because they know you're going to mess their shit up. Oh god, right there, Nassakth."
He purrs, and I swear to god, I feel it on my clit. I whimper loudly and arch, and he continues to suck and tease as I babble on incoherently about my terrifying gladiator mate and him ripping heads off or something. I have no idea what I'm saying, just that the more I say, the more he works that incredible tongue against my clit. "Fuck," I wheeze as he pushes a finger inside me and sucks on my clit at the same time. "You're…so…fucking…merciless." Pleasure rolls up through my thighs and I clench as the orgasm rips through me. "Oh, Nassakth!"
I come so hard that my body bows, and I clench fistfuls of his thick mane, shuddering against his mouth until the ripples of pleasure slow and leave me panting in their wake. He lifts his head and presses a kiss to my hip, nuzzling at my skin. "Shall I say it again?" Nassakth asks. "I love you, my Kim. My pretty, perfect human mate."
I sigh blissfully, stroking his face. "I messed up your mane," I say drowsily.
"I like it. Let the others see that my mate has grabbed fistfuls of it," he says in-between licks on my thigh. "They will be jealous."
I run my fingers along his jaw, smiling when he presses a kiss into my palm. "Do you…we're not done, are we?" I reach down and tug at his tunic. "I want you on top of me."
But he just shakes his head and continues to kiss and lick a light pattern on my thigh. "This was for you." He tilts his head. "And for me, if I am being honest. But mostly because there is no greater pleasure for me than making you come."
"But you don't want to have sex?" I sit up on my elbows, frowning.
"Oh, I do." The look he gives me is straight up heat. His eyes are full of hunger, and when his mouth curls into a predatory smile, I shiver with a new wave of arousal. "I want it more than anything, and it will be glorious."
This man is utterly confusing. "Then what are you waiting for?"
"I am waiting…" He shrugs. "For you to purr for me."
"Er, what? Humans don't purr."
He shrugs his big shoulders again. "When we become one, truly, I will hear you purr for me. Until that moment, our pleasure will be yours alone." Nassakth tilts his head again. "That is a lie. It is my pleasure, too. But you know what I mean."
I frown down at him. "You might be waiting a while for me to purr."
"I am a patient male." He licks a lazy pattern on my skin, sending shivers through my body. "I can wait."
"For me to do something biologically that I can't?"
Nassakth chuckles, his breath hot against my thigh. "It is an expression amongst praxiians. You can claim any female, but to truly claim her heart, you must make her purr. You say that you love me, but yesterday, you did not trust me. We are getting closer, my Kim, but until I can say for certain that you are mine and mine alone, I am content to wait."
"You're a strange, infuriating guy," I tell him, and wiggle out from underneath his mouth, which is heading towards areas that are already overly sensitive. "Until then, you're going to, what, just hang around with an enormous hard-on?" I reach out and stroke a big, rock-hard arm. "Or can we shower and help get rid of that?"
His eyes gleam, dark and hungry. "I would love nothing more than to shower with you."
We shower, and there really isn't a lot of room to move around. I make him come with my hands and hot words, and afterwards, we curl up in the bed together, pressed skin to skin. His chest rumbles with a low, content purr, and I can't help but wonder what he meant.
How does he expect to make me purr?
62
KIM
The next day, Nassakth is deep asleep when my stomach starts to rumble. I eye the meal dispenser in the room, and it looks awfully similar to the one in my house—which means it's old and noisy as hell. I hate to wake my mate up, since he's spent all night with me, snuggled around me, and woke up with a crick in his neck. Now he has the bed to himself, and I want him to sleep.
The crew seemed…decent. Surely I can be brave enough to venture out and say hello as I grab something to eat? Steeling myself, I dress in my most conservative tunic and trou, pull my hair back into a tight ponytail, and listen at the door for a few minutes before I get the courage to head out. I don't see anyone in the narrow halls as I walk through, but when I get to the mess hall, Bethiah is there, seated at a separate table than the big mesakkah crew member also in there. He looks vaguely familiar and nods at me when I move to the meal processor to select my type of noodles. One of his eyes is dark and swollen.
Bethiah gets up, yawns, and tosses her tray into the washer. "Oh good. You two are finally separated. Maybe now I can get some sleep." She gives me a sly look. "It's hard to relax when it sounds like he's decimating your poor human vagina all night long." As she passes by me, she leans in. "They have a med unit on this ship if you need it."
My face flushes red. "Gee, thanks Bethiah. You're a real treat, as always."
"I know." She saunters out—thank god—and I get my noodles in silence. I l
ook around uneasily, then decide I'm not brave enough to sit with a stranger. I claim an empty table and set my bowl down in front of me, pretending to be lost in thought.
There's a loud slurp of noodle nearby. "Those are my sister's favorite noodles," the big alien says to me. When I look over, he points at my bowl. "She always eats those in the morning. She's human too, you know."
My eyebrows go up. "I didn't know."
"Yeah." He waves his eating sticks in the air, gesturing at the bridge in the front of the ship. "She was our nav but mated some guy and is now navigating with him. Kaspar's filling in until we find someone new." The alien grins. "That's why he's in such a pissy mood. I'm Adiron, by the way."
"Hi. Kim." I smile hesitantly. "Can I ask what happened to your eye?"
His big, goofy smile gets bigger. "Turns out Bethiah doesn't like being tickled."
I snort. "I don't blame her."
"Yeah. I figured she'd retaliate, but I also figured the risk was worth the reward." He gets up from his seat and heads over to my table with his bowl, plunking himself down across from me and taking another big, slurping bite.
Oh, okay. I guess we're friends now. I roll my noodles onto the end of my sticks and eat them a little more delicately, wondering if I should say anything. "So you guys…are used to humans?" I ask quietly, pushing the noodles around. It makes sense. When I boarded, I didn't get treated the way I normally do when I meet others. At best, I get treated like an adorable dog. At worst, I get treated like a stain on the carpet. Neither is particularly fun. But these aliens have been…neutral. Like they noticed I was human and didn't care. I appreciate that and it makes me feel safer. "Because of your sister?"
He nods, tipping back his bowl and downing the rest of his food in a few quick gulps. I notice that he's thick and muscular, probably the most solid of the three brothers, but my Nassakth could still take him in a fight. Easily. "Yup. You run into a fair amount of humans in our line of work. Your guy's our first praxiian, though. Is it true he was a gladiator?"