by Ruby Dixon
She reaches me a few moments later, scoops the baby into her arms, and frantically presses kisses to Kae’s tiny, horned little forehead. “Thank you,” she tells me between kisses, and I’m not in the least bit surprised to see that Kae’s stopped crying.
“Of course,” I say, and try not to sound impatient as I peek behind her. It looks as if a few people on the ridge are arguing. Angry gestures are being made, and I’m pretty sure I recognize Haeden’s big form up there. I want him to come down and greet me. I miss him so badly. I press a hand over my heart, where my cootie is purring with excitement. “How did it go?”
Kira nuzzles Kae’s downy head. “I’ll let Haeden tell you. It’s been a long trip and I’m glad to be home.”
I nod, keeping the smile on my face even as Aehako joins her, murmurs a greeting to me, and then they head for the cave. Kira looks exhausted and I know it’s not an easy trip. But now I’m free of baby duties and can seek out my mate. I head up the ridge.
The cootie in my breast gets stronger as I approach…but so does the argument. An arm flails and then a fur hood is pushed back and I see a human woman, a stranger.
Just one?
I study her. She’s got blonde, tangled hair and she’s a little chunky. And she looks super, super pissed. Her nostrils flare with anger as one of the men standing near her tries to calm her. “This is bullshit!” she bellows, arm flailing. “I don’t give a crap if you tell me that you guys are friendly. My sister is gone! I don’t want to rest at the cave! I want to go fucking find her and the bastard that stole her and —“
“Let us be calm,” Rokan is saying, and Taushen hovers near the woman, a concerned look on his face. Haeden’s arms are crossed over his chest, as if he’s sick of all the bullshit already.
As I approach, Haeden turns.
“Hey, buddy, I am talking to you,” the woman yells at my mate. “Don’t turn away! My sister—“
Haeden raises a hand in the air, indicating silence. To my surprise, they all go silent. He turns away from them and starts to stride toward me. I’m pretty sure romantic-movie music is playing in my head at this moment, because he’s so handsome and so wonderful and all mine and oh God I’ve missed him so much.
I burst into happy tears.
He doesn’t stop as he strides toward me, just grabs me in his arms and hauls me against him, like he carried me back when we were traveling. I wrap my legs around his hips, my arms around his neck, and start kissing the hell out of him. He smells like smoke and sweat and travel and he tastes better than anything. My tongue slicks against his frantically, our cooties purring in time.
“Where’s he going?” the woman cries, desperate. “What about my sister?”
“He is busy,” Rokan says with amusement as we leave. “He has a resonance mate to tend to.”
Haeden and I continue kissing as he carries me back to the cave. Around us there are people celebrating, the chatter of happy voices, and dozens of people talking all at once. My Haeden doesn’t stop, just continues to carry me through the cave and back to our own private den. There will be a celebration tonight for the new woman - and her sister, though I’m not sure why she’s missing - but Haeden and I will likely not be there.
Can’t say I’m disappointed.
By the time we make it to our blankets, I’m so aroused I’m wiggling against him in anticipation. God, this has been the longest wait and if he doesn’t ‘mate’ me in the next minute, I’m going to lose my ever-loving mind.
But my man, bless his heart, raises his head when we enter the cave and sniffs, surprised. “It smells like kit in here. Kit dung and sour milk.”
I press frantic kisses to his jaw, his neck, everywhere I can reach. “Kae’s a bit of a fusser when her mommy isn’t here.” And a pooper. And a barfer. It’s been a long three weeks.
He grunts. “It stinks.”
“Well, get used to it,” I say, grabbing one of his horns and tugging him forward playfully. “Because you’re going to be experiencing it yourself, soon. Well, okay, not soon. More like fourteen months. But it sounds better the other way.”
Haeden’s eyes widen and his grip tightens on my hips. “You are with kit? You are sure?”
I pat my chest, where my cootie’s vibrating. “Would this thing lie to you?” When he continues to stare at me in shock, I add, “And I haven’t had my female, er, time of the, uh, moon.” You know, I’ve never asked what the heck the sa-khui call it when a woman has her period. “Red tent. Aunt Flo. Whatever.”
He pauses, and then a moment later, he sets me on the ground, then hugs me against him in a crushingly tight embrace, his face against my breast. “My Jo-see,” he whispers, and his voice is choked. I can feel his face on my purring chest, and I have a sneaking suspicion that his eyes are wet.
And hey, he’s not the only one. I sniff hard and stroke his long braid. “This is what we wanted, right?”
He lifts his head and gazes up at me with shiny eyes. “All I wanted was you.”
Oh shit, now I’m really going to bawl. I swipe at my eyes. “But you want a baby, right?”
He presses a kiss to my flat, clothed stomach. “Almost more than anything.”
And that’s incredibly sweet. Almost, because he wants me more than anything. “I’m just warning you, though, if we don’t have sex in the next five minutes, I’m going to lose my mind.”
Haeden tugs at my tunic and begins to unwrap me like a present. Every inch of skin he exposes, he kisses and flicks his tongue over - more frankissing as he likes to say. “There will be a celebration for the new female,” he says. “Her name is Mad-ee.”
Maddie? “Don’t care.” I stroke his horns lovingly. “They can celebrate without us.”
“And a hunt for the missing female. Li-lah.” He reveals my boobs and grazes his lips over one nipple.
“That’s nice,” I say dreamily, pushing him toward our furs. “I don’t want to go. You don’t, either. Let someone else go find her.”
He lifts his head and gives me a heated, playful look. “I am surprised you want me with you, Jo-see. I thought you would be glad to have your leave of me after so many days of being my mate.”
“Are you kidding? I missed you like crazy.” I lie back in the furs and he crawls over me, tugging at the drawstring of his leggings.
“Even though I am unpleasant and surly?”
“That’s just you being you. And I like you,” I tell him, smoothing a hand over one big arm. His cock is freed from his leggings and he’s pushing mine down. “You can be surly all you want to everyone else as long as you’re good to me.”
“I will always be good to you,” he says solemnly, all traces of playfulness gone from his hard face. “You are my life, my heart, my everything.”
I wrap my arms around him as he pushes into me. If I’m his heart, he’s my soul. We’re one, and we’re together.
Nothing else matters. Not babies, not strangers, not endless snow. As long as I have Haeden in my arms, life here on the ice planet is utterly perfect. I couldn’t ask for more. I’ve always wanted to be loved; to be the center of someone’s universe. It took traveling halfway across the universe to succeed, but I’m exactly where I need to be.
“I love you,” I tell Haeden as he begins to stroke into me with hard, possessive strokes.
And it makes my cootie purr a little louder to hear him say it back for the first time.
The End
* * *
DEAR READERS,
Thank you for continuing on the ice planet journey with me! These books are addictive to write, and I love hearing that others are enjoying them. In fact, my fans are one of the best things about writing these books – when I say I appreciate the feedback, I do! Let me know what you think! Do you want Bek to have a book? Do you want to see the original stranded sa-khui? You tell me and I will let you know if I can make it happen…well, within reason!
I love sharing teasers and tidbits on Facebook, so drop by and say hello! We have a great gro
up over there and it’s so much fun to chat with my fans!
So many people have asked WHO is coming up next since we are down to the last of the original girls. This book should make it obvious, but just in case you need more details, here’s what I have planned at the moment:
BARBARIAN’S TOUCH — SUMMER 2016 (Lila & Maddie’s story)
BARBARIAN’S CHOICE — SUMMER/FALL 2016 (Farli’s story)
FIRE AND ICE — LATER 2016 (Guess who!)
I’m not ready to leave the IPB world and its hunky blue barbarians, and I hope you aren’t either! There’s more to come, I promise.
Much love and a big blue alien in your furs,
<3 Ruby
PS – Turn the page for a few recommendations I’ve selected! All KU and free to borrow!
RUBY REC: ERIN TATE’S TAULAN
I love Erin Tate’s sexy, funny books! She’s one of my go-to recs for more scifi romance because I know you’ll enjoy them as much as I do. Have you caught up on her Dragons of Preor series? They’re sexy dragon aliens who want to mate Earth women. Yes, please!
Taulan
He wants to return to Preor and she wants a job, but you don’t always get what you want.
Lana Cooper is down to her last hundred dollars, has no job, and her clunker of a car has finally clunked out. How has her life become such a cluster of horribleness? Oh, right. A guy. Only she doesn’t get a chance to beg for a job. Nope, one walk along the beach changes everything. Oh, she has a job now… as the mate to a hot, hunky Preor dragon male.
Taulan sen Pavon is anxious to return to his home on Preor. Yes, he’d journeyed to Earth in hopes of finding a human mate, but now… Now he would like to heal in the privacy of his aerie. Wings destroyed and body damaged by an explosion, he has no desire to watch others find joy with their mates while he remains unworthy and alone on a ship filled with thousands. But then he finds Lana. Lana with her alluring smile, sparkling eyes, luscious body, and whose mere presence initiates the Knowing.
Can he live long enough to claim her? Can she see past her father’s prejudice to love him? Both questions are pointless because there are still Preor who despise the joining of humans and dragons. They will stop at nothing to drive a wedge between the races. Including murder.
RUBY REC: ALEXA RILEY’S BUY ME SERIES
Alexa Riley is such an EASY recommendation for me because these ladies write scorchingly hot books about men who are obsessed with the heroine and the heroine ALONE. Their books are always super dirty and super ‘safe’. And now you can get four books of theirs for the sale price!
Be warned - these stories are scorchingly hot and more than a little risqué!!
BUY ME – The Complete Series (Mistress Auctions)
Welcome to the Mistress Auctions with five complete love stories!
The Mistresses have been bundled together and now include the novella His First and Only, which was in the For the First Time bundle.
This book includes the entire BUY ME series, featuring a menage, a light BDSM story, a virgin hero and heroine, and a winter/summer romance.
There's a taste for everyone in here, so go on and take a bite.
Warning: BUY ME is full of alpha heroes, sassy heroines, and lots of gooey steam. It's sweet enough, dirty enough, and gosh darn it, people love it.
RUBY REC: KATI WILDE’S BREAKING IT ALL
Kati Wilde is an amazing, amazing author and I love the depth and emotion she packs into her motorcycle club romances. I fangirl over all of her releases and the fact that this one is a full length story instead of a novella? I am all over it!
I know we’ve all be excitedly waiting for Gunner and Anna’s story and it’ll be here on March 31st. I’ve got mine preordered and am eagerly awaiting the date!
BREAKING IT ALL
Ten years ago, I met Anna Wall when I stopped to help her change a tire. Five minutes later, she flashed me her tits and I was a goner.
There’s no self-preservation after you’re gone. No wall you can build around your heart. You can’t protect yourself. So you protect her, instead.
You protect her by doing nothing but watch her. And all the while, you’re wishing for more but knowing you can’t have it. You’re pretending you don’t think of her as anything other than your friend’s little sister. But when her brother goes missing and the past comes calling, and a threat to her life waits at her front door…there’s no pretending anymore. She’s mine. She’ll always be mine.
And I’ll do anything to break through Anna’s defenses and make her believe it.
ICE PLANET BARBARIANS SERIES LIST
Are you all caught up on Ice Planet Barbarians? Need a refresher? Click through to borrow or buy and get caught up (or add to your keeper shelf)!
Ice Planet Barbarians – Georgie’s Story
Barbarian Alien – Liz’s Story
Barbarian Lover – Kira’s Story
Barbarian Mine – Harlow’s Story
Ice Planet Holiday – Claire’s Story
Barbarian’s Prize – Tiffany’s Story
Barbarian’s Mate – You just read it! <3
WANT MORE?
For more information about upcoming books in the Ice Planet Barbarians, Bear Bites, or any other books by Ruby Dixon, like me on Facebook or subscribe to my new release newsletter.
Thanks for reading!
<3 Ruby
BORING COPYRIGHT STUFF
Copyright © 2016 by Ruby Dixon
This book is a work of fiction. I know, I know. Hard to imagine that a book about big blue aliens is fiction, but it is. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental and would be pretty darn nifty.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews. And stuff.