by Dixon, Ruby
"He does not have a mate, if that is what you are asking."
"Got his eye on anyone in particular on Risda?"
"Not that I am aware of?" He stares down at the last piece of pie in his plate and then looks up at me. "Why do you ask?"
Time to lay it all out on the table. "Because I think I need a husband," I state point-blank. "And I was wondering if he was up for the job."
7
REKTAR
I am good at hiding my emotions, for the most part. A lifetime of military service and of never having anything to claim for my own has allowed me to mask when I am angry or upset. I finish eating Lucy's fine dinner, make conversation with her, and then I excuse myself back out to the barn for the night, all the while managing to somehow keep it together.
In reality, I am seething with jealousy.
Khex. She wants to know if Khex is available for her to mate with. I like Khex—he is impossible not to like with his easygoing nature—but right now, I want to punch him for stealing Lucy's heart.
I want Lucy for myself. I want that female to look at me with adoration. I want her to wear her low-cut tunics to bed with me. I want to eat her fine meals and wake up with her in my arms. I want to hear her joyous laughter every day. I want all these things…and she wants Khex.
It must be because I am a bastard. Not for the first time, I curse my lot in life and the noble parents that gave me up without giving their names. I have never been wanted. I am used to that. But I have also never wanted anything as much as I want Lucy. It's hard to believe that she is willing to mate with an alien…and she has her sights on Khex.
To say I am disappointed is an understatement.
Of course she wants him. He is tall and strong and comes from a decent family. He is easy to get along with and has a smile for everyone. He talks easily with others and never worries that he frightens them. Meanwhile I have massive hands and arms, and some of the females in town cross the street when they see me. I am too large to make them comfortable.
I would never hurt Lucy. Never.
Fighting back my bitter disappointment, I head out to the barn. The meat-stock are out in the field because the weather is mild, and the only scents here are those of old hay and machinery…and Lucy's laundry. The primal scent of her clothing feeds into my aching need for her and I can resist no longer. I tug at my belt, loosening it, and then undo the front of my trou, shoving them down to my knees. When my cock springs free, I grab it and stroke hard, imagining Lucy's smile. Her sweet, sweet smile.
Then, I remember that I have her undergarments.
I pull them out of the hidden pocket I have them stashed in and bring them to my nose. They are full of her musk, rich and ripe, and I shudder all over with the scent of her. Nothing has ever smelled so perfect. With a groan, I take another deep whiff and then bring the silky fabric to my cock.
And I begin to work myself with it. Her scent is all over my skin now, and if I close my eyes, I can almost imagine it is her hand on my shaft, her cunt that is clasping around my length instead of my fingers, her—
"Before you go to bed, I thought I'd bring you some blankets," Lucy calls out, just as the barn door opens.
My eyes widen and I go still.
Trapped.
It's too late to do anything, though. I am caught, my hand on my cock, her clothing being used for shameful things.
Lucy stands in the doorway, staring at me. I know how it must look, with my hand on my length and my trou around my knees as I stand in the middle of her barn. I look like a fool—or worse, a pervert. Even so, I cannot help but stare at her dusky pink mouth and how her lips part when she gazes at me.
Nor can I help that I stroke my cock again at the sight of her. It is instinctive.
"Oh. Rektar." Her gaze flicks between my face and then my cock and then back to my face again. "I'm…interrupting?"
I shake my head, mortified. "You are not. I should not be…" I let my words trail off, because what can I say? I should not be touching myself? I should not be stealing her underclothes? I should not be standing in her barn with my trou at my knees while she is worried about her safety? That my jealousy over her affection for Khex is making me mad with need?
Truly, I am the worst of males.
Her gaze slides to my cock again and her brows knit together. "Are those my panties?"
I open my mouth, but only a strange sound comes out. No words.
She chuckles, the sound low and sultry, and takes a step forward. Then another, and then she is standing in front of me, all the while I am frozen and unable to move. I watch in stunned silence as she puts a hand lightly on my chest, a thoughtful expression on her face, and then she looks up at me. Smiles.
And puts her hand on my cock.
This time, a guttural groan escapes me.
"Shhh," she whispers, her fingers dancing along mine. She pushes the scrap of fabric away from my cock and strokes my tip, sliding in the pre-cum dotting my skin. "No piercing?" Lucy looks up at me, a smile on her face. "I thought that was standard for your race."
"I did not…I was not…" It is hard for me to think with her touching me. "No female…"
"You thought because you're a bastard you'd never get a girl?" She arches a brow at me. "Not that this isn't a fine-looking cock already. You're the thickest man I've ever seen." She squeezes the head of my cock.
My eyes nearly roll back in my head.
"I was wondering if you were this big all over," she murmurs, her hand sticky as she roams over me. "Turns out you are. Are you a virgin, too?"
I swallow hard, because I do not want to admit that I am. "Does…I…" I swallow again. "That is…"
"Shh," she says again. "It doesn't matter." Lucy licks her lips and gazes up at me, her eyes sultry and beautiful. "Would you like for me to use my mouth on you—"
Her words send a flash of images through my mind, and it is too much. I grip her small hand in mine and squeeze her fingers, working my shaft with her hand in a hard, fast jerk that brings me over the edge. I come so hard that my vision blurs, and black swims at the edges of my sight. My sac is so tight it feels as if it's pulled all the way into my body, and yet I keep coming, and coming, splattering my seed all over the floor of her barn.
And her hand.
By the time I can stop working myself with her grip, I am spent, my seed covers her lower arm, and I am full of embarrassment. To think that I came at the mere mention of her mouth—something I have only heard filthy rumors of. I am such a keffing idiot. Why did I not tell her how much the sight of her pleases me? How much I want her? How much I want her to want me instead of Khex?
But she only smiles up at me and lifts her hand to her mouth. Her pink tongue slips out and she tastes my seed on her fingers, and I have never seen anything so erotic in my life.
If I had any seed left in my body, it would be spouting from my cock all over again.
As it is, I am helpless as I watch her return to her house, her hips swaying as she leaves me behind in the barn. She didn't talk to me, I realize as I suck in deep lungfuls of breath. Did I embarrass her? Of course I did. She wants Khex.
I…cannot let that happen, though.
It is clear to me that I must speak with Khex in the morning. To let him know I am determined to woo the female away from wanting him. I know he is not interested in any of the females here. He has said as much and teased me about my secret affection for Lucy. I must let him know how I feel, and that I want her.
And then I must figure out a way to show her that she needs me and not Khex.
That I can last longer than a breath, too. That part is important.
8
LUCY
I'm humming with satisfaction as I go back inside the house. My hand is still sticky with his release, and I'm aroused with no outlet, but I'm utterly content.
That was fun.
I'd forgotten what it's like to be with a guy and watch him come. I'd forgotten what it feels like to be an utterly sexy, desirab
le creature in front of a man's eyes. It's a little odd given that most of the women on this planet were captured from Earth to be sex slaves. Me, I was bought to be a companion to an elderly mesakkah who lived alone. We fooled around a few times, but his interest wasn't in sex any longer, and as he declined, our relationship was more about me taking care of him than anything else.
I didn't love him, but Aharen was a good guy. Kind. Thoughtful. He moved back in with his family once he could no longer take care of himself, and they sent me off to Risda III. Really, I've been so lucky. Lonely, though. So stinking lonely. Just because I've been “lucky” in my slavery situation doesn't mean that I'm not just as lonely as everyone else out here. I miss having people around.
I miss having someone to fuss over. And now there's Rektar, and everything is suddenly looking better.
I head into the kitchen with a smile and clean my hand off, then put away the last of the dishes. Rektar had offered to help me clean up, but he'd been in a weird mood after dinner and I wondered if he was feeling okay. The man had put away so much darn food I worried he'd given himself a stomachache.
Turned out that other parts of him were aching. I giggle to myself.
Once the kitchen is clean, I head to the bedroom. I change into a nightgown and snuggle into my narrow bed, thinking about Rektar and touching him again. I think about what it'll be like to be mated to him. It'll involve a lot of cooking, but I'm fine with that. He's quiet, too, but I hope he opens up more over time. Tonight I learned a lot about him, and I want to keep learning about him.
The endless days on Risda III are suddenly full of promise.
* * *
The next morning, I wake up early and make a huge breakfast, human-style. Rektar didn't seem to mind my cooking, so I make a lovely quiche full of local substitutes for human vegetables. The quiche itself is the size of a damn platter, but knowing Rektar's appetite, I think it'll be just enough. After all, I made a ton of food last night and there were no leftovers. If I marry the guy, I'm going to have to get a few of the avians that are the Risda equivalent of chickens and double my grocery supplies.
I smile to myself at the thought, because after last night, I'm hoping a relationship with Rektar is back on the table. It's clear he likes me. The man was using my panties to jerk off. And he let me touch him, and the look on his face definitely wasn't disgust.
So yeah, things aren't great right now, but at least that situation is looking up.
I see Rektar heading out of the barn, his clothing perfect and buttoned all the way up, every short hair in place atop his head. He doesn't look as if he slept in a barn last night, nor does he look like the man who had his pants around his knees while I jerked him off. He looks so very composed that for a moment I wonder if I imagined it all. But then he glances toward my house, and this color is high and he's rubbing his ear.
Nope, it happened.
Fighting back the squeal of glee rising in my throat, I race to my room and splash some perfume on my pulse points. My old master told me that all humans smelled bad, so I'm careful to try and disguise my smell at all times. I don't want Rektar finding me unappealing.
He knocks on my door and I smooth a hand over my hair, trying to compose myself. I'm wearing a flowing dress today, cinched under the breasts to give my figure the ultimate oomph, and the neck is cut extra low. It's something I don't dare wear into town, but it's perfect for this situation. With a smile on my face, I answer the door. "Good morning."
Rektar's gaze immediately drops to my cleavage. I'm not surprised; it is pretty magnificent this morning. He flushes deeper and his tail lashes back and forth. "I need to go into town." His words are abrupt. "As soon as possible."
That…wasn't the response I wanted to hear. "Good morning to you, too," I say lightly, and turn away from the door, heading to the kitchen. "You can come eat first. Then I'll take you into town."
It's silent, and for a depressing moment, I worry that I'm going to turn around and see him hovering on my porch, unwilling to come inside. That we're back to square one despite last night. I pull the quiche out of the warmer, determined not to show my disappointment, but when I turn around, Rektar is seated at the table.
Relief—and pleasure—blossoms through me again. I set down the quiche with a flourish, smiling. "Eat up."
"You don't have to keep feeding me," he says, his gaze averted. "My ration bars are sufficient."
"Sufficient isn't the same as enjoyable," I counter, and when he stares at the quiche but doesn't pick up the spoon, I reach over the table and dish out a portion for him. Again, his gaze strays to my cleavage, staring for a long moment before glancing away again. The man is impossible to read sometimes, but I hope that's a good sign. "If you're stationed on a farm planet and you can't eat good, farm-fresh food, then what's the point?"
I set the plate in front of him. He digs in without another word of protest and then closes his eyes as he takes a bite. He swallows and then looks over at me. "You made this for me?" When I nod, he looks away again, staring at his plate. "I am honored."
"It's just breakfast," I say, but the way he's acting is strange. It's like he doesn't want to look at me. Maybe…the cleavage is too much? I take a few bites of food myself, but I'm confused. I thought after last night he'd be less shy, but this morning he seems more so. Is that why he has to go back into town so quickly? Does he regret what happened?
I have a sinking feeling he does.
We eat in silence, and I'm not entirely surprised that Rektar cleans his plate again. He gets seconds, and when there's only a little left in the pan, Rektar sits back with a heavy sigh, patting his stomach. "Delicious."
"Glad you liked it," I say politely, trying not to let my conflicting emotions show. "Since there's some left and we're heading into town, let me wrap this up for Khex. I bet he could use a nice breakfast—"
Before I can finish the sentence, Rektar pulls the food toward him and shovels the rest of it onto his plate. "Think I'm still hungry after all," he mumbles, and continues eating.
Weird. I head to my room and put on my walking shoes to go into town. I wrap a shawl around my shoulders, knotting it tight and tucking it into my bodice so my cleavage is covered. I don't want to make Rektar more uncomfortable than he already is. Maybe one of my friends in town will be able to decipher Rektar's mixed signals, because I sure can't.
If he'd just look me in the eye and smile, I'd feel better about all of this. I don't regret what happened last night—heck, if anything, I'd love to do a repeat, maybe even get a little action for myself. But I need a sign of encouragement from him.
Instead, when I go back out to the main room of my small house, he stands by the door, his dishes in the sink and the table cleared off. His hands are clasped behind his back and he's perfectly still, as if he's waiting to leave. He casts a look in my direction but doesn't raise his gaze. "I am ready to go into town whenever you are."
It's hard not to be disappointed. "Sure, I'll drop you off—"
"No," he says quickly. He lifts his gaze to mine and then just as quickly drops it again. "It is important that you stay in town. Just wait for me."
"Is something wrong? Did you find something else last night?"
"No." He rubs his ear. "I just…" He makes a strangled sound in his throat. "Please honor my request, Lucy."
"Of course." Now if he could just quit being so weird…
9
REKTAR
Lucy is beautiful this morning. Her dress emphasizes the ample loveliness of her form, and her dark hair swings against her shoulders in soft waves. She reeks of the choking perfume, but I try to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose to lessen it. Even the perfume can't take away from her attractiveness. Her smile is utterly becoming and her breasts are…magnificent.
I hate each time that I must drop my gaze and not look at her, but I don't want her to feel as if I'm intimidating her. I need to get this right. I need to get it ALL right.
I must confront Khex an
d let him know I am claiming the female for myself. He does not have feelings for her other than a general affection, but I wish to stake my claim before that changes. Lucy is very beguiling, and just being in her presence makes me forget all my teachings. I forget not to stare at her. I forget to give her distance so she does not feel afraid. I forget everything I have been taught about humans, and it's frustrating. The last thing I want is for Lucy to be afraid of me, but if this continues, my control will break and then she won't want to be anywhere near me.
Lucy parks her sled in front of the Port Custodial Offices and glances over at me. "Is this good?"
I nod. "Thank you. I hope I will not be long." I just need to lay claim to her, let Khex know I am going to be busy for the next few days with my mate, and then drag her over to the Registrar's office so we can formalize this. Mesakkah aren't much for ceremonies when taking a mate, but I know that it is important to humans to establish a proper bond in the eyes of the government. Given the circumstances, it will also be wise for us to ensure that everyone in Port knows that she is now going to be my mate and that she is off limits. That I will protect her with everything I am.
And while I am a bastard with no name of his own and no house to claim, I hope Lucy can see past that to mate with me. She touched me last night, and that gave me hope. She smiled as she caressed my cock and spoke so sweetly to me.