Chapter 8 | Kara

Chapter 8

Kara

Rex had a tiny bathroom, and in it was a surprisingly pleasant shower. The water pressure was perfect, the temperature great, and because the space was small, the room heated up in a jiffy. I didn’t even feel strange or awkward about taking off my stained, torn pajamas and getting naked. That was because Rex had spent precious minutes showing me how to engage the lock on the door. I felt safe.

I also recognized the cleansing products on a tiny ledge inside the shower: a simple block of soap and the strange mouthwash flask they used as a tooth cleanser. These products were staples in any of the Compound’s bathrooms on Ker. It wasn’t fancy—it wasn’t like my conditioner and lotion back on Earth—but it would get me clean, and right now, that was all I wanted.

I also had a pile of clothing to pull on once I was done: a shirt with four sleeves—I didn’t even know Rex owned shirts—and a pair of soft pants. When I’d dried myself with an admittedly rough towel, it was heavenly to slip the shirt over my head. It smelled like Rex: masculine, musky, like the foods he cooked in his kitchen. I could tie the lower set of sleeves around my waist and sort of over my boobs, turning it into a makeshift dress that offered a hint of support.

When I shuffled outside, I discovered that my host had spread a blanket in front of the front door and rolled up another to make a pillow. It would be one hell of an improvement over sleeping outside, and I started to move toward him, my toes curling into the excess fabric of my pant legs. I needed to roll them up, but I was too tired to bother.

Rex intercepted me when I moved to sit on the improvised bed, catching my elbow with one of his lower hands. Heat blazed through the fabric of the shirt against my skin, and I bit my lip to muffle the surprised moan that wanted to escape. Rex’s mood spots turned pink, his green-and-yellow eyes intense as they focused on my mouth. I thought he was about to kiss me when he swayed forward, but at the last moment, he turned me away with the press of a hand, angling me toward the hammock.

I got the idea when he ushered me forward with a gentle nudge. That was going to be my bed, not the floor. It was a big hammock, with pillows and blankets. I was a little worried about getting in, but it did look very comfy. I hesitated at the edge, afraid I was going to make a fool of myself when that thing spun around and dumped me on the floor on the other side. When I glanced at Rex, I caught an amused expression and a yellow glow to his spots. My old self would have pouted and made a joke, but the appropriate words fled my mind, so all I ended up doing was pouting and looking like an idiot.

His spots flared back to pink, his eyes growing wide, and then he curled a pair of hands around my waist and lifted me. Seriously, he picked me up like I was a dainty little feather and set me down in the center of the hammock, his upper pair of hands holding the contraption rock-steady so I didn’t fall. His hands didn’t leave my waist once I was sitting either, and I could feel each finger pressing against my skin. I could feel their strength, how freaking much of me he spanned with that grip. He had big hands. Now I was blushing, pink spreading across my cheeks. I wondered if there was a correlation. Was he embarrassed or turned on when his spots went pink?

The sight of my blush triggered something in him: a flurry of hand signs I couldn’t possibly follow, and then a thumb brushing along my cheek. His expression was close to something I could only describe as awe. Well, there was a first time for everything; I’d certainly never impressed anyone with my ability to blush before. I was pretty sure his mood freckles didn’t know what to do with the mixture of feelings inside my alien chef. Pink and yellow seemed to be winning, but there was a flash of something blue too.

“Kara,” he husked, his damaged voice no more than a whisper, struggling to wrap itself around my simple, two-vowel name. Goosebumps broke out all over my flesh, my nipples perked beneath my shirt, and something clenched low in my abdomen. Fuck, why was that so hot? How could I like a guy this much when I was supposed to be unable to trust him? But I did trust him, all the way.

Impulsively, I leaned closer. I fully planned to brush a kiss on his cheek as a thank you, but the hammock tipped forward with my motion, I lost my balance and ended up tumbling forward. My hands landed on his upper shoulders, and I clutched tightly to keep from falling even more. Rex’s hand tightened around my waist to help, and I froze, a breath away from his mouth. Ah, fuck it. I brushed his lips with mine, my skin tingling at every point of contact. “Thank you, Rex,” I breathed into the small space between us.

His chest vibrated beneath my hands, though he made no sound. I could feel his hands clench against my waist, felt his heat bathe my body. The hammock swayed, rocking me closer, then further away. I didn’t dare to kiss him again, and he didn’t move. Our eyes locked, this magnetic pull growing between us. I tried to remember desperately if the Kertinal safety lessons on alien species had included anything on kissing. Did Rex's species kiss?

Pink was winning now; it dotted his cheeks and showed along his nose. It could have looked silly, but it made my stomach twist with heat as if I knew what it meant by instinct. Arousal. His grip on my waist hauled me closer, the hammock rocked me forward, and then I was plastered to his chest, my thigh brushing a massive erection. My breasts were against his pecs, and his mouth dipped closer, claiming mine.

No soft brush this time. This wasn’t an impulsive thank-you peck on the lips, but a claim. His tongue brushed my lips, then pushed inside, marauding, taking. I felt owned by that kiss, my mind spinning, my body aching, and every nerve on fire. I had never been kissed like this; I had nothing to compare it to. The few boyfriends I’d had in college were exactly that—boys. But Rex was all man—mature, experienced, and ready to take what he wanted while giving me so much at the same time.

When he pulled away, I chased after him and was rewarded not with another kiss, but a husky whisper of a laugh. His eyes twinkled with mischief, his spots flashing from bright pink to yellow with happiness. Then he lifted a hand from my waist and signed something in the air between us. I couldn’t understand, but I was pretty sure he was telling me to go to sleep.

Getting tucked into a hammock was definitely not the same as being tucked into a bed. The gentle sway was soothing, the hammock conformed perfectly to my body, and everything smelled like Rex. I felt pampered when he spent an extra moment to make sure my feet were properly covered by the blankets. Then I felt an odd curl of heat and worry when he stroked his fingers gently along my cheek, a warm look in his eyes. This guy said a lot without ever using words. That was the sweetest goodnight I’d ever received.

The lights dimmed when he moved for the pallet on the floor by the door, but I still had one perfect shot at seeing his full silhouette. To see the outline of his still erect cock pressed against the tight leather of his pants. That was dauntingly big and very hard, but he was the one stepping away, not pushing for more. After all that bad luck, I had finally caught a break and found a decent guy.

I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.