25. Vanessa

Chapter 25

We bathed and returned to our home, finding the bedding tidied, Aizor's loincloth he'd tossed on the floor last night . . . absorbed. And snacks waiting on a crystal plate.

"I believe your people are the true gods here, not the other way around."

His bright laughter rang out.

I slumped on the bed furs, gaping up at him. Damn, he was gorgeous when he laughed. Why hadn't I seen how handsome he was right from the start? The attacking creature may have distracted me, but Aizor . . .

I'd thought him beastly, and I supposed he was in an alien sort of way. But he was my beast, a very sexy one. I was glad I could see it now. I wasn't ready to make my decision—it hadn't been enough time—but boy, it would be tough to leave Zuldrux. No, it would be torturous to leave Aizor.

"We're not the gods here," he said, still chuckling.

"They cater to your every wish."

"Not all. We ask, and many times, we don't receive what we wish for."

"Why not?"

"They decide."

"Okay." Could I learn what the crystal aliens provided and what they didn't and find a way to fill the gap? Not with disposable items. Who needed trash lying around in this pristine world? But . . . "If I stay, I can't sit around doing nothing."

"I don't know what you mean." He joined me on the furs, placing the bowl between us. He picked up and ate a pink crystal ball the size of a large marble, crunching through it. He laid other bowls holding small, odd crystal objects in various colors near the first bowl.

I lifted and licked one, finding it tasted vaguely like a grape. When in Rome . . . I popped it into my mouth and ground it with my teeth, enjoying the burst of flavors enough to grab a thin blue thing half the length of a pencil and about as thick. "I had a job back on Earth. I was a cook. You don't need a cook here, not when your gods will craft any dish you ask for." My shoulders slumped.

"We do prepare our meat dishes, but that's Muzzire's favorite task."

"He's the grumpy one, right?"

He nodded.

"I wouldn't want to encroach on his territory, but I love to prepare meals for people," I said. "I was studying to be a chef. I had this big old dream about one day owning my own restaurant, of crafting exquisite dishes my customers would rave about."

"Much like our gods, you also enjoy praise."

"Who wouldn't?"

"You're beautiful."

My laugh snorted out. "Thanks, but that's not exactly what I meant." I bit the end off the blue pencil, finding it tasted like strawberries. This must be the gods' version of a fruit platter. So far, my intestines hadn't protested what I'd eaten. Maybe Icouldsurvive on crystal food like the Zuldruxians.

"Tell me what you mean, then," he said. "I'll help you all I can. I want you to be happy here." He tilted my face and kissed me, the flavors from the fruit making him taste even sweeter.

"I'm going to see exactly what can be produced in the kitchen, and then think about it," I said after he leaned back and gave me a sweet smile.

"What else could you do that would give you pleasure?"

I could think of a lot of things I'd like to do with Aizor that would give me pleasure, but I didn't think he meant sexy stuff.

"You work with wood sometimes," I said. "That chair . . . you could sell objects like that at craft fairs. Which you don't have. Or need, I guess."

"Yes, I cut the trees and mold wood from them. I enjoy building things." He shrugged, his cheeks darkening and his gaze darting away from mine. "It's a simple thing, but it makes me happy."

"Could you show me your shop? I have a few ideas for other things I could do here."

"Of course. Tell me what you want, my pretty mate, and it's yours."

This guy was making me reconsider everything I'd always thought I needed back on Earth.

And I wasn't exactly sure what I should do about it.

Abstinence seemed to have become Aizor's new best friend. There had been no repeat of the amazing oral and finger sex he'd given me, and while I woke each morning to him lying beside me with a rip-roaring hard-on that had to be uncomfortable, he'd only smile, kiss me sweetly, and slip from the furs.

We shared a bed, lots of conversation while strolling along the paths meandering through the woods near his crystal village, and mealtimes, but no sex.

With four days left until I had to give the crystal aliens my decision, I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do.

While I could easily imagine myself living here forever, I should want to return to where I came from, right?

"Rise, my pretty mate," he said, leaning over the bed I still lounged in to tap my ass. He tugged the fur blanket down and the heat of his gaze made my skin tingle.

I'd taken to wearing a thin tunic to bed each night and the crystal aliens, somehow knowing this, made sure a clean one lay at the foot of my fur-covered bed each evening. If I thought too hard about it, I'd find it creepy. Instead, I'd started to shrug it off, as if we had people working here who weren't keen on showing themselves to us. As long as they didn't hang around watching us through crystal eyes, I was good.

"I'm sleepy," I said. "Let me lounge in the furs. I need a phone to scroll the internet until I wake up fully. A head-sized cup of coffee. A spinach smoothie because crystals aren't cutting it for greens."

He dropped down to crawl all over me. Yum. He made a fine substitution for anything I might be craving.

First, he started kissing my shoulder. I playfully swatted him away, but when his mouth moved to my neck, I moaned and gave in—like I had when he first touched me. I'd suspected he was holding himself back, and I couldn't blame him. Why invest time and sexual favors in someone who might leave you?

The more he held himself back, however, the more I wanted him. If he was a guy back on Earth, I'd suspect he did it on purpose. This was Aizor, however, a cinnamon roll alien with a gorgeous body, a tongue that should be patented, and the sunniest personality I'd ever found in a man.

I craved him much more than I should.

A few twists and tugs, and my night tunic went flying, fluttering onto the floor. Aizor devoured my breasts, sucking on one nipple then the other, making them form hard nubs that throbbed. My core joined in on the act, catching fire, and I was soon so far gone, I forgot about everything but him.

I knew right then and there that I'd never meet anyone who'd match this guy in the furs. Or outside the furs, now that I thought about it. But who could think when he was kissing down across my belly, murmuring about how pretty I was, how he adored my lush shape, how he was famished and only eating me would give him complete satisfaction?

When he kissed the top of my pussy, I spread my legs and welcomed him home.

He shot me a tusky smile and nudged my thighs wider.

"Mine," he growled, his head diving between my legs. He ran his nose through my saturated folds, still snarling. "Mine. All mine. Mine, mine, mine." He sucked in a breath and exhaled a groan before his tongue stabbed out, driving inside my passage.

"Fuck," I bellowed.

"Fook," he mumbled in reply. "Fook eff."

His fingers stroked through my folds, making me drip with anticipation. While he kept gliding his tongue inside me, he slid his fingertips up to my clit.

I barked a cry and bucked up to meet him, nearly dislodging his tongue. That would be a true shame. He braced my body with one arm while the other tended to my clit, rolling and teasing it until it throbbed with need.

"You," he snarled before pushing his tongue deep within me once more. "Taste," Another thrust, "Incredible. I tried to . . . hold myself . . . back, but I . . . can't any longer."

Hunger throbbed within me, an aching need only Aizor could fill. Completely lost and crying out loud enough to wake dormant crystal gods, I jerked my hips up to meet his mouth. I rode his face while he growled, nibbled, and licked, his tongue deep within me before sliding out to drag across my clit.

His fingers joined the party, thrusting inside me along with his tongue.

Whimpering, I clung to the furs before latching onto his hair, holding him close to my core.

When I came, he twisted his tongue inside me, driving me even higher. I crashed in heavy waves, my body shuddering. He kept moving his fingers inside me, alternating with his tongue, until my body was so sensitive, I couldn't stand it.

Then he rocked back onto his heels and licked his face clean. "Rest, my pretty mate, because now that breakfast is finished, I believe I'll devour my lunch."