Chapter 4

“ I t’s about time.”

The deep voice startled me, and my eyes flew open. Where am I? For a brief second, my heart thumped in panic.

Voren lay stretched out on the bed, his huge frame creating an indention on the covers. With one arm propping up his head, he stared at me with those liquid, golden eyes.

“Did you sleep with me?” Wait. That’s not what I mean.

A large grin softened his features. His teeth peeked through, and he licked his lips with exaggerated slowness. “No, but would you like to sleep with me ?”

“What? No. No.” My cheeks burned. “I just…I thought…” Shut up, Lilly. “It’s just weird you’re in the bed with me when I thought you hated humans.”

He broke his gaze from mine and glanced around. “I do still hate humans, but not all . I’m learning not all humans are the same. There are those who are capable of compassion and logic.”

It was my turn to prop up my head. I stared at his broad, muscled chest. This close, without fear dictating my every move, I had time to truly inspect his skin. The purple tone had a tiny sheen of gold near his nipples. Farther down, where his waist tapered, a thin, long, silver scar ran from his navel to under his pants.

“It’s where your people cut and experimented on me after I crashed.” Vor reached out and gently took my hand, extending my finger and pulling it closer. “They didn’t use anesthetic, only a paralytic to keep me still.”

“Jesus. That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.”

He pressed my fingertip to his skin and traced the wound. “You had nothing to do with it.”

“Still. It doesn’t mean I can’t apologize.” The sensation of his skin on mine and his eyes on my lips sent a tingle through my nerves and straight to my core. “Torture is unforgivable.”

“Their goal wasn’t torture in the beginning. They wanted to create super soldiers by combining human and Volderen DNA. Though, they did spiral down into hurting me and my team when they realized they didn’t have the technology or knowledge to successfully carry out their vision.”

I traced his abs, my fingertip scratching his skin as I explored his obliques. “Those people in your med bay. Is that what happened to them?”

Voren nodded. “We’ve had them in stasis for decades, looking for the one human in a billion who carries the messenger gene that will allow us to splice their DNA, repair the damage, and save our own people.”

“Why didn’t they just impregnate the human women and raise an army? Not that I approve of that, but it seems much easier.”

“You surprise me, little human.” His serious tone lightened. “Trust me. They tried, but they don’t understand Volderen mating rituals or our anatomy.” He reached out and lightly traced my lips, then moved a hand to his stomach, sliding it farther downward.

My breath stopped. Fascination warred with desire. It’s been two years. I mean, come on. He’s magnificent.

“Our penises are made for double pleasure.”

Inhaling, I closed my eyelids for a few seconds, willing my hormones to settle down. He smelled of all things fresh and clean, which didn’t do a damn thing to calm my horny inner self.

“Um. Then how…how do you…” I widened my eyes, hoping I wouldn’t have to say anything else.”

“Do what?” The tip of his finger rubbed my lower lip, gently prying open my mouth.

My toes curled. Oh dear God. If he doesn’t stop, I’m going to lose any little bit of self-control I have. “You know…do the thing with two of them.” I couldn’t stop myself from licking his finger.

“Gods. If you keep that up, I will show you how it’s done,” he said in a low, possessive tone.

Desire and excitement fluttered in my belly. Why not give in? He hasn’t hurt me. Hell, after seeing the military, I think he and Brax actually saved me. “Is that a promise, or just a vapid tease?”

Voren sat, then shifted until his body hovered over mine, both bulging arms effective barriers keeping me in check. “I still struggle with human innuendoes, Lilly. Are you giving me the signal to kiss and pleasure you, to love you?”

“ Yes. Yes I am, Vor. Show me how you make love, how you make babies.” I hadn’t meant for that last part to slip out, but as it did, I realized having my own child, being a mother, excited me once again. After all this time, I’ve never believed it would happen, but it could. I have a few more years left.

He let out a primal growl in answer, then grabbed the zipper of my jumpsuit and slid it down, his gaze never leaving mine.

I reached upward, needing to reassure myself this wasn’t a dream. My fingers swept over his dark eyebrows and traveled to the black horns on his forehead. Smooth and hard, they reminded me of fine, curled porcelain.

His eyes closed and he shuddered.

Hmm. These must be an erogenous zone for Volderens.

I continued exploring their length.

“If you keep doing that, I’m going to explode and embarrass myself.”

Giggling, I moved my hand back to his face, cupping his cheek. “Put your money where your mouth is.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means stop talking and start showing.”

“Very well.” He gripped both sides of my jumpsuit and pulled it apart, exposing my breasts to the warm air of the cabin. “Perfection. So perfect.” Leaning down, he flicked his tongue over my nipple, and I saw stars.

“Oh, oh my God. Oh-my-god.” I dug my hands into his hair.

He laughed, then moved his mouth lower, his teeth nipping at my stomach. “Then I shall help you out of this.” With a quick shift of his hands, he lifted me, pulled the suit from my legs and upper torso, then laid me back on the bed.

I stilled. What’s he thinking? What am I thinking? Did he see a forty-something-year-old woman who hadn’t used an exercise machine in at least three years, who enjoyed pizza far too often?

“Lilly,” he said, moving his attention upward. “The female body is beautiful, no matter the species, for many reasons, including their ability to nurture life. I assure you, your body is pleasingly perfect to my eye.”

Relief washed over me. His reassuring words filled me with confidence. I spread myself out before him, silently inviting.

His teeth appeared in a genuine smile. He lowered his head and used his forked tongue to lick down my belly, then even farther until he paused and hovered over my arousal. “Volderens release sperm through a gland in their mouth, which is delivered through the tongue. This means we are exceptionally skilled at pleasing mates with our mouths. Each tip of our tongue works independently, giving double the pleasure.”

Two dicks and essentially two tongues? I am a lucky woman.

I bucked my hips, eager to experience what he teased. I let out a small moan at the thought of him licking and sliding into me.

“From the moment I saw you, I knew you were my mate, even when I wished it were not so.”

“Are you sure?” My voice came out huskier than usual. My attention riveted to his mouth and teeth on the skin right above my pulsing need.

“Yes. Do you not feel it, too, every time our eyes meet, our skin touches?”

“I do, all the way to my bones.” A fleeting thought of Jeremy rushed through my mind. Would he be happy for me, or disappointed?

It doesn’t matter. I’m alive and he’s not. If I don’t live my life, then I might as well be dead, too.

And that was just it. I had become lifeless these past two years. Going through the motions, reliving the past, barely leaving the cabin. Years of life loomed ahead of me, and I wasn’t so old I couldn’t fall in love again and start a family.

Voren slid his tongue over that most sensitive spot on my flesh and my brain exploded.

I grabbed his horns and urged him closer, losing myself in the present and in his attention.

This is living. I arched my back and rode the cresting wave into sheer joy.