Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Ava

I think I’m going to hyperventilate. This can’t be happening. What were the chances? I know I joked about the possibility and even pretended I didn’t care if I was claimed and taken to another planet, but now that’s it’s real, I’m not so certain.

Except at the same time, I’m oddly sure this is the right decision, too. It doesn’t really feel like I have a choice, and that’s unnerving.

“Why me?”

His smile is dazzling, and now that I’m facing him, it’s hard to focus on anything because he is a truly gorgeous man. His blond hair is thick and hangs in a sexy wave across his forehead. His skin is lighter than mine. His eyes are a rare shade of green that makes me feel like I could get lost in them.

He crowds me farther, setting his elbows on the walls near my head. He’s blocking me from seeing anything or anyone. Suddenly I realize it’s the other way around. He’s blocking everyone from seeing me. Protecting me. They were snapping pictures. He’s forced them to stop, though I’m sure it’s too late. My face is probably plastered on the social media apps of everyone on Earth by now.

When he smiles broader, dimples come out on his cheeks. “I could say you are the most stunning female in this room, the most beautiful female I’ve ever seen, and that is accurate, but it’s not the reason you’re mine, Baby girl.”

I flinch, not sure I understand what he’s saying.

“We’re fated, Little one. As soon as I spotted you, I knew you were mine. As soon as I stepped onto the crowded dance floor, you sensed me and knew it, too.”

“That’s…not a real thing.” But I know he’s right. I can feel it. I did sense him long before he was close to me. My skin had begun to prickle even though my back was to him. I hadn’t turned around because nerves were gnawing at me. I could feel my life slipping away as he grew closer.

Not that I was dying, but that everything I’ve known up to this point is now gone. My job. My apartment. My peripheral friends. Even Mia, though I’m relieved to learn she has also been chosen.

I don’t have much in the way of family, only a few distant relatives I haven’t spoken to in ages. I knew coming here was a gamble, but seriously? What had the odds been?

“For my people, it’s a very real thing, Baby girl.”

I shiver as his endearment washes over me. He’s called me baby girl several times. It’s sweet, but it’s not really me, and I need to tell him. “You do realize I’m not exactly small by human standards.”

He slides his elbows closer and strokes my cheeks with his thumbs. “Ava, you’re so tiny compared to me that the few inches taller than other females you might be makes no difference.”

I lick my lips. My mouth is so dry. I haven’t even had a drink tonight. Mia and I hadn’t made our way to the bar before this enormous behemoth staked his claim. The fact that I’ve had no alcohol means my brain should be sharp, but it seems to be anything but sharp. “Okay, but I’m not…Little. Just so we’re clear. Mia is Little. I’m not.”

It seems important I make this distinction. If Ganrax and his friend saw Mia and assumed we were both into that sort of kink, he’s dead wrong.

His brow furrow in confusion. “Little? You’re pretty small. My hands are more than twice the size of yours. I could span your waist with my fingers and overlap them.”

I shake my head. He’s not understanding what I’m saying. “Not little as in size. I’m not into the age-play kink scene. I’m too dominant for that.” I shudder at the thought. “I’m too dominant for any kind of kink.” Though right now, for the first time in my life, I feel a bit submissive for some reason. It’s unnerving, and I’m trying to shake the feeling.

“Age play…” Ganrax seems to be searching his mind for the meaning of the term. “This is a form of kink on your planet?”

I nod. Shit .

“I think I’ve heard of it. I forgot what it means. We only have the six months of our voyage to learn everything we can about humans. Some parts didn’t stick in my head as well as others.”

I sigh. I don’t want to spell it out for him, but I must. “Age play is when one party in a couple prefers to submit to the other as if they’re far younger than their actual age. The dominant is often referred to as a Daddy, in the case of men I mean. He might call his Little Baby girl . I assumed you noticed Mia is Little, and you’re assuming I am, too. I am most certainly not.”

His face tightens slightly, but his expression is otherwise unreadable. “The term we use on Eleadia for Daddy is Papi,” he informs me.

Ah. So he does understand. I’m relieved. I even manage to exhale a long breath.

“We should go upstairs,” he declares.

His decision feels abrupt as though he’s changing the subject. I’m not sure I’m ready to leave this dance floor. It’s my only tether to Earth. As soon as I let him take me away, it’s over. It feels like a monumental decision even though I’m marginally understanding there is no decision at all.

“It’s so loud down here, Little one, and I don’t like the way people are watching you. I really don’t like the way they keep trying to photograph you.”

My heart beats faster at his overprotective stance. It feels kind of nice. It also has tones of dominance, which makes me stiffen my spine. “I think we need to talk some more. I’m not sure I’m the right woman for you.”

His brow furrows again, but he’s smiling at the same time. “Baby girl, our connection is already formed. It’s solid and unbreakable.”

My breath hitches when he slowly leans his head down toward my neck. He inhales deeply as though scenting me, and then he kisses me in a spot that makes my knees almost give out. I can smell him, too. I have no idea what the scent is, but it’s intoxicating.

He nibbles a path to my ear and whispers, “Forgive me, Little one.”

Before I have a chance to question why I might need to forgive him, he sets his lips behind my ear and… “Ouch!” I cry out as something pricks my skin. It felt like a needle. It was fast, and now it’s gone.

I reach up and slap my hand over the spot. “I think something bit me. A spider or something.”

He chuckled. “I bit you, Baby girl.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s customary. I will nick your skin often with my quill. You’ll get used to it and learn to both crave it and wish to clobber me at the same time.” He’s teasing me, but his words make no sense.

“Quill?”

“It’s behind my front teeth. I can let it out and retract it in an instant. It releases a powerful serum into your body.” His hands slide down to my biceps. “You should start to feel even more bound to me.”

Jesus. I think he’s right. In addition, my nipples are hard points. I’m pretty sure I’ve been slowly growing more aroused by the moment since he approached me, but now I’m acutely aware of it. My breasts feel heavy, and there’s no way he could miss the bumps of my nipples against the front of my dress.

Why had I thought leaving the house without a bra was a good idea? Now I can’t hide my arousal.

Ganrax inhales deeply, taking his time. His eyes glaze over as he does so. It’s mesmerizing and strange at the same time.

“Are you smelling me?” I ask.

“Mmm. Definitely. And you smell so divine. Your arousal is potent and making my mouth water.”

I clamp my thighs together. My dress is so very short. Another poor choice on my part apparently. I wonder if he picked me because I looked like a sure thing. “I’m not the kind of woman who has sex on the first date,” I blurt out, hoping to make myself clear.

I have no idea why I feel the need to say something like that. It’s not even true. Not tonight anyway. I have little doubt this night will end with this enormous man inside me.

The thought makes my pussy tingle. Wetness is soaking my thong. To make matters worse, I’m confident Ganrax knows this.

He kisses my neck again. “We will not be dating, Little one.”

“We won’t?” My voice sounds absurdly high-pitched. My brain isn’t firing on all cylinders.

“No, Ava. You’re mine, Baby girl. It’s done. But I won’t rush you to have sex with me. When you’re ready, I’ll claim you fully.”

He won’t rush me? He’s already rushing me. My knees are about to give out. And he’s still calling me Baby girl. “Ganrax, I’m not a Little.”

He lifts his face to meet my gaze, hesitating several seconds while mesmerizing me with his penetrating green eyes. It’s like he’s hypnotizing me. “I’d like you to call me Papi,” he whispers.

My eyes widen, and I rub my neck where he pierced me. “You’re not listening to me. If you’re looking for a Little, you need to find another woman. You might be able to work your juju magic on me with your weird quill thingy, but this won’t work out in the long run if you’re looking for a Little.”

His jaw tenses slightly. “It will work out, Baby girl. It’s fated. You can fight it, but it’s a battle you will lose.” His hand is on my neck again, stroking my pulse point, making my head spin. “We’re going upstairs now, Little one.”

One second my feet are planted on the floor in the corner of this loud room; the next second, I’m in his arms, cradled against his chest, being whisked from the noisy dance floor.

“Ganrax. Please. We should talk about this.”

He keeps walking, his steps wide, fast, and determined. He opens a door and steps out of the main room. As soon as the door closes behind us, silence welcomes us.

My ears are ringing from the abrupt change in volume. I’m grateful for the reprieve. It will help my mind settle. But I’m confident letting him take me upstairs is a bad idea. “Please put me down.”

Ganrax lowers me to my feet, but he keeps an arm wrapped tight around me.

I realize we’re facing an elevator, and it opens a moment later. I really need to stand firm on this issue, so I duck and squirm free of him, stumbling backward until I run into the wall.

Glancing around, I realize we’re in a hallway of some sort. It’s white and pristine. My God, the man towering over me is huge. He’s seven and a half feet tall and broad. He’d make any woman on Earth drool. Starting with me.

I shake my head to clear it, failing. “Let’s talk about this,” I insist.

He reaches out with one hand and strokes a lock of my hair. Even that miniscule contact makes my panties wet. He’s cast a spell on me. “We’ll talk, Little one. Every day for the rest of our lives. I know you’re confused, and you have a million questions. I will answer all of them in time.” He holds out a hand. “Please come to my apartment with me.”

I shake my head and dig in my heels. “I’m a grown woman, Ganrax. Twenty-four years old. I have a college degree and a full-time job as a graphic designer. Will I be able to get a job doing that on your planet?” I’m grasping at straws here. I can sense this thing between us is inevitable, but I don’t want him to steamroll me. I need him to understand I’m not submissive.

He steps closer, still toying with a lock of my hair. For some reason, it feels like he’s touching me directly as if my hair has sensation. “You won’t need to work on Eleadia, Little one.”

“Grrr.” I stomp my foot. “Stop calling me Little one. I’m not Little.”

“You are to me, Ava. It’s a common term of endearment on Eleadia. Most Papis call their Littles Baby girl or Little one .”

Flames are coming out of my head. “But I’m not Little ,” I shout.

He doesn’t flinch. In fact, he’s kind of smiling, or smirking, and he lifts a brow. “Do you have a lot of tantrums like this ordinarily, Baby girl?”

My face is so hot I think it’s going to explode. I’m so frustrated, and he’s right. I’m having a tantrum. “No. Never. But I’ve never been faced with someone so imposing who wants me to be someone I’m not.”

“You’ll never be someone you’re not, Ava. You’ll always be you. It’s just that I suspect you don’t really know who you are.”

I set a hand on one hip and cock it out to the side defiantly. “And you think deep down I have a hidden Little who is going to submit to you in all ways for the next fifty years.”

“I’m hoping for several centuries, Little one.”

I gasp. “Centuries? Do you not realize the lifespan of a human is about eighty years tops?”

“The lifespan of an Eleadian is far longer, and your body will adjust when we reach my planet. Our scientists believe even the human females who are moving to Eleadia will live centuries.”

I’m so shocked my eyes are bugging out. “How is that possible?”

“We have cleaner air, richer oxygen, and better nutrition. Our metabolisms are slower. Yours will be, too. The only foods you will ingest will be natural, free of chemicals, and far healthier for your body. You will feel younger and age slower.”

I narrow my gaze. “How old are you?” He looks about thirty.

“One hundred and twenty-five.”

My breath hitches. Is he serious?

He strokes his fingers through my hair before reaching to touch my fingertips with his. The contact sends shock waves through my body. It’s unnerving. Every time he touches me, I feel like I’m falling deeper under his spell.

“Come, Little one.”

He won’t stop calling me that. I can tell I’m not going to be able to dissuade him. He’s asserting his dominance in a firm way.

“Am I really never returning to my apartment?” My lip quivers as I start to absorb the reality.

“No, Baby girl. But I will send someone to retrieve some things for you if you’d like. John will do it.”

“John? The bouncer at the front? He was a condescending ass to me and Mia. If you tell him we got chosen, he’ll laugh for the rest of his life. There’s no way he would be willing to go get anything for us.”

Ganrax narrows his gaze. “No cussing, Little girl. This is your only warning. The next time you use a naughty word, I will discipline you.”

My heart races. Part of me wants to tell him to go fuck himself. He’s dominating me so hard, and I don’t like it. Another part of me is trembling because his voice alone does things to my body. Things I’ve never experienced before. Naughty things. His authoritative tone is so damn hot, and I’m furious with myself for thinking so.

“I tend to cuss a lot, especially when I’m frustrated or angry,” I tell him. I’m testing him.

His response is quick and firm. “Then you’ll spend a lot of time with a red-hot bottom until you learn to obey me, Baby girl.”

I stop breathing. He can’t be serious. While I’m too stunned to respond, he dips his body, sets his shoulder against my waist, and lifts me off the ground.

I’m dangling over his back, my hair in wild disarray. I pound my fists against him, but this only hurts me, not him. He’s rock solid. Made of muscle. He doesn’t even flinch as I continue to fight him while he enters the elevator and pushes a button.

“ Put me down ,” I shout. “You can’t force me to go with you. I have my own free will.”

The elevator opens a few seconds later, and he steps out.

I’m flailing all around, trying to see my surroundings while I fight him. We’re in an apartment. It’s a wide-open floorplan, so I can see all of the kitchen and living room as he turns. The furniture is huge, but otherwise the apartment looks mostly normal.

Ganrax crosses straight through this large living space and through another door. He finally lowers me onto the biggest tallest bed I’ve ever seen. I’m five-ten, and I would need a stool to climb up this high.

The air is knocked out of my lungs as I land on my back. I can’t catch my breath. He’s hovering over me. His lips are so close to mine. He smells so divine. He’s the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. His eyes… The wave of his hair… His lips… God, that smile… I want him to kiss me.

It’s like I’m in a trance. There’s a war inside me. I shouldn’t want him. I shouldn’t even be looking at him. I should wiggle off the edge of this bed and run for the elevator. Except I’d probably twist an ankle, landing on the floor. How high up are we?

On my next deep inhale, I breathe in so much of him that I can’t stand it. “Kiss me.”