14. Jess

Gravod was huge. Monster-cock huge. No wonder my poor cervix would need some kind of preparation. I could only imagine him pounding me with that battering ram… Okay, so maybe that worried me less than I thought it would. Those raised bumps would feel amazing.

And his tongue. Holy shit.

He'd fucked me to sleep with it. I'd passed out wrapped in his arms. And his tentacles.

When I started to wake up, I noticed right away that the tentacles weren't there. I could only feel his arms around me. He'd hidden himself from me again.

How did he think this was going to work? That I'd be okay never seeing him? I'd gone along with doing everything in the dark, but now that consciousness was creeping in, I realized it might have set a bad precedent. I probably should have insisted we turn the lights on.

Ugh. My body was limp from orgasms, and I wasn't ready for deep thoughts. I snuggled against him, chest to chest, with my eyes still closed, enjoying his heat. He held me against his strong body like I was precious. The possessive way he'd called me his, that mine he growled, rang in my mind.

He thinks I'm his mate…

My eyes snapped open. Light shone around the edges of my blackout curtains, and I twisted my neck to look at the clock. It was almost noon.

Char. I needed to call Char.

"Your heart is racing."

Fuck.The sound of his voice, rough from sleep, had my pussy throbbing.

"Well…"

"Are you frightened?"

There was an edge to his question that broke my heart a little. His fear of rejection was very relatable. The fact that I might reject him for being from another planet and having tentacles made it unusual, but it was still something I could empathize with.

I made sure to meet his eyes. In the dim light, I saw they were back to looking green, and I missed the silver.

"I'm just thinking about everything you've told me, and it's a lot. Last night was amazing." He tightened his grip around me. "But I still don't quite know what to think about all this."

Gravod nodded, his gaze serious. "You need time."

"Yes."

"I'll be patient."

I sighed. Part of me wanted him to leave so that I could think without him there, but another part of me wanted to bury my face in his neck and pretend like it was all no big deal.

"I'm going to take a shower."

He nodded again and opened his arms for me to scoot out of bed. I felt a pang as soon as I stood, missing his body against mine.

My sheets were a mess, but I was strangely pleased that his scent was on the fabric and already reluctant to wash them. Washing his scent off my body even seemed wrong. For a second I considered asking him to join me, but I really did need to get clean, and I needed to think. I forced myself to turn away and go to the bathroom alone.

As soon as the door closed, and all through the shower, my brain was bursting with questions. What did he look like in the light? Were they truly just here to find mates? How did they know about humans?

What would our babies look like?

That last one hit me harder than I expected. I hadn't even considered having kids with Kevin. Now I was imagining a silver-eyed toddler with cute little horns.

Fuck.

I got out of the shower and pulled on a robe. My body was still sensitive from all Gravod's attentions, and I shivered as the fabric brushed my skin, suppressing a little moan.

For a few minutes, I let my mind go blank and focused on my hair and makeup. I'd brought in my phone, and I glanced down at the notifications. There was a recent call from Char. It had come in while I was showering.

"Shit."

She hadn't left a message. I called back. It rang twice and went to her voicemail, and I hung up. Then I sent her a text.

Let's talk. Call me back.

What the hell was I going to say? Looks like we've both got alien mates?

I peeked out the door. Gravod was sitting on the edge of my bed, dressed and looking at his phone. His hair was nicely styled, his clothes neat. Everything about him was put together. Now I was the one feeling insecure.

"Hey," I said. His gaze jerked up, and I stepped into the room. "I've decided I need some time to get my thoughts together. Alone."

I didn't really want him to leave, but I couldn't see another way to sort through this. His presence was too much. His scent, his intensity. Everything. All of it was overwhelming.

He stared at me for a minute without answering, his expression neutral. Then he nodded, standing up and putting his phone in his back pocket.

"Have dinner with me tonight."

"Okay." I smiled, relieved that he wasn't arguing and that I'd see him again soon. My emotions were all over the place. "Where? What time?"

"My place. I'll pick you up at six. Any foods you want me to avoid?"

"No, I eat everything. You cook?"

He grinned, his eyes flashing with the hint of something naughty, and it made me clench my thighs together.

"I do."

He took a step toward me and hooked a finger into my robe's belt loop, pulling me against his hard body. My face tilted up just as his came down, and that magical tongue swept inside my mouth, turning my knees to jelly. The kiss was brief, but I still had to catch my breath when he eased away.

I walked him to the door on wobbly legs, and we exchanged phone numbers.

"See you at six," I said.

We looked into each other's eyes a moment longer. Then he was gone.

For the next few hours, I did laundry and cleaned. Made myself some food. And thought.

Aliens were living among us. I didn't think this was a hallucination. Science fiction was now reality, and I had a huge, monumental secret to keep from the world. But an alien mate?

You are the one my soul is meant for.

His words from last night cut through the noise. When I was younger, I'd believed in true love. Fate. And now? I was jaded, sure, but had I really stopped believing?

Something was there, something I couldn't deny. I was deeply attracted to Gravod, drawn to him in a way that was difficult to understand. I couldn't allow one lousy relationship to ruin all my future happiness. I could still have hope.

That didn't mean I should be naive.

The only thing anchoring me was my belief that I had some choice. I didn't have to be anyone's mate. I could keep these secrets, but that didn't mean I had to be a part of them.

Even as I consoled myself with thoughts of free will, I ached to be near Gravod again. The pull I felt toward him was as real as he was.

So I decided to stop fighting it. I wanted to see where this was going to lead.

At six o'clock, I had a date with an alien.