Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Braxxos didn't come home that night. But while the forest was particularly loud with the sounds of predators and prey, Margot slept comfortably. She'd spent enough time with him by now to know he was more than capable of taking care of himself, and though she hadn't seen his other hidey holes, she was confident he had multiple safe places where he could spend the night if he so desired.

And when she woke to find herself alone and the door still bolted tight, she knew that was what had happened.

She took her time, preparing a light meal of leftovers to start the day given the somewhat expansive spread she'd prepared the previous night. She ate, cleaned up, and set about tidying up a bit. There was nowhere to go, so it at least kept her busy.

Lunch was spent alone as well, as was the entire afternoon until finally, as the sun dropped low on the horizon, the day was coming to an end. Margot felt surprisingly relaxed for having spent the entire day stuck inside, but she'd put that out of her mind and was moving through a series of yoga poses when she heard the ladder clatter down. A moment later the door unbolted, the heavy wood sliding open revealing a very ashamed man.

He crawled in, eyes cast low, a parcel of wrapped leaves under his arm. His clothing was still a bit damp but clean. Her rapidly evolving senses were picking up on things like that easier now, she'd found. In this case, the damp smell and lack of sweat or dirt stench made it pretty clear he'd washed up in the stream not too long ago.

Margot watched him but didn't say anything. This was his moment. His decision how he wanted to handle things. She could feel his discomfort, which was frankly a bit shocking for such an utterly manly specimen of a man, but she now knew he had no sort of experience with this kind of thing. Best to let him do what felt comfortable. Natural. And that meant holding her tongue, even if she wanted to soothe his worry and tell him it was all okay.

He unwrapped the leaves, revealing a pair of fresh-caught fish, cleaned and ready to cook. And with them, some water greens she hadn't seen before. He set them aside and turned to her, his cheeks darkening as he forced his eyes to meet hers.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, his shoulders hunched in shame. "That was…it was not what I intended."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. I reacted poorly, and I am sorry, Margot. I truly am. You are a kind and wonderful woman, and you did nothing to deserve that from me. I'm so sorry."

She let that hang in the air a moment, realizing he needed to let the shame run its course before the mending could begin. "I forgive you," she finally said, easing the tension in the air. "Are you willing to accept my forgiveness?"

He nodded. "I am. And thank you."

"Good. Now that that's settled, you wanna tell me what you've got there?"

Braxxos perked up immediately, happy to have resolved the situation so easily, and equally glad to have the chance to make it up to her.

"I caught us dinner. And tonight, I will cook for you ."

She grinned, more than happy to let him play chef for her. "Sounds fantastic. I see some kind of fish there. But what's the other stuff?"

"River greens. They grow where the water is still close to the shore of fast-moving rapids. A bit difficult to collect, but very high in compounds that feed your pigments, as well as being quite tasty."

She noted the green in his runes, an idea forming. "Hey, does eating that stuff make your pigment do that?" she asked, pointing to the swirl of green in his markings.

"No," he replied, hiding some sort of churning emotions. "That is something else." He shook it off, his smile reappearing in an instant. "But that's not something to talk about now. You relax. I will prepare you a wonderful meal."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Margot moved away, giving him space to work. He was in good headspace, but she got the feeling he still needed to process things now that he'd made his apology. It wasn't until he placed their dinner on the low table he'd built with his own hands that she shifted tack, sitting beside him instead of across from him. He seemed okay with that, relieved that she wasn't mad at him, so she went with the flow, slowly inching closer as their meal progressed until she was lightly brushing her leg against his.

"This was truly delicious," she said, resting her hand on his arm. "You outdid yourself, you know that? I think you could be a really great cook if you put your mind to it."

He grinned, blushing slightly in the most adorable way. "Maybe you'll teach me one day."

Oh, I would very much like that , she thought, appreciating the beauty of his red-tan skin and fascinating copper and silver-gray eyes in the flickering firelight.

"I'll be glad to teach you everything I know," she replied, lifting her hand and gathering up the dishes.

"No, I'll do it."

"Nonsense. You cooked. I'll clean."

"We will both clean," he countered. "Please do not argue."

She studied him for a moment. He'd relaxed and was so much more comfortable with her now than even an hour ago. The change was astounding, but she didn't want to have any setbacks.

"Okay, deal."

They moved in unison, a dance between people who were comfortable sharing space, each of them aware of the other's body as they wove around one another until all the dishes were clean and put away.

"Come on," she said, taking him by the hand and pulling him to the large pile of cushions. "I want you to tell me some stories."

She flopped down, settling into a comfortable position as she pulled him down with her. He didn't protest, sitting beside her. Margot casually slid one leg over his and leaned her head against his shoulder. She felt him tense slightly, but that was all. Like a frog in a pot of hot water, she'd slowly acclimated him throughout the evening, getting him to come out of his shell. To her delight, it seemed her efforts had borne fruit.

"Tell me about the seasons here. What are they like?" she asked casually, shifting to an easy topic.

His last bits of tension washed away as he told stories of storms and the subsequent burst of life the waters elicited from the fertile soil. And the more he talked, the more she curled up against him, snuggling close as he spoke, enjoying his warmth and masculine scent as he regaled her with his many tales.

"So, that was how I decided on this tree," he said. "The most sturdy and hard to access in this area. I think the place turned out pretty nice, don't you?" he asked, turning his head toward her.

Margot's lips pressed against his, her hand gently grasping the back of his head, pulling him to her. He hesitated a split second before instinct overrode fear, his mouth knowing what to do despite his lack of practical experience.

She could feel his heart racing, thundering hard in his chest. And that wasn't all that was hard. But she would wait. It wasn't time. Not yet.

They kissed with increasing intensity, mouths opening, welcoming each other's tongue in a delightful dance of buzzing electric desire. Desire and want that was building in each of them by the second. He had been abandoned as a boy, but this wasn't something you were taught. This was hard coded into his very DNA.

His hands moved across her body, feeling her, grasping firmly but not too hard as he took in every inch of her, savoring the feel of her ass in his palm, her neck, her breasts.

"Yes, like that," she cooed, pulling her top off as he teased her nipples.

His mouth lowered to them, sucking her nipples greedily, his erection pressing firmly against her leg right through his trousers. Now was the time, at long last.

Margot slid her hand into his waistband, pulling his cock upward, freeing it in one fluid motion, the pulsating heat of it intense in her grip. He was leaking pre-cum, the fluid sticky-slick coating her hand as she began stroking him, going slow so as not to overwhelm him. Huge and manly as he was in all other ways, Braxxos was still a man who had grown to maturity without female contact. This was going to be slow and steady, and it would be special.

Margot shimmied out of her bottoms and pushed him onto his back, her pussy wet and ready as she straddled him, pressing his cock's thick head against her straining hole until he was nearly inside her.

"Are you ready?" she asked softly.

"I-yes," he replied, his voice low and husky with want.

She smiled and settled down onto his length, taking him deep in a single stroke. Braxxos gasped, his body tensing from the sensation. A bliss he'd never imagined and now wondered how he had ever gone without. Margot began riding him, churning in a slow rhythm, taking her time, kissing him deep as she felt the ball of heat in her belly burst into something far hotter.

Whatever it was they had done to her, the pigments living in her flesh were making the whole experience so much stronger. So much more intense. And even taking things slow, her body was positively tingling with excitement.

Faster she rode, her climax building already, the intensity of his groin pressing against her throbbing clit sending her over the edge far sooner than she anticipated.

"Fuuuuck!" she blurted, her body going rigid as a shockwave of blinding white static filled her senses, blinding her as it flowed over her entire trembling body.

Margot's pussy spasmed as she fell over, Braxxos's wonderful cock still hard and deep inside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked as they rolled together.

"I'm wonnnnderfulll," she sighed with delight.

Her breath caught in her throat as he began thrusting, her legs spread wide as he now lay atop her, instinct driving his pelvis forward and back with firm, long strokes. His flexible torso did yeoman's work, his cock angled just right from his novel alien musculature's motions, pressing right against her G-spot with every thrust.

"Oh God! Oh fuck!" she cried out as another orgasm unexpectedly slammed through her, drawn out from deep inside by this shockingly skilled man. There were some things you couldn't teach, and, apparently, fucking like a god your first time ever was one of them.

He moved with her, following her body's cues, adjusting this way and that as needed, keeping her in a state of perpetual climax, riding wave after wave of orgasmic bliss until she couldn't take it anymore. Her body began trembling, her head thrashing side to side from the sheer intensity of it, and yet somehow this magnificent man still maintained.

His stamina was incredible, far greater than any man she'd ever been with, but she could feel him getting close, her pigments somehow knowing he was on the verge. And that was a good thing. She honestly couldn't take much more of this. It was just too good. Too much.

"I want you to let it go," she growled. "Fill me up. I want it!"

That command triggered something in his mind, releasing a shudder as his balls pulled tight to his body. He was about to come, his cock swelling even more. And then a burst of incredible heat erupted inside her with such force it overwhelmed her senses ever more, making her vision go sparkly and her ears mute to all but the sound of her own heartbeat.

She cried out, latching her mouth onto his neck, biting hard, her fingers digging into his back as he pumped his cum into her, filling her up with every stroke until they were both reduced to quivering wrecks, arms and legs entwined, his cock slowly softening inside her.

They lay like that a long while, breathing heavy, his hand cupping her breast, her face buried in his chest, reveling in his smell and beating heart.

"Fuck me, that was incredible," she finally managed to articulate with a sex-drunk slur. "You're amazing."

"No, you are amazing," he replied, tenderly kissing her forehead, cheek, and lips.

Both were utterly spent, and sleep was rapidly overtaking them from the effort. But before Margot slipped into unconsciousness, she noted the way her runes tingled from head to toe. She'd never climaxed like that before. Not even close. Not even in her little tryst with Rylinn.

This was something different. Something much, much better. And like a starving woman tasting food for the first time in longer than she could remember, she wanted more. To gorge herself on this bliss until her body could stand no more.

But first, her body wanted something else. A little recharge period, and well-deserved.

His masculine smell was the last thing on her mind as she drifted off to sleep, warm, happy, and safe in his arms, and there was no place in the galaxy she'd rather be.