Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

LYRA

O kay, so that was weird. Right?

I bit my lip. Underneath my lashes, I tracked the Luxirian male who was definitely sporting a boner right now.

And suddenly, I was very, very glad that I'd decided on purchasing the bikini. I decided I needed a bit of a mood boost after the day I'd had. And turning on a sexy Luxirian male with pretty eyes? Mood boost of the century!

Then I sighed. Because when I walked forward to follow after him, I realized I was more than turned on myself. Slick between my thighs after that strange, brief, incredibly sexually charged moment that had seemed to come out of nowhere.

I'd never been so affected by a male before. I'd read about attraction like this, of course. But I'd never experienced it firsthand. In fact, I didn't remember the last time I was this aroused. And by a perfect stranger at that.

It's the shock , I decided. It had to be. After today, the fierce intensity of my arousal should be the least of my worries. No wonder my brain latched onto something else. He could be my distraction. My very sexy, mildly frightening, massive distraction.

Who cares that I nearly died today in a sketchy life pod after a cruise ship explosion? I thought sarcastically. At least I could rock this bikini.

The inside of his home was…surprising.

That was what I realized the moment I managed to tear my eyes off of Droxan's backside.

I'd expected a messy—or perhaps even spartan—bachelor pad for the lone Luxirian male who'd bought a freaking planet . The lone chair that faced a huge coms screen to stream all the best live feeds throughout the Quadrants, a cooler of brew at his side. That kind of bachelor pad.

But this…

The front door funneled us down a short hallway. At the end of it was the very center of the circular dwelling and it opened up into a surprisingly spacious sunken living room, complete with a glass fire pit surrounded by a plethora of cushions and padded seating. A purely Luxirian feature, I knew, knowledge from the hours I'd spent watching the Quadrants' home design network, which featured spectacular homes from all over the universe.

Beyond the sunken living room, I spied the kitchen area, open and bright. Slabs of gleaming white stone made up the counters, cut perfectly to conform to the curved walls. He even had a hydro-flame burner range, gleaming gold, the hardware brand new and sparkling. My hands curled at my sides. I was practically frothing at the mouth to get into that kitchen.

On the left of the living room pit were three doors that led to separate rooms, comprising the outer ring of space in the dwelling. On the right, however, the home was all open space, leading to floor-to-ceiling glass windows that molded to the domed shape of the house. The view was just as breathtaking here than it'd been out on the terrace.

"This is…" I trailed off, at a loss for words. I looked at Droxan with wide eyes, nearly forgetting that I was half-naked, standing in this modern, clean , well-furnished space that was everything out of my wildest interior design dreams. "Um, you have a hydro-flame burner range."

Nice, Lyra , I thought.

"How did you hook it up out here?"

His brow rose, a strangely cocky expression appearing that zipped straight to my core and burned there. "There's a natural gas line in the mountain below us. It's why I chose to build here. A lagoon isn't too far away either so I could have running water. It goes through three different filtration systems before being funneled into the dwelling."

Who knew that hearing this Luxirian male speak about filtration systems was such a turn on for me?

Swallowing hard, I stepped forward, eyeing the steps that led down into the sunken living room. The fire pit was automatic, I saw. No need for fire fuel.

"So you built this?" I asked, turning my round eyes on his. "All by yourself?"

His small, sharp nod left me impressed. Deeply, deeply impressed.

Just when I thought he couldn't get any hotter , I thought, a sigh drifting from my lips.

"Well, you should be proud," I told him, feeling a prick of shyness wiggle up my chest. "Because this is amazing."

Droxan's purring started up in his chest again, bringing a small, pleased flushed to my face as I smiled up at him.

"You think so?"

"Yes," I said with an enthusiastic nod. "Definitely."

Droxan looked around his home. Strangely, he fit right in, I thought. Even with his wild hair, gleamy chest, and muddy boots. The floors were stone, they would be easy to clean. Plush rugs in pleasing, neutral colors lined the inside of the fire pit area. I saw a Nu device—one of the latest models—slung among the cushions there and an empty goblet was perched on the thick rim that lined the fire pit. I could so easily imagine him lounging back, watching the fire flicker, drinking his brew, as he scrolled on the Nu.

Doesn't he ever get lonely? I wondered.

His throat cleared.

"The washroom is here," he murmured, walking me over to the door that was closest to me. His fingers pressed into the small of my—very naked—back and a flush of heat seemed to radiate from his touch.

He waved his hand over the panel at the door and it whooshed open, giving way to a spacious bathroom, complete with a sunken bath. A shower pod was nestled in the corner. A flat-domed toilet was opposite it, made for someone of Droxan's bulk. A single mirror—so typically male , I decided—was over the stretch of stone counter that matched the stone in the kitchen.

"Thank you," I said, stepping into the washroom, though I was tempted to press into his touch. A part of me wondered how those hands would feel running over my body. They were large, roughened from his work, and I thought they'd feel delicious.

You're still in shock because you're way too horny for this Luxirian , I chided myself. Get your head on straight before you do something stupid!

It had to be the fertility pre-treatment injections. They had my hormones all out of whack, I decided. No wonder this Luxirian looked delicious .

"I'll get you that tunic."

Would it smell like him?

"Thank you."

Droxan said nothing, disappearing into the next room over before returning with a folded tunic. Folded . Honestly, who was this male and why couldn't he have lived on Wero?

He handed the soft material to me wordlessly, catching my gaze. Out of the bottom of my vision, I swore I could still see his erection, a dark, thick bulge at the front of his pants. I knew that Luxirians had ridges and bumps lining the top and bottom of their cocks. I'd always wondered how they would feel inside and tried not to shiver thinking about it.

"I'll go try the coms while you wash," he told me. Was his voice gruffer? Deeper?

"All right," I said, my own a little breathless.

You're leaving soon , I reminded myself, disappointment pricking in my belly. Once he contacted Patrol, I could be out of here as soon as tonight. No need to get attached.

Stepping back into the washroom, I gave him a half-smile. "I'll just, uh, be in here."

Smooth, Lyra .

He tilted his head back, the long column of his throat flashing, in his affirmative. I waved my hand over the door panel and it closed, shielding him from view, and I heard his heavy footsteps tread away.

Releasing a long breath, I immediately went to the mirror.

I nearly groaned at my reflection. My makeup was smeared. My hair looked like a bird's nest. There was a rotting leaf stuck to my neck and the beginnings of bruises along my arms from the harsh landing.

Gods .

Carefully, I placed his folded tunic on the counter before I had the insane urge to smell it. Then I turned to the shower pod.

I'll feel much, much better after a shower , I decided.

Then I'd be able to think straight.