Page 65 of Abalim

She gazed at him with steady bright-blue eyes.

“I admit, I selfishly brought you here to be with you. But first—” He nodded to the opposite wall from the bed. “—there’s a food replicator here we can use. I don’t know about you, but I’m famished.” He drew her close to whisper seductively in her ear. “We’re going to need our strength for later.” His smile widened when she shivered.

“Hmm, later, eh?” She pulled back, gifting him a seductive smile of her own.

Her sensuous tone sent chills down his spine. As if his hands had a will of their own, he splayed his fingers wide across her satiny throat. His other hand rested on the gentle swell of her breasts. Touching her made it hard to breathe, hard to think of anything but how he reacted when touching her soft, fragrant skin.

“Yes, later,” he whispered at the corner of her mouth. Her warmth ramped up his anticipation and his breath caught, trapped. To save himself, he swooped in and seized her lips. Her mouth was hot, an open invitation for his possession. Food became the furthest thing from his mind. The entire universe centered where they were joined. The lustful hunger rose out of nowhere, consuming him. It took away any sense he had and replaced it with savage need. Her moan filled his mouth with a need all her own.

Abalim broke off the kiss and latched his mouth onto her neck. He darted his tongue across her skin as he drew in her tantalizing scent. He then trailed featherlight licks over the front of her throat. When his mouth touched her chin, he peppered it with gentle nibbles. His body hardened in reaction, thickening against her. He returned to the base of her throat and swirled his lips and tongue over her pulse. At the same time, he palmed her breast through the malleable fabric of the alien suit she wore.

“Abalim.” she whispered, gripping his thick, long hair.

The woman was every bit as possessive as he was. With a grunt, he lowered his mouth to the hard peak of her breast, allowing his tongue to replace his fingers. He laved her nipple over the fabric, coaxing the nubbin into a harder point, reveling in the heat of her skin as he filled his mouth and suckled.

When he moved his mouth from her breast, he gathered her in his arms and pulled her fully flush against him. Their heartbeats thundered in unison, strong and fast. He returned to the tempting skin of her neck and scraped his teeth back and forth over the pulse beating so frantically. Desire pounded through him, making him frantic to consummate their union. To show her how much she meant to him.

The sound of her stomach growling yanked him back to reality.

“Oh, my gosh!” Lisa put a hand over her stomach. “How embarrassing.” She stepped back with a sheepish grin.

Abalim inhaled to slow his racing heart. Her musky perfume, along with their combined excitement, blanketed the air between them. He caressed her cheek with his thumb. “No, I’m grateful for the reprieve. I promised to feed you, and here I’m letting myself get carried away.” He took her hand and led her to the plush pile on the messy bed. “Sit here and I’ll bring you something to eat.” He raised her knuckles to plant a gentle kiss. “But I warn you. Once we’re done, we’ll explore other ways to give you gratification.”

Her mischievous smile warmed his heart. “Gratification?” She chuckled. “I sure like the sound of that.”

Never, Lisa decided as she ate with Abalim, ever had she’d enjoyed a meal as much as this one. Even if she couldn’t identify half of what the man put into her mouth. He insisted he feed her from the picnic feast he created with the room's replicator. To make things comfier, he pulled a blanket from the bed and spread it on the floor, giving them a perfect place to lounge on while they ate.

When he spread the food before her, her mouth dropped open. My god, what a bounty! On one plate were delicate, spiral shaped canapes, glowing faintly with a blue hue that exuded a sweet, tangy aroma. On a plate beside it lay crispy ruby-red tendrils, crackling softly. Their spicy, smoky flavor reminded her of mouthwatering barbecued treats that coated her mouth with an exotic, slightly metallic aftertaste. It turned out one of her favorites came from a pile of fluffy, golden puffs. Displayed in a tantalizing pyramid, they emitted a cloud of savory steam that blanketed the air with hints of garlic and some unknown but intoxicating alien herb.

For dessert, nestled in a crystal bowl, were small, translucent orbs filled with a shimmering liquid. When Lisa put one in her mouth, a refreshing mix of mint and citrus left a burst of pleasant, cooling savory goodness behind.

But it was the easy and open conversation she and Abalim had that brought an added layer of decadent pleasure to the meal. Her earlier fears of them not being compatible melted away. Here was a man who had his own strong opinions and wasn’t afraid of hers. Exactly the kind of relationship she’d always dreamed about. There was only one thing that she couldn’t wait to clear up.

“I do have one question that’s been bugging me since I met you.” Lisa sat back and suckled one of the luscious dessert orbs.

“Oh?” Abalim’s dark brows rose. “What’s that?”

Her brain checked out at the sensual way he suckled his own dessert orb with his full lips. She almost lost her train of thought.

Almost.

“Um, you’ve been calling me inkheart since we met. What’s up with that?” It was a weird thing for an ancient like him to use as an endearment.

Abalim’s dark cheeks flushed as he chuckled and spread his hands wide. “Ok, here’s where I confess how I let one of my nephews talk me into something.”

Lisa smiled and settled back. This ought to be good.

“My nephew, Pete, is a bit of a harmless prankster. Reminds me of my brother Asmodel.” He smirked and rubbed his earlobe. “Anyway, once things settled down from the invasion, he claimed it was his duty to indoctrinate my brothers and me into modern society.” With his finger and thumb, he plucked another dessert orb and put it into his mouth.

For the first time there was a hesitancy in his obsidian gaze, something in the way his full lashes lowered quickly, then flicked up. After a few chews with his eyes unfocused, he swallowed and then brought his attention back to her.

“He warned us he was about to expose us to something that held mankind in a tight, unrelenting grip. No one was immune to its influence. While it was mostly viewed as a good thing, in the wrong hands, it could be twisted into coercing parts of the population into doing evil and harm against others.”

Lisa frowned. What in the world was he talking about?

“With those dire warnings, he introduced us to movies.”

She blinked. Movies? What the…

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