Page 31 of An Alien for Her Heart

“There’s nothing wrong with my lips. I was just…” Her brows furrow now and my focus falls back to her mouth. “I was just a bit silly, I suppose.”

Her shoulders rise and fall in a breath and that’s when I notice the color on her lips isn’t natural. It’s artificial.Sheplaced the color there.

Easing back, I’m unsure of how to respond to this but clearly I have misstepped because when Catherine’s gaze shifts to me, it’s lost that twinkle I thought I’d just seen in her eyes.

Curses.

“I was wondering maybe if you wanted another cup of tea this morning,” she says, her gaze shifting from me to the outbuilding’s in-progress roof. “You’ve done so much already I suppose you’ve already had breakfast.”

She presses her lips into a line, one that I suppose is meant to be a convincing smile. All it does is turn something to ice deep inside me. What have I done?

“I’ll let you get back to work.” Then she gestures to the field. “I have things I need to get done too.”

She presses her lips into that smile again, and I realize the red stain only accentuates them. She put the stain on to accentuate her lips, and I, like a fool, made it seem like her effort was useless.

It wasn’t.

I can’t stop staring at her lips now.

As she turns to walk away from me, my core-beat skips.

“Catherine…” She stops at the sound of her name, glancing at me over her shoulder with her eyebrows raised and that strangemirthless smile still on her face. “It’s beautiful.” My throat bobs. “Your lips.”

That red stain shoots across her face again. She dips her gaze. “Thank you.”

That wild, panicked fluttering of my core-beat calms down. “I would like to share tee with you.”

She blinks, her smile faltering for a split click.

“If you would share it with me again,” I add quickly.Give her the choice. Allow her to pull away, even if it feels like the thought itself is tearing me apart.

“Alright.”

Frakking yes.

As Catherine leads the way inside her lodge, I run my tongue over my fangs, my claw reaching down over the pocket on my trouse to grasp the outline of the item I brought with me this sol. Phase two.

I step into the cool interior of the lodge, my eyes fluttering closed as I breathe in. Her scent is so thick in this space, every fiber touched by her presence. It almost makes me groan.

“—rek?” Her voice makes my eyes fly open to find her peering at me from the meal preparation room.

“Yes, sura?”

She blinks, probably thrown off by the word, her mouth opening slightly before she pulls her gaze away from mine and lifts the tee packets in her hands. “Same tea as yesterday?”

“If it pleases you.” If it pleases her, I would drink heated water seasoned with soil. I really don’t care about the tee. My fist tightens on the item in my pocket and my core-beat thumps a little harder. I hope Zynar’s not wrong about this.

Squaring my shoulders, I move to stand right at the door separating the main room from the meal preparation room as I watch Catherine prepare the beverages.

“I don’t think it needs sugar. It was so sweet yesterday.” I’m not sure if she’s speaking to me or to herself as her voice is so low, I can barely hear it. I hear the tones anyway though. And they’re wonderful. Like a smooth caress. How would it feel to hear her speaking to me at first light each dawn? How would it feel to hear her whispering to me exactly what she wants me to do to her while—

“—but we could try cake today. Would you like a slice?”

“Mm?”

Catherine’s gaze shoots to me. There’s something there in her gaze, so quickly hidden, but not before her cheeks warm. Was I staring again? I’m staring, aren’t I?

Prey species are often unnerved by stares from species like mine. It’s not like I’m salivating and…no, that’s a lie. Iamsalivating, but not because I want Catherine in my mouth.

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