Page 30 of Alien on the Moon

“Did you know that the waltz was scandalous when it was first invented?” she asked, breaking some of the spell.

He raised his eyebrows. “This? How could this possibly be scandalous?” He was certainly enjoying the time and close proximity with Elena, as always, but it hardly seemedscandalous.Of course, the gentle scent of her hair and the feel of her body under his palm were nothing to complain about.

“The first thing you need to know about Earth culture is that we’re very sexually repressed. It’s gotten better in recent decades, but back then, the barest hint of sexuality used to be enough to cause a conniption. And this…”

She pressed herself close to him, close enough for him to feel his member begin to strain against his pants, aroused by her nearness. She glanced down at it and then smirked. “Chest to chest. Practically crotch to crotch. You can see the effect it has on…certain people.”

He pressed a kiss to her lips, bending her backward in a dip. With an appreciative moan, she wrapped her arms around him and nibbled on his lip. Her sisters whistled in the background, but he ignored them, righting Elena.

Her cheeks were beautifully flushed, and her lips were engorged with desire. She smirked. “Now you get it.”

They all danced until they were breathless, their feet throbbing with every step. Then they grabbed dinner at the buffet he had set up. He had broken into the base’s alcohol supply for this occasion, and all imbibed but Carmen and Prince Arccoo. As the future king and queen of Thryal, they didn’t want to risk a scandal by getting too drunk.

Sofia, Zaraq, and Elena had no such qualms. “Rylan, have you heard of a game called beer pong?” Sofia asked. Her green eyes were bright with mischief.

Her partner grinned, looking equally impish. “Sofia introduced me, and trust me, you’re going to love it.”

“Couple versus couple?” Elena grabbed his arm, and he really began to wonder what he was in for. But if she wanted to play, he would play.

“Do we have anything we can use like a ball?” Sofia asked.

Elena shrugged. “We can try flipping a coin into it. I have my lucky quarter from Earth. We can just wash it off.”

For a moment, Sofia looked disgusted. But then she just shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

As Elena ran off to grab her coin, Zaraq set up the game while Sofia explained the rules to Rylan. “So, it’s pretty simple,” she said. “You throw a coin into a cup filled halfway with alcohol. Every time you land one in, you have to drink it. The first one out of cups wins.”

“Seems easy enough,” he replied.

She grinned. “You say that. Just wait until you’re halfway through the game.”

Elena returned with the coin, and they got to playing. Sofia went first, flicking the coin from her hand and sending it sailing into a cup. She and Zaraq high-fived. Then it was Zaraq’s turn. He got it in as well, meaning that they had a strong start. Rylan and Elena would have to work hard to catch up.

As Sofia predicted, the alcohol started going to his head halfway through the game, making everything pleasantly light and floaty. Elena, being much smaller than him, was already swaying slightly and slurring her words a little bit from her successful landings.

And soon, it was down to just one cup on either side. The two couples were well and truly drunk, squinting carefully as they took aim and missed their targets. By now, a crowd had gathered around them, curious about the game and the fierce competition between two drunk couples.

Rylan was the last to go. He took a moment, focused, tried to clear his inebriated mind, and flicked the coin. It seemed to move in slow motion, the light glinting off each side as it sailed through the air. And then, with a plop, it landed in Zaraq and Sofia’s final cup.

The crowd went wild. Rylan drank the last of their cup before picking up Elena and kissing her as he spun in a circle. When he set her down, Sofia and Zaraq bowed to him in a tipsy show of respect.

“Nice work,” Prince Arccoo said, patting Rylan’s shoulder. “I hereby name you beer pong champion.”

Once again, the crowd went wild with cheers. Elena pulled him down into another kiss. “My handsome champion.”

Chapter 11

Elena

Watching Rylan have fun and let go was a sight. Elena enjoyed every moment, and when Rylan won the beer pong tournament, she felt a sense of pride.

This man is mine,she thought.

With his hand firmly wrapped in hers, she pulled him eagerly back to their room. The moment the door closed behind them, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

Rylan responded with equal fervor, holding her tightly against his chest. They separated, both gasping for breath, their faces flushed and cheeks glowing. His fingers traced the contours of her face as if he were trying to memorize every line and every curve.

“Tonight was incredible,” Rylan whispered, his gaze lost in hers. Elena could only nod in agreement, too consumed by the heated proximity to articulate words.

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