Page 6 of Enticed By the Alien Chef
His spots flared back to pink, his eyes growing wide, and then he curled a pair of hands around my waist and lifted me. Seriously, he picked me up like I was a dainty little feather and set me down in the center of the hammock, his upper pair of hands holding the contraption rock-steady so I didn’t fall. His hands didn’t leave my waist once I was sitting either, and I could feel each finger pressing against my skin. I could feel their strength, how freaking much of me he spanned with that grip. He had big hands. Now I was blushing, pink spreading across my cheeks.I wondered if there was a correlation. Was he embarrassed or turned on when his spots went pink?
The sight of my blush triggered something in him: a flurry of hand signs I couldn’t possibly follow, and then a thumb brushing along my cheek. His expression was close to something I could only describe as awe. Well, there was a first time for everything; I’d certainly never impressed anyone with my ability to blush before. I was pretty sure his mood freckles didn’t know what to do with the mixture of feelings inside my alien chef. Pink and yellow seemed to be winning, but there was a flash of something blue too.
“Kara,” he husked, his damaged voice no more than a whisper, struggling to wrap itself around my simple, two-vowel name. Goosebumps broke out all over my flesh, my nipples perked beneath my shirt, and something clenched low in my abdomen. Fuck, why was that so hot? How could I like a guy this much when I was supposed to be unable to trust him? But I did trust him, all the way.
Impulsively, I leaned closer. I fully planned to brush a kiss on his cheek as a thank you, but the hammock tipped forward with my motion, I lost my balance and ended up tumbling forward. My hands landed on his upper shoulders, and I clutched tightly to keep from falling even more. Rex’s hand tightened around my waist to help, and I froze, a breath away from his mouth. Ah, fuck it. I brushed his lips with mine, my skin tingling at every point of contact. “Thank you, Rex,” I breathed into the small space between us.
His chest vibrated beneath my hands, though he made no sound. I could feel his hands clench against my waist, felt his heatbathe my body. The hammock swayed, rocking me closer, then further away. I didn’t dare to kiss him again, and he didn’t move. Our eyes locked, this magnetic pull growing between us. I tried to remember desperately if the Kertinal safety lessons on alien species had included anything on kissing. Did Rex's species kiss?
Pink was winning now; it dotted his cheeks and showed along his nose. It could have looked silly, but it made my stomach twist with heat as if I knew what it meant by instinct. Arousal. His grip on my waist hauled me closer, the hammock rocked me forward, and then I was plastered to his chest, my thigh brushing a massive erection. My breasts were against his pecs, and his mouth dipped closer, claiming mine.
No soft brush this time. This wasn’t an impulsive thank-you peck on the lips, but a claim. His tongue brushed my lips, then pushed inside, marauding, taking. I felt owned by that kiss, my mind spinning, my body aching, and every nerve on fire. I had never been kissed like this; I had nothing to compare it to. The few boyfriends I’d had in college were exactly that—boys. But Rex was all man—mature, experienced, and ready to take what he wanted while giving me so much at the same time.
When he pulled away, I chased after him and was rewarded not with another kiss, but a husky whisper of a laugh. His eyes twinkled with mischief, his spots flashing from bright pink to yellow with happiness. Then he lifted a hand from my waist and signed something in the air between us. I couldn’t understand, but I was pretty sure he was telling me to go to sleep.
Getting tucked into a hammock was definitely not the same as being tucked into a bed. The gentle sway was soothing, the hammock conformed perfectly to my body, and everythingsmelled like Rex. I felt pampered when he spent an extra moment to make sure my feet were properly covered by the blankets. Then I felt an odd curl of heat and worry when he stroked his fingers gently along my cheek, a warm look in his eyes. This guy said a lot without ever using words. That was the sweetest goodnight I’d ever received.
The lights dimmed when he moved for the pallet on the floor by the door, but I still had one perfect shot at seeing his full silhouette. To see the outline of his still erect cock pressed against the tight leather of his pants. That was dauntingly big andveryhard, but he was the one stepping away, not pushing for more. After all that bad luck, I had finally caught a break and found a decent guy.
I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.
Chapter 9
Rex
My female was cutting vegetables at the table in my kitchen, her head lowered as she focused on the knife and the large Aderian squash for my stew. I had no other word to describe how she looked besides ‘cute,’ and that was not a word that was normally part of my vocabulary. I also felt an immense sense of satisfaction because she was now in my domain, smelling of me and wearing my clothes.
The taste of her mouth was engraved on my brain and had kept me frustrated and awake for long hours that night. My cock ached when I remembered that kiss, desperate for more than the quick hand job I’d permitted myself in the shower that morning. I did not want to rush my mate or spook her, especially when, just yesterday, she had still refused to stay inside my kitchen for more than an hour. I hoped things would be different today, that I could convince her to stay, even when Drova would inevitably make his appearance.
Moving a pan off the stove, I tipped liquid into a jar to save for later. Then, I caught sight of some brown leaves at the edge of one of my herb plants on the windowsill and frowned. Those weren’t there yesterday, which meant that Drova had been messing with something volatile. I hoped that didn’t mean he’d messed with more in my kitchen; he knew I hated that.
Thinking about the Asrai male summoned him this morning, I wasn’t sure if that was because he had a hint of telepathy left or not. In any case, when he barged through the door from the bararea, I could sense that he was in a cheerful mood. That was bad news.
Protective instincts surging, I crossed the kitchen in a few steps, my body braced in front of Kara, arms out and knives at the ready. I hadn’t fought in a long time, but my muscles still recalled every move, every attack I had ever practiced. Drova came to an abrupt stop when he saw me, his scent turning sour with fear. This wasn’t how I normally greeted him, and it took him a few seconds to gather his wits.
“Rex,” he said loudly, acting as if I’d lost my hearing as well as my voice when I got injured in my last arena fight. “What in the blazing suns is wrong with you this morning? It’s too early for this.” He hadn’t seen my female, but I sensed her get to her feet behind me and felt her small hand settle on the back of my belt. A surge of pride filled me, knowing that she sought my protection.
Of course, Drova was nothing if not cunning. His eyes caught sight of the extra cutting board on the table and the pushed-out chair. Then he spotted Kara and leaned to the side to get a better look, his eyebrows climbing in his ghoulish face. “You’ve got a human!” he crowed. “I didn’t think you had it in you, Rex. Always so highfalutin about all that stuff. I thought you didn’t have the balls.”
I snarled, but no sound came from my damaged throat. That didn’t matter; Drova flinched back anyway. The old, twinless Asrai had a great knack for surviving and a deep-rooted fear of the male I’d been before I gained my freedom and came here looking for a job. He also had a big ego, and he didn’t like that he feared me or that he did not feel like he owned this kitchen.
“What? You’re a hypocrite, getting all mad because you found out Jenny was a slave, and then you get your own?” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned casually against the doorjamb, ready to make a quick exit while pretending that wasn’t what he was doing.
I slashed my hands through the air in a cutting motion, remembered I was holding the knives, and dropped them onto the table. Then I started talking because I knew that Drova understood my signing. “Kara is not a slave. She’s a friend, and you’re going to pay her a wage for working here. Or I’ll get your books audited by the Akrod House of Commerce. Sound fair?” Drova’s nose flared with distaste, but he gave me a single nod. When he low-balled the salary he was willing to pay my female, I did not object, because that wasn’t what I was after anyway.
Trap laid, our agreement made, I smirked at the Asrai in a way that was definitely a whole lot mean. He knew it, his skull-like features blanching whiter beneath their faded yellow. “Make sure she does her job. She’s your responsibility, Rex. No slacking!” he barked at me, and then he turned tail and ran. I scoffed, “Coward.”
Paperwork was everything on Ov’Korad, and Akrod was the capital of it all. The Ovters loved forms in triplicate. It was the work of a moment to locate a simple employee contract on my datapad, much like mine, and fill it out for Kara. Then I submitted it to the right authorities with a great sense of satisfaction. Who knew I’d ever learn to enjoy paperwork?
Kara was watching me from her spot by the table. She hadn’t resumed cutting the squash, and her knuckles had gone white around the grip of the knife. “Is everything okay?” she asked.When I smiled and nodded, her shoulders lowered, and she drew in a deep breath. Her brown hair reminded me of Jenny’s, but where the former waitress had hair straight as a pin, Kara’s curled in thick ringlets now that it was clean.
I placed my datapad down on the table next to her and scrolled through the options. There, I knew it could show the symbols in her language. When I flicked the button and made the change, Kara drew in a startled breath. “Oh! Can you write me a message like that? Can we talk?”
My chest swelled with happiness when I realized her first thought was about talking to me, rather than what the datapad could do for her. I nodded; switching back and forth so we could both read was a bit of a hassle, but we made it work. “You are safe,” was the first thing I said. “I will protect you.”
Her eyes were a little watery from unshed tears after she read the text, and a tremulous smile graced her pink mouth. “I know that, Rex. I trust you.” She paused, eyes flicking to the datapad and then to the door to the bar. “I was just hired, wasn’t I? Do I have to go out there?” she gestured at the still-quiet barroom. We hadn’t opened yet, but would soon, and I understood her apprehension.
“I’ll share the work. You won’t be in danger. Drova’s crowd is rough, but Jenny managed without harm for a year. He’s an asshole, but he knows he can’t run his business without help. You’ll be fine.” When that seemed to placate her, I turned to eye the work remaining in my kitchen. Drova wouldn’t be doing any prep work in the bar area now that he was actually paying someone to do it for him. It was down to me and Kara.
