Page 23 of All for the Beast

It was the look on his face when she mentioned love. It was that of grief and anticipatory loss.

TEN

VHARLK

Vharlk had been losing sleep over Katy in the most wonderful way. He felt like things between them were going well and that he was making progress by giving her space and letting some of his affections be known. Her very presence to him was fragrant and luscious, making him dizzy with delight the moment he laid eyes on her.

He wasn’t worried about the mating aspect of wooing her as much as he was concerned about how she was feeling about him. He had been struck in the heart by an arrow, but it wasn’t Cupid, as the human story tells. Rather, it was the nature of being a shifter. It ached and stung him to imagine her leaving the planet without him.

V put those terrible thoughts aside as he continued to work with Katy on the liner and furthering her education about the planet it would be touring. On that night, in particular, he had arranged for them to see a concert in town, performed near the pier under the starlit skies. That kind of thing rarely happened anymore in Siborim, so he snatched it up as an opportunity to possibly discuss their presence on his cruise liner.

Plus, it wouldn’t hurt that it would be a devastatingly romantic setting. He imagined sitting next to her in an outfit that she would no doubt look staggering in, her legs crossed and the tease of skin at the thigh peeking out at him.

He spent the day of the performance showing Katy the fashions of the planet and how it worked for shifters at his mansion. They would then go into town, and he would buy her any and every outfit she desired.

Naturally, she scoffed at him about it but ultimately agreed.

He showed her his bedroom, where his clothing was stored, which looked like some space-aged pod. When he opened it, there were only two suits inside, which puzzled Katy.

“Okay, I’m waiting for the magic trick now,” she quipped.

V grinned, then pulled the suit from the pod and held it in front of his chest. Her beautiful eyes bore down on him like bright moons.

“So, let’s say I wear something like this tonight,” he began to explain. “It’s warmer around here before the suns go down, but after that, especially with the wind, it can be a little chilly. So then I might be needing a jacket, right?”

Katy stood there with her eyebrows raised, arms crossed with doubt. Fuck, she was so sexy, even without trying.

“Uh-huh,” she said.

V proceeded to put the suit jacket on, and with a flick of the wrist, it morphed into a bulgy winter coat. It made a sleek swiping sound that made Katy nearly jump back.

“Whoa!” she exclaimed, smiling ear to ear.

“It will turn into anything you may need for the day, night, whenever,” V said, then pointed at his feet. “It’s the same for the shoes. If you are tired of the heels,bam, they turn into no-heels, and if you need to skate for some reason, they’ll turn into those as well.”

Katy’s green eyes shined like a deep forest at sunset. She approached him, and when she laid her hands upon his arms to feel the material, he thought he was going to pass out.

“So this material can be used for anything?”

“Anything,” he said breathlessly.

She nodded, then brought a single finger to her lips. They were so plump and desirable.

“I will keep that in mind,” she muttered with a smirk.

Then they went to various shops, where Katy selected a few dresses and skirts that she could choose to wear to the performance and other events he wanted to take her to. He secretly hoped she was imagining being with him longer than the six weeks she had originally planned to stay for.

He sat outside the changing room while she tried on her outfits. At one point, she emerged wearing a long wine-shaded mermaid-style dress, the skirt flowing out behind her while the top hugged her shapely top half like latex. It scooped in the front and showed off ample cleavage, the most V had seen thus far.

The sight of her leaning against the fitting room wall with a naughty grin on her face nearly made his cock explode. He remained still, not wanting to betray his true feeling of electric attraction.

“Wow,” he said, voice as dry as stone.

She giggled, running her hands through her hair and waving it about. He swallowed hard, trying to keep himself together as his eyes wandered the valleys of her form.

“Speechless, are you?” she joked, biting her lower lip.

V smiled broadly.

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