I lifted my head out of the water, and Ohem was next to me. I jumped and gave a little shriek.I was going to get him a freaking bell!He really could sneak up on a girl. He was lucky he had that body to distract me from being irritated. I watched the water run down his black skin, marveling at him. My mate truly was a monster, in the best ways. All that lethal strength was mine! It made me positively giddy.
He had some of the skin from the tree in his hand. “Sam says to use this to wash. She says it is like a plant you have in your home world, an aloe vera, and will soothe your tangled hair.”
“Oh, sweet!” I said and took the skin from him. I peeled it apart and scooped the jellied insides out and rubbed them in my hair. I finger-comb it into the tangles, but they were dense, almost dread-like and it was a slow process.
Ohem came up behind me and took the skin from me. “Allow me to assist. Please, sit.”
I sat in the shallow water and he lowered himself behind me, bracketing me between his thighs, and began working the jelly into my knots, using his claws to cut away the parts that couldn’t be saved. He used his tentacles to work over my entire head in conjunction with his hands. It was relaxing, and such a domestic mate’s chore that I couldn’t help but smile and close my eyes, basking in the feeling of intense contentment.
Who’d have thought I’d get abducted by aliens and find my mate on the same ship? It was such a crazy story. I couldn’t wait to tell our kids about it one day.
I frowned. Could we even have kids?
I placed my hand on Ohem’s thigh and tilted my head back against his chest. “Can we have children? Are we compatible, I mean.”
My heart jolted when he went still, his hands frozen in my hair. I twisted and looked back at him.
He nodded his head slowly. “Yes. The Rijitera can mate and bear young with most species. It was what they engineered themselves for. To have young with strong mates so that their species would grow to have many special traits,” His voice was rough, almost unsteady.
He touched my cheek with his fingertips. “Do–” he paused and took a breath, “do you want children?” he asked, his voice subdued, but there’s an underlying hopeful edge to it. My Big Bad wanted kids.
I wanted to fuck with him and say something outrageous like kids were goblins and I hate them, but his face was so adorable and hesitant and hopeful that I just couldn’t. It would be like kicking a puppy.An evil-looking puppy that would eat your leg for the audacity.
I smiled at him instead and went with the truth. “Yeah. I want kids one day. I’ve got an IUD. It’s a type of birth control, so we’d have to take it out if we want to eventually get pregnant.”
His Izi flickered, flared bright, and then Ohem was crushing me in a hug that punched the breath from my lungs and made my ribs ache. I grunted, and he released me, cupping my face with his hands. “I am so very glad to have met you, Jack. I am honored more than I can say to be your mate. I will spend my life making sure you and any children we have are loved and happy. I fear I may spoil you.” He was so genuine and solemn.
Ah, hell. He was making falling in love with him too easy. Not that I minded, he was my mate. It was going to happen fast regardless, but him being such a sweet, honorable, totalsex godwas making shit move at light speed.
Get it? Cuz we’re in space.
I grinned and straddled him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Spoil away, General. I like tacky t-shirts, coffee in all its forms, and sex. Lots of sex. As a matter of fact, you should fuck me at least three times a day or else I’ll wilt like a neglected flower. I’m sure of it,” I said with mock gravity, nodding my headveryseriously.
Ohem threw his head back and laughed. It was a thunderous sound. All deep and booming, like a volcano eruption. It was my new favorite sound. My new purpose in life was going to be making him roar in pleasure and laugh like that all the time. It was a good thing I was both a sexy warrior lady and funny as shit.
Humble too.
So humble.
His laughter faded around us and Ohem squeezed my ass, his cock rubbing against my sex. “I will fulfill all your needs, myursang.That I can promise you,” he said, eyes glittering with amusement and his voice a husky rasp against my skin.
“Come on, you two! Quit flirting and come eat. If you fuck in front of Sam again, she’s gonna develop a complex,” Patty said from her spot by the fire.
Ohem shook his head in amusement and used his hands at my waist to shift me around to face away from him so he could continue combing his claws through my hair. It was weird being handled like I was a small lady. No man had ever lifted me so easily, not even the males of my kind. Our females were usually larger than them. Another box checked on the long list of shit my mate does that turns me on.
He finished my hair quickly and helped me to my feet. His armor rushed around his body, covering all that naked skin and I tried, and failed, not to whine about it.
I found my clothes folded next to the fire, scrubbed clean and dried. I pulled them on, wincing at the tattered shape of the top. It was on its last leg. It still covered all the important bits and kept the girls from bouncing around, but there were holes and tears all over it. Still, being dressed and clean, with freshly combed hair, felt like the highest of luxuries. My hair was shorter, Ohem having had to cut pieces off, about chin length and ragged edged, but it was clean and soft. Miracle of miracles.
Ohem folded himself in a seated position and wrapped his hand around mine to tug me into his lap.
Patty looked at me with wide eyes and pouted. “I want one! Find me an alien lover that has a big cock too, Jack!” She wagged her eyebrows at me.
“What are friends for if not for making sure their friend’s future boyfriends are hung? It’ll be on the alien application lists I make for you. Must Have Huge Dick,” I said, spreading my hands out like I was reading from a banner.
“You say the sweetest things to me,” Patty purred, batting her eyelashes.
Sam couldn’t meet my eyes. She was blushing furiously and fidgeting.
