“Oh, sorry,” Lois flusters as she looks at how soaked Az is. “I didn’t mean to.”
“Don’t apologize to him,” Zann complains, “he spends more credits getting his drak’s shit analyzed than he does on clothing-”
“I need to make sure she’s healthy,” Az protests, pulling his wet shirt up over his head and horns. Zann’s right, though. Az practically lives in the athletic gear that his team’s sponsors give him. No doubt he doesn’t give a shit about that little human ruining his clothing. Anyway, he’s probably thanking the Goddesses for the opportunity to sit here in his most comfortable form - shirtless.
While all three females seem to be staring at him.
Damn. Do I need to start taking my clothes off to retain Niska’s attention? My body is not as lean and toned as my professional athlete brother’s, but I keep myself well. I think she liked it last night at least.
Suddenly, I am overrun with the need to find out exactly what Niska thought of my body. Did it please her? What exactly do human females look for in their mates? It used to be that Xaviann females would choose the male with the most impressive horns, but humans have no horns. Even so, for the first time in my life, I find myself comparing mine to both mybrother’s. Does Niska prefer my backward-sweeping horns to theirs - Zann with his that are more upright, and Az with his double horns he inherited from our mother?
It’s a stupid question to ask - she’s my contract bride after all, so it shouldn’t matter. I need to remind myself of that. I shake off the odd thoughts and lean into her, murmuring low in her ear, “you signed our contract.” That very fact has been buzzing in my mind incessantly.
She shifts her position in her seat so that she’s now fully facing me, and I can’t help but get caught up in those deep brown eyes and her alluring scent. “I did,” she says, “I guess that means I’m yours now.”
Goddess!I want to grab this woman and seat her in my lap again - just like with our first meeting.
I can tell the moment her mind catches up with her words because she bites down on that luscious bottom lip as if to stop anything further escaping her pretty little mouth.
I raise my brows at her. “How much drink has my brother been plying you with?” There’s something about the look in her eyes that tells me she’s more lost in the moment than she had been this morning. It’s a similar look to how she had seemed last night, but the type of intoxication is a little different.
“Just a couple,” she says, her eyes landing on my mouth. “Is that bad?”
Is that bad?Those words echo in my mind as my eyes stay fixed on her mouth. I suddenly forget about the ‘type of intoxication’ she might be under, and lean even closer. But, more importantly, Niska mirrors the position, not giving me any signal that my nearness is unwelcome. “Are you…celebrating something?” I ask, my mouth watering at the thought that she might be excited for the breeding bench - anticipating pleasure in it, even. Visions of how she’d writhed in my lap as she touched herself last night flood my mind - how she’s cried out as shereached her climax. I will learn everything there is to know about human female pleasure in the hope that she will make such noises for me again.
“Oh, you know,” she says, smiling as her gaze drops to my mouth now. “Just the fact that we’re going to be safe now.”
I-
I feel like I’ve just been doused with a bucket of ice waters.
Here she is celebrating that she and her friends are no longer in danger of being sold for Goddesses-know-what, and all I’m consumed with is how much I want to fuck her.
I pull away, sucking in lungful of air.
“Zann,” I bark, getting my brother’s attention away from his ruined shirt as I raise an empty glass. “Make me one of those drinks.”
Perhaps I’ll burst into flames and Niska will be safe from my licentious thoughts.
Get it to-fucking-gether, Kiahn.This is nothing to her except a deal so that she can be as safe as a human possibly can be in this corner of the galaxy.
Maybe I shouldn’t do this. Maybe we can just tell my meddling, slave-purchasing aunt that we completed the act, when in fact, we just sat around and talked about… whatever it is humans normally talk about.
Irritated, I swipe the mixed drink from my brother’s hand as soon as he offers it. I just know, he’s got some kind of clever comment all ready and loaded in that idiotic mouth of his, but I point a look at him over the brim of the crystal tumbler as I take a sip, and give the slightest shake of my head.
Thankfully, Zann raises both hands and leaves me be. He eyes Az, sat there, flexing his muscles, trying to impress Lois before his gaze lands on the youngest of the females, Jaya. I watch her, too. The way she sits so close to Lois and holds herself straight-backed, her arms crossed in her lap, not quite looking atease even though she giggles when Lois teases my idiot middle brother by flicking his bare abs. Zann’s eyes meet mine, and I think he sees it, too - Jaya is not completely comfortable here, around us. It’s understandable, considering.
“I’m gonna go find someone to help me get this clean,” he says, walking backward before turning, unbuttoning his shirt as he goes. I sigh to myself. Zann has always been shy of things that are more difficult - more work. He may not want to enter a breeding contract with Jaya - and she is not required to accept him - but if I know my aunt, and my contract with Niska goes well, she will find new ways to push him into it.
Doubly so if I manage to sire an offspring with strong Bloodline Venom on my Niska.
Triple, if said offspring is a daughter.
Part of me thinks I should probably leave with Zann. I should probably drag Az away from the women, too. We should probably leave them all alone.
I don’t do that though, because apparently, I’m more selfish than I’d realized, and right now, I really want to stay wherever Niska is. I mentally curse myself and down my drink in one, the alcohol at the bottom half of the glass chasing a pleasant burn down my throat and into my belly. Without hesitation, I reach over the table for the decanters filled with a myriad of different colors, ready to attempt to mix myself some more.
I’d just pulled the stopper from a corked bottle with my teeth when an empty glass appears in front of me. “Top me up?”
