There I go again, she thought with a thread of worry.Let’s hope my mouth isn’t writing checks my ass can’t cash.
His smile was bright. Probably because his teeth glowed. “Is that so? Well, then you simply must try the Venus Void. A connoisseur such as yourself will enjoy its more… relaxing qualities.”
“Bring it on,” she said, then closed her eyes and hunched her shoulders as the creature undulated away from her toward the bar.
Her eyes sprang back open and she began looking for a place to hide. She’d blown it with the first guy who’d decided to talk to her. Even if she was interested in a casual good time with the octopus man, he would quickly discover her relative innocence in matters sexual.
“Dammit, Dawn,” she muttered to herself as she walked, head down, toward the far end of the room. “You can’t even get relaxation right. Talk about explosive decompression.”
Suddenly, she hit what felt like a rock wall but with softer skin. Her eyes traveled up and up, what seemed like at least a foot, until they met the amused gaze of the most handsome male she’d ever encountered.
She flushed red and wished she could sink into the floor. “Excuse me,” she managed to croak before attempting to push past the towering god of masculinity. Her fuck-ups always grew by orders of magnitude.Time to blow this joint. Go home. Lick wounds. Remember how unsafe it is to leave the lab.
“A moment please.” His voice perfectly complemented his body. Powerful. Deep. Resonating with authority. “Don’t rush off.”
Dawn immediately wanted to obey, which set off warning bells. Stepping back, she took a serious look at the man. He was close to seven feet, all hard muscle, with arms as big around as her waist. His hair was a dark brown bordering on black, his eyes just as dark. As her gaze traveled down, she noted the smattering of hair on his chest leading down to his navel and lower, where it disappeared into leather pants. The only thing he was wearing apparently.
And when she saw the bulge in those tight pants, she had the strangest urge to lick her lips.
Before she could say anything, she felt a body at her back. Blue tentacles began sliding around her waist and over her arms. One held a deep purple cocktail out of her. “Here you go, dear one. Have a drink of this.”
The man in front of her narrowed his eyes, a slight frown appearing on his face. “What are you doing, Andwad?”
“The lady and I were having a conversation. A private one.” Andwad the octopus man’s voice was hard, but Dawn thought she caught an undercurrent of anxiety.
“You’re giving an innocent like her a Void?” The disapproving tone of the male’s voice made a shiver run over her.
“She’s no innocent,” Andwad protested. “She might be new to the club,” he turned to her with a nod, “but you’re not new to the lifestyle, right?”
“Right,” she squeaked.
The towering god in front of her cocked a dark eyebrow. He then took the drink from the octopod’s tentacles and drained it, pressing the empty cup back into his grip. “Get lost, Andwad.”
“Come on, Z,” the octopod replied, his tentacles waving agitatedly. “I saw her first.”
The god didn’t respond. He just stared at Andwad. The tentacles slowed, then stopped, and with a sigh, the creature from Tako-B slunk away, his head down.
“Wow,” Dawn breathed.
Then she realized she was now at the mercy of someone much larger and much stronger than herself or Andwad.Time to play tough.
“That wasn’t very nice,” she said with a chuckle. “They don’t shoot cockblocks where you’re from, huh?”
His grin was slow, subtle, and absolutely devastating. And then it was gone. The god named by a single initial grabbed her arm and began pulling her forward.
“Hey,” she yelped, surprised. “What are you doing?”
“Showing you the exit,” he said. She pulled back but it had the same effect as putting out her arms to slow her inertia in space. Minimal.
“That’s rude,” she huffed, still digging in her heels. “I just got here.”
“And that’s why I’m getting you out of here before something happens. Can’t you see the sharks circling? You’re like blood in the water.”
Dawn scanned the crowd. She realized then that she was the focus of some attention. Nothing she couldn’t handle, right?
“A couple sips of that Void and the octopod from Tako would have had you up in his cell, showing you his inkblots.”
The words were borderline growls. Dawn wondered if jealousy might be motivating this tone. Then she thought better of it.Jealous? This god? I’m lucky he even deigned to notice me. And he’s currently kicking me out of the club like he owns the place.
