He strokes my back. “It’s not a dream, darling. I’m taking you on a honeymoon you’ll never forget.”
“Fuck yeah. I am so here for it.”
He chuckles again. “No surprises there. Let’s head back to our room. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, and we need to get plenty of rest.”
As if in a sympathetic response, I let out an unexpected yawn and realize that I am, in fact, exhausted.
It’s not surprising. After all, my life has been more than a smidge chaotic and stressful of late, what with fending off aninvasion, beating up Kai’s stupid ex, and finding out my hubby-boo is gestating our future children.
Every time I think about that last one, it’s a total shock to my entire system. I’m both excited and more than a little terrified about what lies ahead. Being a parent isn’t easy; I know that for sure. My own childhood was quite rocky, so I’m determined to create a stable home and family life for our kids.
Thank fuck we have five years before they’ll actually be born. Huzzah for alien biology, baby!
Arm in arm, Kai and I make our way back to Nirblob’s future seduction palace. We undress and turn out the lights, then climb into the massive heart bed, steadfastly ignoring the very obvious restraints installed in the headboard.
I can’t help but giggle. “This kind of reminds me of a scene from a movie.”
“You don’t say,” Kai drawls sarcastically.
I poke his tickle spot, and he grunts. “You know how I love a good kickass action heroine. One who rarely gets her due is Geena Davis inThe Long Kiss Goodnight. We’ll have to watch it together.”
“Naturally,” Kai says, his voice dry as dust.
I lightly pinch his nipple and he jolts. “Keep it up, buster. Anyway, the movie’s fun and Geena Davis is a badass. There’s this scene in the movie when she and Samuel L. Jackson’s character end up holing up in a hotel that reminds me a hell of a lot of this one. Very ’70s psychedelic porn set meets love hotel.”
Kai pulls me in closer and one of his tentacles wraps around my middle. “Just for the record,” he says in a dry tone, “I am not having sex with you in this room.”
I snort. “Thank fuck. That would bewaytoo weird.”
“And I don’t trust Nirblob not to have cameras hidden in here somewhere,” he grumbles.
I playfully smack him on the chest. “Hey, that’s my friend you’re talking about.” I pause. “Although he is a bit on the pervy side. He identifies with Lord Vardox in more ways than one.” I nestle more snugly into Kai’s reassuring warmth and heave a happy sigh. “It’s okay, boo. Our honeymoon doesn’t have to be a nonstop fuckfest. We’ll make it what we want.” I leer and waggle my eyebrows for good measure. “But there will be plenty of hot sex, for sure.”
Kai chuckles and rubs a hand down my back. “I couldn’t have put it better.”
“Is it too cheesy to say I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you?”
He kisses the side of my neck. “Not at all. I share the sentiment. I will forever be grateful for whatever mysterious force or random coincidence that led us to one another, my darling.”
I wriggle happily. “You’re such a sweet, romantic soul, and I fucking love that.” My voice softens, and I stare into his stunning purple eyes. “Thank you for organizing everything. I know how much thought you put into our honeymoon plans and making this huge dream of mine a reality.”
He leans forward and kisses me. “It was my pleasure. I wanted to do this for you.” His voice deepens. “For us.”
I take one of his hands in mine and bring it to my lips, kissing it tenderly. “Here’s to making magical intergalactic honeymoon memories together.”
CHAPTER TWO
“I’m going to the bathroom,” Starblade announced, standing abruptly and hightailing it to the pub’s gender-neutral facilities.
Cowardice was not in his nature, but Starblade needed a moment to calm himself and try to think straight. So much had changed in such a short time that he hadn’t fully sorted out his thoughts and feelings on the matter. For so long, he’d resisted Vardox’s advances—allowing himself to give in to his sexual desires but always holding back his heart.
But no matter how much Starblade tried to deny it, he was forced to face the truth. When Vardox fought that Blood Duel to the death to save him, Starblade had been overwhelmed with fear the entire time, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. And when Vardox was injured, something inside him broke and the dam around his heart burst. Ever since, Starblade had been terribly confused about how to navigate the new dynamic of their relationship.
Deep breathing and meditation were required at this moment, and once he believed he had himself under control again, heexited the restroom and began to make his way back to where Vardox was waiting.
The crowd was even thicker than before, and Starblade struggled to forge a path through them. After pushing his way forward, he finally spotted Vardox a few hundred yards away. But the man seated next to him left Starblade frozen in his tracks.
He was handsome, with bronze skin and long coppery hair. The pointed tips of his ears and the visible fangs in his mouth identified him as a Tranathian—a species well known for their seductive allure.
