Page 67 of Resisting the Alien Rider

“I’m not Oaken. I’m not the man you came here for. But I can be the man you need. And I’ll work every day to be the man who deserves you.” His jaw flexed. His eyes searched mine. “If… If you’ll have me.”

“Why, Garrek,” I murmured, happiness warming every inch of me, “Are you asking me to marry you?”

“Asking. Pleading. I’ll beg you if I have to,” he groaned. “Get down on my knees and… Wait. I am already on my knees.”

I laughed, and he stilled.

“I thought I’d never hear you laugh again.”

The grief in his voice was unmistakable. The echoes of his fear. The abyss of what could have been.

I hated that I hadn’t been there when he was so afraid.

“Well, you’d better get used to that sound,” I saidsoftly, “because like it or not, you’re pretty damn good at making me laugh. And you’re going to hear it every single day. When we’re married.”

25

MAGNOLIA

“He had to build the whole thing inside the bottle. Isn’t that incredible?”

Killian held the bottle up to his face, squinting eyes that were gold and brown more than they were white these days. It had been a little over a week since I’d woken up after the bite.

“So it really is aship,” Killian said, his tone sour with disappointment.

“Of course it’s a ship,” I said with a chuckle. “I told you it was a ship in a bottle. What else would it be?”

“Don’t answer that,” came a stern voice. A voice like gravel and smoke. A voice I loved.

Garrek entered the bedroom – Oaken’s bedroom – which had become my convalescence headquarters. I felt more than a little guilty about stealing Oaken’s bed – especially since he had his own injuries to contend with, not to mention the fact I’d decided not to marry the poor guy – but he wouldn’t hear of me sleeping anywhere else.

Oaken had some spare bedding and camped out in the kitchen at night, while Garrek and Killian had been sleeping in their bedrolls in the frame of the new cabin they were building. When that cabin was finished being constructed, Killian, Garrek, and I would move in there and I’d finally be able to give Oaken his bed back.

“Go on,” Garrek grunted at Killian. “Time to sleep.”

“No! I’m not tired!” Killian said.

“Hey, Killian,” I whispered, as if I had some delicious secret for him. “If you listen to Garrek and go get comfy and cozy, you can bring the ship with you and keep it.”

His eyes flashed white. Despite the fact he’d seemed less than impressed with it a second ago, he now clutched feverishly at it before glancing down at his own claws as if to make sure it was still there.

“Goodnight, sweet pea,” I said with a smile.

Killian bolted away, his new treasure held fast in his hands. Garrek closed the door and sat down in the chair beside the bed. My portable lantern was lit on the side table, casting a warm orange glow that lent his dark blue skin shades of burgundy and burnished bronze. Whispery little thrills – like rainbow birthday candles – lit all through my belly at the sight of him. At once, I was reaching for him, but he was already there, both his hands closing around mine.

“Busy day?” I asked, already knowing that it had been. Garrek worked tirelessly – or maybe not exactly tirelessly, based on the exhaustion I saw etched around his eyes – on Oaken’s property. Between assisting hisinjured cousin with his various chores, taking care of his own herd and shuldu, keeping an eye on Killian, and building the small cabin, his list of tasks was never-ending. And even with all that, he still found time every day to make sure I ate properly, bathed in a big tub by the fire in Oaken’s kitchen, and had everything I needed.

Everything except…

Except him. I missed him when I was stuck here recovering. I wanted to sleep beside him. But we both felt it wasn’t right for us to share Oaken’s bed as a couple. And if we were sleeping beside each other, then I’d probably try to jump his big blue bones, and Garrek gave me the impression he was slightly terrified of that possibility right now. Like he was worried that he would break me.

But I was feeling so much better. Today had been a turning point. I probably couldn’t get on top of him and give him the energetic cowgirl-style ride I’d fantasized about countless times already, but I could at least get nakey and touch his dick a little. If he let me.

“Yes,” he grunted. “But the floors and outer walls of the cabin are up.”

“Oh, wow! Can I see?”

Hey eyed me speculatively.

---