Page 99 of I'm Not Your Pet

I loved learning new brilliant little things about his species.

“Are you?” I asked.

“W-what?”

“Are you poisonous?”

Roark huffed in offense. “No.”

“Good to know.” Feeling more confident than I ever had before, I peeked at him through my lashes, dragging my gaze down his heaving pecs to his thick belly, and the lump of his cocks where they nestled between meaty thighs. “Because I really like tasting you.”

Roark sputtered like I’d just electrocuted him. Taking pity on him, I returned my attention to his face just in time to catch the red tinge to the spots on his forehead.

“Can I see the flowers again?” I asked, holding his face gingerly in my palms. Roark wavered. He was obviously worried they would try to bite me again. Meanwhile, realistically, I wasn’t sure they’d even be alive after the way he’d brutally smashed them into the wall. “Please?”

With a sigh, Roark gave in.

He was careful as he extricated himself from my grip, and rose to his full height. Twisting, he made his way toward the discarded bouquet.

Damn. That ass though.

Seriously, he deserved an award.

It flexed, bouncy and full as Roark crossed the room, the tight black pants he wore clinging to every curve and crevice. I bit back a groan when he bent over. Roark was careful as ever, as he gathered up the abused flowers.

It still amazed me how a creature so very large could be so gentle.

When Roark returned to my side, he looked more settled than when he’d left. Like the fact I’d given him a mission to complete had settled him. The flowers were a little worse for wear, but not entirely ruined like I’d worried.

I held my hands out expectantly.

“Huu-goh…” Roark fretted. He obviously did not want me anywhere near the bouquet. But we’d built a lot of trust between us—and I knew, if I gave him a moment to settle, he’d realize that I was more than capable of handling this particular threat myself.

Besides, I was curious.

And he liked that about me.

“Please,” I repeated, waiting patiently. “I’ll be careful.”

It took a few seconds of deliberation, Roark’s brow bone furrowed, but eventually he relented. His blue eyes remained narrowed as heverycarefully handed me the bundle of flowers.

He truly couldn’t have given me a better first bouquet.

The blossoms were even lovelier up close. Closer to small, petaled creatures than they were to the plants we had back home. Excited, I examined their tiny, toothy faces, making sure to hold them far away from my body so when they snapped they couldn’t reach.

I was so glad he’d given me these—teeth be damned.

We were on an alien planet, inspaceafter all, and my date was the toothiest, largest creature I had ever encountered.

It would’ve been a shame to receive flowers that were anything but extraordinary—and despite the fact they were a little dangerous, and a whole lot weird—that’s exactly what this bouquet was.

Extraordinary.

Just like the person who’d given it to me.

Roark hovered over me, ready to snatch the flowers away the second it looked like I was in danger. But I never let their teeth get close enough to my body for him to truly worry. Partly because I didn’t want to get chomped—but mostly because while they’d been hardy enough to survive the first toss, I wasn’t sure they’d survive a second.

“You like them,” Roark observed.

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