Page 4 of Matched to the Alien King
“What’s this? Some good news for once?” Nera turned her bottomless brown eyes to me, splintering my hearts yet again with her raw, untamed beauty. “Maybe we’ll actually make it through the day without someone trying to kill us.”
“Maybe…” The Killian shook his head and pointed at the TV along the seashell wall. “And maybe not. Drama sells. The first episode ofAlien Love Islandjust aired. It’s all anyone can talk about.”
“Already?” Nera tensed beside me, and I knew exactly what she was thinking because I thought it too.
What if we were sent home? What if we weren’t?
Either way, I wouldn’t leave Nera’s side. Not until we figured out why we were here, while at the same time figuring out why someonedidn’twant us here.
Fuxx, what a mess.
Nera’s style team burst through the poolside door then and blinked in shock at Nera.
“You’re awake already?” Oreo, the snippy one with blonde hair and black wings folded strategically around her body, asked.
“Eh, debatable.” Nera shrugged, her slim shoulder grazing my side and sending an intoxicating shock through my whole system. “I’m upright, but… Is that coffee for me?”
She pointed at the steaming mug that the other member of her style team carried, Smitha, the black-haired one with too many sparkles on her face and wearing skintight pink.
Nodding vigorously like she’d already drunk a whole bucket of coffee herself, she held it out toward Nera. “Black like your soul, stronger than everyone else’s feelings, and enough to keep you out of prison. Just like how you said you like it.”
Nera all but folded herself around the cup. “Smitha, if you’re trying to make me love you, it’s working.”
Smitha turned a deep shade of crimson and giggled while the winged one next to her shifted uncomfortably on her feet and tried not to wince.
It was so interesting, to me anyway, witnessing people’s tells. Color changes for one. Xenoxx stayed our customary purple no matter what. But Smitha’s blush… She obviously had a thing for Nera, and Oreo obviously had a thing for Smitha.
“Alien Love Islandindeed,” the Killian muttered, his brows raised toward Nera’s style team.
Fuxx him sideways for coming to the same conclusion as I just did. Fuxx him sideways with a barbed stick.
Nera turned to me, her fingers brushing my abs and surging heat straight to my groin. A delicious distraction from my enemy.
“Be careful while I’m gone, okay?” she said.
I leaned down, brushing my thumb down her cheek, and tipped her chin up to meet my kiss. Hungry. Demanding. I couldn’t help but possess her mouth mercilessly for all to see that she wasmine.
When she pulled away, breathless, her eyes glazed over, and her nipples poked through the thin fabric of last night’s black dress. That dress did things to me. Carnal things. Amazing things.
Groaning, needing to touch her once more, I stroked her cheek again and kept my voice low so only she could hear. “You trust them?”
“I mean, they have coffee.” She smiled, and it lit her entire face, a multifaceted gemstone hewn just for me. She cut her gaze to the Killian on the couch and then back again. “Behave yourself, okay?”
I gave a noncommittal grunt, one that made her cock her head in a warning as she pulled away.
“I’ll behave myself too, in case you were wondering,” the Killian announced loudly with a wide grin.
Nera smirked at him and then shot me a look I could read all too well—it wasn’t him she was worried about. She left with her style team then, already sucking down the coffee Smitha had handed her.
Leaving the Killian and I alone. Completely alone. I’d been so distracted with Nera, I hadn’t even noticed the other contestants had already vacated the beach house.
“I trust her style team,” the Killian blurted.
Had he heard my question, or was he just that astute when it came to basically everything inside my head?
I offered a short nod, looking everywhere but at him, and crossed my arms.
He sat back on the couch and rested his long arms along the tops of the cushions. The muted television in front of him flashed people’s animated reactions ofAlien Love Islandall over his blank stare.
