“You ever think about what fish think about?”
 
 “No. Nobody does. Ever.”
 
 “Maybethat’sthe problem with everything.”
 
 Maxx heaved a deep, deep sigh, one that sounded like it came from his weary bones. “Kill me now. Please.”
 
 “Well, what am I supposed to talk about if I can’t talk about what’s really important, the reason you woke me up in the middle of the night and dragged me out here?”
 
 I winced but also kind of smiled at that. Not only had Miekil agreed to come out here with us for protection, but Maxx had asked him to. The sweetness overload between the two of them was enough to rot out my teeth.
 
 And I wassohere for it.
 
 “I don’t know,” Maxx growled. “Talk about Bling. Literally anything else other than your philosophies about the universe and fish.”
 
 “Easy enough. I like her. A lot. I’ve always had a thing for smart females.”
 
 “Same.”
 
 Oh, Maxx, you poor, misguided purple alien king. I’m the type of woman who likes to throw caution to the wind and get my stuck toast out of the toaster with a fork. I’m the captain wandering her ship and looking for her crewwhileshe’s talking to them.
 
 Pretty sure that was a special kind of talent, but definitely not smart.
 
 “I’ve already asked her what she’s doing after the show ends, however it ends,” Miekil continued.
 
 “And?”
 
 “She said she’d like to get to know me better. I agreed, so I guess we’ll see what happens.” A pause, then, “What about you and Nera?”
 
 I bolted upright, my mouth suddenly dry as sand and my heart shooting bullets against my rib cage. Yes, what about us, assuming we survivedAlien Love Island?
 
 It took Maxx a long time to answer. Too long. Or maybe time itself had dried up and blown away.
 
 “Peace,” he finally said.
 
 Simple. To the point. Powerful enough to bring tears to my eyes.
 
 I tossed the covers off of me, settled my bare feet on the teakwood floor, and bounded toward the door, realizing almost too late that my dress had hiked up around my hips before I threw open the door. A quick adjustment later, and I was soon in his arms, pressing kisses to his face, exactly where I wanted to be.
 
 “That’s what I want too,” I said breathlessly, wiggling myself even closer to him.
 
 He groaned as he dropped his hand to my ass and squeezed. “You heard?”
 
 “I did. Hi, Miekil.” I waved behind Maxx’s back.
 
 Smiling like the sight of us grinding against each other didn’t faze him one bit, he waved back. “Hi, Nera.”
 
 Maxx slammed the door on any further conversation, his kisses becoming fevered, his scaled fingers quickly arranging my dress more to his liking.
 
 In other words, on the floor.
 
 A pulse started between my legs, keeping time with our stumbled steps toward the bed. I melted into his touch, his kiss, my arms slipping to the back of his head to hold him here with me forever.
 
 He groaned into my mouth as his fingers slicked down over my pussy. “So wet. Fuxx, you feel good.”
 
 I opened up for him while he stroked me, my tongue dancing with his in the same rhythm. My hips bucked while I rode his palm, and I groped wildly into his pants, seeking a hard cock I could stroke. As soon as I did, he groaned loudly. I needed him inside me because I was about to combust.
 
 With a hungry growl, he tore away from my lips and then gently pushed me down on the bed on my hands and knees. Maxx freed himself from his pants, and with his hands firmly gripping my hips, he slammed his entire impressive length inside me. I came immediately, my entire body bucking and quaking.