Page 22 of Tavarr's Mate
I want to see him again.
It’s true.
As much as I would like to deny it, I’m anxious for his return to the village.
Sighing, I don a soft, silky orange gown with layers of sheer fabric that dance around my calves as I walk. I know from glancing out the window at the females in the street, and observing the dresses Helena wears, that female Kleaxians tend to wear brightly colored dresses—at least those who aren’t walking around naked or scantily-clad. On Earth, I’d worn casual, rather plain clothing, in comparison.
Whenever I slip into one of my new gowns, I’m catapulted back into my childhood, to more carefree times, when I used to play dress up with the little girl who lived next door. I haven’t worn anything so feminine and pretty in years and years, and sometimes I can’t resist spinning in a circle just to watch the layers of my skirt flare out. It feels odd to not wear underwear, but apparently, the females on this world wear nothing beneath their outfits.
The streets are crowded today, I note as I perch on a seat by the window. There’s a tray of food on a small table nearby, and I suppose Zell decided to leave it and let me sleep in a little.
I smile, appreciating his thoughtfulness. Breakfast is always served in bed, and though I’ve told Zell time and time again that I normally don’t eat anything before lunch, he has persisted in bringing me a small meal each morning.
I glance at the tray. Today it’s an exotic fruit salad and thin slices of a meat I’ve come to think of as Tallian bacon. I select a few berries out of the fruit salad and nibble on them while watching the village. The rising sun is gleaming across the Carmuit Lake, sparkling like millions of diamonds strewn across the clear blue water. It’s calling to me today, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to decline another invitation to take a boat ride if Helena and Zandek offer.
But my thoughts of venturing outside cease when I detect movement in my peripheral vision.
I turn to find Tavarr standing in the middle of my bedroom. I gasp.
Oh God. He’s here. He’s finally here.
After the shock of his sudden appearance begins fading, my mouth starts watering—and not because of the fruit salad and Tallian bacon. No, my mouth is watering because holy hell, Tavarr looks even more handsome in the light of day.
I’m so busy admiring him, that I almost forget he didn’t knock. Almost.
“Um, so you just let yourself in here?” I ask, though I’m unsure he’ll understand. “Even the servants knock. What if I had been getting dressed or still sleeping?” I raise an eyebrow at him in censure, but I’m not as annoyed by his appearance as I’m letting on. I’d been thinking about him seconds ago, hadn’t I?
Missing him. Craving his presence with an intensity that’s affected me physically, causing my nipples to harden underneath my dress and heated spasms between my thighs.
Seeing him in person only strengthens my yearnings.
“You are my female, Katrina. I do not need to knock. I have come to claim you.”
His words, spoken in perfect English, leave me stunned. My mouth drops open and for a few moments, all I can do is stare. He’s been absent from the village for days, and he most certainly hasn’t taken English lessons from Zandek yet.
Sensing my confusion over his sudden proficiency in my language, he grins and taps at his head. “After the king granted my request to claim you immediately,” he says, “I was one of the first Kleaxians to test out a new language implant. The scientist in Kleax-Lul who is developing a language implant for human females to understand and speak Kleaxian has also developed an implant that will allow male Kleaxians to understand and speak English. While I had originally planned to learn your tongue from Zandek, that is no longer necessary. I thought it best that we understand one another sooner, especially given your obvious hesitancy to mate with me, sweet human.”
He strides to my place at the window, and I rise on shaky legs and peer up at him. He’s taller than I remember, standing at least two full heads above me. A steady drum beats in my ears, and after a second I realize it’s my heart thumping wildly. My hands start shaking, and I swallow hard and try to process all he’s said.
The king has granted his request to claim me.
Immediately.
A mixture of excitement and worry flitter in my stomach. The throbbing in my center is so out of control, that I can’t help but wonder if the mating urge—I can’t remember the name Prince Kenan called it—is contagious. Because it’s all I can do to keep from closing the distance between us and grinding my pussy on his leg.
Heat suffuses my face when his nostrils suddenly flare. Kleaxians possess senses superior to a human’s. What if he can smell my arousal? I flush hotter at the prospect.
He tips my chin up and leans down to capture my lips. I don’t stop him. I don’twantto stop him. I fucking want all of him, even though I shouldn’t. After the destruction of theStargazerand Capital Acres, not to mention my experiences with Vonn, I should protest any Kleaxian male trying to claim me, but I soon become putty in Tavarr’s very capable hands.
He steps forward and presses his chest to mine, and this time the feel of his erect manhood straining through his pants doesn’t scare me off. He rubs my back and deepens the kiss, delving his tongue inside my mouth and taking command, one hand holding my face in place, his grip firm but not bruising. When he breaks away, I’m left panting for air, as if all the oxygen has been sucked from the room.
A sensuous smile turns his lips up, but his eyes darken and speak of urgent, all-consuming needs. “Your lips taste like berries. Soon I will taste the rest of you.”
“I…” My words trail off. I don’t even know what I’d been trying to say. All thoughts cease as he kisses me again, harder this time, thrusting his hips forward and rocking his impressive bulge against my stomach.
I reach for him, cupping his face and then letting my fingers tangle in his long, dark locks. He’s so beautiful, and I have to touch him. His soft hair is a stark contrast to his rough skin, and I alternate between trailing my hands over his flesh and brushing through his wavy locks, admiring the occasional white strand that I’d decided made him look distinguished and even more handsome over dinner three nights ago.
The enticing masculine scent of him increases, and I feel like I’m drowning in his kisses and caresses, but I don’t long for rescue. I only want to sink deeper and deeper, for Tavarr to claim me with all the mating fury I sense burning hotter and hotter inside him.
