Page 38 of Alien's Heart
When she woke, the wind had calmed though the rain still beat a steady rhythm against the house. The fire had died down to embers, but she was comfortably warm in the nest of bedding next to Nox. He was her own personal furnace.
He was a lot more than that.
Ruth rolled onto her side, observing the sleeping Nox. The dying embers of the fire glowed softly, casting his face in shadow. She didn’t need a mirror to know she had a goofy, infatuated expression on her face.
So much for going slow.
Ruth knew she had to keep her head with Nox, but her body and her heart were all in. It baffled her. She had never acted so impulsively before, but that’s exactly what she had done from the start when she had offered him a job. No. Earlier than that, when she filled out the Celestial Mates application.
Who was she and what happened to calm, orderly Ruth Washington?
All she wanted was him. To belong to him. Such a desire flew against everything Ruth thought she wanted in a partner: kind, patient, and gentle. Nox was none of those things. He was clever, beyond a doubt. Witty. Vicious. Bloodthirsty.
Protective.
Ugh. She was so infatuated it was embarrassing.
“I can hear you thinking,” Nox said. He cracked open one tawny eye, judging her.
“That’s just inaccurate.”
Rolling to face her, he propped himself up on one elbow. His tail settled over her waist. The surprisingly heavy weight made her feel some sort of way. Safe. Guarded. Loved.
He brushed his free hand over her hip, barely touching the scratches. “I hurt you.”
“It doesn’t matter. ’Tis but a scratch,” she said, and really, what were a few scratches? As long as she cleaned them and covered them with ointment, she’d be fine. “I rather like my love marks.”
He frowned and sat up, the blanket falling away from his lap. Looking utterly miserable, he scrubbed a hand over his face. Not the reaction she expected. “It does matter if I lose control of myself and slice you to ribbons.”
Ruth reached for his hand, lacing their fingers together. “Hey. I knew the risks, so don’t give me any of that fragile human bullshit.”
“You did not know all the risks. I have—”
“Claws. Yeah, I noticed. We’ll get a set of caps for next time.”
His ears went back and his lips pressed together. He looked as if he wanted to correct her. Instead, he said, “Does your emergency bag have a medical kit?”
“It does.”
He left their comfortable nest to fetch the first aid kit. Ruth allowed herself a lecherous moment to enjoy the view of bare ass and tail.
He returned with the kit and ordered her to stand. Kneeling before her, he cleaned the scrapes and applied an ointment before sealing them with a barrier.
The risks involved in Tal-human intimacy were well known. Humans had a certain reputation. A deserved reputation. Once humans made contact with aliens, humans and aliens integrated. And then theyintegrated. Humans and Tal had been having relationships for centuries, and several helpful shops on the network could supply the appropriate equipment to keep everyone satisfied and safe.
Anyway, she was letting herself get distracted. The point was she was experiencing a big mood about Nox, and she couldn’t shake what Serene said. Not about breaking her cousin’s arm. She knew that. The name thing. How many spare identities did he have? Did he keep them on hand for emergencies, or did he just slip on a new name like a new pair of shoes?
The entire time he’d been with her, she thought he had been himself. The guy kneeling at her feet, patching up her booboos? That had to be the real Nox No-Surname. Morally gray, yes. Unspecified crimes committed in the past, check. Genuine? Absolutely.
He’d have to be a world-class—no, a galaxy-class actor—to fake it because this guy, right here and now, was too sweet and tender to be fake.
“Done. The lacerations are not deep,” he said.
She held out her hand, heart aching as he nuzzled the side of his face against her palm. She stroked the soft skin of his ears covered with impossibly fine hair. His eyes fluttered closed, and he purred.
How could this guy be fake? Impossible.
“Is Nox your real name?” she asked as he packed away the supplies.
