Taken by the Alien Next Door (Aliens Among Us #1) - Tiffany Roberts Page 0,136

“I’ve missed seeing you.”

He chuckled, giving her thigh a gentle squeeze. “I left the hospital only twice in three days, Tabitha.”

Fortunately, Mia had been able to pick up Dexter on Tabitha’s first day in the hospital so he wouldn’t be alone for so long.

“I mean the real you. Without your mask,” she said.

“Ah.” His lips tilted into that wicked grin that always stoked the fire at her core. The only things missing were his fangs. “Well, you’ll see plenty of that soon enough.”

They pulled into his driveway shortly after, and it was only then that Zevris removed his hand from her thigh. She hadn’t realized just how much of a comfort his touch had been during the ride home.

“Stay there,” Zevris said as he opened his door and climbed out of the truck.

“Not like I can go anywhere anyway with my crutches in the back,” she replied with a smirk, causing him to laugh as he closed his door.

He rounded the truck and opened her door. Rather than retrieve her crutches, he slipped his arms behind her back and under her legs, carefully lifting her off the seat and out of the truck, clutching her to his chest.

“Zevris!” She looped her arm around the beck of his neck. She felt awkward with her big, bulky leg cast sticking straight out over the top of his arm.

“Hush,” he said gently before nudging the door shut with his hip. He carried her to the house effortlessly, his long, smooth strides ensuring she wasn’t jostled in the slightest along the way. “I wanted to carry my mate over the threshold.”

Tabitha arched a brow. “That’s what a husband does when he carries his bride home after they get married.”

He stopped at the front door, lifted a leg, and bent it to settle her on his knee. As he unlocked the door, he said, “Does the order matter?”

“Well…no...”

“Good.” He offered her a smile, opened the door, and turned sideways to carry her through feet-first.

Tabitha was hit immediately by a floral scent—roses. Her eyes widened as she glanced down.

Pink and red rose petals were scattered over the floor, creating a path that led down the hallway, through the kitchen, and into the living room, where the curtains were closed and it was relatively dark save for a gentle, flickering orange glow.

“Zevris…” She turned her face toward him. “You did all this because you were bringing me home?”

“Perhaps.” Smirking, he pushed the door closed with his foot. The instant it was closed, his holographic disguise faded away, revealing the alien features she loved so much. His eyes glowed bright—almost brighter than she’d ever seen.

He walked forward, following the petals. As he brought her near enough to see into the living room, Tabitha’s heart sped. The flickering glow was from a bunch of electronic candles, the ones that almost looked real, spread around the room. The largest concentration was on the coffee table, which was also sprinkled with rose petals. A vase at the center held a bunch of the reddest roses she’d ever seen. There were two empty wine glasses and a bottle of champagne on ice nearby.

No, not champagne, she realized with a smile. Sparkling cider.

And, set on a lacy white doily on the side of the table nearest the couch, was the keepsake box he’d gifted her.

“Zevris, what is all this?”

He carried her to the couch, where he stopped and set her down with immense care. As soon as she was settled, he straightened. “Comfortable?”

Tabitha tried to eye him with suspicion, but she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. She gestured to her leg, which was covered in her blue pajama pants with their bright yellow moons and stars and was now sticking straight out in front of her. “As comfortable as this’ll allow me to be. Though, whatever all this is…I don’t exactly feel like I’m dressed for the occasion.”

“I could help you undress, if you’d like.”

Tabitha laughed; doing so still hurt a little. “I think we might have to get creative with positions,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows before wincing at the stab of pain from her skin pulling at her stitches.

Ouch. Don’t do that, Tabby.

Zevris delicately brushed the backs of his fingers across her forehead, soothing away the discomfort. “I trust our imaginations will not let us down. But first, I have something for you.”

He bent forward and took up the keepsake box in both hands, placing it gently on her lap.

She looked down at the wooden box, closing her fingers around it.