Taken by the Alien Next Door (Aliens Among Us #1) - Tiffany Roberts Page 0,89

that it was difficult to believe it hadn’t been a response to what she’d been thinking.

But Inigo leapt to her rescue. “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Seven days ago, falling in love with her alien captor had certainly seemed inconceivable. Now…it felt inevitable.

Zevris laughed, a deep, rich sound that seemed to come straight from his gut.

Smiling, Tabitha turned her head to look up at him. “That one hit your funny bone just right, huh?”

“It speaks directly to my experiences in communicating with humans. English is one of the most convoluted, confusing languages I’ve ever encountered.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, English doesn’t always make sense.”

“It has its moments of beauty, though.” His eyes dipped to her, flaring with that blue light that made her feel all warm inside.

Tabitha turned her attention back to the movie. This was one of her all-time favorites, something she’d wanted to share with Zevris just like Nan had once shared it with her, but again, she couldn’t focus on it. “Zevris?”

“Hmm?”

She looked up at him. “Take me on a date.”

His hand in her hair stilled, and the one on her side tensed. Even his tail seemed to stiffen and coil a little tighter. He frowned, and a crease formed between his eyebrows. “Tabitha…”

She pushed herself up onto her knees to face him, placing one of her hands on his chest and the other on his shoulder. Dexter, clearly annoyed that she’d pulled her feet free from beneath him, huffed.

“You trust me, right?” she asked.

Please say you trust me.

She could not bear to have her heart crushed by him telling her no, not after everything they’d shared.

He looked into her eyes, expression tight, and was silent for several seconds, seeming to search for something. She could feel the tension in him; she knew his struggle. His duty to his people, to protect them and their secrets, against his feelings for her.

Tabitha’s chest constricted when he parted his lips and drew in a soft breath.

“I do,” he said.

The air left her lungs in a rush.

The enormity of Tabitha’s relief was so strong that she nearly sagged against him. She lifted her hand off his chest and reached up to stroke his jaw. His stubble was abrasive against her fingers, and she couldn’t help but recall all the times she’d felt it against her thighs.

“Then take me out on a date,” she said. “A real date. Somewhere in public, around people, like…like a normal couple. I want this to work between us, and I need to know that I’m not just a prisoner here, that you can really, truly trust me with your secrets, like a partner. Like…a lifemate.”

Zevris sighed and lifted a hand, raking his fingers through his hair. “And I suppose I need to know that a date can be a pleasant experience.”

Tabitha arched a brow at him. “Do I want to ask?”

Though she had no right to be, she was jealous of every single woman he’d taken out since he’d come to Earth. Had he looked at them like he looked at her? Touched them as he had touched her?

Had he…kissed them?

“No, and I would rather forget.” He dropped his hand from his hair and cupped her cheek. “You are the only female who matters to me, and you stand high above all others. Even when you threw a stone tray at me and kicked me in the groin, my experience with you was far more pleasant than any date I’ve been on.”

“I won’t apologize for that.” She stared at him, trying to keep a straight face, but couldn’t help the laughter that slipped out. “Okay, never mind. I’m sorry. Well, sorry, but not sorry. You were kidnapping me.”

Zevris chuckled and shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize. I admired you for the fight you put up. It was admirable. I am still sorry you were placed in a position where you needed to fight at all.”

Tabitha looked over her shoulder to glance at Dexter. He raised his eyes to meet hers. She smiled at the puppy-dog look he gave her.

She turned back to Zevris. “I can’t say that I’m mad with where we ended up. I’m…happy, Zevris. You make me happy. I would just like this thing we have between us to be…real.”

“It is real, Nykasha.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, brushing his fingers over the rounded shell before following it down to her jaw to capture her chin. His lips curled into a