Taken by the Alien Next Door (Aliens Among Us #1) - Tiffany Roberts Page 0,90

smile that was at once soft and sexy. “And I will do all I can to help you feel it, too.”

Tabitha smiled widely. “So you’ll take me on a date?”

Zevris wrapped his arms around her and dragged her onto his lap, guiding her legs to either side of him so she was straddling his thighs. He squeezed her ass with both hands and looked at her with those hot, hungry, loving eyes.

“As you wish,” he said, echoing her favorite line from the movie playing in the background.

Giddiness flooded her. It was hard not to read a very specific meaning into his words, especially given what they were watching.

She leaned forward, pecked a kiss on his cheek, and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. She took in a deep breath, loving his combined scents of musk, sandalwood, and cedar; any one of those would always make her think of him. “Thank you.”

Again, Zevris stilled. His body heat seemed to intensify for a moment, and then he moved his hand, sliding it up her back to tangle his fingers in her hair. He drew her head back to look into her eyes again. Somehow, his gaze was even more intense than before. “Anything for you, Nykasha.”

Twenty

A date. I am finally going on a date with Zevris.

Tabitha had been excited about this moment since she’d asked him to take her on a date two nights ago, but now that the time had come, she was anxious. Everything had been perfect between them here in his house. Would he be different in public? Would he…would he be embarrassed to be seen with her?

She worried her bottom lip as she stared at herself in the mirror, double-checking her makeup and hair. Her black eyeliner and mascara paired with the neutral tones of her eyeshadow to really make her green eyes pop. She hadn’t worn makeup for over a week, so it was strange to see herself in it again, much less feel it on her skin. Her hair was pulled back into a loose, flowing ponytail with long strands framing her face.

Tabitha released a long, slow breath from her mouth.

Now to figure out what I’m going to wear.

With her towel securely wrapped around her body, she stepped out of the bathroom and into Zevris’s bedroom. Her steps slowed when she saw what awaited her.

Lying across the foot of the bed was a long, red chiffon spaghetti strap dress and a pair of black heels.

“Zevris,” she whispered.

She neared the bed and ran her fingers over the dress’s soft fabric. She never would have purchased a dress like this, never would’ve even considered wearing something like this. It was so…bold and sexy. It was made for a woman who was confident in her body—which Tabitha had never been.

Just try it on, Tabitha. What can it hurt?

With a grin, she moved to the dresser, selected a pair of lacy red boyshort panties and a strapless bra, and slipped them on. Picking up the dress, she stepped into it and shimmied it up her body, struggling briefly with the back zipper.

It fit perfectly.

The dress was cinched at the waist, and its plunging neckline showed off plenty of cleavage. There was a slit in the skirt on one side from the thigh down, baring her leg with each step, and her shoulders and arms were completely uncovered. It made her feel…exposed.

She frowned as she hugged herself, running her palms over her arms. She’d always been self-conscious about her arms. For a moment, she considered putting on a cover-up, and for an even briefer moment, considered changing entirely into something more comfortable and less revealing.

No. Zevris had left this for her as a gift. She’d wear it tonight, for him, and hope he liked what he saw.

After pulling on the heels and running back to the bathroom to put on some matching red lipstick, Tabitha took a deep breath, stepped out of the room, and headed downstairs. She heard the light scrape of a chair moving over the kitchen floor as she reached the bottom of the steps.

When she turned into the hallway, Zevris was approaching her, his strides long and leisurely. The instant his gaze fell upon her, his gait faltered. He came to a stop in the middle of the hallway, his eyes wide and covetous as they trailed over her body from head to toe and back again. Though his holographic disguise was already in place, making him appear human, she swore there was a hint