Taken by the Alien Next Door (Aliens Among Us #1) - Tiffany Roberts Page 0,109

outward to heat her whole body. “I love the blue.” She reached up and caressed his cheek. “I’m now yours.”

A growl vibrated in his chest, and his gaze dipped. Tabitha knew right away that he was going to kiss her again. Before he could, she withdrew, stumbling back toward the patio door.

“Tabitha…”

She wagged her finger at him. “Punishment. The blocking of the cock. Remember?”

Zevris dropped a hand to his groin, squeezing his very pronounced bulge through his jeans. “This punishment will not extend beyond our morning meal, female.”

She grinned, unable to look away from his hand. “We’ll see.”

Tabitha caught her lip with her teeth. No, it probably wouldn’t last much longer. She was dying to have him between her thighs, to have him filling her, stretching her, but she could punish him in other ways. She could lick and suck him close to completion only to stop at the last moment and leave him on the verge of spilling. Though that’d be torturing herself, too…and, well, she didn’t want that. She longed to have him thrusting inside her with all the ferocity burning inside him, and she knew that her punishment would only make their coming together all the more passionate.

As though reading her mind, Zevris said, “I’ll keep this punishment in mind, Nykasha, when you’re crying my name in pleasure and begging me for more.”

With a laugh, Tabitha retreated into the house. Her body was thrumming with arousal; she knew it wouldn’t be long before he made good on his promise.

Reaching up, she touched her cheek. It was sore from how much she’d been smiling lately. She couldn’t recall ever being this happy. She turned her phone toward her and brought up the picture she’d just taken with Zevris. Her smile softened.

There was something in his eyes and in his smile, something so powerful and deep that she couldn’t deny its presence even if it seemed far too soon. That light, that brightness, that joy…Zevris looked like a man in love.

And she saw the same thing mirrored on her face.

She lightly brushed her finger over the image before opening her messages.

Maaaaaybe, she typed out to Mia, adding a winky face with the tongue sticking out.

The blinking dots appeared on Mia’s side of the messenger immediately, followed by, Don’t you DARE hold out on me!

Tabitha chuckled. I don’t kiss and tell.

She attached the picture of herself and Zevris and pressed send.

Mia promptly responded with, OMFG!!!! He’s so fucking hot!!!!!!

A gif of a woman fanning herself appeared right below, and another of a woman fainting.

Girl, you better have jumped that man’s dick and rode it to kingdom cum, Mia wrote.

Tabitha couldn’t stop laughing as the texts continued to scroll with gifs—a train ramming a small tunnel, cream spurting out of a long, narrow pastry, the old school finger in the fist-hole, and multiple images of people thrusting their hips and humping.

On a serious note, Mia texted after the spammage, you look absolutely gorgeous, Tabby. I’m so happy for you.

Tabitha smiled and turned to look out the patio door. Zevris was running across the lawn, playing with Dexter, his lips stretched in a grin and muscles flexing. He was gorgeous.

And he’s mine.

Twenty-Four

Tabitha swayed her hips to the music as she laid out her next batch of soap bars, arranging them in neat rows. Their fragrance washed over her—wisteria and cyclamen with a touch of fresh rose and a few subtler citrus notes. The bars were a harmonious blend of vibrant yellow and sunny orange with pear green swirled along their upper edges. Between their scent and coloration, they were reminiscent of summer.

She smiled as all those special summer things flitted through her mind—warm breezes, blue skies, fragrant flowers. Lemonade and barbeques; swimming in lakes, ponds, and pools. Hot neighbors who turn out to be even hotter aliens in disguise.

Okay, so maybe that last thing wasn’t necessarily linked to summer…but she had met Zevris during the end summer. That had to count, right? That was good enough to redeem summer a little after years of sunburns and boob sweat.

With the soap bars in place, Tabitha sorted through her stacks of ingredient cards until she found the proper bunch. Humming along with the song playing in the background, she paired each bar with a card.

Though it was still four weeks before she’d have her booth at the farmer’s market Autumn Harvest Fair, she wanted to have everything ready to go well in advance. That was how she and Nan had done it every year.