Taken by the Alien Next Door (Aliens Among Us #1) - Tiffany Roberts Page 0,111

had to carry what must’ve been a hundred pounds of books when they’d left.

But he hadn’t acted as though they strained him in the slightest, and he’d even said one of the romantic things he could have ever said to her when they’d first walked into the store.

Buy as many books as you want.

Those items and the others he’d included each spoke to a memory Tabitha and Zevris had made, and there were already so many of them. It was still hard to believe it had only been four weeks…

She paused, counting back the weeks, and her eyebrows rose. She hadn’t been with Zevris for about four weeks or almost four weeks.

It had been exactly four weeks since he’d made his offer to her. Today was the twenty-eighth day. This would have been the day upon which she made her final choice, the day she would’ve had to either commit to being his mate or demand a return to her old life.

He’d given her four weeks.

Tabitha snorted. Her pussy had only lasted one week.

Once she’d finished packaging her soaps, she turned to get the twine, and her eyes caught on her bottles of fragrance. There, sitting in the front row, was the bottle labeled Lily of the Valley. It was the fragrance she’d spilled the day he’d given her the cactus, the day he’d run off because it had apparently had some unexpected effect on him.

A devious thought entered her mind.

Tabitha plucked the bottle down from the shelf, grabbed a swab stick from the nearby jar, and opened the bottle. The fresh, floral, springtime scent filled her nose. Using the swab, she took some of the fragrance and dabbed a little bit behind her ears—and some between her breasts just for good measure.

She was curious to see firsthand what effect it had on her alien.

Tabitha tossed the swab in the trash, returned the bottle to the shelf, and grabbed the twine to start tying off the soap bags. Her music cut out while she was working, giving way to her ringtone. She picked up her phone.

The screen showed an incoming call from Mia. Tabitha tapped the answer button and put it on speaker. “Hey!”

“We set a date!” Mia squealed.

Elation bubbled within Tabitha. “Really? When?”

“Next year, August first.”

Tabitha groaned as she tied the twine into a pretty knot. “You just had to pick the hottest month of the year, when we’re all going to be sweating like pigs.”

“But we’ll be beautiful sweating pigs.”

“Bring on the boob sweat!”

They laughed.

“Have you picked your colors yet?” Tabitha asked.

“You will be happy to know that I’ve chosen some very flattering colors. Dusty blue and burgundy.”

“I love you.”

Mia laughed. “Did you really think I was going to pick orange?”

“Yes!”

“I was thiiiiiis close.”

Tabitha grinned. “Liar.”

“Okay, you’re right. So I wasn’t.” She snickered. “Wouldn’t want my ladies to be sweating pumpkins. Anyway! How are things going between you and Logan?”

It was so strange to hear Zevris being referred to by that name now. Though it had been the name he used when he’d first introduced himself, it…wasn’t him.

Tabitha’s grin softened into a smile as she thought of him. “Things are…amazing. They’re really, really amazing.”

“Wow. What is that I hear in your voice?”

“What?”

“Are you…in love?”

“Mia, it’s only been a month.”

But even as Tabitha said those words, she knew they were meaningless. What did time matter? If you truly felt something for someone, something as powerful and consuming as love, what did it matter if it had been a week, a month, a year, or more? Maybe it had only been a month, but she felt like she’d known him forever.

Zevris’s touch made her heart flutter, the sound of his voice filled her with warmth, the way he looked at her made Tabitha feel like she was the only important thing in all existence. He’d pampered her, yes, but it was about so much more than that. He made her feel cherished. He made her feel empowered, made her feel beautiful. His thoughtfulness and attentiveness had helped her become a better version of herself—the happiest Tabitha ever. And the thought of not being with him, of losing him…it made her heart clench and filled her with dread.

“There is such a thing as love at first sight,” Mia said. “Though in your case, it might’ve been lust at first sight.”

Tabitha laughed. “There was that. I won’t lie.”

“Well, I can’t wait to meet him. You know,” Mia’s voice lost its playfulness, “Cody never deserved even a second of your time. None of