Taken by the Alien Next Door (Aliens Among Us #1) - Tiffany Roberts Page 0,70

proper English in their communications. It might have broken his brain if he’d had to mimic the texting style of the last female he’d dated.

Dropping the conversation back to the latest message, he typed out a reply. Sorry, Mia! Dex was trying to dig under the fence, so I had to get him inside. Then I just got so caught up with unpacking I totally lost track of time.

Zevris lifted his gaze to Dexter. The dog sniffed the ground in the center of the yard, moved a few steps, and stopped to sniff again.

The phone vibrated as Mia’s reply appeared. Don’t worry about it, Tabs! I know you’re busting your sexy butt over there. Just remember to stop and take some time for yourself when you’re done. Bubble bath, glass of wine, a romantic book, and maybe some one-on-one time with your old pal Big Buck.

Zevris’s brow furrowed as he read the message a second time. There was a little picture accompanying each of the things Mia had listed—a bath with bubbles rising over the rim, a goblet of red wine, an open book, and, for some reason, what appeared to be an eggplant after Big Buck.

Who was Big Buck, why would Tabitha have one-on-one time with him, and what did eggplants have to do with it?

He moved his thumbs, meaning to type a response, but how could he reply when he had no idea what she meant? His eyes fixated on that eggplant. It was almost reminiscent of the long, purple sex toy he’d discovered hidden under Tabitha’s underwear.

Zevris clenched his jaw, growling low in his chest. Was that what Mia was referring to?

Another message popped up before he could stew on that any further.

OMG, you’ll never guess who came by last night.

Before Zevris could even type who, Mia texted again.

Cody fucking Everton!

Can you believe that he had the nerve to come looking for you? He looks totally different, like he’s on roids or something. He gave me a bunch of BS about how he was really sorry and just wanted to see how you were doing, that he’d been thinking about it the whole time and he wanted to make things right with you. He did his best to look pathetic, but his inner asshole came out when I said you weren’t here.

So he was all like “where is she, then?” I told him you moved out and that you moved on, and that you had a boyfriend that made him look like a wet sack of potatoes. I think he was about to go full dickhead on me, but Josh stepped up and made him leave.

Again, Zevris wasn’t sure how to respond; again, Mia sent another message before he could.

Ridiculous how your asshole ex who did nothing but treat you like shit thinks he can just walk back into your life, probably because he got his dumbass dumped or something and thinks he’s too hot for you to resist. I’m so glad you broke it off with that douche.

Another growl rumbled up from Zevris’s chest. Ex was typically used as shorthand—ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, ex-husband or wife. Tabitha had been in a relationship with this Cody Everton. That alone was infuriating enough, but to know that the man had mistreated her nearly threw Zevris into a rage. He forced himself to breathe, slowly but heavily, through his nostrils. He needed to send a text back before Mia grew suspicious.

Me too, Zevris replied. He doesn’t deserve me, and I deserve a whole lot better than him.

He winced, wondering if that was too bold, too out of character, but Mia responded with what looked like a pair of clapping hands.

You’re damn right, girl! Anyway, enough about that piece of human garbage. Any more news on your smoking hot neighbor? I neeeeeeeeed pics, Tabby! Did you man up and ask him out yet?

A grin stretched across Zevris’s lips. Had Tabitha told Mia about him? Had she expressed her interest in him? He couldn’t help the swell of pride that filled his chest at that notion.

Well…we actually had breakfast together this morning, he typed, his grin only widening at the memory. He’d definitely make an excellent mate.

Frowning, he deleted that last line; it wasn’t how most humans—or Tabitha—would’ve phrased it. He only sent the bit about breakfast.

Mia’s reply came with a flare of fireworks across the screen. Damn, Tabby, get down with your bad self!

I need to get going, Zevris typed. Got a lot of work to do today if I want to