Taken by the Alien Next Door (Aliens Among Us #1) - Tiffany Roberts Page 0,74

his claws through it.

“The candles and the wine are yours,” he said, just a hint of sheepishness in his voice. “I’ve not yet gone to the store to purchase things for you. I will compensate you for them.”

Tabitha looked back at the candles. They were simple, easy, cheap things to make, and usually sold alongside her more elaborate decorative candles. She couldn’t be mad at him for using them. Especially not when he’d been thoughtful enough to have gone through the trouble of setting this up for her.

When had she last taken time for herself? When had she ever taken time to pamper herself and relax?

“You did this…for me?” she asked.

“I did.” Zevris released his hold on Tabitha and stepped around her, stopping in front of the tub. He picked up the wine bottle and jabbed his thumb claw into the cork. He shifted the bottle to a sharper angle, twisted his hand, and tensed the muscles of his arm. The cork came out with a soft pop.

He poured the wine into the glass and set the bottle down again, placing the cork beside it. “You’ve worked hard, Tabitha, and I’ve not made the last couple days easy on you. You deserve relaxation. You deserve luxury.”

Zevris turned to face her, lifting one of his large hands to her cheek. His fingertips slipped into her hair, grazing her scalp with the tips of his claws, and he angled her face up toward his. “Think of me as you read your book.” Lightly, he brushed the pad of his thumb across her lower lip.

Her lips parted, and she felt herself swaying forward infinitesimally, so close to sucking his thumb into her mouth, to pressing herself against his hard body.

He dropped his hand and walked around her, leaving her briefly stunned.

“I will be thinking of you, Nykasha,” he said just before the door closed.

Tabitha was suddenly alone in a room so quiet she could hear the whisper of tiny bubbles popping.

“Four weeks,” she breathed, clutching the front of her shirt and pressing her hands against her belly as though that could alleviate the growing ache deep in her core.

She turned back toward the bath. No one had ever done anything like this for her. Of course, she knew he was just doing this to win her over, and, well…

It was working.

Tabitha switched on the fan, removed and folded her clothes, and set them on the corner of the counter, far away from the burning candles. Using one of her hair clips, she wound her braid up and pinned it atop her head before returning to the tub.

She brushed her fingers over the petals scattered along the side and smiled. She could just imagine him outside, hurriedly picking them off his flowers, which he must have done when he’d taken Dexter out earlier. Had he fetched the wine and the book at the same time? The wine had been in her fridge, ready for her to drink in celebration once she’d finished unpacking.

Guess I don’t have to worry about unpacking for a while, though.

She chuckled to herself and carefully climbed into the tub.

The water was hot, but not scalding—it was absolutely perfect. She lowered herself into the water, lay back, and closed her eyes with a sigh, relishing the heat. The gently popping bubbles surrounded her, and the scent of lavender, fresh and sweet, soothed her senses.

Opening her eyes, Tabitha picked up the wine glass. She breathed in the fruity aroma of the Pink Mascato before taking a sip. The wine’s bubbles tickled her tongue, and the sweetness filled her mouth. She took another deeper drink before setting the glass down, refilling it, and picking up the book.

Tabitha couldn’t help but laugh as she looked at the cover. It was a headless torso with tanned skin that matched Zevris’s.

Think of me as you read your book.

And she found herself helpless but to obey. Not long after she’d cracked open the book and begun reading, Tabitha had increasing trouble focusing on the words. The text soon lost all meaning. All she could think about was Zevris.

She pictured him as he’d been that morning, lying naked beside her with his clawed fingers wrapped around his cock, pumping his fist up and down, gradually gaining speed. His expression tense, his blazing eyes fixated on her, his breath coming in ragged bursts.

Her memories of the way the light in his eyes had flared as he came, the way he’d kept his gaze upon her even as his body