“That looks very attractive as well.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you find me attractive,” she said.

  “I find you very appealing, yes. What about me? Do you think you can be attracted to a Barney like me?”

  She laughed. “You are much better looking than Barney ever was. Truly, the only thing you have in common with him was the purple coloring. As I laid here, though, I can tell your skin is not just purple, but there are all sorts of varying colors and textures in your skin.”

  He held out his arm.

  She caressed his forearm. “There are blues, green, purples, reds, pinks. Even white in there. It’s quite beautiful.”

  “I suppose your dreams are quite detailed,” he said.

  She chuckled. “This isn’t a dream.”

  He raised his eyebrow. “And what has you convinced of this?”

  “I fell asleep. You can’t dream of sleeping. They jump from moment to moment. This is more than that.”

  “How does that touch you, then? The reality of this situation?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I was just thinking about that before. I don’t have a lot to go back to on my world. And honestly, I think you’ve already treated me better than my previous relationship.”

  He made a face. “I hope to never meet your previous relationship partner.”

  “He’d probably shit himself,” she giggled. “That might be worth it, though.”

  She scooted a little closer to him and put her hand on his chest. Why, she wasn’t sure, other than he felt secure.

  “I will need your help here,” she said.

  “Anything you require.”

  “To learn what this place is, and how it functions, even in the simplest ways, I’ll need to learn it all.” One thing came to her, and she realized that was something she wasn’t sure how to handle.

  “Like going to the bathroom.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You feel the need to clean yourself?”

  “Sorry, no. Bathroom is what we call the place you go to release body waste.”

  “Oh, the refresher! Yes, it is through there.”

  She rolled over and look at the room. “Uh, well…”

  “Do you know how to use one?”

  She shook her head.

  This made him grin. “Well, come then, I’ll show you the way they function.”

  “Thank you.”

  11

  Phares woke the next morning feeling warm and cozy and content. More than he had in a while.

  He stretched and realized why.

  Jana was curled around him in the bed. In the night, she must have rolled into him, and he accepted the touch and put his arm around her.

  Though with his hand on her back and feeling the way her hip curved and the lines of her side, his Fever roared to life with a desperate need.

  He groaned. His head throbbed.

  Both of them.

  If this was how they would wake every day, he will have a difficult time controlling his urges for very long. He forced himself to unwrap her, and as he rolled her over, she groaned and shivered, so he tucked a blanket around her to keep her warm before getting up and heading into the refresher.

  He stripped down and entered the sonic cleanser. As soon as he stepped inside, the device scanned him and started the pulsing waves. They ran over him from top to bottom, vibrating off the dirt and debris from his skin.

  He always thought it was like polishing a stone—shaving off the rough spots to reveal the beauty underneath. Not that he was a beauty, but the concept was there.

  As it cleaned him, he ran his hand over his body. The touch did nothing to help the refresher do its job, but he liked to think he was assisting.

  Truly, though, the biggest issue he had was how hard and throbbing his cock had become. The Fever truly was making his desires painful. He ached so badly this morning cycle that he felt he had little choice but to take matters into his own hands, if only to relieve the pressure.

  Maybe it would also relieve the pain in his head as well.

  Waking next to Jana like that, he feared he would take advantage if he didn’t control his own needs. Did he know if she had similar desires? She hadn’t said, but he had noticed over their evening together that she got closer to him. Her hand would linger against his occasionally. And even when they first went to bed, she stretched so some part of her touched him.

  He slid his hand over his member, his eyes closed, letting the thoughts run free.

  And they brought into view, Jana.

  Perfectly and clearly.

  In his mind’s eye, he saw her. Felt her body, as he had this morning. Imagined how she would feel beneath him.

  On top of him.

  Her lips.

  Her skin.

  The desire came hard and fast, and in a moment, he’d released his seed with a gasp. He leaned into the wall and opened his eyes.

  Movement made him turn.

  He saw nothing. At least he didn’t see anything now. However, he could see the bed, and the covers were moving.

  Had Jana seen him?

  He stepped out of the chamber and headed back to the sleeping area. She was lying in the bed; the covers pulled over her. More than they had been before.

  "Jana," he said.

  She didn't move. He sat on the edge of the bed next to her.

  "Jana." He tugged the blanket down just a little. The blanket was more firmly tucked than it had been.

  "Go away. I'm sleeping," she said. She didn’t sound like she'd been sleeping; her voice was too clear.

  “Are you well?” he asked.

  “Fine.” She pulled the covers back over her face.

  He tilted his head. “You do not look fine.” He pulled the covers back. Her cheeks were red, as was more of her body.

  “Stop it,” she said, and snagged the covers back.

  “Are you ill?” he asked as he stood. “Your skin is red. Do you need medicine?”

  He turned to grab a communicator. If he needed to reach out to the medical teams.

  Jana pulled the covers back and rolled over.

  And screamed.

  “What?” He jumped back.

  “You’re naked!” She’d pulled the covers over her head again.

  He looked down at himself. “And?”

  She pulled back the covers. “Naked means I can see everything you have.”

  “Why is that a problem?” he asked, genuinely confused. “I am happy to show you my body whenever you like.” He twisted back and forth, displaying himself for her.

  Her gaze darted over him before she pulled the cover back over her face. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

  “Because I make you think of your childhood toy?”

  “Because you make me think of my first sex toy.”

  12

  Was she drunk?

  Was she high?

  Either was a viable explanation. Or maybe she needed to be drunk or high to not think about the alien and his giant penis right there, on the other side of the blanket, next to her face.

  “Please,” she said. “Go put clothing on.”

  “As you like,” he said, and she heard him shuffle away.

  Really, she’d only peeked inside when she woke because she wanted to see his butt.

  And America’s Ass has nothing on his backside, wowzers!

  She didn’t expect to see not just the front too, but a full show. She knew she should have turned away as soon as she realized she was seeing what he was doing, but she couldn’t really look away.

  It was like his whole body was into it. Even his skin seemed to flux a bit—that might have been the lighting or the shower thingy that didn’t use water that he had. Even so, it seemed like his skin even briefly shifted as he finished.

  Two things were going to be etched in her mind for a long time.

  How big he was.

  And how beautiful he looked.

  Gah, she was in trouble. She was in so much trouble with him!

  Jana sat up.

  “Why am I doing that?” she asked herself.

  “Doing what?”

  She glanced at him. He had put on some pants and worked on slipping on a shirt.

  “Overthinking my brain.”

  “How do you over-think your brain?”

  She sighed. “It’s a problem I have. I dive into my thoughts until I find myself in a dark place emotionally. Wrap myself up in reasons that I don’t believe I’m good enough or worthy enough or deserving enough for whatever I find myself in, so I self-sabotage.”

  He raised his eyebrow. “Do you do this often?”

  “Sometimes. Me and my therapist were working on it. Well, we were.”

  “Until you came here.”

  “Until she went on maternity leave. My last assignment was to find a new therapist to talk to while she was gone.”

  “Did you?”

  “No. I fell through an arch and traveled across the stars before I got the process finished.”

  “If you require specialized care, we can certainly find someone who can—”

  She shook her head. “I think I’m going to be fine. I recognize the issues, so hopefully, I’ll be able to stop myself from getting too deep into it. Besides, my situation has dramatically changed.” And she really thought so. Her therapist had talked to her many times about changing things, and starting fresh somewhere, with no attachments.

  Well, across the galaxy was pretty much as disconnected as one could get.

  Phares came back to the bed and sat down next to her. “I do not wish to see you ill. As your mate, it is my responsibly to take care of you.”

  She put her hand on his arm. “Really, I’m going to be okay, I think. And if I need help, I will ask for it.”

  “Do not be afraid to.” He leaned a little closer when he said that.

  She leaned into him. “I won’t be.”

  Jana put her arm around him, and he pulled her close.

  It was a warm hug. An embrace that felt solid and safe.

  And cared for.

  She hadn’t felt that from a male in a long time. Longer than she realized, considering that Stefan had not been one to just outright hug her. She’d always written it off as him just not being ‘touchy.’ Though those social media posts that Polly had showed her proved otherwise.

  Like one more slap of the situation.

  How did this alien, who had barely known her a day, show her more caring and compassion than her boyfriend of two years?

  It was craziness.

  As they pulled apart, she touched his cheek.

  They stopped only a few inches apart, and she looked into his eyes. Dark, with hints of the purple in his skin flaked through his irises. It gave them a sparkle that was certainly other-worldly.

  But it also created something true. He stared at her in that moment like he could see her soul. The compassion in his expression, the caring. It touched her deeply.

  The space between them diminished, and then their lips brushed together.

  Jana leaned in more, the distinct flavor of him intoxicating and powerful. She couldn’t quite place it, but she liked it.

  A lot.

  The kiss brought them both together, their lips dancing around each other, and as they got deeper, Jana wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her close.

  It was like no other kiss she’d ever had.

  Not just because he was not from her homeworld.

  The power there. It felt like it energized them both. She felt it in her soul. If she had any doubts that she needed to go back home, she was over it.

  She was in the stars for the long haul. If Phares wanted her.

  The kiss finally receded, and they pulled apart. Her whole body felt alive and on fire—but in that good way.

  Phares, however, pulled away from her immediately.

  Stood and started walking across the apartment.

  Almost like he was angry.

  She stared at him.

  He didn’t say a word, only walked out the door.

  Jana blinked. “By honey. See you after work,” she muttered, flopping herself on the bed.

  Guess it wasn’t as good for him as it was for her.

  13

  Jana will be the death of me, Phares thought as the door closed behind him from his home.

  Jana was inside, and he wanted more than anything to go back in there.

  Because if she kissed like that, and almost blew him and his Fever up, then what would she do when they finally did mate?

  She really might kill him.

  Maybe she was lethal, after all.

  He hadn’t wanted to storm off as he did, but he had to get out. If he didn’t, he might not stop himself, and that would be unforgivable.

  He stood outside his residence for a moment, waiting. He put his hand on the wall and knew she was in there.

  But if he went back in there in the state he was in, he might do something rash and hurt her.

  He turned away and headed to his work. Surely there, he could find something to keep his mind off his incredible kissing mate. Like the asteroid explosion and what exactly happened with the teams.

  He’d just entered his team’s office, and Driqan stopped him inside the door.

  “You need to leave, you’re on vacation,” Driqan said as Phares entered.

  “There was an accident. I’m here—”

  “You are supposed to be on vacation. For at least a week. Go. We got this.”

  Phares glanced around the room and saw his paternal.

  Driqan waved his hand. “Stop. You need to go. Seriously.” he took a step toward him. “I heard you’re not alone up there in your chamber.”

  “I have a companion, yes.”

  “Bring her over tonight. We can have dinner. Introduce the females. Girls always like to have lots of friends." As he said that, he turned Phares around and started walking him out of the offices.

  “What are you doing? Our department is over there,” he said, gesturing behind him.

  “Listen,” Driqan said, his voice low. “We’re still investigating what happened. It doesn’t look good for the department. It’s better if you’re not here.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “Remember when that ore chamber blew a few years ago, and the turmoil after?”

  Phares nodded. It was an unpleasant situation, and the fallout over determining responsibility was tenfold worse than the actual accident.

  “This is worse.”

  He stared at Driqan.

  “Your best defense in the situation is that you weren’t here. Right now, the higher-ups are looking for blame for losing a major mine.”

  “What do they know so far?”

  “Come to dinner. We’ll talk about it.”

  Phares nodded. That he would absolutely do.

  “And bring your female. Agot will love to meet her, I’m sure.”

  Phares nodded. "You seem to know a lot about females."

  Driqan shrugged. “They’re a strong variable, that’s for sure.”

  That was no joke, Phares thought.

  14

  Jana laid on the bed for a while, and let the tears go. She didn’t know if it was five minutes or five hours.

  Part of her was mad. That it was so rude of him to just walk out without a word. Even a “That was terrible” would have been appreciated, because at least she’d know what he had been thinking.

  But no.

  He just left.

  And the way he sprinted out of there, she didn’t know if it was because he was late, or because he was disgusted.

  Naturally, her brain immediately went to “disgusted.”

  Which brought on the tears. Her mind danced around everything—all those self-taught negative things that she and the therapist had tried to work on.

  Self-loathing.

  Doubt.

  Feeling like she wasn’t good enough.

  And now, she added into the mix, a feeling of utter aloneness. Because if she didn’t have Phares, then what would she do? She was on the other side of the galaxy. Even Polly and Tori were back on that space station they’d started on. She was now completely isolated.

  And if Phares didn’t want her, then what would she do?

  A shudder of fear ran through her as she immediately thought about the tv shows with the controlling partners who isolated their foolish spouse from everyone who knew them.

  Across the galaxy was about as isolated as one could get.

  And what could she do? Really? She wasn’t even back on the space station where Re-lee could send her back home.

  Stupid!

  Stupid girl!

  Now, what was she going to do?

  She hugged her pillow.

  “Lie here and wallow. I’m going to lie here and wallow in my stupidity.” She put a pillow over her face. “He doesn’t want me, and now I’m stuck here.”

  She screamed into the pillow.

  Threw it to the side and sat up.

  “Okay, okay.” She wiped her tears away. “Time to cowboy up, girl. Yeah. It sucks. In a very special way, this sucks. Thinking not even an alien who they selected me for isn’t into me, but what else can I do? I am who I am. But I’ll figure it out. Re-lee said there was a thirty-day clause. Surely, I can take that up and go back. Do I really want to? Not particularly. But I’ll go back anyway, at least there I have something of a life. Maybe I’ll move to Hawaii or Dubai or the city where Loch Ness is. Get away and find something amazing somewhere else.”

  She nodded to herself and got up. She changed her clothing and started brushing her hair.

  It took her a minute to get herself squared away, but she calmed back down.

  “Okay, I can do this.” At least she hadn’t disposed of the bags her stuff was in. It should be easy to repack everything. Getting a ride back to Disguised Serenity might need a bit of working out, but she’d figure it out.

  She had some resemblance to a plan.

  That she could work with.

  “I can handle this,” she said, running the brush through her hair one more time.

  “What do you need to handle?” Phares asked.

  She spun around, gasped, and hurled her hairbrush at him.

 

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