“It is more than exciting,” I tell her. “I can scent that you are ready to swell with my child.”

“That’s… ah, humans can’t do that.”

“Suevan women can only orgasm when they are ready to be mated, and your scent tells me that you are ready to be pleasured.” I chew my own fish, lust roaring through me as I watch her through heavy lids.

“Well, I can tell you this, my scaley dude, that is not true of humans. Not at all. We can come any time, any place, and orgasms aren’t just for babies.” She laughs, then eyes the rest of the fish. I take her empty skewer and refill it, charring the fish just so.

“You would not speak of your orgasms if you knew what it did to me, your dude.”

When I hand it back to her, she’s watching me with a careful, curious expression. “Thank you. For catching the fish and cooking it.”

“Tell me more about human females. It seems I have much to learn.”

“You know who would love this conversation?” she asks, smiling as she bites into her second helping of fish. She seems relaxed now, the firelight dancing over her golden skin, her hair as bright as dawn in the sky. I like her like this.

I like her very much.

“Our crew’s tech, Bex, is probably thrilled to be married to an alien. She is probably having the time of her life right now explaining female anatomy to her scaley husband.”

Disappointment wrecks me, and the succulent taste of the fish turns to ash in my mouth. “I am sorry that this was not what you wanted, my prickly flower. I am sorry that I am not who you would choose, even though I would choose you one million times over. And not just because you are beautiful, not just because I would pick your face out of all the others in the galaxy, but because you are strong, stubborn, and resilient. You look delicate and fragile, and you are because you are human, but underneath that? You have as much mettle as any Suevan warlord on the battlefield.”

It's more than I meant to say, but the Suevan language is meant for truths, and I will speak mine.

She stares at me for a moment, her eyes wide. “You know,” she says conversationally, between bites, “we have a flower on my planet that’s on a very thorny plant. It’s called a cactus.”

“It sounds formidable.”

She shrugs, and there’s a charming awkwardness to the gesture.

I realize something important about this human female.

She doesn’t like the compliments. She doesn’t like to be thought of as a flower or as fragile or as anything but a survivor—a fighter—which she is.

I grin at the realization. Because now? Now that I can understand her, now that I see a little more of who she is under that guarded wall… I can truly begin to woo her.

A sly smile spreads across her face, and she stretches languidly, her back against the wall, fire still flickering above her head.

“So, you wanted to know about human females, is that right?” Her voice is slightly husky, whether with exhaustion or something else, I do not know.

My attention hones in on her. “There is nothing I would rather know about, at the moment. About one in particular.”

She laughs quietly, arching one eyebrow. “Then I’m going to tell you all about how to please one.” There’s a challenge in the statement, and I flex my muscles, meeting her stare.

“I very much like that idea.” I am aroused and curious and my desire for this woman burns through me.

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER NINE

OceanofPDF.com

GEN

Kanuz gaze is avid on mine, focused on me in a predatory way no human man has ever looked at me. It devours me, sending a tingling awareness through my body.

I clear my throat.

Maybe this isn’t the best idea, discussing human anatomy with this alien. Maybe teasing him like this is ill-advised. He’s not human, after all.

With him staring at me like that, the light-hearted and flirty lesson I had in my mind suddenly takes on a whole new dimension.

“Well, my cactus flower, are you going to speak on this pleasure, or are you going to simply stare at me and make me guess?” The question comes out on a growl, and a little shiver shakes me.

What would Bex say? Bex, no doubt, would be bold and sassy and hilarious, as she always is, and would probably leave the alien staring after her in awe and fear.

“We can orgasm many, many times in a row. Not all of us, of course, because everybody is different. But it’s not too unusual for human females to come more than once with a skilled partner.” I shrug, trying to appear unaffected.

I’m not.

Heat spreads across my chest, and I squirm a little against the ground, pressing my palms into my knees.

“Is this true?” he asks, delight and desire dancing across his face. “More than once a mating season?”

“Wait,” I say, momentarily dumbfounded. “Did you say once a season? Suevan women can’t come more than once a season? I must not be hearing you right.” I shake my head.

“Only when they are breedable.” He continues to stare at me as though I’ve grown three heads.

I gape at him. “That’s awful.”

“That is Suevan biology.” There’s a note of finality in his voice, and I realize too late I’ve insulted him somehow.

“Sorry,” I say, rubbing my hands over my thighs. Next to me, my Federation issue tank dries slowly, and I feel exposed. “I am sorry for what’s happened to the Suevan women. I didn’t mean to offend you.” The apology comes out easily.

Because it’s true. It’s not the sort of mealy-mouthed crap people say to one another when there’s nothing else that comes to mind to fill the silence.

“I know what it’s like to lose people you love,” I say, unexpectedly emotional, my chest tightening. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to think you’re on the brink of extinction.” I hate feeling like this, all emotional. I clear my throat again, and he regards me carefully.

“Thank you,” he finally says. “Now—” His handsome smile reappears. “—I think you were telling me about human anatomy before we got off track.” He edges closer, so close our knees touch.

My breath catches at the contact, and I know at once I’ve bitten off more I can chew by teasing this massive Suevan. My body goes tight and loose all at once at the thought of him acting on the promises he’s made me, the blunt way he talks about being between my legs.

What the hell had I been thinking?

“Are you losing your nerve, little human?” he purrs, his eyes alight with humor. He licks the edge of one fang, and I toss my hair back, leaning my palms behind me.

“No, of course I’m not. I’m just figuring out how to describe it.” Inhaling deeply, I scrunch my nose up and close my eyes. The sharp gravel chafes against the soft skin of my palm, and I focus on it, on the gentle lapping of the water against the walls of the pit.

“You seem tense,” Kanuz whispers.

My eyes fly open at the warmth of his breath across my face. He’s moved closer, his huge, muscled shoulders dwarfing me where I sit.

“I know what could relax you,” he adds, but instead of smiling, his face is totally serious. “And though my species has suffered from the virus, I have had plenty of experience pleasing others. Tell me what to do.”

His voice rings with command, and for once, for fucking once, I’m thankful for my stubborn, contrarian nature. Because it’s a hell of a lot easier to say no when he uses that tone.

“I’ll tell you what to do,” I say, smirking up at him. My arms cross over my chest, and I’m all too aware of the fact my tank is still drying out on the rocks beside me.

His gaze flits to where my cleavage presses together under my sports bra, his tail flicking back and forth.

“But you’re not going to touch me unless I tell you to. And it’s not going to be tonight.”