Page 12 of Songbird (A Space Pearl’s Treat #1)
The words twisted in my gut as I watched the female drape herself over Tarrick.
If she licked him again, I wouldn’t be begging.
I’d get off this stage and kick her ass.
I wasn’t violent as a rule... slapping people was my mother’s thing.
But for her, I think I could make an exception.
Besides, Tarrick was my pretend mate, and in my way of thinking, that deserved some respect.
Thankfully, Tarrick seemed as off-put by the female’s behavior as I was.
He jumped to his feet, gracefully blocking the female’s attempt to wrap her arms around his neck.
He said something to her, to which she responded with a pout and again tried to curl herself around him.
Tarrick remained resolute in his resistance, and after a few minutes, the female sashayed away wearing an expression of supreme disappointment.
An expression that quickly turned to one of pure loathing as she locked eyes with me.
I finished the song to the applause of a crowd that didn’t seem to notice the aggressiveness in my voice.
Tarrick moved to the side of the stage and offered his hand as I descended, leading me to his table.
The female who had accosted Tarrick earlier sat a few feet away at the end of the bar, her bright yellow eyes shooting daggers at me.
My stomach gave a nauseated flip, wondering what history lay between them.
“Friend of yours?” I didn’t hide the aggravation in my voice. Tarrick’s gaze followed mine to the bar, the female’s gaze becoming softer and more flirtatious when she noticed him looking.
“Not so much a friend as she thinks,” he said with a humorless chuckle.
“She must think a lot,” I quipped, turning my gaze toward the peach-colored fizzy drink Tarrick slid toward my hand. “Unless licking someone’s cheek is the same as a handshake to her kind.”
Tarrick’s gaze shot to me, the chocolate brown eyes seeming to dance with gold. “Izzy. Are you jealous?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I huffed in denial, but felt my face grow hot. “Licking somebody in public is just tacky, that’s all.”
“Izzy,” Tarrick’s voice was little more than a whisper as he leaned toward me, his fingertips caressing the curve of my cheek.
Tarrick had claws, too, like Aqsa, but he was careful not to scratch me.
“The universe is full of females. Despite how many I may or may not have known in the past, I haven’t looked at another female since the night I walked into Space Pearls and saw you on stage.
” His lips twisted into a grin that might have been just a little sad.
“I may never look at another female again.”
The restaurant clamor and lack of nearby eavesdroppers concealed our conversation.
But even so, he seemed to consider our ruse, leaning in close and gently nuzzling the side of my neck.
When a deep purr emanated from his throat, it sent shivers down my spine.
I felt my face flush with heat as a surge of arousal flashed through my body.
The buzzing energy of the restaurant faded into the background as I became lost in the intimate moment—a stark reminder of how intimate we would need to become before the conciliator arrived.
An intimacy that now seemed not quite as daunting as before.
“Are you warm, my mate?”
“Yeah…yes,” I muttered, realizing Tarrick must have misread my blush of arousal as being temperature-affected.
“Let’s get some fresh air.” He stood, offering his hand to me.
I put my hand in his, staying close to his side as Tarrick led me from the restaurant to the tunnel—the alien version of an elevator—that we took one level down.
We’d explored the space station gardens last night, a tranquil oasis filled with vibrant flowers of every color and shape imaginable.
The soft gurgle of a small waterfall in the corner added to the peaceful atmosphere.
The aroma of alien florals mingled together, creating a heady fragrance that was intoxicating and soothing at the same time but not nearly as enticing as the spicy masculine scent of the male walking at my side.
A fine mist hung in the air, drifting down from the nearby waterfall and kissing my skin with a cool, refreshing chill.
I couldn’t help but shiver. Tarrick noticed my discomfort and, without a word, pulled off his purple velvet cloak, draping it around my shoulders.
The fabric felt soft and luxurious against my skin, holding his warmth and scent.
It was almost as good as being held by him, but not quite.
Without the cloak and only a black silk jacket and shirt adorning his upper body, Tarrick’s usually rounded figure appeared more toned.
.. almost muscular, and my mind spun into fantasies of what he’d look like with no clothes at all.
I shifted my attention to a nearby bright orange bloom, like a cross between a rose and a hibiscus, trying to calm my raging libido. Yet I still had to ask, “So, do you get accosted by females a lot?”
“Define accosted,” Tarrick chuckled. I shot him an arched brow, which only made him laugh harder for a minute. Then he shrugged, and the eyes that met mine were sincere. “It happens. But I give you my vow—the rumors of my liaisons far exceed the truth.”
I would think about why that vow made me so ridiculously happy later. Right now, something else tickled through my brain.
“What about human females?”
Tarrick shot me a rather wicked grin. “You are my first and only human.”
His smile was playful, his words teasing, but it bothered me. I couldn’t help but worry there was some truth in what Aqsa told me. “There are some rumors about you... and humans.”
“Really?” Tarrick seemed genuinely shocked. He came to a stop beside a tree that looked like a cross between a dogwood and a pine, catching my hand and pulling me to face him. “Tell me.”
“It’s nothing.” My emotions warred between feeling silly for bringing it up and needing to know. “It was just some talk about how you didn’t like human females. That you thought we were stupid and disgusting... beneath you.”
“Ahh,” Tarrick smiled and slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest.
The way his arms felt around me didn’t indicate he found humans repulsive... not at all.
“In my line of work, I am often offered....” Tarrick paused, trying to find the correct word.
“Gifts. And sometimes those gifts come in the form of slaves.” His expression flickered, showing me in no uncertain terms how he felt about the practice.
“If I am known to hold disdain for certain species, it makes the gift easier to refuse.”
“Oh.” I laid my hands flat against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart under my fingertips. If I didn’t know for sure before, I did now. Tarrick was a good guy. A really good guy.
“I like humans.” He leaned forward and nuzzled his nose against my hair. “I like them a lot.”
His arms tightened around me, holding me firmly against him. The beating of his heart echoed in my chest as we stood there, intertwined. This didn’t feel like some illusion any longer. It felt real. I wanted it to be real.
The sound of nearby footsteps intruded on our intimacy. Tarrick and I pulled back from each other just as a group of females walked by, giggling and waving at my pretend mate when we glanced their way.
“I guess I better get used to all the flirting,” I teased. It had been this way with Sam’s fans, too, although at least here, I didn’t have to put up with nasty social media comments.
Tarrick gave a long sigh, ending with a groan, apparently finding no humor in the situation.
“I am sorry, my Izzy, it is an undesired side effect from my ruse as a playboy.” I followed his gaze after the giggling females, some of whom were making fairly lewd gestures.
At least, I think they were lewd. Who could tell with a female sporting six tits and four arms?
“I am no saint,” Tarrick confessed, a flicker of shame crossing his chocolate-brown eyes.
“I have enjoyed the fruits of my bad-boy persona at times. But most of the females I meet only want me because they feel the conquest of Tarrick of House Asad makes them special in some way. It is not what I want.”
Tarrick grabbed my hand, his fingers playing over mine. I stepped closer, drawn by a magnetism I couldn’t name or explain.
“What do you want, Tarrick?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
His dark eyes studied me curiously for a moment, the tip of one fingertip caressing my cheek as he brushed aside an escaped tendril of my hair. “I think I would very much like to learn how to do the thing you humans call kissing. I have witnessed Siemba and Dixa kiss, and it looks.... nice.”
“Kissing can be very nice,” I agreed, trying to swallow back my excitement. I’d wanted this. Oh, how I’d wanted this.
Tarrick’s firm hands came to rest gently on my waist, his touch tentative, as if waiting for my approval. The warmth of his palms seeped through the thin fabric of my dress, sending a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t help but notice the way his fingers trembled slightly, betraying his nervousness.
“How do we start? Do I just smash my lips against yours?” His voice held childlike enthusiasm, like an eager schoolboy on the first day of summer vacation.
“Not exactly.” I somehow kept from giggling. “Just relax.”
Just relax . God, I was such a hypocrite. My heart was racing, and expectancy skittered over my skin like an electric current. I tried to steady my breathing and not devolve into panting like some horny fool.
I leaned in closer, my fingers coming to rest against his chest. Beneath my touch, I felt his heart racing erratically, like a wild animal yearning to break free from its cage. My heart matched his rhythm, beating faster and faster as we both leaned in, our breaths mingling in the space between us.