Page 9 of Veras (Nozaroc Alien Warrior #2)

I hesitated for about two seconds before striding toward Veras. The highly confident alien was still going on and on about his good looks, which I completely agreed with.

But underneath his words were longing and loneliness.

I shied away from the gravity of his feelings and focused on my intense need.

It’d been building since my first whiff of him.

I only hesitated to make a move because we were so different.

I wanted him to see me . Really look at me.

What if my parts were too different from his?

But then I glanced at Vinny, who absolutely perked up at my arrival, and my decision solidified.

On Earth, I was far too ambitious to bother with long-term commitment. It’d only ever been me and my abuela . We’d never had much money. The plan had been to work my ass off, so we could move into our own little house. After I lost her, I still worked just as hard, never pausing to let anyone in.

Making the first move with Veras felt… familiar.

And if he was telling the truth, and he’d had a hidden dick all these years, I would be his first. Alien virgin.

Increíble. Plus, it gave me a little hope.

It meant he didn’t have much to compare me to unless he’d watched Nozarocan porn in his travels.

I rolled up the legs of my jumpsuit and sat on the edge of the pool. Veras eventually glanced my way, his eyes widening upon my changed appearance. I didn’t say a word, allowing him the time to take me in.

He rushed toward me, his gaze transfixed. With a shaky hand, he ran his fingers through the ends of my hair. “Glorious.”

“Thank you.” Wracked with shivers, I whispered, “Do me a favor and look down.”

“Why would I—” His gaze swung down and snagged on his swirling cock. “What is this?” He grasped his throbbing member, and I couldn’t hold back a moan. “He’s never been this size before.”

“Veras, meet Vinny. Vinny, Veras.”

“He isn’t—do not call him that.”

“I thought it was only polite to name him. We’ve been acquainted far longer than you. A whole fifteen minutes while you went on about me not being your fated mate.”

Veras pulled and tugged, examining every inch of himself. I should have been scandalized, but it only made me wish I was touching Vinny too. He handled himself like a pro, and it drove me crazy.

“How does it move and grow like that?” My voice came out in a breathy moan.

“I don’t know.”

I raised a brow.

“I feel your disbelief. The Nozarocan women know these mysteries. When I returned, I would have been told, or maybe I would have known when I saw my almax .”

“But has little Vinny ever popped out before?’

“That name is… inappropriate,” he grumbled. “ Never . This shape is not familiar.”

“I love his shape. We came to an agreement about it.” I think. My mouth twitched when Veras appeared to get my humor but didn’t think it was funny. “By the way, you’re right. Calling him little is an insult. I’ll never say it again.”

“You don’t understand.” He threw up his hands. “You are not my almax . This shouldn’t be happening. We are not destined.”

“So?”

“So! We cannot be together. I must save myself for my fated one.”

“Says who?”

“The females—”

“Your females had a lot to say about your body.” Mad respect for the ladies trying to keep their gorgeous men on lockdown, but they were cramping my style.

“Do not speak of them that way.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” I sighed, realizing I was dismissing his beliefs. “Let’s figure this out together. What else did they say you could or couldn’t do?” I bit my lip. “Tell me what else was forbidden.”

“Connecting with a female, having sex as you call it, is for mated couples only.”

“Ok.” I wonder if that’s true. “Anything else?”

“In order to have offspring, you must make the woman reach her pleasure several times before the male releases.”

“I…well…” These ladies were geniuses . Or really, really lucky.

“You see? You understand now. They are geniuses. Is it the same for your kind? The woman must peak before fertilization?”

I considered lying but knew he would call me out immediately.

Deceit in this relationship proved pointless.

If he gave me multiple orgasms, I wanted it to be because he wanted to, not because he had to.

“Let me put it this way. I agree that it is extremely important to the process. Especially if you want a human woman to sleep with you again.” I leaned closer, but he was still looking at Vinny.

“But technically, no, it isn’t medically necessary. ”

“But this… this is impossible. I cannot mate with anyone other than my kind.”

Sounds about right . The idea that I could be his mate seemed impossible, considering we were different species who lived across the universe from each other. “Is this the only indicator of your true mate? Does anything else let you know? Are your feelings important to the process?”

“Feelings… I don’t know. But there are a few more indicators of a fated couple.” Veras inched closer, almost standing between my legs while I sat at the edge of the pool.

“Like what?” Now that he was so close, I fought the urge to ask him to kiss me.

Do aliens kiss? Dios , now all I could think about were his lips.

I tried to be supportive, but I was on fire.

Deeply attracted to this huge hulk of a super-sweet alien.

Maybe it was the glittering Oro that wafted from his body like a soft mist, coating my skin, invading my pores.

Or maybe it was just…him. I really liked the guy.

“My marking. On my arm. It grows and tracks my entire back and arms. The few males lucky enough to have found their almax never wear coverings above their waist, to show them off with pride. Allowing all to see.”

I nodded and then sighed. Time to share. “Listen, I have to be honest. I’m glad I’m not your true-mate.”

“What! Why would you say this? You don’t want me?” He staggered back.

“Let me finish.” I smoothed down an errant quill on his head.

The texture was smoother than I imagined.

And warmer. “I’m glad because it means, if we were ever together, it would be because we chose to share this moment.

Not because of fate or the stars or whoever.

We would decide to trust each other enough, want each other enough, for this to happen. Do you understand?”

“I don’t understand. There is nothing better than your almax .”

“Maybe not. But we could share something amazing. Vinny showing up is a gift. Do you really want to walk away from what we can share?” I held my breath, feeling more vulnerable than I had in years. Life on this planet consisted of hiding. Staying small. Never exposing weakness.

“I’m sorry, little General. I sense my confusion is hurting you. It’s just a truth I’ve been told my whole life.” He glanced down at Vinny. “I don’t know what this means.”

“We don’t have to figure out everything right now.

” I took a deep breath, bracing myself for rejection.

This moment, in this twilight grotto, surrounded by glistening diamonds above us, seemed too perfect.

Maybe he wasn’t attracted to me. Or my anatomy.

Or maybe it was time to woman up and tell him how he made me feel.

He always overemoted; now it was my turn.

His head snapped up. “ Tell me . Share with me how I make you feel.”

“Safe.” It was true. The pain of my time here altered me, had made me anew, but the intensity of his attention and kindness warmed me like a space heater, pushing the worst of the agony away.

“I like your dramatics. And your way of saying whatever pops into your head. Because I feel like you won’t lie to me.

That’s so important.” Time for a little honesty, even if it pushes him away.

“But I have to tell you, the odds of me being your mate are almost infinitesimal.”

“Agreed.” He growled. “Because of that, it is forbidden.”

“By who?” I wanted to respect him, but I needed control in some part of my life.

Veras’ beliefs stripped me of my choices.

It was heartbreaking. I leaned in and said, “Everyone I know and love is light years away and your people.” I should have shut my mouth, but I couldn’t help myself. “They’re gone. You’re here. All alone.”

He clenched his fists, and his sorrow engulfed me like an emotional tsunami.

Mierda. I am such a bitch . “Veras.” I grasped his face, and his golden eyes swirled. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I really am. I’m not telling you anything I haven’t told myself. There are so few moments of happiness in this place.”

“You don’t need to tell me this.” He grasped my forearms, and his thumbs danced against my skin. “There is no need for apologies when you speak truth.” He turned away. “But it feels as if I am disrespecting my females. My culture.”

That stung. But I understood his point. “I respect your choice. I’ll only ask one last question.

Doesn’t this mean something?” I waved my hand at his acrobatic junk, which was doing a jig to get my attention.

“Both of us have lost our people. And I look at Vinny popping up as a gift. There’s no one left. We only have each other.”

“ You are my gift. There is so much that I don’t understand. Maybe I am the one lacking honesty. Who convinced himself he would be alone, always. Yet, I have hungered for you from the second our gazes met.” His swirling eyes grew larger. “You would… have me?”

“Oh yes .” I ran my hands over his body, scraping his hard nipples with my nails and gasping, allowing my hand to travel lower. “I want you so bad I could scream. Your scent has been driving me crazy since I met you.”

“And yours repulsed me.”

“ Hijo de la chingada!! Veras, I swear to God, I take it back. I don’t like that you share every thought in your head.” Damn alien took me out of the mood with that reminder.

“Why not?” The corners of his wide mouth tipped up.

“You would feel them anyway. Why lie?” He stepped closer, nudging my thighs open, his golden mist surrounding us and drowning me in pleasure.

“But I fear I hurt your feelings. I’m sorry.

I teased you, forgetting you can’t read my inner thoughts.

You smell delicious. I lied to myself. I would devour you now and back then if I could. ”

Vinny bumped against me, making me jump.

“How does this work?” I gulped and studied the big guy.

Thick, round, and eager. His dancing pito pressed forward on his own and found my clit.

When I gasped, Vinny paused and then reapplied gentle pressure.

Holy shit. I tried to focus beyond the pleasure. “Is he a separate entity from you?”

Veras ran his claws through my hair, scraping my scalp and making me moan. “I like those sounds you make in your throat. But what do you mean about my dagger being a separate entity ?”

Vinny’s gentle pressure intensified, and even through my pants, I could feel every inch.

My eyes rolled back in my head. I should probably mention something, but Vinny might stop, or Veras might step away.

And I would kill for an orgasm right now.

“Um, well…” I forgot how to make words for a minute.

“W-when Vinny first woke up, he had no problem letting me know what he wanted while you were oblivious.”

“Hmm, I see how this can be confusing. It is said that our daggers are not connected to our minds, but to our deepest souls.”

That’s beautiful.

“He is all me, yet he is in tune with the best parts that have no doubt, nor worry—nor hesitation. He is pure motivation.”

“He sure is.” We both gazed down at Vinny, who paused his vibrations, popping up and absolutely preening from the attention, slapping against Veras’ stomach.

I giggled, and Veras stared me down with his usual intensity.

“You are beautiful when you laugh.”

Vinny spun out of control again, vibrating so much he let off a low hum. A little more erratic than last time, he missed my clit and buzzed against my thigh, allowing me to focus marginally.

Veras’ eyes moved over me, tracing my hair that flowed well past my ass.

It had always been my shining glory, thick, black, and bone straight.

Even this planet hadn’t taken that away from me.

The rest, well, I was half the woman I used to be, but I still had a few curves.

I wouldn’t be able to make it jiggle quite like I used to, but I had a few tricks up my sleeve.

Do you like what you see? I deliberately asked the question in my mind, a little too timid to say the words out loud.

“Like?” Veras tilted my chin toward him until I was hypnotized by those brilliant swirling eyes. “I’m sensing that emotion again. Embarrassment. Why? I do not like it.”

“This isn’t easy for me, but… I wanted to know if you’re attracted to me.” I cleared my throat, knowing I’d been so persistent before, but the doubts crept in. “Am I very different from your women?”

“You are incomparable. The most beautiful of all the species I’ve encountered over my travels.

” His hands shook as they came around my waist. He studied me for a long time, the mist intensifying as he trailed his gaze down to his hands.

“I fear if I start touching you, I’ll never want to stop. You would give yourself to me?”

“No. But I’ll share a beautiful moment with you. If you’ll have me.” My voice caught in my throat. “If you don’t want to be with me, we have to stop now. It’s not fair to me when I’m so attracted to you. And to have you walk away. That might…break me.”

A rumble began in his chest, creating a slight vibration, and Vinny went crazy, bumping and slapping against me.

You are…exquisite . I long to devour every inch of you.

His impossibly deep voice floated through my mind.

The beauty of communicating this way allowed me to feel the truth of his proclamation.

I felt the sincerity, the desire, and always the deep sadness woven into his psyche, a permanent scar from all his loss.

“You are right, little General. We only have today. Perhaps this is a gift presented by fate, or maybe it is our choice. I will not let this opportunity go. I will not let you go!”