Page 8 of When She Wishes (Risdaverse)

Chapter

Eight

One Week Later

PAYTON

" D o you have the blankets?" I call out, struggling to put my bloated foot into my slipper. I lean on the bed and wriggle my foot in the shoe, but my heel doesn't want to go in. I shove a little harder. "And the pillows?"

"All taken care of," Bodhrri calls back from the living room. "I will take them outside right now and then I'll come back and help you with your slippers."

How did he know...? I sit on the edge of the bed, panting, and lift my foot into the air until I can see it. It looks like a sausage with toes. I snort to myself. How did he know? He's got eyes. They're as puffy as the rest of me.I went to the doctor this week and Bodhrri accompanied me. I'm in perfect health and so are the babies, so it's likely just water retention. But shoes have been difficult.

Honestly...that's been the only difficult thing this week. The rest has been an absolute dream.

Bodhrri has more or less moved in. He's slept curled up against me every night, and I've never slept better. Having him in bed with me makes me feel safe and secure, and it's not uncomfortable even though his body is much larger than mine. We shower together, we dine together, I nap while he works on the farm, and then I get to work on baby clothes in the afternoon while he does even more work outside. I want to do more now that I'm less tired, but Bodhrri insists that I rest up, that there will always be more to do and I should take care of myself.

Our evenings are lazier, after all the work for the day has been done. We read a book together— a really old one from Earth called The Last Days of Pompeii —and we talk. We clean the kitchen and prep food for the next day. Bodhrri saw a hand-made checkerboard in the store and bought it, and we've been playing checkers together, too.

Tonight? We're going to lie outside on blankets and pillows and stargaze. Bodhrri loves the night sky.

For now, though, I'll wait inside for him. I yawn and lie down on the bed, sleepily combing my fingers through my hair and wondering if I should put panties on. Nah. He'll just peel them off of me. The thought makes me smile, because the last week has also been full of touching and kissing, and lots and lots of below-the-waist petting. I'm as greedy for him as he is for me, and neither of us can pass by the other without grabbing or squeezing something. I'm fascinated with his cock, and last night I lay on my side as he stretched out in front of me, and I toyed with his cock until his ears were flat and his whiskers quivered.

It was fun. So much fun. I was nervous about having him around at first, but I've never felt so in sync with another person. We like the same foods, laugh at the same corny jokes, and love to touch one another. I'm even starting to crave the tea he's constantly pouring down my throat. I have to admit it's relaxing to snuggle with a warm cup. Maybe I'll suggest we drink some while we look at the stars...

I jerk awake when there's a knock at the front door. Did I fall asleep? I roll in bed until I can sit up, and swipe my fingers over my mouth for drool. "Bodhrri?"

The knock comes again and I stand up, putting a hand to my lower back as I head for the door. Is he feeling weird about coming inside? Maybe his hands are full.

When I open the door, however, it's not Bodhrri that's on the other side.

"May I come in?" Custodian Sinath asks, all politeness.

The custodians of Port seem to be one part cop, one part social worker (despite the name that makes me think of janitors). They wear dark-colored, form-fitting military uniforms and all of them are mesakkah—the blue, horned aliens.I've met them all and Sinath is one of the younger ones, and normally he's got a friendly smile on his face. Not today. Today he seems...somber.

And that scares the shit out of me.

I stare at him in surprise, frozen. "Is something wrong? Where's Bodhrri?" A horriblethoughtoccurs to me and my entire body clenches up in fear. "Oh god, is he hurt?"

Custodian Sinath puts up a hand. "Nothing is wrong. I believe he is around the side of the house. However, it is you I wanted to speak with."

I let out a breath and resist the urge to burst into tears—or punch Custodian Sinath, for all that he has a baby face and is probably a lot younger than me. "Don't fucking scare me like that."

"I'm not trying to scare you. I'm here to check on the situation. It's customary to follow up when an off-planet employee is living with a resident here. We check in monthly to ensure that our residents are safe and to remind the employees to stay in line." He gives me a concerned look. "We track our townspeople by the credits spent and you haven't been using your credits in town. Are you being held captive?"

I sputter. "What? No! I was just in to visit the doctor this week." I put a hand under my large belly and gesture. "For obvious reasons."

"Yet you are not purchasing supplies in town?"

"I told Bodhrri he could use my credits," I say, confused. "He's been doing the shopping. Maybe he's not?"

"Perhaps." Sinath doesn't sound convinced. His expression is gentle. "Please know that we can get rid of your employee at any time for you. You don't have to see him ever again. Say the word and we'll send him off-planet. Your safety is our biggest concern. I hope you know that."

"I hope you know that I'm very fine and very happy," I retort. "Bodhrri is doing a wonderful job! He takes good care of me!"

"Good," Sinath says, pulling out his data pad. "I'll note that in my report. And if I don't see you between now and then, I'll return in a month to give things another check."

He nods at me and then turns and heads away, the setting sun glinting on his metallic-looking horns. I watch him get into his air-sled, and it takes a moment for me to realize I'm shaking with fear.

Bodhrri isn't safe here because he's an employee. They're looking for an excuse to get rid of him. Not out ofmalice, but out of concern for my safety. He could be gone in a flash. What if a neighbor decides she doesn't want a cat alien working in my fields? Would they get rid of him to please her?

I need to sit down.

Trembling, I make my way to the sofa and collapse. The happy little world we've been building feels as if it's crashing downaroundme. I don't want Bodhrri to leave. I don't want him to live in fear, either. I'd hate the thought of him worrying that one wrong move will get him sent back to a station, that his coughing will start again and his lungs will fill up. I want him to feel as safe and secure as I do.

But...how?

I take deep breaths, trying to still my panic. Sagging against the couch, I'm barely aware of my surroundings. My head is throbbing. I just need to talk to Bodhrri. See if we're on the same page with things. We've got to be able to figure this out between the two of us. Even if he doesn't want to be with me romantically, we can still be partners. We can raise our kids together.

Except he hasn't really brought up being a dad. Sure, he touches my belly and takes care of me, but he's careful not to mention the babies. Realizing that sets me in a whole new panic. What if he wants to head out the momentthey'reborn? Find a new job? What if I'm the only one imagining us as a cozy family?

Is it too late to panic? Because I'm panicking.

"Payton?" Bodhrri calls from outside as I stare off into space. "Who was here? I saw a sled fly off."

"I'm inside," I call out, and try to get up from the sofa. My belly is so big that I'm not able to get to my feet, though. "I need help getting up!"

He laughs even as he opens the door andcomesinside. The sound is so bright and full of sunshine that I immediately panic all over again and blurt the first thing that comes to mind. "What if we got married?"

"Right now?" Bodhrri gives me a confused look even as he extends his hand and stands over me. He helps me to my feet, his hands lingering as he rubs my shoulders. "I thought we were going to watch the stars?"

"Oh, no, I guess we can watch the stars," I fumble through the words, my thoughts racing. "But maybe we could get married tomorrow. Or the day after. Whatever you feel like?"

The big alien frowns down at me, cupping my cheek. "Are you well? You look fevered. You're breathing fast, too."

"I'm fine. I just...I might be freaking out a bit."

"You are not freaking in?" he teases, because he finds our strange sayings funny.

Normally I'd laugh. Normally I'd think it's adorable that he's trying to charmingly mock my slang. But I can't stop thinking about Custodian Sinath and how casually he offered to remove Bodhrri from the planet. All I have to do is wave a hand and he could be gone . "Bodhrri, a custodian was here."

His expression remains puzzled. "Did he say something distressing to you?"

"He said if I wasn't happy with you as my employee, he could make you leave."

Bodhrri nods, still not getting it. "And...?"

"That's bad!"

"For me, perhaps. But I am glad they have such rules in place. It reminds me that you are safe here no matter what." He brushes a lock of my hair back from my face. "I like that they look out for you."

"But who's looking out for you ?"

His mouth tugs up on one side and he's quiet.

Well, fuck all that. I grab him by his collar and pull him down toward me. At least, that's what I intend to do. The reality is that I'm short, and I more or less just grab fistfuls of his tunic front. "Do you want to marry me? Yes or no?"

He doesn't answer.

I shake his tunic a little more. "It's not a hard question."

"My answer would be yes, except you are not asking me for the right reasons."

"I am growing multiple children in my belly," I point out. "The right reasons flew out the door months ago."

His expression grows sad. "You know I will care for you and support you however you need. Even if I'm forced off planet, I would send you credits so you could take care of our children."

I want to shake him even harder, because this keeps getting worse the more I speak. "I don't want that. I don't need a wallet, Bodhrri. I need a friend. A partner. I can raise these babies alone. It won't be easy or fun, but I know I can do it. What I want is someone to complain with when the days are hard. I want someone that reminds me to eat when I forget. I want someone that listens to my day and sympathizes at the bad parts, and I want to do all this for someone else, too. I want someone I can curl up with, and someone that will shoulder some of the burden. I want a partner." I shake him again, just for good measure. "I want a lover. More than anything, I just want you. Not because you're the dad or because you're a good farmer, but because you make me smile and laugh, and I feel so seen and loved and taken care of when I'm with you. I might be holding myself together, but I know that when I'm with you, it's okay to fall apart a little, and I hope you feel the same. I hope that if you're having an off day, you come to me because you love me and want to share your burden. I hope if your lungs bother you that you let me take care of you. I hope you share your joys with me because you care for me, and not because you feel you have to."

He stares down at me in surprise.

"So. That's why I'm asking you to marry me." I release his tunic and clear my throat. I smooth my hand down his now-wrinkled front. "Sorry if I didn't explain it better."

"That...was beautiful, Payton." He cups my face in his big hands, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. "Do you truly feel that way?"

"I do. I didn't realize I was lonely until you arrived and made me realize what I'd been missing." I lean against him, holding one of his hands to my face. "Like I said, I'd be fine without you. I'd manage. But when I'm with you, everything's brighter and better, and that's the world I want."

Bodhrri doesn't kiss me or smile back. His triangular ears flick and he sighs. "You do not realize what you are asking. I am an honorless praxiian who has been removed from his family's house. I have served no military service. I have no wealth and no good name. I bring nothing to a mate."

"Funny, I don't recall wishing for any of that stuff when I wished on a star," I joke.

His eyes light up. "What did you wish for that night?"

"I honestly don't remember," I say, and I hate that his expression falls. "But I'll go outside right now and wait to find another shooting star if that's what'll convince you. I'm happy with you, Bodhrri. I'm falling in love with you. When I think about the next fifty or a hundred years of life, I see myself with you, and I love the idea. I'm not terrified or lonely at the thought of spending the rest of my life here on a strange planet because you're here. I want to make this thing real between us. Not because you're the father of my babies, but because I adore you."

He studies my face, and his whiskers twitch. Bodhrri leans in and presses a chaste kiss to my mouth. "Then let's do it."

"Really?"

"Yes, but not tonight. Tonight, the stars are beautiful and I want to share them with you."

My heart swells. "I think that sounds lovely."

Holding hands, we head outside. Around the back of the house, near one of the fenced-in fields, Bodhrri has set up a charming nest for us. Blankets are spread out on the thick grass and every single pillow I own must be out here, because he knows I have difficulty laying down flat with my ungainly stomach. There's a tray next to the blankets, and it's got snacks and drinks on it. I'm less interested in that, though. I'm wanting the man at my side.

"Help me down?" I ask him as we approach our cozy nest.

Bodhrri kneels on the blankets and helps me get down next to him and then spends the next ten minutes adjusting and fluffing pillows around me (and under me) until he's certain I'm comfortable. Then he curls up next to me, our heads together, and we stare up at the twilight sky. "Hmm. You said the stars were beautiful," I tease, "but I only see a few out so far."

"They were beautiful last night. They will be again tonight. Patience."

"I wonder if there's anything we can do while we're waiting for the sky to grow darker," I muse, and take his hand. I pull it to my lips and nibble on his fingertip.

A low purr drifts through the air. "What did you have in mind?"

"You. Me. This blanket. Lots of pillows. Sex."

He groans. "Yes?"

"Oh, yes."

"It won't harm the children?"

"Not in the slightest. We'll probably have to limit our positions because of my belly, but I'm willing to get creative if you are. What do you think?"

His answer is his hungry mouth on mine.

I fall against him, leaning into his kiss. Every time his mouth brushes mine somehow feels better than the last, and I'm excited to think that we can share these kisses for the rest of our lives. To think that I get to nibble on his mouth and hear his gasps of pleasure, that he'll slide his tongue alongside mine and we'll both be overcome. I curl my fingers into the thick, bushy mane on his head and lose myself in his touch, because I'm safe here. I know that in Bodhrri's arms there'll be pleasure and security and affection and nothing else.

"My beautiful mate," he murmurs between kisses. "To think that I am worthy of such a gift. It feels like a dream."

I slide my hand down his front, heading for his cock. "You make it sound like I'm a prize. I'm older than you. I'm pregnant. Most men would run screaming the other way."

"Then I am very glad I am not most men."

God, so am I. I run my fingers over the thick outline of his cock, rubbing him through his clothing. "Most men aren't built like this, either."

"Another reason I am very glad I am not most men," he purrs, his hand sliding between my thighs. "Let me touch you."

"Only if I get to touch you, too." I gaze up at him, adoring, as I work his cock through his clothing, dragging over the sensitive, prominent head. The fabric over the tip is growing damp, and I'm tempted to demand that he stand up and get naked for me...except his hand is between my thighs, stroking and teasing me at the same time, and I'm not ready to give that up. Not yet.

I whimper with pleasure as his hand toys through my folds, spreading my wetness. My body makes slick sounds as he touches me, and I moan even as I continue to work him, pumping and pulling as best I can through the confines of the clothing. He circles my clit and I gasp, pressing my head against his chest.

"Love it when you make those sounds for me, my Payton," he murmurs. "I want to feel you come apart on my fingers."

"Wait," I breathe, lifting my head even as he strokes into my body. "I want you inside me when I come this time."

His eyes gleam in the growing darkness. "Yes?"

"Yes." I pluck at his tunic. "Let's get naked."

"You won't be cold?"

"Fuck the cold. I'll have a big, loving praxiian to keep me warm."

He groans, his hand sliding away from between my thighs and he clutches me against him, as if he never wants to let me go. I have to admit, I never want him to let me go, either. We linger in this moment, and then he tugs on my dress. "Let's get this off you."

I've never been so happy to get undressed.