Page 14 of Zinnia and the Zombie (Alien Abduction #26)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Z innia couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so gloriously alive.

Every nerve ending tingled, her body warm and aching in the most delicious way as she followed Jaxx back to the stairwell.

His touch had awakened something in her, something she’d kept carefully locked away for so long she’d almost forgotten it existed.

They hurried up the stairs, his hand tight around hers. Each touch of their bodies, each quick glance, stoked the building tension between them. Even the drone attack seemed distant now, eclipsed by this new, overwhelming need.

When they reached the next landing, he stepped protectively in front of her. She followed him, unable to tear her eyes from the powerful lines of his body as he moved ahead of her. How had she ever mistaken him for a statue? He was life embodied, raw energy contained in physical form.

The landing opened onto a wide hallway lined with doors. Many of them were open, revealing a series of rooms in various states of disrepair. He moved systematically from one to the next, checking each space before allowing her to follow.

At the end of the corridor, a set of double doors stood closed, but they opened when he touched the control panel, surprising them both.

“Some power systems must still be operational,” he murmured, stepping cautiously through the doors.

The apartment—for that’s clearly what it was—took her breath away. Unlike the public areas they’d explored, this space felt untouched by time, as if its occupants had simply stepped out moments ago and might return at any second.

A large open room stretched before them, with panoramic windows offering a sweeping view of the plaza below. Vines had grown across much of the glass, creating a natural curtain that filtered the sunlight into dappled patterns across the floor.

Strange, elegant furniture filled the space—pieces that somehow looked both alien and inviting. The ceiling soared overhead, architectural details catching the filtered light.

“Wait here,” he said, moving deeper into the apartment to ensure it was secure.

She watched as he disappeared through one doorway, then another, his body tense, his eyes watchful. Despite the tension coiled inside her, she found herself smiling. Even now, with desire clearly driving them both, his first instinct was to protect her.

She crossed to the windows, peeping between the curtain of vines to look out.

The view was similar to the one from the rooftop garden but more intimate somehow, the ruined city beautiful and mysterious.

Strange birds flew between the buildings, their calls faint through the glass.

It was peaceful in a way that seemed impossible after their previous encounter with the drone.

“The apartment appears secure,” he said, returning to the main room. “Four chambers in total. The power systems are functioning, though at minimal capacity.”

He gestured toward one doorway. “Sleeping quarters.” Another. “Bathing facilities.” A third. “What appears to be a food preparation area, though I cannot guarantee its functionality.”

She followed as he led her through the apartment.

The bedroom was massive, dominated by a low, wide platform covered in a material that reminded her of suede but wasn’t quite the same.

The bathroom beyond it was equally impressive—a large shower area, an odd shaped bathtub, and what appeared to be storage cabinets built into the walls.

“I believe this will serve our needs adequately,” he said, returning to the main room and approaching the entry doors.

He pressed his hand to a panel beside them, and they slid closed with a soft hiss. Another touch, and a locking mechanism engaged with a decisive click that echoed in the quiet apartment.

They were alone, together, in their own private sanctuary.

The sound of the lock seemed to shift something in the air between them. The urgency that had been building since their kiss suddenly crystallized into certainty.

“I think,” she said, her voice soft but steady, “the first thing I want to do is take a shower.”

She took a deep breath, then held out her hand. “Will you join me?”

“Are you certain?”

She nodded, surprised by how steady she felt. “I’ve never been more certain of anything.”

A slow smile spread across his face, transforming his features from fierce to breathtaking. In two quick strides, he reached her, scooping her easily into his arms.

“Then I would be honored to accompany you,” he said, carrying her toward the bathroom as she laughed and clung to his shoulders.

The bathroom was even more impressive the second time. Her eyes widened as he reached over and activated the shower system from another wall panel. Water began to flow from multiple directions, steam rising gently.

“Hot water? That’s amazing.”

Sunlight filtered through the vines covering a high window, casting the room in a soft, ethereal glow. In this light, he looked like something from a dream—his golden skin gleaming, his glowing like purple jewels as he set her gently on her feet.

He reached for her shirt, then paused, his hands hovering near but not touching. “May I?”

The question, so respectful amid such desire, made her heart ache.

“Please,” she whispered.

He carefully lifted it over her head, then gently unbuttoned her torn dress, letting it drop to the ground and leaving her in her bra and panties. Each inch of skin seemed to fascinate him, his gaze hot and appreciative.

He ran a reverent finger along the swell of her breasts, then frowned.

“I do not know how to remove this.”

She gave a breathless laugh, then reached behind her back and released the clasp. The straps slipped from her shoulders, and she let her bra fall to the floor.

His eyes darkened as his hands came up to cup her breasts, his thumb brushing lightly over the hard, aching tips.

“So soft,” he murmured. “So perfect. You must tell me what pleases you.”

“You don’t know?” she gasped as his thumbs flicked the stiff peaks, sending shockwaves of sensation straight to her core, and he shook his head.

“I told you it is different for a Zathix female.”

The tiniest of doubts flickered through her mind but he was so obviously entranced that it disappeared just as quickly.

“Do you like this?” he asked as he gently pinched her nipples, and her knees threatened to buckle. He caught her of course, sliding one arm around her waist as he reached for her panties with his other hand.

“May I remove these?”

“Yes. Please.”

He ripped them away with a growl, focusing on the apex of her thighs with an intensity that made her shiver.

“Such soft little curls,” he breathed, stoking them with a big finger.

She arched helplessly into his touch, but then he was lifting her into his arms and carrying her into the shower.

He placed her on a high bench then knelt in front of her.

Tiny drops of water massaged her skin like hundreds of delicate fingers, but her entire being was focused on the male in front of her as he carefully parted her legs.

“So beautiful. Tell me how to please you, my Zinnia,” he commanded softly, his eyes blazing into hers.

“T-touch me.”

“Here?” His finger lightly stroked her curls, teasing.

“Y-yes.”

“Like this?” His touch grew firmer, parting the delicate folds

“Yes,” she moaned.

“Show me, my Zinnia,” he coaxed.

Her hips flexed against his hand, and he growled his approval. He watched intently as she guided his finger to her clit, already swollen and throbbing.

“Ah. I see.”

With the lightest of touches, he circled the sensitive spot, and she gasped, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

“You’re so wet,” he murmured. “Your body’s scent changes. It is… intoxicating.”

His finger dipped lower, and her entire body jerked when it pushed inside her.

“Oh!”

“Does this please you?” he asked, his eyes holding hers.

“God, yes.”

His thumb began to rub her clit as his finger pushed deeper, and pleasure flooded her body. He stroked her inside and out, the pressure of his thumb increasing as her cries grew louder. She was so close, the tension coiling inside her until she couldn’t bear it.

“Yes. Yes. More. Just… oh!”

With a cry, she came, her orgasm pulsing through her in wave after wave of glorious release.

“Now I will taste your pleasure,” he said while she was still quivering helplessly and then his mouth covered her, sending her straight into another climax. He didn’t stop, licking and sucking until she was limp with pleasure and she pushed weakly at his head.

He immediately drew back, giving her such an anxious look that her heart melted.

“Did I hurt you?”

“Not even the tiniest bit. I just need a minute.”

“Of course, my Zinnia.”

He rose to his feet and for the first time she realized that he had discarded his pants at some point and was now gloriously naked.

His groin was no longer smooth and featureless.

Instead a thick swollen ridge ran from between his legs to his lower abdomen.

That must have been what she’d felt between her legs when he pressed her against the wall.

What had he said—that his cock was concealed within his body?

“May I touch you?” she whispered.

“Always.”

He watched her intently as she carefully stroked her fingertips across that fascinating ridge.

He groaned when she moved from the outer edge to a faint glistening line along the center.

She had just begun to trace it when his skin began to part.

She froze, transfixed, as a thick, glowing shaft slid upward from his body.

It was similar to a human’s, but larger and the wide base gradually narrowed to a tapered head.

The golden glow increased when she touched it, pulsating slightly against her hand.

“You’re so big.”

“My Zinnia, I would never do anything to hurt you. If you prefer, we will find other ways to pleasure each other.”

“I know you’d never hurt me,” she said softly, her heart expanding. “But I’m not sure you’ll fit.”

“We will go slowly. I promise. If that is what you wish.”

“Yes.” She stroked the glowing length again, feeling his body shudder. “Yes, that’s what I wish.”

“Then lie back.” He gently eased her back against the bench then raised her leg so that her foot rested in a small niche.

The angle tilted her pelvis upward, her body fully exposed to him.

He made a pleased rumble in the back of his throat and ran his hand down the curve of her waist, pausing at the top of her thigh.

“I can smell your desire, my Zinnia.” His thumb grazed her slick folds, sending a new surge of arousal through her. “It makes me ache to claim you.”

She reached down, grasping the thick shaft. His body jolted, his head falling back, his eyes closed.

“Then why don’t you?”

With a growl, he positioned himself between her legs.

The tapered tip nudged against her entrance and she realized that even that part of him was larger than she’d realized.

Her body tightened, resisting the intrusion, but then his finger moved to her clit, stroking and rubbing until she was once again quivering on the edge.

“Jaxx,” she pleaded, desperate for relief.

He leaned over her, one arm braced against the wall above her head, his eyes glowing.

“Look at me, my Zinnia,” he demanded as he pressed the thick length into her, the gentle command sending a fresh wave of desire through her.

She gasped as her body stretched, trying to accommodate his girth. He moved slowly, withdrawing before pushing forward a fraction deeper. It was both too much and not enough.

“Jaxx, please.”

His hand cupped her cheek, his eyes holding hers. “Look at me,” he ordered again, and she was helpless to do anything else.

He pushed again and her body stretched and yielded, a slight burning pain quickly swallowed by a need that consumed her.

He withdrew and thrust, going a little deeper each time, his thumb matching the rhythm.

His eyes never left hers, their gazes locked as he buried himself in her with a final deep thrust.

She cried out, her orgasm ripping through her, and she heard him roar. Her inner walls rippled around him and he shuddered, heated liquid flooding her insides.

She expected him to pull out and away, but instead he drew her into his arms, his lips meeting hers in a hungry, desperate kiss.

“My Zinnia. Never have I felt such pleasure.”

His cock pulsed inside her, triggering another, softer wave of her orgasm.

“Oh God. Me neither,” she managed, clinging to him as he cradled her in his arms.

When her body finally stopped trembling, he gently withdrew and set her back on her feet. He was still hard, his shaft glowing.

“Does it… go away?” she asked curiously.

“It will eventually grow dormant again. Do not worry, my Zinnia. We have all the time in the world.”

As he pulled her close, she pressed her face against his chest and allowed herself to acknowledge what her heart already knew.

Against all odds, on this ruined world so far from home, she had found something she’d never truly believed in before—a connection that transcended mere attraction or convenience.

She had found love.