Page 14 of Draevan

“Your planet was in worse condition than I expected,” Draevan said with a compassionate look that helped bring her comfort. “I am sorry for all the fear you must’ve endured during the war in the United States, though I’m glad that you were able to live in a heavily protected building.” He tilted his head to the side and studied her. “Indeed, you must be a wealthy female if you could afford to live in such a place. Did you inherit money from your father?”

She tried not to take offense to the question he’d just asked, but it wasn’t easy. Did he truly think her incapable of making money on her own just because she was a woman? Didn’t he wonder why she had so many guitars and the baby grand piano? Hadn’t he noticed the framed photographs and concert posters in her music room? Well, maybe he thought her love of music was just a hobby. But still, he shouldn’t assume the only way she could be wealthy was because of an inheritance from a man.

“Have I said something to upset you?” Draevan turned to carefully place Meela in her crib. He pressed a button on the side of the crib that briefly caused the air above the baby to shimmer. “A forcefield to keep her safe. I’ll be alerted if she wakes up, and if there’s any turbulence, for example from a solar flare, the force field will keep her from coming to any harm,” he quickly explained as he faced Cora. “Now, please, tell me. Have I said something to upset you?”

“Well… yes, a little.” She inhaled deeply and tried to formulate her response in a way that wouldn’t sound combative. She didn’t think he’d meant to offend her, but she still took exception to the question he’d asked about how she’d come into so much wealth. “I will admit that I come from a well-to-do family, however, I worked hard and earned my own money and didn’t depend upon an inheritance. That is how I could afford to live on the top floor of Skyline Towers.”

Draevan’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean to say you were not capable of hard work and earning your own money, Cora. Please forgive me for wording my question that way. I am simply curious about you, and I will admit that in my experience, among my people it is the males who typically build vast fortunes, though there are some females I know who have earned their own wealth, just not as many compared to our males.” He spoke quickly and his cheeks grew dark pink. But his voice resonated with honesty, and he appeared remorseful for causing her offense.

“It’s all right,” Cora said, satisfied by his explanation. “Truly. I appreciate your apology, and I accept it.”

Relief filled his eyes. He walked closer, placed a hand on her lower back, and guided her toward the door. His touch made her heart skip a beat, and his proximity made her go hot and tingly all over.

Was he about to lead her to his quarters?

Or would he take her to her own room aboard his ship and leave her be for the night?

While she’d indicated on the VAMOB application that she was willing to consummate her mating union with the Vaxxlian warrior with whom she was matched, Draevan hadn’t mentioned the subject yet.

Was he only interested in acquiring a mother for his niece?

Or was he interested in a mating union as well?

She wished she were brave enough to ask him, and her heart raced faster as he guided her down a narrow, softly illuminated corridor. Sleek metallic panels covered the walls, interspersed with doors, storage alcoves, and control panels dotted with small flashing lights and buttons. Every so often, they passed a viewport that offered a breathtaking glimpse of the star-strewn expanse beyond the Vaxxlian cruiser.

A sense of disbelief coursed through Cora. Despite her ability to afford it, she’d never left Earth before. Her record label wouldn’t allow it since they’d hoped her fame would draw wealthy interstellar tourists to pay top dollar for her concerts. And until she’d gone into hiding, she’d never had a long enough break between tours and recording her next album to take a vacation on another planet.

Not only was she leaving Earth, but she would soon travel through the wormhole she’d learned about in the documentary, and they would arrive on New Vaxx not long after. Excitement built inside her as she considered her future. Then warmth rushed through her when Draevan looked over and met her gaze. She was very aware of the slight pressure of his hand on her lower back. Heat suddenly pulsed in her core, a visceral reaction to his nearness and his touch that almost caused her to gasp.

The alien warrior’s eyes suddenly… glowed. Yes, they were truly glowing. Bright green and filled with… lust? Though she wasn’t entirely accustomed to his facial expressions yet, she was almost certain it was desire that was causing his eyes to glow in such a way.

Oh, God. Her breath faltered.

His nostrils flared as he leaned closer to her. She flushed, worried that he somehow knew about the sudden achiness between her thighs and her growing attraction to him.

“Are you hungry?” he asked, pausing momentarily as he glanced over his shoulder, presumably toward the kitchen, assuming his ship had one or a small mess hall. “I had a food replicator recently installed on my ship, and I would be happy to make anything you’d like.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I had dinner shortly before you arrived.”

He nodded before applying more pressure to her back as he guided her toward a door at the end of the corridor. The door slid open upon their approach, and he ushered her inside. She swallowed hard as the door zipped shut behind them, sealing them inside together. Just the two of them.

She peered around the room, taking note of the enormous bed, a few pieces of furniture bolted to the floor, a large viewport that provided a glimpse of the stars, and a doorway that she suspected led to a bathroom. It was as sleek and functional as the rest of the ship, though to be fair, she’d only seen the bridge and Meela’s room so far.

She stepped away from Draevan and turned to face him, her pulse thundering in her ears. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath, and as she stared at the huge male, she started to suspect that he did indeed plan to claim her.

He wanted to consummate their mating union.

She was certain of it.

Then she glanced at the huge bulge at the front of his pants, the evidence of his desire for her, and she couldn’t help but take a step back. Not because she feared him or didn’t want to mate with him, but because she’d never done this before. She couldn’t help the nervousness that swept through her.

Would it hurt?

Would Draevan be gentle?

And even if he was gentle, would his enormous size be difficult for her to accommodate?

Her face flamed anew when she considered just how large his manhood might be. If it was in proportion to the rest of his body, she was in for a challenging experience.