The door opened, and I expected to see Don, but I was surprised when Mindy was in front of us.
He crouched. “Flower? Vince? Are you well?”
“Yeah,” Teddy said. “Just human stuff.”
Inappropriate laughter bubbled in my gut, but all I could think about was a woman saying “lady stuff.” I wiped my face and said, “You heard him. Human stuff. Don’t worry about it.” I slipped out of the elevator, but I turned in time to see Mindy holding Teddy close. He was so gentle with my friend. I wanted to believe that Mindy wasn’t an asshole to Teddy, but I didn’t trust him yet, not like I did Don.
When the elevator came back, I went to my room and flopped onto the couch. I grabbed the tablet Don had given me and looked at the map that showed where we were in relation to the drakcol home planet with its fucking long name.
Halfway. We were halfway there.
Time was running out with Don. Sure, it would be a while before a ship headed back to Earth, but me and Don were coming to an end. Once he was home, he would be back to his normal routine, and I’d be left behind until I went home. I didn’t blame him. Much. He had a life there, and people he was close with.
My chest tightened and my hands curled into fists. I hated the thought of anyone else touching him, which wasn’t fair. I’d always been more possessive than was strictly healthy, but with Don it was another level. I didn’t want to share him.
He’s a person, not a pizza. He’s not yours to hog, I told myself. But just like pizza, that’s exactly what I wanted to do. Don was mine.
Not that I could touch him.
I groaned, rolling over. We barely even snuggled anymore, except when I was going to sleep. I wanted to touch him. I wanted to blow him. I wanted to fuck him. But I didn’t want him to touch me.
I sat up, mouth opening. What if I touched him and he didn’t touch me? I wanted to. God, I really did. And if he didn’t touch me, maybe I wouldn’t freak out.
It could work. It really could. I’d have to ask Don if he was comfortable with me loving on him. I couldn’t imagine he would say no. Who said no to a no-need-to-reciprocate blow job? But what if he did? I needed him so badly.
All I had to do was ask. The worst Don could say was no, right?
I stepped out of the shower and dried my hair with a cloth to get out as much moisture as possible before pulling on some soft trousers and a loose shirt. Vince hadn’t been at the combat class, not that I was teaching him—he hadn’t decided if he wanted me to. But I was used to him coming to watch me, and I liked it, as much as it was a distraction. Seth had said Vince was taking some time for himself, which raised an immediate worry. More often than not, one of us had to drag Vince out of his room or initiate spending time with him. Too often he was trapped in his head and his thoughts weren’t always pleasant. I hadn’t sensed anything horrible coming from Vince’s distant thoughts, but I was still concerned.
He’d been distant since we failed to move closer. He felt guilty, even though he had no reason to. I wasn’t in a rush, and if we never fucked, I was content with this. Every moment with Vince was a precious gift that I would treasure.
Something flitted across my thoughts. Vince. I blinked. He was close. I stepped out of the bedroom, and he was sitting on my couch, playing on my screen. My soul leaped at the sight. He rarely came to my quarters, but I’d added him to my security and my full system so he could get to me whenever he needed or buy whatever he wanted with my money.
“Vince,” I said, self-conscious for some reason. I cast my gaze around my room. Nothing was out of place or untidy, yet the nervous energy remained.
He looked up with a smile. “Hey, Sweetheart.”
I paused at the endearment. That was new. I knew what the word sweet meant. Heart was the human equivalent of the drakcol’s soul, while their soul was some intangible force. Humans were very confusing. What I didn’t know was what they meant together. NAID was giving a rather straightforward translation, but from Vince’s thoughts, it was well meant.
“What are you doing here? Not that it bothers me,” I said quickly, tail wiggling and wings readjusting on my back. “I like you here. In my quarters. With me. Now. It’s all wonderful.”
Vince chuckled. “Calm down. I’m not mad.”
I relaxed in a rush and moved toward him. I bent slowly, giving him plenty of time to move away if he wanted, and pressed a kiss on his forehead. My damp hair fell around his face and tickled him, making Vince squirm, though he grabbed my cheeks and pulled me down to his mouth.
We met in a gentle kiss. I relished every feel of his soft lips on mine. It had been several days since we’d kissed, and I’d missed it terribly. I never wanted to move away. This. This right herewas perfect, and I feared when he was gone, I would miss Vince to the point of pain.
He shifted away first, and it took every fiber of self control not to chase his mouth. A growl formed in my chest, but I swallowed it as best I could. Vince didn’t seem bothered by the noise, as he stroked my cheeks and traced my features. His thoughts were scattered, but not upset. He was determined. About what, I wasn’t sure.
“What’s bothering you?” I asked, hoping his thoughts would show me. My very soul curled at the thought of him hurting.
“Nothing really.” Vince took a deep breath and released me, but I didn’t move away, needing to be close to him. “I want to touch you.”
“You know you can.”
He shook his head as his thoughts formed a very clear picture of him sucking me. My own cock began to lift as desperate need flowed through my veins.
A slight flush darkened his cheeks as he said, “I see you’re interested.”
