“Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?” he finally asks. “Is there any pain?”
“Just the right amount of pain. I promise.”
“It was good?" There's a long pause after his question, like he has more to say, so I wait for the eventual follow-up. "I’ve never done that with a human before.”
I sob out a laugh, and he stiffens under me.
“Wait. Are you serious?” I pull back enough to see his face. His antennae manage to look sheepish. “You were really good.”
“I made you cry.”
I choke back another laugh. “You made me come so hard that I cried. It’s very different.”
We are quiet for another long moment.
“Did you enjoy it?” I ask tentatively. “The uh…sex.”
A soft tittering laugh echoes from his chest. “I liked it very much, Piper. You are also very good at it.”
“That might mean more if you had something to compare me to,” I tease, although the brief thought of him with someone else irks me.
“I don’t need anyone to compare you to,” he says quietly. Crap. Can Mothmen read minds? “I’m glad I could make you happy.”
“Very happy.” I rearrange slightly, and I don’t stop touching him. “Crying isn’t a normal human reaction after sex. If you decide to have sex with more humans after me.” Which I don’t want to think about right now.
“You may have ruined me for other humans.” He purrs and I lean into the sound.
I laugh. “Sorry for crying on you.”
“You can cry more, if you want. I don’t mind.”
“I think I got it all out.” I trace a hand across his ribbed stomach, just enjoying touching him, before a wave of embarrassment washes over me.
It’s well past 2am, but the endorphins of the night are still rolling through me. I’ve always been a night owl, two is a regular bedtime for me. This is barely pushing my limit. I probably should go. That’s how one-night stands are supposed to work, right? I should’ve clarified with Anam. I should be leaving, or he should be kicking me out. Right?
“Sorry, you are probably sick of cuddling an almost complete stranger.” I start to pull away, his arms don’t release me.
“Stay. Please. I want to hold you as long as you let me.” His words are very quiet and I’m grateful for that because I want to ignore the way they make my stomach sink.
1 Maybe he was bad at sex.
9
PONTIUS
She’s staying. My beautiful perfect mate is staying. She is mine. Truly. She relaxes into my embrace, like it is the easiest thing in the world. I could hold her like this forever. I love the way she smells, the way she tastes, the way she holds onto me.
I love her.
I can’t tell her that, not yet. Every piece of human media has told me humans need more time to fall in love. They don’t know after a few hours. I don’t like keeping the truth from her, but I don’t want to scare her when things are so perfect. When she’s so relaxed, curled in my arms, and staring at the ceiling.
"Do you want to watch a movie or something?” I ask quietly.
“Sure.” She sighs. “I’m not really tired yet.”
She starts to get up, but I squeeze my arm to stop her.
“Don’t worry, we don’t have to move.” I reach into my nightstand for the tablet I programmed for days I want to stay in bed. With a few button presses the projector turns on, throwing light onto the screen that hangs from the ceiling at the perfect angle to view while lying in bed.
