Bridget's Bane: A SciFi Alien Romance Page 20

  We approach A'tam's hut and I'm a little sad that our stroll along the beach is over. It was nice to just walk and talk. He releases my hand and goes to hold back the flap to the hut, beckoning me inside. As I duck in, I notice that he's made a few changes during the afternoon. The furs are on the opposite side of the fire from where they used to be, and there are twice as many, now. On the far side of the hut, one of the floor boards has been pried up and now a big gap is in the floor. "What happened?" I ask. "Did it break?"

  "No. I did not like it," A'tam says. "I can do better."

  Huh. Okay. I move to sit by the fire, crossing my legs. "The food smells good." I give him a hesitant smile. "Thank you for cooking. You didn't have to."

  "You are my mate," he says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Why would I not wish to feed you? To see you well-cared for?" A'tam moves to the fire and uses carved tongs to pull out a large chunk of dripping, juicy fish from the stewing pouch, and then he gets me an equally large chunk of root. It's not exactly made like the more intricate stews that Gail and the others create every day. It literally looks like he tossed an entire fillet of fish into the pot along with a root and threw in some spices.

  But he's trying, and that melts me. I take the small bone bowl with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

  A'tam holds out a pair of eating sticks and I use them to hold the food steady while I take a few bites. He watches me eat, then pours me a cup of slushy cold water, then sets it by my feet. "There are many days that I went to bed with an empty belly," A'tam says. "After the death of the Great Smoking Mountain, most of the land was gone. There was never enough game to feed hungry mouths, so in a way, I suppose it is better that so many died then. We nearly starved, and I thought nothing would make me so happy as filling my belly again." He watches me take another bite, gaze on me. "I was wrong. I like watching you eat far better. I like knowing that I can provide for you."

  The fish is delicately cooked for all that it's a huge hunk of white, flaky meat, and I take a little bite and then hold a bite out for him. "Eat with me?"

  He leans forward and takes the chunk into his mouth, his tongue flicking against the food as he does. My mind immediately goes to filthy places and I bite my lip, determined not to stare at him like a creeper while he eats. He licks a spatter of broth off his tongue, then nods at me. "Eat more. I made it for you."

  I take another bite, but then offer him one again. "I can share. I'm not that hungry." I pause, because I realize I just lied. "Actually, let me try again. I am hungry, but I don't want you to skip eating. Not when there's plenty of food in the camp for both of us." When he hesitates, I add, "And I like sharing with you."

  That decides him. A'tam takes another bite, smiles, and moves a little closer to me.

  And it makes me…happy. Happy that I confessed my true thoughts, because I'm trying, and happy that we're being so easy together, sharing a meal and just talking like a normal couple. Maybe we can do this after all.

  32

  BRIDGET

  We polish off the food, sharing little bites back and forth. It's not the best-tasting meal I've had since I got here, but somehow it's my favorite. I can't stop smiling over at A'tam as he takes the empty bowl and rinses it out, then tidies up around the fire. I drain my water, hand him the cup. It's still early, with the suns barely set, but I don't feel like joining the others near the main fire or hanging out at the longhouse. I want to stay here with A'tam, and in our snuggly little hut, being cozy with one another.

  I hug my legs to my chest as he sits next to me, silent. He pokes the fire with a stick, then glances over at me. "Tea?"

  "No, thank you. I'm good."

  Awkward silence falls again. I peek over at A'tam, but he doesn't say anything. I start to worry that maybe this isn't a quiet little evening at home. Maybe he's going to tell me something I don't want to hear, and I start to panic. "I wish you'd say something," I blurt out after a moment. "You're making me anxious."

  He gives me a sheepish look. "I was trying to remember how you wished for me to say your name."

  Oh. "Bridget." The one on my birth certificate is longer, with two middle names and a last name that's hyphenated, but none of that seems to matter much anymore. I'd be ecstatic with just “Bridget” here.

  His lips purse. "Br—" He pauses. "It is a struggle for me. I want to honor you with the right inflection, but you do not like it."

  "I don't mind an inflection," I say, turning to him. "Not if the rest of it is pronounced right."

  "Then teach me." A'tam touches me under my chin. "Let me see your mouth as you say it."

  I lift my head so I can demonstrate. His intense scrutiny on my mouth makes me flustered, and by the time I repeat my name twice, I'm getting distracted by things other than pronunciations. Things like his hand on my chin, and what we did last night. Things like my khui singing wildly in my breast, drowning out everything outside of the hut.

  "Br'chit," he manages, stumbling over the “G” sound in the middle of my name. A'tam says it again, and there's a definite “chit” instead of “shit.”

  I'll take it. I beam at him, beyond thrilled. Such a small thing to be called the right name, but it makes me so damn happy. "That's so much better. Thank you." My eyes prick with happy tears. "It means a lot to me."

  "I did not realize it bothered you so much," A'tam says, his expression stricken. "I did not listen when you said it did."

  "It just…makes me feel like everyone's laughing at me when you say it. I'm sensitive to that sort of thing." I shrug, hugging my chest. Now I'm feeling overly touchy, like I'm the problem and I'm making too big of a deal about things.

  "It is my fault," A'tam says. "You told me and I did not listen."

  "You're listening now," I say softly. "And I appreciate it."

  He looks over at me, and my breath catches in my throat. There's such an intense hunger in his gaze, and a loneliness, too. Like he misses me even though I'm sitting right here next to him. Weirdly, I relate to that. I feel the same way.

  "Last night made me happy," A'tam says in a low voice. He takes my hand in his, glancing over at me. When I don't pull away, he begins to stroke my palm, his fingers trailing over my hand and up my arm. "I did not mind that it was not about me, because I liked giving you pleasure. And I liked falling asleep with you in my arms, and waking up beside you."

  A'tam's big, callused fingers are doing wild things to my inside. The way he traces his fingers up and down the inside of my wrist, up to my elbow, it makes my pulse race and my khui sing even louder. My nipples rub against the front of my tunic, and everything inside me is on high alert. I'm afraid to speak, because I don't want to ruin this moment, and my mouth always ruins things.

  So I'm quiet.

  "Will you stay tonight?" A'tam asks.

  I nod, watching him.

  "Will you…let me kiss you?" He asks this in a hushed voice, as if he's afraid of my answer.

  I hesitate for a fraction of a moment. "Yes. I just…I'm a little afraid of doing more."

  "I did not ask to do more," A'tam says. His fingers slide over my arm. "I asked for kisses."

  "No, I know," I say, feeling a bit like a jerk. "It's just…you will ask for more. Resonance will make sure that happens."

  He lightly runs his thumb over my wrist. "We will take our time, you and I. We will take as long as we need. I would rather have soft, happy Br'chit in my arms than quiet and miserable B'shit."

  I melt all over again, because it's just about the sweetest thing he's ever said to me. "You…are you sure you don't mind waiting?"

  A'tam shakes his head. "I would do anything for you. Surely you know that." He leans in just a little, his gaze going to my mouth, but he doesn't kiss me. Instead, he just watches my lips, my face, my body. "I did not know that I hurt you. I thought…I thought you were saying things to wound me or to mock me. I did not realize that I truly gave you pain."

  "I didn't say anything," I whisper, entranced by his nearness.
"I should have. I need to learn to speak up when something bothers me. It's just…hard. But I swear I'm trying."

  "We will try together," he tells me, a hint of his usual impish nature curving his mouth. He leans in, and when I don't pull away, he brushes his lips ever so lightly against mine.

  I whimper at the butterfly-soft kiss. Warmth rolls through me, languid and wonderful. I tilt my face toward his, wanting more of those light, fluttery kisses. His mouth dances over my face, peppering kisses across my skin. It's the most wonderful sensation, and I feel cherished and loved and so damn content each time his lips brush over me.

  "My fierce little kaari," he whispers. "Can I still call you that?" His fingers graze over the inside of my arm, sending goosebumps up my spine. "Or does it bother you, as well?"

  "I don't mind it. I just don't know what a kaari is." I rub my nose against his when he pauses in his caresses, hungry for more. Tender, gentle A'tam? I don't think I could ever get enough of this. "Is it ugly?"

  He chuckles, his breath ghosting over my sensitive skin. Strangely enough, I like the scent of his breath. It smells a little of dinner, but more than that, it smells like warmth and like him, and I adore it, just like I adore the way he's touching me right now. "I did not call you my kaari because you look like one, remember? It is because they are fierce and stubborn, just like you."

  "Right, right. You couldn't, I don't know, think of me more like a flower or something?"

  A'tam laughs, delighted at my comment. "Flowers are weak, fragile things. You are far too clever and strong to be a flower."

  Okay, when he puts it like that, I don't hate it. I slide my hand against his neck, stroking his skin. He's warm, his skin velvety soft against mine, and I can't resist petting him, just a little. His skin is fascinating to me, soft to the touch and yet able to camouflage in an instant. I kind of want to touch him everywhere, but I shut that thought down. I'm not ready for that. Not yet.

  My big alien brushes his nose against mine once more, as if he just wants to rub on me. His lips skate over mine, and then he pauses, hovering over my mouth, as if waiting for permission.

  I wrap my arms around his neck and close the distance between us, kissing him back.

  The gentleness changes as our mouths meet over and over again. Hunger creeps in, and when his tongue strokes into my mouth, I meet it with a moan of pleasure. My body is alive as I press against him, his warmth stealing through my clothing. I love the way I fit against him, love the way his big arms hold me tight. I love how I feel small and fragile against his big body, but I'm somehow in control. And as our kisses grow more frantic, the need inside me turns from a low-burning fire into an inferno.

  I'm panting as he pulls away from our kissing and regards me. He's panting a little, too, his expression heavy-lidded with arousal, his lips parted. He leans in and nips at my lower lip, as if he can't resist kissing me, and then moves away.

  "W-where are you going?" I protest, my entire body throbbing with need. "A'tam?"

  My mate moves quickly to the far side of the hut and then returns a moment later. I'm so focused on his face that it takes me a moment to realize he's got Steph's secrets stick in his hand. He presses it into my grip, his expression asking a silent question.

  "Oh," I say, flummoxed. "Are…we doing this right now?"

  "I want to kiss you," he tells me, his tone fervent as he drops down to sit next to me again. "I want to kiss you all over. I want to touch you." He nudges the stick that's in my hand. "But I need you to tell me if I do something you do not like."

  "Oh," I say again.

  "Do you trust me? Can we do this?" He takes my hand, presses a kiss on my palm. "If you want to wait, I will. But I would like to try, if you would like it."

  I hesitate. "What…what specifically do you want to try?"

  "Just kisses for now," A'tam says. His gaze is utterly earnest as he watches me. "But you must hold the secrets stick and tell me if I do poorly. I would want the truth from you, my fierce little kaari. Even if it scares you."

  Because I hate being vulnerable. Right. I stare down at the staff in my hand. It's about a foot long, braided with simple leather thongs. It's just a dumb stick, I tell myself. It's no big deal. Any girl would kill to have her lover want pointers in bed, so why am I hesitant?

  I just don't want things to go wrong when they're so pleasant right now.

  It's a cowardly way of thinking, of course. If we're going to get anywhere together, I need to be a little braver and acknowledge that he's trying very hard, and I can do the same. "All right," I tell him in a shuddering voice. "Just kisses for now."

  He grins at me, his expression so boyish and thrilled that I feel as if I've given him a prize. I smile back, and when he indicates I should lie back in the furs, I do so. This will be fine, I promise myself. It's just kisses. The club-sized dick is staying in his loincloth.

  33

  BRIDGET

  A'tam takes my hand in his—the one not holding the silly secrets stick—and presses a kiss to my knuckles. "Did you like that?"

  I have to giggle, just a little. "Are you going to ask me about every kiss?"

  He grins back down at me. "Why not?"

  Why not indeed.

  A'tam kisses my knuckles again, his lips brushing over my skin. "Well? You did not answer."

  Right. "I like it. It's a little ticklish, but it's nice."

  He grins at me, like he's accomplished something special, and kisses the back of my hand. "And that one?"

  "Still nice."

  He flips my hand over and kisses the inside of my wrist, his beard tickling my skin. His teeth graze against my flesh and goosebumps prickle up my body. "You smell good," he tells me in a low voice. "I could drink in your scent all day long and never grow tired of it."

  Fascinated, I watch as he runs his lips over the inside of my wrist again, then begins to kiss up my arm. More goosebumps move along my skin, but I don't think I could pull away even if I tried. I'm too fascinated by what he's doing. He's gentler and far more tender than I ever thought he could be, pressing tiny kisses up to the crook of my elbow, where the bell of my sleeve tightens and prevents him from going any further. He looks up at me as he kisses my outstretched arm, and his expression sends heat pulsing through me. "How are these kisses?"

  "Good ones," I breathe. I can't stop watching his mouth move over my skin. Man, when A'tam decides he's going to slow down, he really goes all in. "Really good."

  He presses another kiss to the crook of my elbow, then gives me a sly, fanged grin. "I have run out of skin to kiss." He sets my arm down and moves closer to me, leaning in. "Perhaps I will move to a different spot. Is this all right?"

  "You don't have to keep asking me with every kiss. I'll tell you if you get something wrong." It's getting a little ridiculous.

  "Do I not?" he asks, tapping a hand on my shoulder and indicating I should lie back in the furs. When I do, he continues. "Do we not have this stick of secrets because of such problems?"

  "Okay, good point," I mutter, as he places the stick on my belly in a quiet reminder that I'm a big part of the problem here (if not the biggest problem). I settle into the soft bedding, noticing that it's fluffier and far more pleasant than last night. Another one of A'tam's changes? I don't have time to ask because he leans over me, his mouth skimming my cheekbones even as his thick hair falls around us like a curtain.

  Who cares about blankets when you're being butterfly-kissed within an inch of your life?

  I close my eyes, smiling as his breath fans over my skin, his plush lips gently caressing my face. He really does have the best mouth, I decide. All soft and pillowy and just so nice for kissing…or being kissed.

  He moves over my face, skimming just about everything except my mouth. My nose, my brows, my forehead, my cheeks—everything is covered in soft, gentle kisses. I tip my face toward his with each kiss, trying to get him to go to my lips, but he only chuckles and asks if these kisses are satisfactory.

  By the
time he lifts his head, I'm whimpering in frustration. The kisses are achingly sweet, but perhaps too sweet. My khui is making a racket in my chest, demanding that I get more than just a few little pecks. It wants me to get down to business. "A'tam," I breathe. "More."

  He gathers my hair and pulls it back, and then moves to my neck.

  I moan, arching my throat as he nips at my skin. Okay, so far, the neck kisses are my favorite. His teeth graze my skin with just enough pressure to make my body respond, and those harder bites are soothed by his gorgeous mouth and hot tongue. "And are these kisses what you want?" he asks, but there's a hint of arch amusement in his voice. He knows exactly what I think of these particular kisses.

  "I'm going to beat you with this truth stick if you keep asking me that," I pant. "Did you or did you not just hear me moan your name?" Even as I complain, he dips low and his tongue skates over my ear, and then I'm lost all over again. "Oh fuck, A'tam, that's so good."

  He growls low in his throat, his tongue flashing against my earlobe for a brief taste before he nips with his teeth again. "I need more, my pretty mate. Can I take your tunic off of you? Or is that too much?"

  "It's good," I pant. "Good."

  A'tam helps me sit up, and then we're both frantically pulling at my tunic. Thank god I didn't wear a fitted one today. The tightest parts are the sleeves, and I raise my arms over my head so he can haul the whole thing off of me. A'tam tosses it into a corner of the hut and gazes down at me, his eyes possessive and hungry.

  I shiver under that fiery gaze. My torso is bare and even though it's not cold in the hut, I still feel my body prickling all over with nervous goosebumps. My nipples are like rocks, too, and I fight the urge to cross my arms over my breast-band once his gaze falls there. It occurs to me that despite all the petting and kissing and even the sex we've had—this is the first time A'tam's taken a closer look at my body.