Page 30 of Errik

“Thank you, Errik.” She rose on her tiptoes, trying to place a kiss on his cheek. But he was too damn tall. Laughing, she grabbed hold of his shirt collar, pulled him down, and finally gave him that kiss.

A purring growl emanated from his throat. Still leaning down, he turned his head, aligning his mouth with hers. He grasped her face and kissed her soundly as the voices of passersby drifted upward, the birds chirped in the nearby trees, and a hum filled the air as a transport glider passed overhead.

After he withdrew from the kiss and straightened, Holly found herself flushed and breathless. A fervent ache had also built between her thighs.

The huge alien male gave her a knowing look.

“If you can control your urges for a little while, my darling mate, I will fetch your luggage from my ship and then give you a tour of our house.”

His green eyes glimmered brighter. Playfully. Even though his words embarrassed her a bit, since she still wasn’t used to the fact that he would always know when she was aroused thanks to his keen Vaxxlian senses, her heart skipped a beat. Her pulse quickened too as the warm pulses in her core burned hotter.

“I can control myself just fine.” She stepped back, scoffed, and placed her hands on her hips. “That luggage isn’t going to fetch itself, you know.” Then she made an elaborate gesture at the boarding ramp of his cruiser.

His nostrils flared, he took a deep breath, and a low growl rumbled from his chest. “We will continue this conversation later, Holly. Perhaps you can wear those red panties for me again tonight? They’re clean. I tossed them in the clothing refresher this morning.” He winked at her… or at least he tried to. Then he spun on his heel and ascended the boarding ramp, his stride confident, his head held high.

She smiled at his attempt at a wink, wondering where he’d learned the human mannerism. Had she winked at him during the last twenty-four hours they’d known each other? She couldn’t remember. Since she’d awoken in the medical bay aboard his ship, time had passed in a pleasant blur of conversation, touching, and mating.

As she waited for him to return with her luggage, she turned her attention back to the city. Though she hadn’t yet taken a tour of his house, from the roof it seemed as though Errik’s home was larger than most. It was taller than the houses around it. Wider too.

She couldn’t help but wonder how he had afforded such a grand home. He’d confessed that he was an orphan raised in a group home. That meant he likely didn’t have any family money. And if the pay rate for Vaxxlian warriors was high enough to allow them to afford grand houses such as the one she was standing on, wouldn’t all the homes in Starzzia be this large?

Did Errik have another job aside from being a warrior?

Her face heated when she realized she hadn’t asked. Guilt crept in because he’d asked her lots of questions about her past, especially her time on the road as she explored North America and attempted to make it as an influencer. Damn. She really needed to make a point to learn more about him. Yes, he was exceedingly thoughtful and affectionate, but she couldn’t ignore the faraway look that sometimes entered his eyes.

Something told her he had secrets.

Were those secrets related to his current job or a past career?

Did they have something to do with his scars?

She turned at the sound of footsteps on the boarding ramp.

A heated flush overcame her at the sight of Errik carrying her luggage effortlessly down the ramp, his well-defined muscles bulging. God. His biceps were nearly as large as his brawny thighs. Did he train hard, or was he just naturally this muscular?

“You’re blushing, my darling mate.” He attempted another wink, but he closed his eye far too slowly, and his other eye squinted in a comical way that revealed he wasn’t used to the gesture. It warmed her heart all the same.

“Well, can you blame me? It’s rather hot outside and you took your sweet time getting my luggage.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, stood taller, and tried to give him a haughty look… only to break into a smile a moment later.

When he returned her grin, she thought she heard music. Okay, in all fairness, it was the birds chirping in the forest, but it counted. The chirping just sounded more melodious as he smiled at her. The massive green trees that towered over his house also appeared more vibrant, the air smelled more fragrant, and the distant sound of a rushing river sounded more soothing.

He nodded toward a closed door. “That way,” he said. “I just turned off the security system on our house remotely, and it’ll open automatically if you approach it.”

Our house. Hearing him say those two words again in a casual sentence made her throat burn. She didn’t understand why she was becoming so emotional. Perhaps it was simply that for so long she’d been searching for something. During her travels, she always told herself she was in search of adventure and new places, but she was starting to wonder if that wasn’t the full truth. What then, had she been searching for during her years on the road?

A real home? A place where she belonged? A caring male?

A sense of peace?

Realizing she’d stood in place for too long, she snapped out of her trance and headed for the doorway. Sure enough, the door zipped open upon her approach, just as Errik said it would. She wondered about the security system he’d mentioned. She’d thought New Vaxx was a safe place, and she was surprised to learn about the security system.

Dr. Rowan’s warning that Vaxxlian males were possessive and overly protective came to mind, and for one brief moment, she worried it was meant to keep her locked inside.

But no. When she glanced over her shoulder, meeting her mate’s green eyes, she didn’t sense that level of restrictiveness from him. He wouldn’t keep her locked up. He would let her do as she pleased and go wherever she wanted. At least that was what she kept telling herself. The alternative—that the security system was a means to control her—was too unnerving to entertain.

Once she reached the bottom of the first set of stairs, she emerged on a well-illuminated landing. She glanced from side to side and even above her as she took in the large windows and skylights. Wow. The arched ceiling rose high above her. Some of the branches from the tallest trees touched the skylights, though none prevented the sunlight from pouring inside. Such a wide-open space…

She turned in a circle, taking it all in.