Love Galaxy (The Intergalactic Dating Show #1)

Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Briar

I t feels like the most natural thing in the world to kiss Sorin. It’s just a quick kiss. Light. Barely touching my lips to his scales. Something to distract us both from the heartbreak of our conversation.

And it’s a strategy that probably would’ve worked, were Sorin a Human man. But Sorin is Sorin, and his whole body stiffens. I swear I actually see the moment when his green scales transition into being blue, while his gaze is locked on my lips, unblinking.

I’m blushing too, my face hot, and I’m suddenly hyperaware of all the parts of his body that are touching mine. His shoulders where my arm lays. His chest against which my side is pressed. His thighs, twice as thick as mine, under my ass.

“What was that?” he asks, his voice hoarse.

“Just a kiss.” I flutter my eyelashes, trying to keep the flirty vibe alive. But I’m long out of practice, and he’s too busy staring at my mouth to notice.

“K-iss,” he repeats, as if practicing a new word. “Kiss.”

“I guess it must be a Human thing.” I attempt a shrug. “It’s what… ” friends do is how I’d been going to finish that sentence, but the words shrivel up and die under the intensity of his serious expression.

“It is what Mates do.” Although not framed as a question, it’s clear that’s what he’s asking.

“Mates? Oh, right. You mean married couples.” My heart’s racing. My hands are sweaty. If I’d thought the cart had felt small earlier, it’s nothing compared to how cramped I’m suddenly feeling. There’s not even a red smash glass in case of emergency sign. No exit from the cart; no exit from this conversation. “Yeah, it’s something Mates like to do. It’s also what people do when they’re deciding if they’d like to mate a particular person or not.” I hurry on. “Or sometimes kissing is for fun, when two people aren’t serious but enjoy spending time together.”

“Akh.” He clamps his mouth shut, like he’s seriously considering what I’ve said.

I’m seriously considering what I said. If I’d had more time to practice, if I’d rehearsed, I could have done a much better job of explaining.

Are Humans really the only species to kiss? Did I freak Sorin out by touching him with my lips? Maybe for him that’s a giant taboo. Maybe I’ve thrown him insults after injury without even realizing.

“Why did you kiss me?” he asks, breaking the very awkward silence and my downward spiral into overthinking. “Because we are Mates? Because you are thinking about being my Mate? Or for fun?”

The way he says for fun makes it very clear he’s not having any fun at all.

“Umm… ” Why the fuck did I only give him three explanations?! There are so many more things a kiss could mean.

Possibly: I felt like it.

Like: Thanks for looking after me.

Or: You’re so adorable when you blush.

Even: I’ve been kidnapped by aliens and dumped on this planet in the middle of God-only-knows where. I’m feeling lost and confused and overwhelmed. I don’t have a good plan for escaping yet, and I’ve been separated from the only other Humans in outer space, AND I felt like it, AND you’re adorably hot, AND thank you for looking after me.

Instead of answering him, I take the coward’s way out and kiss him again. This time on the lips. Yes, I know I’m potentially making this entire situation a hundred times worse, but maybe this second kiss will wordlessly make it clear to him (and to me) what the first kiss meant. Maybe the first kiss got a tiny bit lost in translation.

Because I didn’t just kiss him ’cause I’m looking for fun. But I’m also not looking for a Mate. Not even one as wonderful as Sorin.

Right?

Right! I silently answer myself even as I sink more fully into his embrace, his scales smooth and warm under my fingers.

He’s hesitant at first. And right as I’m realizing exactly what a fucked-up idea this was and preparing to pull away, he gently bites my bottom lip with his sharp teeth, sending a wave of tingles racing through my body.

Surprised, my mouth opens and our tongues touch, whether by design or by accident, I don’t care. And now we’re really kissing. It’s messy and uncoordinated and everything that’s supposedly wrong, with our noses bumping and our timing completely mismatched. But my toes are curling in delight, and I’m wrapping both my arms around his neck, twisting awkwardly as I try to more fully face him.

And then there’s a bulge pressing against the outer edge of my thigh where a bulge had not been a few moments before. I’m tempted to break our kiss so I can take a peek, infinitely curious. But the next second Sorin’s hands are pushing against my shoulders, and I’m sliding sideways.

I slide right off his knees and land in the footwell with a soft thump , partly squashing his booted feet, partly squashing my duffle bag.

“Briar!” Eyes wide, Sorin tries lifting me back up, but he’s too enthusiastic, lifts me too high in the confined space, and my head hits the domed room.

“Ouch.” I press a hand to the top of my head as Sorin releases me, and I drop back down into the footwell.

“Scudding fek! I am sorry. I hurt you.” He looks distraught, and I swear my heart melts.

“It’s fine,” I assure him, as he fussily helps me detach myself from the duffle bag and settle back onto his lap. Did he not like our kiss? Did he get embarrassed?

The red light on the dashboard catches my attention, and I wince. Mr. Smith is going to enjoy watching everything that just happened. He’s probably patting himself on the back right this minute in congratulations for setting up this whole messy situationship.

I swore I wasn’t going to let any future boss humiliate me, not after what happened with my last boss. Three months later, here I am, facing the very real possibility of being made an even bigger fool. On intergalactic TV.

“Blah blah blah blah,” I say in a childish voice, staring straight into the camera lens in an attempt to spoil the footage. “I was abducted by aliens for some dumbass fake dating show, and it’s all Mr. Smith’s fault.” And I stick out my tongue, spiteful in my protective wrath.

“It is not?—”

I turn back to Sorin in time to see him clamping his mouth shut.

“It’s what?” I examine his face, trying to understand his expression. His eyes really are green. Not like mine, which people call green but which are more of a swamp blue. Sorin’s are green green. Green like tree leaves, and they’re almost glowing in the semidarkness.

“It is not a fake show for me,” he finally says, his voice so quiet I’m guessing he doesn’t want the camera to hear. “And I did not kiss you because I thought it would be merely fun.”

“Oh.” I drop my shoulders, feeling like I’ve slapped a puppy.

Awkwardness settles over the cart like a thick winter blanket.

Of course the show is serious for Sorin. Literally no women live on this planet. I knew all of that. I forgot for a second. In my haste to fuck up Mr. Smith’s footage, I instead gave Sorin the metaphorical finger. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

He takes a deep breath, as if steeling himself. “I know not all aspects of the show are real. I understand there is a difference between what happens here with us and what John Smith will broadcast. And I would never have signed up to take part had I known you and the other Females would be abducted.”

“I know that.” I really do. My mouth is dry. My chest feels hollow. I never want to hurt Sorin’s feelings.

When it becomes clear Sorin isn’t planning on saying anything else, I twist on his lap to face the front again, my back pressed to his chest. I can feel how tense he’s sitting. Although he still has his arms around me, I think that’s more out of kindness than a desire to be close to me.

I want to bury my face in my hands. Instead, I stare relentlessly at the camera, trying to lay all the blame for me having insulted Sorin at Mr. Smith’s feet. Why did you think it was a good idea to snatch three women from their home? Why did he think I would make a good… girlfriend? Wife? Partner? Mate for Sorin?

Me, who can’t even get my own shit in order. Me, who didn’t leave one hippie commune to end up spending the rest of my life working as a farmer’s wife in the middle of fuck-all nowhere. Me, who wants nothing more than to abandon LOVE GALAXY and return home.

What home? my brain asks in a voice that sounds annoyingly like Chloe. Is home the apartment I was being evicted from? Is home the spare room of a work associate, all of whom no longer want to associate with my fired ass? Or the couch of one of the friends I’ve not spoken to in three months?

Why the fuck am I trying to get back to Earth? My life sucked. My landlord probably thinks I’ve skipped town to avoid paying my owing rent. My bank probably thinks I’ve run away so I don’t have to repay my overdrawn credit cards. My parents won’t have noticed I’m missing, and they probably won’t notice for ages. Years, maybe.

Oh God! Not now , I beg my brain. I really don’t want to be having this life crisis now. But it turns out it’s bloody hard work being kind to yourself when your entire world has been tipped upside down and you’ve got nobody to rely on.

Sorin, that voice in my head replies, sounding as bitchy as real-life Chloe and using a tone that makes it very clear she’s rolling her eyes at my stupidity. You can rely on Sorin.

I refocus my gaze on his reflection in the dark window. With his head turned away from me, I’m left examining what small slither of his face is currently visible to me.

Any woman would be lucky to have him as her Mate.

He’s kind. He’s handsome. And I can confirm he kisses with his whole focus. Just like when he looks at me, it feels like he’s seeing me and only me.

Maybe if I pulled my finger out of my ass— Maybe if I stopped trying to give LOVE GALAXY and Mr. Smith the stink eye— Maybe if I properly participated in the show, taking it and Sorin at face value, I might discover that Ril II has a lot more to offer than just windstorms.