Chapter 23
Holly
What had she done wrong?
It was easy to get in the groove while dancing among the domini.
No one was concerned with how they looked and more than a few looked absolutely silly.
But that seemed to be the fun of dancing.
Only a few made it look professional and pretty and those partners didn’t seem to be having nearly as much fun as the ones who tripped and fell trying to dodge a touch.
With that kind of energy around her, Holly relaxed really quickly, and she found herself thrown into the impromptu movements with full enthusiasm.
Then, suddenly, everyone was staring.
Immediately, her insecurities rose. Did she look that odd? She didn’t think she had been doing it so wrong that everyone had to look at her like that.
But then Romival was growling. Anger written clear over his face. And Holly froze, unsure what she had done to make him so mad.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted instantly.
Romival frowned. “What?”
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She shook her head quickly and hurried away from the dance floor, eager now to escape. To try to figure out what just happened.
She didn’t get far before Romival was back by her side. He said nothing, just watched her curiously, as she sped walked through the crowds until she found a shadowy corner, out of the reach of the lights but still covered from the rain, to hide in.
She blew out a long breath, pacing in the tiny space between what appeared to be a storage shed, the back wall of restrooms, and the railing on the side of the plaza. It formed a tiny, shadowy alleyway that she hid within as Romival stood in the entrance.
“Holly?”
“I’m sorry!” She said again, her face burning. “I don’t know what I did. Was I moving weird? Did it look stupid? Oh, god, I’m so embarrassed.”
“Holly,” he rushed forward as she spoke so quickly her words tumbled over each other. “Easy. Easy. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Everyone was staring…”
“They were enraptured.”
She snorted, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, sure. Come on, Romi. Use a better line.”
“What does this mean?” He asked, rolling his own eyes, the movement awkward when he did it. But only with his lower two eyes, his third eye remained firmly on her.
“It’s a sign of mockery and disbelief.” She crossed her arms, trying to hold her humiliation in. “Just tell me what I did wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything.”
“Was it that bad?”
“Holly,” he fixed her with a stern look that cut through her mild panic. “You did nothing wrong. They were staring because you are an inherently sexual being and they are aroused by you.”
“What?” She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You and the other human females. We’ve all noticed. They couldn’t help but stare.”
“Stare at what?” Why did she feel like they were having two different conversations?
“You’re movements. The way your hips…” His voice trailed off as he stared at her with undisguised hunger that immediately sent a flash of heat through her.
“My hips… You mean, when I was moving them?” She did it again, halfheartedly, just to demonstrate, and saw Romival’s hand twitch as he fought back the urge to grab her. And when he spoke, his voice was lower, that sexy purr rumbling through it.
“Exactly that. Have you any idea how that looks? How incredible your movements are? I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a sensual female species.”
Holly’s mouth moved, but no words came out. She wasn’t at all prepared for him to say that. She didn’t even really have hips to shake. The motions had just come automatically as she got into the dance, and she felt the music take her away.
But there was no deception in the naked hunger blazing in Romival’s shining, blue eyes as he stared like he wanted to devour her right there. She trembled, squeezing her thighs together as her body reacted to that look.
“It really wasn’t even that…” Holly bit her lips nervously. “You’re not just lying to me? They weren’t staring at me because I looked weird?”
Romival’s sexy growl ratcheted it up another notch as he stepped towards her. She froze like a deer in headlights as he stood over her, his chest just barely touching hers.
“You are the most desirable creature I’ve ever seen, vi Vakara. That you have no idea just how beautiful and sensual you are baffles me.”
“Must be… an alien thing,” she breathed, stunned by his intensity.
“That was my thought.” He reached up and cupped her face in his hands, staring down at her as though mesmerized. “You must be so used to it on your planet that it doesn’t even register as an odd thing to you.”
“I mean,” she let out a shuddering breath, holding onto his wrists. “I bet you didn’t realize just how battle hungry your people were until you joined the greater universe.”
He chuckled. “True. You never know exactly how your species appears until you’ve had the chance to compare it to another species. Believe me, vakara, your species is going to be known for its blatant sexuality. If even half of what they say about you is true…”
Holly pouted. “How did those rumors even get out?”
Romival chuckled closing the gap between their lips. He kissed away her insecurities, once again pulling her up to him. The tension in her calves as she stood on her toes made her shake as she put everything into the kiss. Eager to feel him against her.
Aside from the whole staring incident – and she still wasn’t sure she believed Romival about the sexy human thing – tonight was going amazingly.
She was having a great time. Seeing a part of domini culture that was completely new and, at the same time, wonderfully familiar.
This might not have been a holiday she celebrated, but the vibe was a combination between a street fair, New Years, and Halloween in one big, fun party.
And while she heard people cheering and laughing and upbeat, happy music was playing just feet away, she made out with her sexy wizard alien in the shadows.
He pressed her against the back of the storage shed, picking her up to rest her thighs around his hips, but not lifting her up so high that her head was above his.
He still leaned over her, dominating her as he stroked her thighs through the slit in her dress that had fallen open.
“How long must this date go on?” He asked, his entire body vibrating with his purring growl.
“What?” She replied dumbly. He had kissed her stupid, and even after asking the question, he wasn’t giving her any space to breathe or think. He continued to kiss her, wet and sloppy and eager for more as his hips humped her against the wall.
“How many times must we have a date before you are satisfied?” He groaned, his lips trailing past her lips, towards her ear. “How long must I wait for you?”
She laughed breathlessly, completely distracted by his continued, dry thrusts. The repeated pressure was driving her insane. “Th-There’s no set number.”
“Give me a timeline. Please,” he begged, his fingers digging into her ass where he held her up. “A tenday. Two. Ten. Just give me an estimate.”
“Romi, that’s not…” She trembled against him, feeling her orgasm building. There was no way. She couldn’t come in public. Where anyone could see her. It didn’t matter that there wasn’t actual penetration, they were still making the motions.
And he was somehow trying to get an intelligent answer from her.
“I can work with an estimate,” he continued, ruthlessly pounding her towards climax. “We can change it if you need, just tell me when I can invite you to my den. Tell me when I can claim you as my mate. Holly, you own me, just tell me what I must do.”
The words, as much as the frantic motions, broke her apart. She came with muffled squeak as Romival slammed his hand over her mouth at the last second. She trembled and shook against him as her nails dug into his bare arms.
He was a statue in front of her. Muscles tense, body still. Letting her ride out her climax against him without taking his own.
Again.
She called his name, muffled behind his hand. He pulled it away and replaced it with his lips, kissing her hungrily, but his hips were still now.
“You… You didn’t,” she gasped, looking between their bodies. She felt her own wetness, but not the heat of his.
“I can’t,” he growled, his voice hard with tension. “It will be a mess. There will be no hiding it.”
A mess? How much did he come? She wanted to know. She wanted it all over her. Inside her. She wanted to find out just how big a mess he could make.
“If I ask… to go to your den,” she started slowly, making his eyes flash with interest. “What does that mean? That’s not the-the claiming. Right?”
He growled in approval, nipping at her jaw. “It means you’ve agreed to be my pleasure mate. My loviri. It’s not the claiming. But I will take anything you give me.”
“Then… Maybe-”
“First Scholar Romival!”
She jumped as Romival’s growl turned annoyed. The feminine voice that interrupted their moment made Holly freeze as she looked towards the entrance to their alley. They might have been in shadows, but that hardly meant they were hidden.
It was too bad Romival was looking away, glaring at the female that was scowling at them, her fists clenched tight, because he would have greatly appreciated the red shade she felt herself turning at being caught in such a position.
“Second Scholar,” he said, his tone more a warning than a greeting.
It wasn’t until he identified her that Holly realized she recognized the female. Ryna, the one who was always chasing after Valorii. For a terrifying second, she thought she – or Romival – might be in trouble for their little not-so-secret moment.
But then she pointed at him dramatically and declared-
“My time has officially run out. I challenge you for your position!”
“Ryna, I’m rather busy,” Romival replied, still holding Holly up despite her increasingly fervent pats against his shoulder for him to put her down.
“Then you forfeit to me?” She snarled.