Chapter 19 - Taz
I was a little, teeny, weeny bit drunk. In my defense, as soon as I told Dargo I was staying, his eyes had lit up with such an unholy heat that I'd dived into his booze just to hide.
Whatever it was that aliens drank, it worked on humans and tasted like ass. I figured one more good chug of whatever this nasty stuff was and I'd be in the right state of mind for whatever I'd gotten myself into.
I wasn't getting into bed with him against my will.
Far from it, between several days of blatant seduction from Dargo and that one inhibition-destroying kiss, I was in a near-constant state of arousal around him. That didn't mean I was mentally prepared for the actual act of sex.
I was a pessimist, but I didn't lie to myself.
I wanted Dargo, I just didn't have the balls to go into this sober.
Blame it on my virginity, the fact that he wasn't even human, or the circumstances of our meeting, it all shook out the same.
I needed another drink to turn my brain off and make this happen.
"Fill me up." I nudged the empty cup into Dargo's ribs and almost bit my tongue off when he gave me the world’s filthiest grin. "Not like that!"
His smile didn't dim despite the screechy pitch my voice had taken and he quickly dunked the cup into a giant barrel and handed it back to me, piss-colored alcohol sloshing over the sides. I grimaced as I took it back, wishing I hadn't seen the super unsanitary punch bowl.
Eh, it was alcohol, it was self cleaning, like soap, right? Then again, would I be comfortable using soap after watching the whole camp scrub down with the same bar?
Eager to make my mind shut up, I gulped down another mouthful and wondered if they'd fermented straight garbage to make it.
Again, it didn't matter.
I let my eyes wander around the tent as I nursed the last half of my drink.
The party seemed to be in full swing now that the meat was gone.
Hope had returned with me and she was sitting on Aeko's lap watching as two males locked horns and attempted to throw each other to the ground in a complicated move that involved both legs and a lot of stomping.
The battle seemed to be their version of an arm wrestle and the crowd was cheering them on. I didn't know how they could tell who was winning. It all looked like a big red blur to me, but maybe that was the booze.
I watched as Hope's alien leaned down and kissed her, his hair falling over her shoulder and blending in with her platinum tresses like a freaking painting. They were so cute together, it turned my stomach.
At least she seemed happy, and in love. I had a hard time wrapping my head around loving someone you'd known for just a few days.
Hearts were hard to heal, and while I didn't begrudge Hope her happiness, I didn't see myself trusting Dargo with my feelings so soon.
Shaking my head, I tried to push the thought away.
Agreeing to be Dargo's mate wasn't about love.
When I'd made my deal, it had been about saving my friends, and now it was a matter of finding my place in a world turned on its head.
It didn't hurt that I liked him. He was an ass, but I appreciated his boldness and the way he didn't flinch away from my temper. Anyone who signed up for full-time Taz would have to take my personality in stride. I wasn't the sort of girl that could put a lid on how I felt.
Right now I was torn between excitement and anxiety about where this night was headed. I knew he wanted sex, he'd been clear about that since the moment we'd met. The girls had been adamant that he wasn't trying to put a notch in his bedpost and move on.
I had a hard time believing any guy was ready to settle down after one kiss and a hostage situation, but looking at the alien partiers around me, I couldn't deny I was in a very different culture than I was used to.
Taking a deep breath, I mentally girded my loins and grabbed Dargo’s arm.
“I’m ready for bed.” If I waited any longer, I was either going to get sloppy drunk or talk myself out of this, and I really wanted to see what being with Dargo would be like.
He took my empty cup and chucked it over his shoulder.
“After you,” he murmured in my ear. I shivered as his breath skated over my neck and woozily headed toward the opening of the tent.
We walked in silence through the camp. Dargo looped an arm around my shoulders, and I realized I liked the casual contact. My heart was pounding as he directed me to a small tent on the edge of camp, even smaller than the one he’d fixed me up in.
One side was reinforced with sheets of metal and the roof was a slope of canvas that barely reached his head. I paused for a moment outside and he leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of my head and my heart did a weird little stutter.
I was really doing this.
Ducking inside, I smoothed my clammy hands down my shirt and bit my lip. The air was heavy with expectation and I had a sudden fear this was all some huge joke. There was no way he really wanted to be my mate.
We’d just met and I wasn’t the most likable person. Who picked the girl that threatened to torture them?
The small tent felt claustrophobic as Dargo crowded me forward and I wobbled as I took a step toward the makeshift bed of blankets in the corner. My knees trembled and I slowly lowered myself until I was kneeling on the bed.
Dargo grabbed a wide metal bowl from outside, stirring a pile of glowing coals inside until they lit up the small space with a gentle orange glow. He set the bowl down in the middle of the tent and turned to face me.
“You’re sure?” he asked, sounding almost as nervous as I felt. “I don’t want to force you-”
“Get over here,” I snapped. If he backed out now, I’d never look at him again. I was too far in for either of us to get cold feet. “You wanted me, now you’ve got me.”
He flashed me a grin and flopped onto the bed beside me. Propping himself up on one elbow, he let his gaze slide over every inch of me.
“I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want you,” he purred.
I rolled my eyes even as his words made my stomach clench in anticipation. If this was what it was like to be wanted, I didn’t hate it.
“Not even your freedom?” There I went, saying the exact right thing to make everyone uncomfortable. I was about to give this male my virginity and I couldn’t even let him set a mood.
He cocked his head to the side and stroked my face. The callouses on his fingers rasped over my jaw and I found myself closing my eyes and leaning into the sensation.
“I didn’t dream of freedom. I didn’t ever expect to have it. But you, I’ve craved since I laid eyes on you. In just a few days, you’ve crawled inside my skin and I can’t breathe without wanting you under me.”
“Oh.” There was an ache growing in my core I’d never felt before. The nerves I’d been fighting for the last hour were rapidly being replaced by the desire to fall back into a kiss like the one at the truck. I licked my lips, unsure how to steer us toward just that scenario.
His eyes followed the motion hungrily and I grabbed his face, my hands barely big enough to cup his massive jaw.
Shocking myself, I leaned into him and pressed my mouth to his.
Dargo’s lips parted as if he’d been waiting for me to make the first move, and I marveled at how sensual the simple motion felt.
He fell back, pulling me over him as he kissed me. Hot hands roamed over my back, stripping my shirt off before I realized what was happening and then my bare breasts were pressed against his chest. The warmth of his naked skin blazed through me and I moaned into his mouth.
Dargo rolled over me, and I arched up into him, loving the weight of him crushing me into the ground.
I ran my hands down his sides, mapping out the slabs of muscle that covered him and he shuddered over me.
Trapping my head between his arms, he rolled his hips against me and I wrapped my legs around his waist.
My head was spinning, from the booze, from the way his touch was undoing my thoughts and the way his body trembled over mine as our kiss turned ferocious. I sucked on his lower lip, tracing the smooth flesh with my tongue and he groaned.
“You’re killing me,” he panted, pulling back. I stared up at him as he rolled his hips again and grinned down at me.
“This moment is worth every battle that brought me here. I’m never letting you go, little Firebrand.”
Just like every time he called me that, I felt a little bit of myself melt at the endearment. But now that warmth felt so much more dangerous.