Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Zingar
“This can’t be happening,” Bailey murmurs.
I turn her in my arms, keeping her as close as possible. Her face is nearly level with mine since I’m sitting on this low couch and she’s standing. “I know you’re shocked, Little one, but you feel the connection.”
She swallows hard, her eyes brimming with tears.
Sliding my hands up into her soft curls at the back of her head, I kiss her nose. I can’t resist. I need more of her. “I meant what I said, Little one. You will be protected and loved by me for centuries.”
“When I don’t answer my father’s text in the morning, he’s going to lose his mind.”
“Zack will handle your father,” I inform her.
She shakes her head. “He’ll probably come here with police.”
“Zack is prepared for that eventuality. It happens sometimes. We’ll be long gone by then.
Are you close to your father, Little one?
” There’s something odd about how she speaks of the man whom I assume raised her.
Something is off. She’s only mentioned how her father is going to feel.
Not once has she insinuated that she herself was upset about not seeing him again.
“Yes, but…”
“But…?” I lift a brow.
“He’s…overprotective. Controlling. I’m not permitted to go to clubs. When he finds out I tricked him and lied to come here, he’s…” Her voice trails off.
The keywords in her comment catch my attention.
She hasn’t seen overprotective and controlling yet.
I don’t care what her father did up until tonight to keep her under his thumb.
What she will have with me won’t even come close to resembling that relationship, but overprotective and controlling are my middle names.
It’s time to ease my mate’s nerves, so I slide one hand down to hers, lift her fingers to my lips, and hold her gaze as I kiss the tip of her pointer before piercing it with my quill.
“Ouch.” She tries to pull her hand out of my grasp, but I hold tight and prick the next two fingers in quick succession.
“What are you doing?”
“There’s a tiny quill behind my front teeth. I can use it to inject you with my serum. It will calm you.”
Her breathing relaxes as I speak. That’s how fast my essence works on her. She frowns. “I don’t like it. Don’t do it again.”
I smile. “That’s not for you to decide, Little one. Papi will prick your soft skin anytime I think it’s necessary.”
“Papi? You told my friends your name was Zingerrr.”
“Zingar,” I say, correcting her pronunciation a bit. “That is my name, but you will call me Papi, Little one. It’s customary among my people for our mates to call us Papi.”
She clears her throat. “Are you really going to take me to your planet?”
“Yes, Little one. We’re going upstairs to my apartment now.
We’ll spend some time together before a pod comes to take us to the mothership.
Once we’re there, the ship doctor will examine you to clear you for the trip.
We’ll most likely be on a transport vessel headed for Eleadia before your father wakes up in the morning. ”
“I’m scared.”
“I know you are. That’s normal. I’d be concerned if you weren’t. Shall we go upstairs now?” She doesn’t really have a choice, but I don’t want to make her feel even more trapped than she already does.
She glances over her shoulder toward the door. “Mary is probably freaking out.”
“Zack will make sure she gets home safely.”
Bailey leans into me, her small arms coming around my neck. “I feel strange,” she mutters.
“Your body is aligning with mine. You’ll feel closer and closer to me every minute, Little one.” I tuck an arm under her bottom and stand, lifting her into the air. Her feet dangle far from the floor as I hold her against me at eye level.
She leans her cheek against my neck as I turn to exit Zack’s office and reenter the club. I walk fast along the wall until I reach the door that leads to the elevators. Seconds later, we’re alone again in the hallway.
“It was loud in there,” Bailey whispers.
I chuckle. “Yes, Baby girl. Very loud. I’ve been here waiting for you for four nights. That music was very strange to my ears.”
She leans back to look at me as I step into the elevator. “Waiting for me?”
“Yes, Little one. Fate chose you for me. You were always mine, the one I came to Earth to find. It was just a matter of time before you came to Club Zoom so I could claim you.”
Her brow furrows. “You think Fate is a real thing?”
“I know it is.” The doors open again, and I step out into my temporary apartment, holding my girl close.
“For my people, it’s very obvious. The second you stepped into the club, I inhaled your scent and knew you were mine.
For humans that sensation is so foreign that you’re struggling to grasp what you’re feeling. Over time, you will understand.”
I move to an armchair and sit, angling my Little girl so she’s seated sideways on my lap.
She lowers her gaze. “This chair is huge.”
I smile. “All of the furniture in this apartment is larger. I’m seven and a half feet tall.”
“Are all of you really that tall?”
I nod. “Yes, and our homes are proportionately larger than the ones on Earth.” I don’t tell her that she won’t be permitted to climb on the furniture without me. She’s not ready for that information.
I’ve often privately snickered at how overprotective my friends are with their Little girls. Now that I’ve found my own, I understand. She’s already so precious to me that I grasp the need to instill dozens of rules to keep her safe.
“Tell me about your father, Little one,” I encourage. I want to know everything about her. Now is a good time to start. The next few hours will be challenging as I introduce her to customs she will undoubtedly balk at.
She sighs. “My mother died when I was a baby, so it’s always been just the two of us. He’s very strict.”
“He won’t like finding out you went to Club Zoom, I guess.”
“No. He will lose his mind when I don’t answer his phone call in the morning. He’ll come to the dorm to look for me and probably wake up the entire building when he finds me gone.” She shudders.
“Dorm?”
“I’m a student at the university. I live in the dorm with three roommates. I’m sure they’re panicking right now.”
“What were you studying, Little one?”
“Education. I’m supposed to be a teacher. My father thought that was an acceptable degree for a proper young woman.”
I don’t like her mocking, singsongy tone. It suggests she’s been disgruntled with her father for a very long time.
“Is that not what you wanted, Baby girl? To be a teacher?”
She scrunches up her nose. “Not really. I don’t…like kids.” She whispers that last part.
That’s helpful. I haven’t told her that she’ll never have any.
She draws in a deep breath and lets it out. “Children are sticky and loud. I’ve never wanted my own let alone a room full of them all day.”
I laugh. “We won’t have children, Little one.”
Her eyes widen. “We won’t?”
I shake my head. “Though we have many of the same characteristics and it appears that Eleadians are simply taller and broader than humans, we aren’t compatible enough to reproduce.”
My girl breathes out a sigh of relief. One hurdle down. But then she says, “Um, I’ve never even been on a date, Zingar.”
“Papi,” I correct her.
“Papi…”
I like the sound of that. “Don’t you worry, Little one. Everything that happens between us will come naturally.”
She sets her small hand on top of my large one on her thighs. “I feel like I’ve known you a long time. It’s so weird.”
“That’s the bond forming between us, Bailey.”
She looks at my lips. “Are you going to kiss me?”
“Is that what you want, Baby girl?” Fuck, she’s adorable.
She nods, but her cheeks turn a dark pink at the same time.
Sliding my hand up to the back of her head, I draw her face to mine and angle her head to one side.
The magnetic pull between us doubles when my lips touch hers. She’s mine, and I want to claim her in every way so badly I ache. Her mouth is soft, and I swallow the sigh that escapes her lips as I nibble on her before flicking my tongue out to taste her.
My girl parts her lips for me, instinct causing her to let me in. Every inch of my body comes more alive when our tongues tangle. It’s like we’re feeding each other. It’s heady and beautiful.
When I finally release her lips, my cock is so hard it’s threatening to bust the seams of my dress pants. I want to get out of them. I want to change into the comfortable, loose black pants I normally wear on Eleadia.
I want to strip my girl’s Earthly clothes off and bare her to me, too. Soon. I can tell already I won’t be able to go much longer without tasting more of her.
“Oh,” she murmurs.
I smile. “Yeah. You can feel the connection growing, can’t you, Little one?”
“Yes, Papi.”
Heavens, I love the sound of that endearment coming from my mate’s mouth.
She looks down. “I can’t believe I’m going to go to that spaceship. It seems so far away.” I suspect she’s trying to distract herself. What she’s feeling is foreign to her.
“The mothership. Yes. I suppose it seems far to you, but it’s nowhere near as far as my planet. It will take us six months to get there.”
Her head jerks up. “Six months?”
“Yes. You’ll spend that time in stasis. Humans aren’t strong enough to remain awake during the trip. It will seem like you went down for a nap and woke up a few hours later. For me, it will be an eternity, waiting for us to be together.”
“You’ll be awake while I’m asleep?”
“Yes. I’ll sleep normal hours and spend a lot of time watching you sleep.”
“What is your planet like?”
“It’s similar to Earth in many ways, but my people are not destroying the land and atmosphere like humans. We have cleaner air and eat healthier. We age slower and live much longer.”
She gasps. “I will, too?”
“Yes. Our scientists believe you will live as long as Eleadians. Centuries.”
Her entire spine straightens. “Centuries?” she squeals, incredulously. “You mentioned that earlier. I thought you were kidding.”
“Nope. We will live a very long time together, Little one.”
“What will I do? I didn’t finish my degree. Will I finish it there and be able to get a teaching job?”
I chuckle. “You told me you don’t like teaching or kids.”
Her cute face scrunches. “Yeah, but that’s all I’m qualified to do.”
Squeezing her fingers, I say, “You won’t work on Eleadia, Baby girl. For one thing, we don’t have teachers or schools like here because we don’t have children. Plus, no Little girl has a job there. There are a few who help out their Papis, but you won’t separate from me to go somewhere else.”
“Ever?”
“Nope. You’ll be near me at all times. Our bond will be very strong.
We will both feel agitated even when we’re in separate rooms. It’s very rare for mates to part for any reason.
I have an office in my home. Most of the time, I will work from that office while you sit near me where I can keep an eye on you. ”
She licks her lips. “What do you do?”
“I work for the government. I’m a councilman.
I help ensure that everything runs smoothly.
We make and adjust laws and rules. But it’s not like politicians on Earth.
Eleadians are peaceful people. Rules are in place to keep everyone safe and happy.
We don’t have a party system. We aren’t corrupt like most governments on Earth.
A few weeks after we return, I will go back to work, but it won’t disrupt our lives much. ”
She stares intently into my eyes, absorbing what I’ve told her. Our bond is growing. I’m itching to press my skin against hers. It’s time to listen to that call and show my mate more about what it will mean to be mine.
I don’t even have to prompt her because suddenly she asks, “Will you kiss me again, Papi?”
Gladly. I draw her closer and kiss her deeply. This time I suck gently on her lips and tongue, eventually scraping my teeth against her soft flesh. As we kiss, I rise, keeping her against me, and carry her out of the living room and into the bedroom.
Without breaking the connection, I lower her to the middle of the enormous bed and climb over her, hovering on my elbow so I won’t crush her.
Her small hands come to the front of my dress shirt and smooth over my chest.
I’m still wearing my suit, including the jacket, and I need it gone.
My girl is panting as I release her lips to rise up onto my knees, straddling her thighs. I hold her gaze while I shrug out of my jacket and then quickly tug off the tie and work on the buttons down the front of my shirt.
Bailey watches me, never looking away. She licks her swollen lips. “You’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”
I grin as I toss my shirt to the side. I want these pants off, too, but she’s not ready for that. “Thank you, Little one. I’m glad you find me attractive.”
She gives a little snort and rolls her eyes. “Attractive? That’s kind of a mild word for your godly looks. I’m wondering why on Earth you find yourself attracted to me.”
I flinch. Is she serious? Dropping down so my hands land on either side of her face, I hold her gaze.
“Bailey, I’ve been standing in this club for four nights, waiting for the most beautiful Little girl to step inside.
I couldn’t breathe when I finally spotted you.
You’re the prettiest being alive in the universe.
My perfect mate. Never ever doubt that. You will forever be the center of my universe. ”
Her cheeks turn pink. It’s hard for her to accept the compliment. I get the feeling she’s not used to being treated with admiration. I’ll fix that in a hurry.