Chapter 17 #2
Hattie was leaning over, looking past Alanna with a frown. “Did you leave Tuvo? Who is going to translate for him?”
Eager to avoid the embarrassment heating her belly, Alanna grabbed onto the subject change with both metaphorical hands.
“He wasn’t really doing much talking anyway.
I was doing most of it. Besides, he’s a grown male.
He can figure out a way to find one of the others if there’s someone that really wants to talk to him. ”
“Poor Tuvo,” Hattie grimaced sympathetically. “He never really looked like he was having fun at domini parties, and he could actually talk to people at those.”
“You want to go translate for him?” Alanna offered in a way she hoped sounded innocent. Her eyes darting to the bathroom door and back again.
Hattie didn’t notice and was shaking her head. “No. I think I’m okay.”
“Are you still mad at him?”
Hattie smiled sadly. “No. I’ve made my peace with that.”
“You have?”
She brightened a bit more. “Yeah. You know, I’ve been working on myself for a while. Trying to get over my own self… unease? Hatred isn’t right. I don’t hate myself. I used to love myself. I just needed to remember that.”
Alanna frowned. “Tuvo didn’t make you feel self… unease, right?”
“No. That’s an old thing. From my ex, actually.”
“You mean, Keith?” Alanna thought of the guy that had shown up without warning. “He is your ex, right?”
“Definitely.” Hattie gave her a firm look. “We are so done, we’re overdone.”
“So, why is he here?”
“Oh. That. Well, we had only recently broken up before I was abducted. I hadn’t told my parents yet, or anyone really, because I was so self-conscious. So, no one knew, and when your uncle came around asking for family, he said we were still together.”
“Why don’t you just tell the truth then? Send him back.”
“I wasn’t going to humiliate him in front of the entire world,” Hattie grimaced. “So, I kind of took it when he showed up. And I guess I haven’t had the chance since then.”
“Are you avoiding him?”
“No.” She shook her head firmly. “I’m trying to keep Atem from shredding him.”
Alanna threw back her head, laughing. “I mean, that’s understandable.”
Hattie snickered. “Actually, in a weird way, I’m glad I met him.
I’ve been working on myself for a while.
Meeting him kind of felt like the final exam at the end of the semester.
I used to be so uneasy around him. Afraid of being myself.
Self-conscious. So self-conscious. Like, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I looked.
It had taken over my thoughts. And now? I just don’t.
There are so many other things to think about. He’s just… not important anymore.”
Alanna beamed. “There you go! That’s exactly it.”
Hattie ducked her head shyly, a blush across her cheeks. “I know Tuvo didn’t mean to insult me. And I don’t care if I’m too big for him. We all have preferences, and even if I’m not Tuvo’s, I’m going to be someone’s. And they’re going to like me the way I am. Just like I do.”
“Aw, Hattie!” Alanna threw her arms around her, squeezing her tight. Enjoying one of Hattie’s famous hugs in return. She really did give the best ones. All warm and soft and filled with love – like hugging a teddy bear in human form. “I’m so proud of you!”
“Thanks.” She laughed. “I’m proud of me too.”
“That’s the spirit!” Alanna stepped back, smiling at her. “Hey, you might even meet a nice human guy. We’re going on tour around the planet. Who knows how many great guys you’ll meet?”
Hattie nodded eagerly, curls bouncing with the movement. “Exactly. In fact, I’m going to go in there and enjoy the party. I don’t need a guy to do that.”
“You might even have a better time, to be honest.”
“Yeah. I won’t have to worry about tearing full speed out of the room chasing after a guy because I’m worried he’s with another girl.”
Alanna stiffened, completely called out. Hattie giggled as she walked past her, patting her arm as she returned to the conference room.
Leaving Alanna there. Outside the men’s room. Standing. Waiting.
Before she could convince herself to just turn tail and run, as though he had moved on cue, the door opened and Survii was there.
He looked surprised, then pleased, to see her rather than Hattie.
That became a distinct swagger as he approached her.
All confidence and smolder. She bet he could charm paint off a wall with that grin.
“Hey, Alanna,” he purred with a low growl.
Alanna hesitated. Only for a second. The second it took for her to make the decision. Because if Hattie could face her romantic troubles, then so could she.
“Mind if we talk?” She asked, smiling at Survii.
He grunted with a nod. “Lead the way, vi Vitralai.”
He was still calling her that. Did that mean something? It had to mean something. She really needed answers. Not just an emotional reaction to something she wasn’t meant to hear.
The two of them were quiet as they walked down the hall, further from the conference room. She didn't know the building well, but she’d know what she was looking for when she saw it. Mostly, she just wanted some privacy.
They finally found it in the form of what appeared to be a waiting room of some kind. There were comfortable chairs lining the wall. It wasn’t very big, but it did have a pleasant view. She stepped inside and gestured for him to follow before closing the door.
She took a second before facing him. Taking in a deep breath. Calming her racing heart. She wasn’t nervous, not really. She wanted the answers more than she dreaded the conversation – but that didn't make it any easy conversation to have.
She turned-
-and he was there, taking her head in hand and kissing her desperately.
And she threw herself right into it without hesitation.
Kissing Survii was an experience. No less than the first time.
The press of his lips immediately turned off all her thoughts and set her to pure feeling mode.
And all she wanted was to climb him like a tree and grab on tight while she let that tail do its best. She had seen domini porn.
She knew what it could do, and she craved it with an aching heaviness in her belly.
His tongue trailed along her lower lip, teasing her even when she opened her mouth to invite him in. She whimpered, clutching his hair as she pulled him down towards her. He chuckled, her eagerness amusing him, and that made the fires burn even hotter.
Then, his hand was covering her head, one of his fingers stroking the beads on her braids as he tilted her head back, giving him better access as he leaned over her. She was too short for him to reach easily, even with heels on, but he adapted himself to her, even if it did stretch his neck.
“Alanna,” he moaned her name before finally sliding his tongue alongside hers. A caress. A greeting. A harsh reminder.
She gasped and threw herself back. She succeeded in getting away from him and also in knocking her head against the wood of the door. The dull clonk sound made him grimace as he pulled her back.
“Careful. What are you-”
“No.” She said firmly, pushing away from him again. More slowly this time, as the throbbing in her head reminded her that reality still existed beyond him. Unfortunately.
“Alanna? What-”
“No.” She said it again, holding her head high and staring him down. “I’m saying no.”
“All right…” He responded slowly, looking at her with a confused frown. She couldn’t blame him. The eager way she had thrown herself at him hardly seemed like a ‘no’. But the force she put into her rejection was more a reminder for herself than him.
This was the male who said he didn't want her. He wanted to be free and unattached, and she could hardly get mad at him for that. Maybe she could get mad at him for the mate thing – even if she didn't know what that was all about – but not for being himself.
But she could still feel her lips, wet and aching, from his kiss. Her body trembled, fighting back the urge to run into his arms again. However, the pain in her head from hitting the door was a reminder that she definitely should not be that dumb.
“I asked you here to talk. Actually talk. Not… this,” she gestured wildly between them.
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah. Forgive me. I got a little carried away. You just looked so cute. I couldn’t resist.”
“Well, try harder. This is serious.” She held her head up high, trying not to think about how well kissed he looked – how well kissed she must look.
Taking a deep breath, she steeled her will and faced him firmly.