Chapter 3
GEMINI
Well, at least she had figured out where the pine scent was coming from.
Was this a terrible idea? Probably. But something about this guy put her at ease. And he had a cute cat—well, a cat-like alien—so could he really be all that bad?
God, she had the survival instincts of a potato, but something told her that everything was going to be alright. And hey, at least it meant she would hopefully get a full night of sleep away from Halley and Cassio.
Would they even notice that she was gone? She hoped so, but somehow she wasn’t certain. Castor probably still had his nose in his console, and she was sure Halley and Cassio had long since retired to one of their tents.
Gemini settled into Apodis’ arms, trying to take her mind off her coworkers and the throbbing pain in her ankle. Her whole body was sore from the fall, and she was grateful this alien was able to lift her.
What would have happened if she were all alone in the woods? She would’ve had to crawl back to the campsite… if she could even remember the way after foolishly forgetting her comm.
Apodis was strong—carrying her with ease—one of those big Oslieths with the tentacles.
His ultraviolet skin was complemented by the silver hair that curled around his ears.
He had wrinkle lines at the edges of his eyes, which had the strange horizontal slit-like black pupils she had come to expect from this species, with mesmerizing irises that seemed to flicker between turquoise blue and golden yellow.
His smile was gentle, like he was trying not to scare her as Zenith, the little cat-like creature, led the way down a near-invisible path.
“You smell nice,” she said, biting her tongue a moment later.
It had slipped out, though the statement was true enough, the spicy scent of pine overwhelming now that she was in his arms, a few inches away from his handsome face.
Apodis furrowed his brow before giving her an uncomfortable smile.
“Oh, well, thanks.”
He seemed perturbed, and she wondered if she had done something wrong.
“Is that weird to say?”
“No, it’s not weird.”
And yet, he looked at her like she had cursed his mother or something.
There was an uncomfortable silence, though she felt safe in his arms, a light flickering on up ahead. His cabin, maybe?
“You smell nice too,” Apodis said, breaking the silence and shocking her to her core.
There was no way she smelled good at the moment, not after her trek through the forest and her tumble to the ground, but she wasn’t going to argue.
“Thanks,” she replied as a cabin came into view.
The architecture was truly magnificent, unlike anything she had ever seen in person.
It blended seamlessly with the surroundings, large mirrored panels making up the facade and reflecting the beautiful starry sky.
Massive trees surrounded it on all sides, and it had a gable roof pointing the way to the heavens with large panels covering the entire thing.
Harnessing the power of Thitis 4X’s sun, perhaps?
Certainly not what she expected of a rustic cabin in the woods, but this was the Oslieth homeworld, not Earth.
Apodis walked up to one of the panels and pressed a button on his watch, a door whirring open a moment later.
Was this guy rich or something? A plot of land this large? A massive home? All things that would cost an absolute fortune back on Earth.
Zenith entered first, low lights flicking on as soon as a single paw crossed the threshold, and Apodis followed, carrying her through the doorway like they were newlyweds. She resisted a chuckle as they entered a vast living space.
It was equal parts cozy and classy, with lots of clean lines and natural elements.
A simple fireplace was the focal point of the room, flanked by two armchairs, a large, blue couch facing it directly.
There were plenty of cushy pillows and a fluffy blanket draped over the back of the couch, and already she was eager to curl up on it after weeks spent sleeping on a cot.
Neon lights bathed the space in a sultry glow, pinks and blues that made it feel both homey and electrified with energy. Further in was a modern kitchen with sleek chrome appliances and cabinets, then more doors which presumably led to a bedroom and bathroom.
Apodis set her delicately on the couch, putting a pillow under her injured leg.
“I can take a look at your ankle if you’d like,” he said, kneeling down beside her.
Was this guy a doctor? Could be with how ritzy everything was, though she supposed a sprained ankle wasn’t too difficult to diagnose.
It would be good to make sure it wasn’t broken, though she hadn’t heard a snap, so she was hopeful it wasn’t anything serious.
She definitely needed to get the boot off, and with the way her ankle hurt, she wasn’t eager to do it herself.
“Sure.”
Apodis reached down, unlacing her right boot before gingerly sliding it off. Her entire foot throbbed, and as he peeled her sock off, there was already a purplish bruise forming. A jolt zinged up her spine as he brushed his fingers over her ankle, taking her foot in his grasp.
“There doesn’t appear to be a deformity,” he said, turning his gaze to her. “Can you press on my hand?”
She slammed her gaping mouth shut, trying to control herself as she pushed her toes against his palm. It was painful, but not unbearably so, which reassured her.
“Do you feel any tingling or numbness?” he asked, and she shook her head. “Good. I don’t think it’s broken. I can give you something for the pain if you’d like.”
Gemini nodded, unable to form words, his touch sending electricity through her.
Jesus, was she really that sexually unfulfilled that a brush of her injured ankle would send her into a tizzy?
But oh, it was about to get much worse as one of his tentacles whipped over his shoulders, the suckers attaching to her skin.
The grip was firm and rubbery, but not painful.
A little slimy, but surprisingly gentle for how fierce they looked.
And almost instantaneously, a chill began to spread from his touch, a soothing balm which eased the pain until it was barely noticeable.
But where her ankle was cold, the rest of her body warmed, sweat once again dotting her brow even though the cabin had a powerful air conditioner humming in the background.
When his tentacle moved back behind him, she was a bit sad it had been so brief, while another part of her wondered how it would feel on other areas of her body.
A thought that made her core clench with arousal, Apodis’ eyes widening as if he could sense the wetness in her panties. They locked gazes, neither one knowing what to say, though another voice chimed in and broke the strange tension.
“You are getting dirt all over the couch,” Zenith said, the small creature giving Gemini a look of displeasure.
“Z…” Apodis warned, shooing the little alien away and turning back to Gemini with a grimace. “Don’t worry about him. He’s always grumpy about something. I could wash your clothes if you’d like. I have something you could wear in the meantime. And there’s a bathroom if you’d like to… freshen up.”
Freshen up? Didn’t he just say she smelled nice?
“I’m not trying to get you naked,” he clarified, his face rippling from ultraviolet to maroon.
Was that the Oslieth version of a blush?
“It kind of sounds like you are,” she said, pursing her lips into a smirk.
What in the world was coming over her? Yeah, he was cute when his face flushed like that, but she shouldn’t be teasing someone who was just trying to help. Or getting any ideas in her head.
“You’re welcome to keep those clothes on if you’re more comfortable that way,” Apodis stammered, and she chuckled lightly.
“Oh, no. I was just kidding. A bath… Or whatever, would be nice.”
Zenith let out a relieved chuff, and she stifled another laugh as Apodis nodded, lifting her into the air once more.
In the light of the cabin, she could fully admire the way his arms bulged out of the sleeveless top he wore, dark blue and with a neckline cut so deep she could see the firm muscles of his chest. It was almost like a vest, nipped in at the waist and then fanning out over baggy pants of the same rich color. Chic, yet comfortable.
He walked her through the kitchen to one of the doors in the back, letting it whirr open before entering a bathroom as gorgeous as the rest of the house.
A glass shower took up one corner of the room, while a sleek tub sat on the other side.
The ambient light was calming, and everything was clean and tidy, so different from the portable bathing units she’d been using at camp.
There was a large mirror with glowing tiles and a sleek chair sitting in front of it which Apodis grabbed as he carried her to the shower.
“This will probably be easier with your injury,” he explained, setting the chair in the shower and seating her lightly upon it.
“I wouldn’t put too much weight on that foot.
It should be feeling better, but it still needs time to heal.
You can put your clothes in the chute, and I’ll leave a clean outfit out here. ”
He pointed to a small, circular chrome door next to the shower and dug through the cabinet under the sink, pulling out neatly folded garments.
Apodis gave her an awkward smile.
“Just shout if you need anything.”
Lewd thoughts rushed through her mind of all the things he could help her with, but she silently reprimanded herself. Though she’d be back at camp tomorrow, this wasn’t the typical one-night stand opportunity. She couldn’t escape on the midnight hovertrain if things got awkward.
And besides, Apodis was like a statue of a Greek fucking god, and she was… well, she was a total mess.