Protected by the Alien Warrior Hope Hart (books that read to you .txt) 📖

I’m not going to be the one to tell him differently.

His face falls slightly at my silence. “If you don’t wish to stay on this planet, will you at least stay with me until you leave?”

“Vrex—”

“I thought I wanted to be alone. Thought I would always be alone. And then you stepped into my life. I was asleep, and you woke me up. I was barely breathing, and you gave me air. I know I’m not like other males. I know I’m…different. But I can try to be better.”

My eyes sting, and I get to my feet. “You know, I went my whole life convinced it was a mistake to let people get too close. But you slipped beneath my defenses without even trying. I love you, Vrex. I think I loved you the moment I realized you’d made those shoes for me. I don’t want you to be different. Ever.”

His eyes widen in disbelief, but he reaches out, pulling me close. His hands cup my face, and then tears are slipping down my cheeks at the tenderness in his eyes.

“Will you…be my mate?”

My breath catches. I’ve seen the gorgeous gold rope wrapped around some of the other women’s wrists, of course. But I never imagined that I’d meet a guy who wanted to be with me so much that he’d tie himself to me for the rest of his life.

“Of course.”

He gently brushes my tears away, leaning down to take my mouth.

“I’m still mad at you for making me worry about you,” I mumble against his lips, and he reaches up, stroking his hand down my hair.

“I know,” he says. “I’m sorry.” Then he kisses me again, and all I care about is that he’s here, with me. If I have it my way, that’s how we’ll always stay.

His lips are warm, coaxing, and I relax further, my muscles turning languid as I lean against him. And then I yelp as he lifts me into his arms before laying me back on the furs.

He follows me down, pressing kisses along my neck, and a shudder ripples through me in response. This man makes me feel things I never expected to feel. I sink my fingers into his hair, angling my face until I find his lips again. His breath catches, and I smile against his mouth.

“You enjoy making me lose control,” he says as he pulls away, his eyes the whiskey color I love so much.

“You make me lose control. Why shouldn’t I do the same to you?”

He laughs, and I feel my smile widen at the sound. Then he’s pulling off my clothes, and I’m helping him. I reach for his shirt, and he shrugs out of it before catching my hand in his and pressing a kiss to my palm.

My eyes sting at the tenderness on his face, and then he kisses me again, this time harder, deeper, pressing me back into the soft furs.

My head is spinning, and I groan out a protest as he moves away, but then he’s kissing my breasts, and I bury my hands in his hair again, holding him close as he makes me lose my mind.

His calloused palm moves across my stomach, and then he takes my nipple into his mouth, rolling and playing as his hand moves lower, down to the warm heat of me.

He strokes his fingers over my clit, the movement light, teasing, designed to drive me out of my mind. My entire body tenses, and I’m shaking against him as his mouth moves to my other breast, and those fingers tease me, moving to a new spot each time I get close to losing my mind.

“Are you trying to drive me crazy?” I groan, and his low laugh makes my thighs clench around his hand.

Suddenly, he’s inside me, thick and hard, and he catches my gasp in his mouth as he starts thrusting in earnest. I cry out, and he growls against me as I wind my legs around his hips so he can get even deeper.

He speeds up, and I urge him on, clutching at his shoulders as he slips one hand down, stroking my clit in time with his thrusts.

“I love you,” he murmurs, and I clench around him, so close to ecstasy I can almost taste it.

“I love you too,” I whisper, and my chest aches as he leans in to claim my mouth.

He changes the angle of his thrusts, plunging deep, and I suck in a breath.

Then I’m exploding, trembling as I arch in pleasure, and Vrex buries his face against my neck as he shudders in release.

Epilogue

Ivy

Alexis pokes her head into the tashiv, a grin on her face. She looks gorgeous as usual, but her eyes widen as she stares at me.

“Wow,” she says. “You’re a total fox.”

I laugh. Today’s the day of my mating ceremony, and I couldn’t be happier.

Alexis and Beth are waiting for their own mating ceremonies until Charlie has been found. I thought about doing the same, but when I kept waking up to find Vrex staring at me, his brow furrowed as if he couldn’t believe I was still lying next to him, I changed my mind.

Vrex has been hurt time and time again over the years. He’s been treated like nothing more than the Assassin of Agron, and everywhere he goes, people whisper and cower in fear. I want to prove to him that I’m committed to him for the rest of our lives.

That’s why I convinced the other women to help me with a surprise mating ceremony.

“I can’t believe I thought this was a good idea,” I murmur. Butterflies have taken over in my stomach, and I’m glad I haven’t eaten yet this morning because I feel like I could throw up.

Ellie smiles at me. “This is a good idea. You know your warrior better than anyone else, and I’m sure you’re right when you say he wouldn’t want a big, public ceremony.”

Of that I’m sure. “But what