Ice Planet Honeymoon by Ruby Dixon

7

LIZ

The cave we stop at that evening is in a lovely little valley with a sea of sashrem trees nearby and a burbling hot stream not too far away. It’s perfect. The cave is large and full of supplies, and while it doesn’t have the hot tub that the other one did, it’s comfortable.

“We could stay here for a few days,” I tell Raahosh excitedly. “Maybe start your bow lessons?”

He grunts and picks up a few fallen tree branches to use as firewood, not commenting. He’s been like this all afternoon, and at first I just thought it was him and his usual taciturn self, but whenever I ask him questions, I get monosyllabic responses or no response at all, and that’s wearing thin.

I put my hands on my hips and study him as he picks up another branch and shakes the snow off. “Did something crawl up your ass?”

Raahosh looks surprised and turns as if looking at the back of his pants. His tail flicks over his backside. “No…?”

“I meant that you’re in a bad mood. Is something wrong?”

“Nothing.”

His answer makes me grit my teeth in frustration. Aren’t we too early in our relationship for this passive-aggressive bullshit? It’s not like Raahosh. If he’s unhappy with something, he’s quick to let me know it. He wouldn’t just stew on it to force me to pry it out of him. Therefore…it must be something that’s truly bothering him that he doesn’t want to share. “I can tell it’s something.” I move forward and lightly stroke his arm. “We’re mates, aren’t we? You need to talk to me. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Raahosh doesn’t look me in the eye. He doesn’t pull away, either, and after a long moment, he admits, “I am…thinking of pleasuring you.” The base of his horns flushes a deep blue.

He’s thinking about sex? Aww. Why does that make my insides all gooey and warm? “Nothing wrong with that,” I tease, leaning forward and lightly nipping at his bare bicep with my teeth. “I think about it a lot, too. So when do we stop for the evening so we can turn our thoughts into deeds?”

The look he gives me is full of a mixture of emotions—relief that I’m not teasing him, need, and amusement. “Whenever you like.”

“I vote the next cave we run across is our evening stop. I don’t care how early it is. We need our strength for our honeymoon.” And I give him the least subtle wink ever.

Raahosh snorts, sounding more like himself. He puts a big hand on my shoulder, his thumb rubbing over my layers of clothing as if he can touch the skin underneath. “There is a cave not too far from here. Not over the next ridge, but the one after that.”

So maybe an hour of walking? I can deal with that. I stick my hand out, hoping he’ll take it in his, and I’m pleased when he does. “Let’s just hope Vaza doesn’t turn around and decide to hang out with us.”

“If he does, he will find my boot on his backside,” Raahosh growls.

Damn, that is sexy. I love it when he gets all possessive.

* * *

We’reboth quiet as we make our way to the cave. I am dying to know exactly what Raahosh was thinking about sex-wise, but he still gets incredibly shy and awkward around me, the big virgin (well, no longer), so I have to be careful not to make him feel uncomfortable. It’s a rather silent walk, but his cootie hums and purrs low, telling me that he’s thinking about sex, which makes me think about sex, too, and my cootie revs up. Strangely enough, the lack of conversation between us is almost erotic, as if we’re holding everything back so we can explode our hormones all over the cave once we get there.

By the time we arrive, I’m practically squirming with need, as if the journey itself was a strange form of foreplay. I wait as Raahosh inspects the cave to ensure no “visitors” have arrived, then he calls my name. When I enter, he’s making a fire in the firepit, crumbling one of the poo cakes that are used for fuel.

“I’ll take care of making the bed,” I tell him. “You finish that and then wash your hands.”

He grunts acknowledgment, and then we both get to work.

I finish before he does, of course, so I poke around, digging through the baskets of supplies as if they interest me, and trying not to watch him too closely. Of course, that’s an impossible task because I want to follow every one of his movements, right down to the graceful way that he washes his hands with water from one of our skins and then soaps them up, then rinses them at the front of the cave. I never thought hands were sexy, but the way he slides his fingers over his palms in that briskly efficient way?

It’s better than porn by a long shot.

Raahosh turns around and he must notice the look in my eyes, because he stalks toward me, all predator, and I get to my feet, full of need and yearning. He pulls me against him, his hands going to my hair and then he tilts my head back and gives me the sexiest, deepest kiss ever. His mouth moves over mine, hot and claiming, and I moan with need even as he tears my outer layers off of me.

“Naked,” he says between breathless kisses. “Need you naked.”

Oh god, I absolutely want to be naked. I let him work the laces on my tunic even as I touch him all over, teasing my hands up and down his hard stomach and flat pectorals. I graze over the plated spots with my fingers, learning them as he tugs at my clothing, and when he grunts, I obediently lift my arms so he can pull my leathers over my head.

Then I’m wearing nothing but a breastband, leggings, and boots, and I drop to the floor to take care of the footwear. He groans, still looming over me as his tail skims up my spine, as if he has to touch me now, and I love that light caress. I finally kick my boots off and then reach for his, undoing the cords that crisscross up and down his muscular legs. Even here he’s fine as fuck. Who would have thought that man-calves were hot? But I want to lick them as I pull his leathers off. “God, I am so horny.”

“Hurry up so I can make you come,” he growls.

Like I need any encouragement? I slide my hand up his thigh, heading for his loincloth, and he bats my hand away in the sexiest fucking move and then moves low, pushing me back onto the furs with a hand on my shoulder. He practically rips my pants off and pushes my thighs apart—as if they needed urging—and then dives between my legs.

I make a choked sound of pleasure as his hot, textured tongue finds my clit and he begins to lap at it, looking for the rhythm that will make me shiver and come. He teases my folds, moving up and down and licking me everywhere before returning to my clit and nuzzling. His hands grip my thighs tight, and I can feel his tail sliding around one of my ankles, tightening, and even that turns me on.

“Raahosh,” I moan, burying my fingers in his thick hair. “Let me—”

“No,” he growls against my skin, and swipes his tongue over my clit almost angrily. “I have waited all day for this. This is mine.”

I shudder. Like I can argue with that? I squirm as his tongue grows more determined, more invasive, and the heat in my body ramps up. I want him to stop. I want him to keep going forever. I want him to lick me fast, then slow. I want all of him. And when he thrusts a finger deep inside my core, I arch and press against his mouth like I’m dying.

Sometimes I think I must be easy to please. That because I’ve never had a ton of great experiences with oral pre-Raahosh that that’s the reason why I explode like the Fourth of July the moment he gets to work. Or maybe it’s the ridged tongue. Maybe it’s his eagerness and the clear pleasure he gets out of licking all of my most secret parts. Whatever it is, it never fails to make me spontaneously combust into a climax so hard that my entire body quakes with the response and I can feel my pussy clenching around his finger, as if desperately trying to trap him inside me. All the while, my amazing mate licks and sucks and teases as if it’s his life goal to get me off. He continues to work my clit even after I climax, sweeping his ridged tongue around the sides of the sensitive bud and forcing me toward yet another orgasm. His finger pumps into me again, and then teases at the entrance to my core, toying with my juices.

“Oh, Raahosh,” I say, loud and breathless and full of need. I love how he uses his mouth. Another moan builds in my throat. I love—

My moan turns into a screech of shock as he takes his finger—that glorious, wonderful finger—and pushes it into my butt.

The party train stops and the orgasm I was chasing dies a quick death. I clamp my legs shut with a yelp, accidentally slamming them around his ears. He groans and quickly moves backward even as I skitter away on the blankets, shocked.

“What the fuck was that?” I cry out, shocked. I mean, I’m not totally averse to butt play, but warn a girl first. It’s one of those things I have to be coaxed into doing, and I’m sure not a fan of a surprise unlubed finger in my no-no places. “You never go backdoor without permission first!”

He rubs a hand over his ear, scowling. His eyes are so bright they look furious and he stares at me for a long moment, panting. He’s still flushed from going down on me, his horns deep blue at the base, and when he sits up, I can see his cock is hard as a rock, gleaming with wetness on the tip. His shoulders are stiff with anger, though, and his mouth flattens as he stares at me.

I stare back, because what the fuck.

I wait for him to say something, but he remains quiet. Our staredown continues a moment longer, and then Raahosh gets to his feet and storms away to the back of the cave, where all the supplies are kept.

He’s mad. That much is obvious. I recognize that angry twitch in his tail and the ramrod-straight way he holds his shoulders. Good, I’m mad too. I know we’re still new to being mated, but damn, warn a girl before you go into her butthole. I rub my backside, still shocked at what just happened. That totally isn’t like Raahosh to try something like that.

Man, he is acting so weird lately.

I’m actually a little worried. He’s acting strange and it’s like something’s bothering him, and that concerns me. I get to my feet and head after him when he doesn’t come back right away. When I get into the next chamber, it’s dark without the fire going but I can see that Raahosh is kneeling on the floor, unrolling several of the furs. “What are you doing?”

He doesn’t look over at me. “Unrolling furs so I can sleep in here.”

Sleep in here? Without me?

I sputter. “We’re not going to talk about this? You’re just going to get pissy and retreat in here without bothering to tell me why you thought shoving your knuckle into my ass was a good call?”

I didn’t think it was possible, but his shoulders get even stiffer. His tail slaps the ground angrily. He doesn’t look at me, just continues to unroll the furs with jerky, angry motions.

“Well?” I prompt. “You might not want to talk, but this isn’t like you, and it worries me, so I’m going to just guess. Stop me if I hit on the right topic.” I cross my arms and study his back. “You…stuck a finger up my butt because you got lost, right?”

Raahosh says nothing, simply ignores me.

“You…thought if you reached hard enough, you could pull a tail out of there and we’d match?”

His tail flicks, even though he’s doing his damnedest to ignore me.

“You’re on your hunter version of your period, which means you’re hella moody. Or your midichlorian count is low and now you’ll never be a Jedi,” I add, throwing in a Star Wars joke for good measure.

He clenches his jaw and looks over his shoulder at me. “Stop. Just…leave it be.”

I move forward and grab his horn—the one that’s not twisted into a stump that lies unevenly against his head. I give it a yank. “I’m not going to stop, you big dummy, because I love you and I want to know what’s eating you. We’re going to talk about this.”

I keep tugging on his horn, tilting his head back so he’s forced to look at me, and he just closes his eyes. After a long, stubborn moment, he sighs and brushes my hand away. “I…wanted to pleasure you.” His voice is gruff, tight.

That makes my heart squeeze, and I put a hand on his shoulder. “You do pleasure me. Every time we’re in bed together.”

Raahosh shakes his head, dismissing my words. “It has to be more. I must be more. You need a good mate, a worthy one. I know I am not kind, or easy to live with. I know I am not attractive. And now I am in exile. I do not want you to feel as if your khui has chosen poorly. I must do more to please you and keep you satisfied.”

Oh.

My poor, sweet alien.

My heart aches for him. I drop to my knees behind him and wrap my arms around his chest, setting my cheek against his broad back and letting my breasts press against his skin. “How can you think that?” I ask softly, stroking my hands up and down his skin.

He says nothing for a long moment, sagging against my touch. Then, finally, he admits, “My father…”

“Say no more,” I murmur. I realize what this is about. The cootie makes sure we make a baby together, but not everyone’s thrilled at a mating. I remember Raahosh’s stories of how his mother hated his father and how miserable they both were. He probably thinks he has to be some amazing god in bed—like he’s not already?—in order to keep me satisfied. I guess that’s why he’s getting all weird on me.

He worries he’s not enough.

Just that sweetness makes me so happy. No man has ever worked so hard to make sure that I’m content in a relationship. It means so much to him that I’m his mate, that I’m at his side. For the first time, he’s envied by others because he has a human mate. He’s envied for his relationship, for his future, and even though he’s exiled, I know most of the other single men in the tribe would happily trade places with him if it meant getting a woman of their own.

But my poor Raahosh just thinks he’s going to lose me.

Maybe I should be frustrated with him, but I’m just filled with so much love for the big alien man. I stroke my hand up and down his chest, loving how he leans into my touch. His head tilts back and I carefully angle my face so he doesn’t stab me with his horn, and then lean in and kiss the side of his neck. I love his groan of response and the way his body shudders.

“I love you,” I whisper to him. “I love all of you. I love looking at you. I love your scars and your unique horns. I love your scowl. I love that stiff way you hold yourself. I even love when you thump your tail all angry and pissy.”

“Lies,” he says, the word thick on his lips. His tail thumps hard again, and I realize I’m straddling it, and it’s trapped between my thighs. I don’t move, though. I just let him realize I have him, and I continue to kiss and pet his beautiful blue-gray skin.

“Truth,” I say back. “Why would I lie? I love your scars.” I lift one hand and trace along one of the more prominent ones. “They tell a story. Not a bad one, just a story about who you are and what you’ve overcome. They make you different from the others. And I don’t know if you noticed, but I like different.” I lean in and lightly bite at his earlobe.

His breath catches when my teeth graze over his ear. I let my hands slide lower, playing along his hard abdomen and teasing at the ridges there. I’m so fascinated with petting and stroking him that I almost miss his softly murmured words. “I was not sure if I could keep a human happy. I have never had a mate of any kind…or a family. I asked others how I can please you.”

Okay, well, some freak told him that a surprise exploration of my backside must have been the ticket. I suppose it’s karma getting me back for me telling Aehako that he needed to make Kira a dildo as a courting present. Even so, I’m still touched that Raahosh has been soliciting advice. It explains some of the furtive conversations he’s had that he didn’t want to tell me about, and why he’s been so lost in his thoughts. “You’ve really been asking everyone in the tribe how to please me?”

“Some offer it without asking,” he admits, caressing my hand as I scratch my nails lightly over his hard pectorals. “You feel good pressed against me.”

I smile, nibbling his ear again. “That’s because I love to touch you. I want to make you feel as good as you make me feel…” I lock my arm around his neck and lean in to his ear. “Now hold still while I stick my finger up your butt.”

He stiffens. That tail thrashes between my thighs again.

I giggle. “I’m not going to do that. I’m just teasing you. And for the future? I would be down with butt play as long as I know to expect it and all body parts are properly oiled up. Got it?”

Raahosh nods.

“And maybe don’t listen to whoever told you to do that.” I nip at his ear again. “If you want to try new things in bed, maybe run them past me first. I’ll tell you if they’re a good idea or not.”

“Very well.” He pauses for a moment, enjoying my touch, then admits, “Are you displeased with how I pleasure you?”

“Never.” I lick the cords of his throat and I love how he jerks against me ever so slightly. “I was just thinking to myself how amazing you were. I mean it when I say you make me crazy and I’d never want another, ever.”

He doesn’t smile, but he takes my hand in his larger one and laces his fingers through mine, covering his heart. I can feel the low, satisfied hum of his khui, the song different now that we’ve fulfilled resonance.

“So, what else did others recommend you try in bed?” I ask, curious.

“Mm. Tail play?”

I wish I could see his forehead to see if he’s blushing or not. “Tail play, huh? That could be exciting.” I think of the tail already trapped between my thighs. It wouldn’t take much for me to sink down on it and let it rub me in all the naughtiest of places. “Tell me more.”

“I…guess it is using my tail on you.” After a moment, he adds, “In the furs.”

I bite back a giggle. As if there were any question why he’d do that. “I might be into that,” I tell him, and ease down, spreading my thighs wider. It means I’m no longer able to reach his ear to nibble on him from behind. Instead, I slide up against him and press my stomach to his back, and my pussy—already slick with heat—grips his tail as I move against him. “Oooh. I definitely like this idea.”

Raahosh groans, the sound low in the cavern, and I feel his tail press up against me. It twitches, as if trying to thump, but I just rub up and down against him instead. I slide my hands lower and grip his cock from behind. He’s still hard and aching, and when I stroke him, pre-cum soaks my hand.

“You know what I like?” I tell him, pressing a kiss to his back.

“What?” His voice is hoarse.

“Dirty talk.” I let the fingers of one hand skate up and down the length of him as I grip the base of his cock with my other hand. “Filthy words.”

I can feel him panting. “Filthy…words?”

“Yes.” I flick my tongue against his back even as I rock my hips, rubbing up and down on his tail and letting it graze my clit. Oooh, god, I don’t know if this is what people had in mind when they said tail play, but I know I’m liking it. He’s thick at the base of his tail, and it’s like riding his cock and letting it glide through my folds without ever penetrating me. Fuck, it’s dirty and hot and I’m definitely a fan. “Like you’d tell me how you want to take this big fat cock and stuff it into my mouth.” I stroke his length, then squeeze lightly. “How you’d want to push it so far into my mouth that you’d hit the back of my throat. How you’d watch as you feed it between my lips and how it’s so big and thick that it makes me have to stretch my mouth open wide just to take it all—”

His loud groan echoes around us. One big hand covers mine and then he’s using my hand to jerk off even as I ride the base of his tail, rocking against him. A few seconds later, the breath hisses between his teeth and then I feel his hot release splash over my fingers. I keep stroking, squeezing lightly to try and wring every ounce of pleasure out of his climax that I can. I love that he just came so hard. I grind down against his tail and my pussy clenches on nothing. I didn’t come again, but that’s okay.

I have no doubt that won’t be the case for long.

Raahosh sags against me, his head falling back as he takes a deep breath. He shudders, and then lifts his hand from where he’s covering mine. “I came on your hands.”

“I noticed.” I press a kiss to his back again. “I liked it. It was dirty and hot and I liked watching you lose control. I love watching you come.”

Laughter rumbles in his chest. “I love watching you come, as well.” He moves forward, the motion making his tail slick through my folds and I suck in a breath. Mama like. But then Raahosh is wiping my fingers free of his release with a soft fur and tending to himself.

I remain where I am, drowsy with contentment, my cheek pressed against his broad, rippling back. “I love you.”

“I love you as well, my Liz.”

“You know what I love best, though?”

“What is that?”

“I love that I can be me around you. I love you for who you are. I don’t want you to be anyone but Raahosh—my Raahosh. You can be as grumpy as you want, because I know I can be a pain in the ass.” I ignore his snort and continue, because I’m having a sappy moment, dammit. “I know I can go on far too long about Star Wars and I’ve never met a cussword I didn’t like, and I know I can be bossy. But I feel like that’s all okay with you and I love that. I don’t have to try to be someone else.” I snuggle up against him from behind, pleased. “And I’m not alone. You have no idea how alone I felt for so, so long.”

He wraps his arms around mine, as if hugging me in that small way. “I no longer feel alone, either. It is the best feeling. Thank you, my mate. You know you have my heart.”

“You have mine, too,” I tell him…and then add, “But not my butthole. That’s off limits without prior discussion.”

He snorts with amusement.