One Big Bite by Michele Mills
9
“Gorzan? Gorzan?” Roxy said with a raspy morning voice.
No response.
Darn it.
She woke up the next morning, alone in the dark workroom. Gorzan had left before she’d woken, which made her sad. He was trying to make sure she slept in, but she would’ve rather had the opportunity to see him before he left, rather than have that extra sleep.
Although maybe he wanted some space from her? She was still embarrassed at how forward she’d been last night. He’d scented her arousal and she’d admitted she wanted him and then she’d even suggested he sleep in her bed with her. He’d basically told her that she needed to slow down because she was moving too fast for him.
Ugh.
She clicked on the nearby lantern and rubbed her eyes. Then she caught a glimpse of the shiny handle of the suitcase of “goodies” Gorzan had brought last night. She hadn’t checked it yet. “Oooh.” After she used the toilet and drank some water from a flask, she quickly placed the red suitcase on the bunk and opened it. A treasure trove of everything a girl could need was carefully folded into two neat piles. She fingered the silky panties, the stretchy bras, the pajamas, pull-on pants and tunic shirts. Everything was utilitarian and ready for living in a cave. There was a pair of slip-on shoes, two pairs of socks and small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, soap and three types of moisturizer—even an oil for her hair and a variety of hair ties. And two types of combs. There was even a towel and an old-fashioned tooth cleanser.
Tears formed in her eyes. This made her miss her own things, but this was also so sweet. At this point she was just thrilled to have something clean to change into. She really, really had to find a way to meet Garzon’s sister-in-law in person to thank her. It was nice to know there was another human on the planet who was trying to help her out.
She took out the slip-on shoes and put them on right away, grateful to not always have to walk around in the heavy boots she’d originally arrived in. The suitcase was easy to handle, and Roxy immediately pulled it along with her to the pool, eager to get properly cleaned and change into different clothes. When she arrived, she set down the lantern and then placed the suitcase next to it on the smooth surface next to the rippling water.
She stripped out of her workwear, noting again that the one good thing about the mine was that it was the perfect temperature for a human. It was neither too hot nor too cold. Walking around naked in the dark of the cave was now second nature, as she’d done this often this last week since she’d only had the one set of clothing and underwear and nothing else to change into while she waited for her clothing to dry. She liked it back here, even more than in the workroom. It felt safe and soothing next to the illumination of the underwater crystals.
She bent down on her knees at the edge and used the new soap provided to dunk her clothes in the glowing water and wash her original underwear, work pants and shirt, then she carefully squeezed the water out and laid her wet clothes to dry on nearby rocks. None of it had any IHO branding but it was also the uniform all of them had worn under their lab coats. She wanted it ready to wear again when she eventually walked into IHO headquarters on Salo, giving her story credibility.
Then she set out the toiletries from the suitcase in a nice line along the edge of the pool. She loved the fresh water, but it was also hard for her to walk into since she wasn’t much of a swimmer. The floor of the pool was lined with glowing crystals, which helped make her comfortable in the water since it wasn’t dark and murky. It wasn’t freezing, but it always caused her to wince when the cold water hit the small of her back. She stepped in, forcing herself to walk down the slopped edge and into the middle. When it reached her shoulders, she bent her knees and submerged her head and came back up, sputtering. That wasn’t so bad.
She gingerly stepped on the uneven base of the pool and glanced down at herself, wondering for a moment what Gorzan would think of her figure. The water was lit from below so she could easily see her form. Her ass was generous, and her boobs were floating in the water. She wasn’t a delicate little Gravian or a sleek Xylan female. The Xylan might think of her as a female of royal pigment, which she guessed was sort of an honorary Xylan, but she wasn’t as tall as a Xylan female and she was curvier. She didn’t have the ridges on her forehead and the top of her nose, and she had five fingers instead of four. She lifted a wet hand and stared at her short, chipped nails. Was Gorzan disappointed that the female he said he’d scented as his mate turned out to also be human, like his brothers? Had he instead always wished for a Margol Bride?
She sniffed the bar of soap she’d originally used from the workroom, then sniffed her pits and her arms. He’d said she smelled like blossoms? No blossoms here, just a fresh clean scent. She washed her torso, her hands lingering at her breasts. Her dark nipples were begging to be pinched and her clit was ready to be touched. For a moment she thought about masturbating, but then decided it wasn’t right. She couldn’t think about Gorzan while getting off, could she? Also, she really wanted his touch instead of her own.
She wiped the water out of her eyes and instead got to work taking her hair out of its braids. She daydreamed about Gorzan while she tied off her fragile, curly hair into four sections. She carefully washed each section, brushed it out with her fingers and conditioned it and rinsed again, then tied it off. Finally, all sections were nice and neat. Then she undid each section again and added one more layer of a sweet-smelling oil and braided each part back as before. She ended up again with her new favorite—braids down the side of her head and a bun at her nape. But this time she knew without even looking that her braids were going to be healthy and shiny.
Speaking of healthy—the one change she definitely noticed since she’d injected the serum was that she did feel like she had a bounce in her step. Like maybe it helped her to remain less tired and more energetic while she was stuck here in the mine?
After she finished washing, Roxy stepped out of the pool and dried off. Then she laid out the towel, sat down on it and put moisturizer all over her arms and legs. Oh, it felt so good to be fresh, clean and moisturized. Then she dug into her suitcase and pulled on fresh panties and a stretchy bra, which both fit pretty good. Then on went her new pants and shirt. They weren’t exactly colorful or stylish, but they were serviceable and right now this was all that mattered.
She slipped back on the shoes and put her towel on a rock to dry by the other clothes she was leaving behind. Then she carefully loaded all her supplies back into the rolling suitcase and made her way back to the workroom.
Gorzan had left behind breakfast and lunch for her—both of which she ate as sort of a brunch feast. This time he’d left meat layered between the bread from last time. And there was another dessert that had a Xylan language mark on the top, which she was able to read because of her translation chip. He put the letter G on her desserts.
She loved this male.
She paused mid-bite.
Love? She shook her head. That was crazy. They’d just met and she didn’t even know him…
She finished her food and lay on the bunk for a long time, using her tablet to continue working on creating a fake profile that she could possibly use to get in touch with the IHO. It was taking forever because all citizens had to be identified before given a profile. She wasn’t sure if this would even work but she had to try.
Three separate times the tablet fell against her chest as she stopped working as she daydreamed about Gorzan. How he’d held her with his claw cupped around the back of her neck.
How he’d scented her arousal.
She groaned and put her hand over her face, embarrassed all over again. She’d tried her best not to go there this morning—not to remember what happened last night, but there it was again.
He’d told her he was attracted to her too. Well, wait, he didn’t say attracted. And he didn’t make any moves on her. Didn’t try to kiss her. Her eyes had darted to the crotch of his trousers, and there hadn’t been any sign of a hard on, which she had to admit was a bit disappointing. He’d said she was his Bride. That he could scent that she was his Bride. He wanted to eventually test mating compatibility with her because he was certain it would prove positive.
Basically, Gorzan wanted to marry her.
One minute she thought she was being outed as someone inappropriately lusting for a male who didn’t feel that way about her, and the next she learned that he couldn’t “tend to her needs” until she clasped his claw and caused him to enflame. Right now, he was a virgin who couldn’t physically feel passion for her, but if she clasped his claw, she’d awaken all that hunger and he’d be all over her.
A dreamy sigh left her lips. She was having a hard time remembering why this was bad. Last night she’d suggested he sleep in her bunk. He’d told her no, that they needed to keep their hands off each other because it was too soon. This was so weird. She normally never instigated relationships with men, and she certainly wasn’t the aggressor. Except now she was?
Again, how embarrassing.
Her breasts felt heavy and tingly, aching to be held by two large claws. The idea of his fangs scraping against her nipples was causing heat to bloom again between her thighs. Lately, she was perpetually wet, wanting that huge, sweaty miner to fuck her blind.
Would he be gentle or rough?
She shifted in the bed, her legs restless as she wished for relief. Her hand yet again began to drift down her stomach toward her slit. But she paused.
He was right. There was no time for any of this. She needed to focus on getting this serum to IHO, not on the sexy miner who was feeding her.
No masturbating. Time to work.
An hourlater Roxy was surprised by a polite knock on the door to the workroom.
“Gorzan?”
She jumped up and opened the door, hoping to see the miner she’d been daydreaming about all morning. But was shocked to discover a heavily pregnant human female standing in the doorway. The woman was tall and pale, with long dark hair and a proud nose. Gorzan stood to her left and another miner loomed on her right.
“Hi, I’m Lila,” the woman announced. A genuine smile spread across her face as she locked arms with the imposing miner next to her, who had really, really big claws and no work gloves. “This is my husband, Claws. He’s Cannibal’s brother, so I guess that makes me Cannibal’s sister-in-law.”
Gorzan had brought his sister-in-law? Oh wow.
“I hope it’s okay that we came unannounced. I wanted to see you with my own eyes and make sure you were safe.”
Technically, Roxy should be keeping this woman at arm’s length for her own safety, as well as Roxy’s—but she just couldn’t push away the woman who’d been kind enough to send that care package of clothes and toiletries.
Then Roxy noticed that Lila held a small bot in the crook of her other arm, propped on her large stomach. “Also, I brought a small cleaning bot that I’m going to leave with you,” she said. “It’s brand new. Is it okay if I switch it on and let it start cleaning your room?”
“Oh yes, please.” Roxy gushed with excitement as she stepped aside to let them all enter.
This woman was wonderful—she’d brought a bot? How cool was that? They all watched in fascination as Lila bent down and started the tiny bot which was a perfect size for this small space. It powered up and got to work cleaning the stone floor.
“I’m really happy you’re here,” Roxy said. “My name is Roxy and it’s nice to meet the two of you. Thank you so much for the suitcase of supplies you sent.” She gestured down to herself and chuckled, “As you can see, I already put it to good use.”
Gorzan stepped close and grasped her bare hand in his gloved claw. He gazed down at her and she could sense his unease. “Are you troubled by our arrival?” he asked. “You said you wanted to meet Lila but also didn’t want to use the tablet. We thought this was a good solution.”
She smiled up at him and squeezed back, “I trust you. It’s fine.” This male wanted to be her future husband. She wasn’t so sure if that was what they should do right now, because they’d just met and she was on the run, but like he’d said, there was plenty of time to get to know each other. But that fact alone made her know that he was on her side.
Gorzan continued to gaze down at her with those sparkling hazel eyes and she was caught under his spell. He’d been working hard in the mine this morning and he was so very handsome in his filthy work uniform. He smelled like soil, sweat and oily machinery. He’d pushed back his face shield and beads of sweat trailed between the ridges on his forehead. Dirt smeared his jawline. Tonight, he’d leave and then return to the workroom after he’d used the cleansing unit in the compound, wearing his civilian clothes and smelling fresh and clean, after a long day’s work.
She let out a dreamy sigh. There was something so unbelievably sexy about a male who worked hard for a living.
She shifted her stance, yet again antsy due to the heat between her thighs. She was certain he could yet again smell her arousal. Why had she met him now, when she was on the run? Why couldn’t they have met in a more normal circumstance? He could’ve asked for her hand, and she would’ve accepted and…
Lila coughed.
Gorzan blinked and glanced over at their guests. The two of them had been lost in their own little party of two for a moment there.
“My Bride likes cleaning bots,” Gorzan’s brother boomed, obviously trying to start a new conversation.
Roxy raised her eyebrows, surprised at how loud this male was.
“I do like cleaning bots,” Lila admitted. “A cleaning bot makes everything better.”
“I like bots too,” Roxy chimed in. “I used to name mine. My roommates thought it was silly, but…”
“No,” Lila exclaimed, “no it’s not silly. I do the same thing. My favorite bot at the compound is named Max. Oh, I can see already that we’re going to be good friends. Gorzan, is it okay if I talk to Roxy alone for a while? Do you mind if we have some ‘girl talk’?” She looked back at Roxy. “I mean, if that’s okay with you?”
