Rory and the Alien Groom (Intergalactic Brides 9) Read online

  The toy buzzed between them as he thrust into her with infinite tenderness. Rory tossed her head and lifted her hips as if she were trying to take in more of him. He felt her tighten around his shaft as she cried out her release, her body tensing and then falling limp to the bed. Zwyk removed the toy from her clit and turned it off, tossing it aside.

  He moved inside her, each stroke a little harder and a little faster. Zwyk gripped her hips tight as he took her with a frenzy he’d never felt before. His balls drew up and there was a tingling at the base of his spine right before he came hard, filling her with his cum. Rory cried out beneath him, finding her release again. Sweat coated both of their bodies as he withdrew from her warmth. Zwyk lifted Rory into his arms and carried her into the attached bathroom. While she caught her breath, he started the shower, waiting until it was nice and hot before helping her into the cubicle.

  “You’re quiet,” he said, worried that maybe he hadn’t pleased her as well as he’d thought. Should he have done something different? He’d never been with a virgin before and hadn’t realized how much pressure he would feel to make sure it was perfect for her first time.

  “I’m basking in the afterglow,” she said with a smile. “And you made me come so hard I’m fighting to stay awake.”

  “Then let’s get you cleaned up and into bed. I can lock up on my way out.”

  “You won’t stay?”

  “If you really want me to, then I will. I’ll just have to leave early enough to swing by my place to change in the morning.”

  She nodded and let him wash her. Once they were both clean and dried off, Zwyk tucked her into bed with a kiss on her brow. She smiled at him sleepily and closed her eyes. He waited a moment to see if she would wake up again before pulling on his pants and heading into the kitchen. He’d be damned if he was going to let her wake up to the mess of their dinner dishes. He spent the next half hour cleaning up and then slid into bed beside her, curling his arm around her waist and holding her close.

  It was the most content he’d ever felt, and he wondered if every time with Rory would be like this.

  Chapter Eight

  Rory woke the next morning with a smile on her face -- until she realized Zwyk had left without saying goodbye. There was a note on the bedside table and she picked it up, squinting until she put on her glasses.

  I didn’t want to wake you. I’d love to see you, if you’re up for lunch again.

  Zwyk

  She smiled as she slid out of bed and pulled on some panties and a T-shirt. Rory made her way to the kitchen to make some coffee only to discover the kitchen was spotless. There weren’t dishes in the sink or cluttering her counter. It even looked like everything had been wiped down. She opened the dishwasher and her mouth dropped open when she realized that Zwyk had not only loaded it, but he’d washed everything too. How in the hell had any of his girlfriends let him go? In her experience, men made messes, they didn’t clean them up.

  Rory brewed some coffee then checked her email. She was a little surprised to see there was a response from Pentrax. Rory gave an excited squeal when she saw that he wanted to interview her today at eleven o’clock. The clock on her cable box said it was nearly ten already. She set her laptop aside and ran to her room. After a quick shower, she dried and curled her hair before putting on a modest navy dress that hugged what little curves she had, but had a neckline that didn’t show even a hint of cleavage. A touch of make-up and she was almost ready to go.

  She slipped on a pair of cream and navy flats before grabbing her purse and dashing out the door. She didn’t even have time to call Zwyk and let him know about the interview. Hopefully, it wouldn’t run past his lunchtime and she could still eat with him. At the Terran station, she parked in the visitor lot and rushed inside. The receptionist gave her a warm smile.

  “Are you here to see Zwyk again?”

  “No, I have an appointment with Pentrax. I think I’m a few minutes early.”

  The receptionist nodded and made a call. When she hung up, she motioned for Rory to have a seat in the waiting area. Rory was too nervous to sit and stared out the window instead. It felt like it took forever before Pentrax came to get her. At least, she assumed it was Pentrax. The Terran had on the traditional black leather with his long hair pulled back in a braid, but she had to admit that Zwyk pulled off the look better.

  “I’m Pentrax and you must be Rory.” He smiled and shook her hand. “If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you to my office and we can get down to business.”

  Rory followed him through the hallways and into a drab gray office. She took a seat across from him and folded her hands in her lap. Pentrax sank into his chair with a squeak of leather on leather and studied her. His gaze was unwavering as he took in every detail. She fought hard not to squirm under his gaze, but finally she couldn’t handle another moment of the staring contest.

  “Is there something wrong with my outfit?” she asked.

  His lips twitched. “No. You’re just not quite what I was expecting.”

  “My resume is pretty plain. I can’t imagine you’d have too many expectations from reading it.”

  “It’s common knowledge that you’re seeing Zwyk. After his ex-fiancé, I was expecting someone a little more glamorous.”

  Well if that didn’t hurt like a bitch.

  “So, I only got the interview because I’m dating Zwyk?” she asked.

  “No. Your schooling is on target for what I need in an assistant. And before you get your feathers ruffled, it’s more than an administrative assistant. I need more of a financial assistant.”

  “I sense there’s a but in there.”

  “Smart woman. Here’s the thing. We try not to hire too many humans unless they’re attached to our warriors in some way. While Zwyk doesn’t have warrior status, the fact the two of you are seeing one another is in your favor. The only thing that would make the situation perfect would be a mating between the two of you. I don’t suppose that’s on the horizon?”

  “No, and if that’s a requirement for working for you, I think I’d rather take my chances finding a job elsewhere. I’ve never needed a man to get anywhere in life up to this point and I don’t intend to start now. I’m sorry if I’ve wasted your time.”

  Rory stood and barely refrained from slamming the office door behind her. It took her a few wrong turns and asking for directions three times before she found Zwyk. He was sitting at a front counter diligently going through the paperwork littering his desk space. Rory set her purse on the counter and waited for him to notice she was standing there. It took a little while, but he eventually looked up, his eyes widening in surprise.

  “Rory? What are you doing here?” His gaze scanned her. “And why are you so dressed up?”

  “I had an interview with Pentrax, but it didn’t go well. I thought I’d see when you might be available for lunch.”

  He frowned. “Did he say something to upset you? You look a little flushed.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Rory.”

  She sighed. “He implied that the job would be mine if we were mated, and I felt that the only reason I was considered in the first place was because we’re seeing one another. He did say my experience was what he was looking for, but it seems only humans are hired if they’re tied to a Terran in some way.”

  He snorted. “That’s a bunch of crap. Our receptionist out front isn’t related to anyone. In fact, there’s a night receptionist and she isn’t either. I could probably find several humans who work here without any tie to one of my kind.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll just find something else. Working here would have been awesome because we could have had lunch together every day, and I’ve heard the benefits are amazing, but I’m sure I can easily find a job elsewhere.”

  “I can speak to Pentrax if you’d like. We can fight this, Rory. It’s, as you humans say, complete bullshit that he didn’t offer you the job.”

  “He may have, but I walked out before
he got the chance. I was a little ticked that it mattered whether or not we were dating or mated just to get the job. The fact I’m qualified should have been enough.”

  Zwyk nodded. “I agree.”

  “Can you go to lunch or should I come back later?”

  “I can go now. Are you sure you don’t want me to say anything to Pentrax? That job should have been yours regardless of our relationship.”

  “I’m sure. Let’s go eat and you can tell me about your day.”

  He tipped his head as if he were puzzled by her words. “You want to hear about my day?”

  “Of course.”

  Zwyk set his stack of papers aside and came around the counter. He placed his hand at the small of her back and they walked to the food court. Rory didn’t much feel like sticking around the Terran station, but if Zwyk needed to stay here, she’d deal with it. And if she saw Pentrax, she’d fight the urge to pelt him with food.

  They ordered their food and found a seat away from the other aliens who were currently on their lunch break.

  “What are you doing when you leave here?” Zwyk asked.

  “I thought I’d do a little shopping and maybe stop by the spa. You have to work another six hours?”

  “At least. Maybe seven. It depends on how far I get through my paperwork today. I made a huge dent yesterday, but I still have quite a bit to go.”

  “Do you just handle papers all day?”

  “I help when there’s a Terran who needs to file papers with our government or Earth’s. It can be anything from helping with adoptions, to marriages, or whatever else is needed. I’m over the records department so I have to make sure every I is dotted and every T crossed.”

  “So, your job is important then, just as important as a warrior’s.”

  “Are you trying to validate my position for me or for you?”

  “It doesn’t matter to me what you do for a living, but you always seem so hard on yourself. You act like your job doesn’t matter as much as theirs. Others may hold a higher status in your society, but they obviously can’t function without you.” She smiled. “I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.”

  “Perhaps.”

  Her gaze scanned him. “Why didn’t you wear the leather again today? I kind of liked it.”

  “I’ll wear it for you anytime you want. While we’re on the subject of clothes, why don’t you wear those flowy dresses like you had on yesterday? I usually only see you in jeans.”

  Her smile slipped. “You don’t like what I wear?”

  “That’s not what I said, Rory. I think you look beautiful no matter what you wear. It’s just that the dress you had on yesterday was…” He leaned forward and his lips brushed her ear. “It was easy access.”

  Her cheeks flushed.

  “As you pointed out, there are always empty conference rooms around here,” Zwyk said. “I’d like to take advantage of one sometime. Much easier to do with the dress you had on yesterday than that formfitting one today or your jeans.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind whenever I visit you at work.”

  “If you’re finished with your lunch, I’ll walk you out. The sooner I get back to work, the sooner I can leave tonight. Would you like me to come to your place again? Or do you want to meet at my place? I can call you when I’m heading out.”

  “Why don’t I meet you at your place? I can pick up Chinese on my way there. Then neither of us has to cook tonight.”

  “I’ll call when I’m leaving.” He dug his keys out of his pocket and pulled one off. “But in case you beat me there, this is the key to my house. Use it anytime you want.”

  Rory leaned in close and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was hard and fierce as Zwyk took control and ravaged her mouth. When someone cleared their throat, they broke apart. Zwyk caressed her bottom lip with his thumb and then curled an arm around her waist and led her out of the building.

  At her car, he pressed her against the door and kissed her again with a hunger that set her on fire. If he wanted to find one of those conference rooms, she wouldn’t be opposed to it. Zwyk pulled away and opened her car door for her. Rory slid inside and buckled up as he closed the door. She pulled out of the space and waved to Zwyk before leaving the parking lot. After their night together, she knew one thing was for certain. She needed something sexy to wear for him. He hadn’t complained about her panties, but she wanted something a little sexier than floral printed cotton.

  She pulled into a parking space in front of a popular boutique. It was seldom that she ever used the credit card her parents gave her, but she was calling this a state of emergency. She hadn’t told Zwyk, but he’d seen her only sundress. If he liked that style dress on her, she’d buy a few more. It wouldn’t kill her to dress in something other than jeans every now and then. She had to admit, they made her feel feminine and prettier than her T-shirts did.

  Rory stepped into the boutique and browsed their selection of bras and panties. Two store associates tried to help her, but she wanted to browse in peace. After she’d selected a handful of matching sets, she let an associate put them behind the counter for her while she looked through the nightgowns. She didn’t want anything fancy, but there were some simple satin ones with a V-neck and spaghetti straps that looked comfortable enough. Probably not as comfy as wearing a T-shirt and panties, but they were definitely sexier. She picked out two and then paid for her purchases.

  Rory put her sack in the trunk and then walked a few doors down to a dress shop she’d been in several times over the years. They had such a broad selection that it took Rory a while to find what she wanted. She selected a pale blue sundress with small daisies sprigged across the skirt and a lavender one with a scalloped hem. She added the sack to her trunk and then drove across town to her favorite spa.

  “Welcome, Miss Melweiss. Do you have an appointment?” the woman behind the reception counter asked.

  “Hi, Jenny. No, I’m afraid I don’t have an appointment this time. Do you think you could work me into the schedule for a mani/pedi, wax, and I thought I’d get my hair trimmed if there was time?”

  Jenny looked over the schedule.

  “We can do the haircut first, but then it’s an hour until I’ll have someone available for either of the other services. Would you like a massage while you wait? Stefan is available.”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  “And will this be on your parents’ account?” Jenny asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  “Lettie just finished with someone. If you’d like to go to her station she can get started on your hair.”

  Rory made her way through the salon and sat in the chair at Lettie’s station. When the older woman got back from taking care of her previous client, she smiled warmly at Rory.

  “What are we doing today, Miss Melweiss?”

  “I thought a trim. I don’t want to change my hair too much, but I noticed the ends are starting to get a little crunchy. Probably too much time with the hair dryer. I know you told me to use a thermal smoothing cream, but I tend to forget when I’m in a hurry.”

  Lettie made a tsking sound and checked out Rory’s hair. “You have about two inches of dead ends that need to come off, and then we need to reshape the style you have. Would you like some layers added?”

  “That would be great.”

  Lettie led her over to a wash station where she shampooed and conditioned her hair. Once Rory was back in the chair, Lettie began trimming off the dead ends and adding in layers. It took about a half hour before she was finished. Instead of taking the time to dry her hair, Rory just pinned it up so it wouldn’t be in the way during her massage. She thanked Lettie and gave her a tip before moving on to the massage part of her day.

  By the time Stefan had worked his magic, and Rita had made her nails look amazing, it was time for her wax. Rory had to admit that she was a little nervous. She’d heard Brittany talk about getting waxed before, but Rory had never tried it. She’d always thought it sounded incre
dibly painful and she hadn’t seen the need to have it done. But now that she was dating Zwyk and they were having sex, she wanted to surprise him.

  Her cheeks flushed as she thought about someone getting up close and personal with her intimate parts. Thankfully, it was a female who was going to do the waxing. Rory didn’t think she’d have been able to handle a man doing it, not even if he was gay. There were just some parts of her that she only wanted Zwyk to see.

  “Miss Melweiss, if you’ll lie on the table please, we’ll get started.”

  Rory blew out a nervous breath and laid back on the table. The wax itself didn’t feel so bad, but when the first strip was pulled off, she thought she’d died and gone to hell. Somehow, she managed not to scream during the procedure and wondered if they’d assigned someone to her who excelled in torture. Surely if it felt this bad, so many people wouldn’t do it. She hoped like hell this was just a bad experience and next -- if she was brave enough to try again -- wouldn’t hurt so much.

  She felt tender as she got dressed and signed the slip up front for it to be charged to her parents’ account. She wasn’t in her car ten minutes before her mother was calling. Rory hit the call button on her steering wheel and hoped it would be a short call. Getting along with her mother had always been Brittany’s specialty.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “I just got an alert on my account at the spa. Is there a particular reason you went in for the works? Do I dare hope there’s finally a man in your life?” her mom asked.

  “Yes, there is a man in my life, but maybe I just wanted to look pretty.”

  Her mother gave a very unladylike squeal that made Rory’s ears ring. “When do we get to meet him?”

  Oh hell. Now came the fun part. Did she even want to tell her mother that she was dating Zwyk? It probably wouldn’t go over well. Her parents had liked him, but they’d wanted him for their perfect, older daughter. She almost snickered. That perfect daughter wasn’t so perfect right now. Knocked up and married to a rock star in a Vegas wedding. She’d have liked to be a fly on the wall when her father found out.