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It had never been easy for Jade to sleep. She envied people who were able to lie down and drift away to dreamland in a matter of minutes. Whenever she tried to sleep, her fatigued body was at odds with her active mind.
When a female chooses a male to marry, she’s gifting that male an opportunity, not a right.
He’ll do whatever he can to make his wife happy.
“I’ve read what I could about your species, and I see problems that may arise if you don’t have an open mind. Our ways may
seem strange to you, but it doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Try to remember that.”
“It also appears he’s never been married. He’ll be very eager to please you,”
“Most females find his scars unappealing,” Zikas explained. “He’s never been chosen, and I don’t think he ever expected to be chosen. He won’t be prepared for a wife.”
Theo treasured his solitude and despised visits to the city.
“Are you messing with me? This must be a joke. They go to school to learn how to be husbands?”
“Many things. They have to make enough money to care for a wife and child, they have to have a clean bill of health, be of a certain age…things like that. Females mostly care about their grades, though.”
“There are a few classes every male has to take, and then there are some they can choose. Cooking and childcare, for example, are mandatory. A husband must know how to make a good meal for his wife and, with any luck, his children. A class about pairing beverages with food, however, is optional.
The males train in both schools until they’re about twenty, then they take their final exams and earn their grades.”
“preferences: nine. In their preferences classes, males learn about the different types of things females prefer to have on hand. That way they can get a rough idea of what to stock their homes with in case they end up being chosen by a female. Preferences covers things like clothing fabric, jewelry, household furnishings, and beauty products. Females buy most of those things themselves when they arrive in a new house, but it’s good for the males to understand what the items are, what they’re used for, and why some may be better than others. Anatomy: ten.”
As his lips neared hers, he paused. Dipping his head to the column of her neck, he inhaled deeply and exhaled with a groan. His hot breath on her sensitive flesh made her shiver.
He’d merely meant to stop her from touching him, but then he’d gotten a whiff of her scent. He’d grown dizzy and had felt the desire to be closer to her so strongly that all reason had left him.
The scent of her fear had been intoxicating as well. Usually fear smelled sharp and sour, but hers? Delicious. Sanity had returned to him when she’d whimpered in fright.
“You’ll need to get your wife first, though.”
“She chose you to be her husband.”
When she came into view, his mind blanked. All he could do was gaze at her, enraptured. Fire-red hair curled gently around her face and fell over her shoulders. A thin, flowing emerald-green gown accentuated her ample curves and complemented her green eyes. Theo had never seen a more beautiful creature in his whole life.
A sudden urge to pummel his old friend came over him when he saw Zikas touch her.
His eyes widened when he saw her exposed legs. The glass he was holding shattered.
Jade set the towel away and examined one of the black marks curving around his wrist. “Those markings…” She sighed, tracing the mark with her finger. “I’d like to lick every one of them,” she said with a wicked smile. Theo leaned in close and said in a low, rumbling voice, “Is that so?”
“I own miles of land in every direction. If you run, I’ll chase you. I like a good hunt, but you won’t like what happens if I catch you.”
“I told you. I’ll play along. You’re my wife. I’m your husband. This is what husbands do.”
“Now that I know he’s here, I don’t want him going anywhere. Can he sleep in my room?” she pleaded. Theo released a defeated breath. “I suppose.”
“You shouldn’t lose any weight,”
“I’ve only felt the soft curves of your body twice, but it’s been the highlight of my year, and I haven’t even seen all of you yet.”
Theo couldn’t imagine a male not salivating over her. He certainly had.
Theo allowed himself to ponder what could’ve aroused her. Me? he thought momentarily. Could she have been attracted to him? Chosen him for that reason?
He didn’t bother to run at first. He stalked toward her, like a predator. Then he bared his teeth in a terrifying grin and began to sprint.
“The problem with that expression is that no woman should wish for a knight in shining armor. A knight with shining armor has probably never been to war. They’ve never fought or been hurt. If you want a strong man who can protect you, then you should hope for a knight in dented, scratched, rusted armor. That knight has fought and survived.” She motioned toward Theo and said, “You earned those scars. You survived. The marks that cover your body are an outward representation of your inner strength. Those marks represent the opposite of weakness, and anyone who thinks differently is an idiot.”
“I’d like to take you up on your offer.” “Offer?” “To lick my scars.”
When she’d stood in front of him, he’d first seen her magnificent smile and then her naked body. The sight had nearly caused him to break his word and grab her.
She should’ve been disgusted. Asking her to lick his scars had seemed like an excellent way to expose her lies. He’d expected a grimace at least, and a halfhearted swipe of her tongue at most. The way she’d lavished his neck had felt like heaven.
The few times he’d attempted to make her happy had caused him more contentment than any sexual encounter he’d ever had. Pride had spread through him when she’d complimented the food he’d chosen for her tonight.
“On Earth, do you inherit your parent’s money? How do you make sure wealthy individuals don’t just go on being wealthy without doing any hard work?”
“The goal of the males on this planet is to make enough money to attract a wife. If he gets a wife, then he’ll want to make sure to spend any money he’s made on her. Ensuring her every desire is met and she’s happy. It proves to her that he’s capable of doing the same for a child.”
You can like the alien. You can crush on the alien. You can enjoy some casual sex with the alien. You cannot fall for the alien!
“I need your help with something,” she said slowly. “But it’s a little embarrassing.” “I am here to serve, wife,”
Theo wasn’t embarrassed about his room, but he didn’t want even a hint of her scent in here or he’d never be able to sleep again.
With a snarl, Theo’s hand shot out and locked around her throat, the healing device forgotten on the floor. His muscles were taut, and his immense chest rose and fell rapidly.
“You need to come, little wife.”
“Look at me,”
“It won’t take much for you to come, will it, wife?”
“Let me see you come for me, little wife,”
“My life before, as I knew it, ended when I met you. Have a care for my life now.”
“I received the highest grade possible in the culinary arts and yet I burned our food three times while cooking this evening. Is that enough confirmation for you?”
“As you wish.”
“What do you think I want to do tonight?”
“I cannot begin to fathom the torture you’ll put me through.”
