Day #10: 12 Days of Free Alien Romance 🎄
Dec 23, 2022 1:31 pm
Hi !
The 12 Days of Free Alien Romance Giveaway is here!
What's in this email? Keep reading for...
- At least one totally free book from a fabulous sci-fi romance author
- A chance to win a cute custom sticker from yours truly
- The latest episode of my holiday alien romance, All I Want for Christmas is Everything about an alien biker and his human crush
To celebrate DAY 10 of our giveaway, I'm thrilled to share a free book from Etta Pierce, Convergence!
Olivia Loxley was a behaviorist with the Los Angeles Police Department. Until her specialty in profiling the human mind becomes of unique interest to Commander Atarian, that is. When she wakes up in a cell on an alien spacecraft, she gathers her strength for a confrontation that never materializes.
Instead, the man asks for her help in the largest raid he's ever overseen: a pleasure cruiser christened the Paramour, which has been siphoning humans into galactic sex trafficking for months. But in order for his mission to go off without a hitch, he needs to impersonate a connoisseur of human flesh.
The real question is, will either of them be able to keep up professional boundaries? Or will they bow to their primal instincts?
WANT TO WIN A CUTE STICKER?
You'll be automatically entered to win a sticker featuring the couple from Stolen by Starlight if you click the free book link above! You don't have to download the book to be eligible. You'll be notified at this email address if you're a winner!
And now for the story...
🎄 All I Want for Christmas is Everything🎄
Content warnings: Catching a cheater, respectful stalking, alien NSFW scenes
Missed an episode? The entire story will be available to download as an ebook in my Facebook Reader Group on December 25.
EPISODE #
10
By the time Ivy and Tairon finished the bottle and had conversations on a half-dozen more topics, they were snuggled together on the sofa, and her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Ivy only had two glasses, but the champagne bubbles were zipping through her veins like a street race, making her dizzy. Impulsively, she kissed Tairon on his handsome cheek. He returned it with a lick up her neck from her clavicle to her earlobe that gave her goosebumps down the whole left side of her body
“I’d like to give you your present now, if you don’t mind. Before we get too distracted,” he murmured in her ear, sending another rush of tight anticipation over her skin. He produced something wrapped in soft, dark-green paper and tied with red velvet ribbon. “It’s a custom for Draakish males to make something special for their—”
“Fixations?” she finished for him, giggling.
He took his time brushing a curl from her forehead and tucking it behind her ear while she clutched the gift in her lap, enjoying being sandwiched between the warmth emanating from the fireplace and the warmth of his touch. “We say ‘alokoi’ in Draakish. It means ‘the one known to us.’ It’s a nicer way of saying fixation, I suppose. The gift is supposed to represent what we’ve learned about our alokoi by observing them, attuning to them. And then, if the alokoi accepts the gift, there are some ritual words to say.”
She jerked her head up. “Like…vows?”
His head gave the barest shake. “Not binding words. We call them ‘alokim.’ Roughly translates as ‘words of knowing.’ They just mean we got it right. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. I’ll just try again. No pressure.” He grinned crookedly down at her and pulled the end of the ribbon on the package so that the bow came apart.
Ivy gently pulled open the paper, bracing herself to react positively, no matter what was inside the package. She found herself holding a beautiful, honey-colored wooden spoon.
It had a tapered oval bowl, her favorite shape to stir up a batch of cookies or quick breads with. She looked closer and noticed the handle was carved with intricate, braided vines and ivy leaves, the details burned into the surface of the wood. At the very tip of the handle, a dark green stone glinted and glowed in the firelight.
It was stunning, strong, balanced, and fit her palm perfectly. There was no need to pretend—she loved it. If he’d shown her a king’s hoard and said she could only pick one treasure from it, this what she would have chosen. “You made this?”
His eyes eyes glowing. “I wanted to give you something you could use every day, and I noticed you always worked with wooden spoons at the bakery.”
She nodded. Most of her colleagues used metal or plastic, but she’d always preferred to work with wooden tools, like her grandmother had taught her when she was a child.
“I carved it from applewood because it matches your scent. The handle design is for your name, of course, but also because you wear your hair in beautiful braids so often.”
“To keep it out of my dough,” she said, voice thick with emotion. He’d really noticed everything.
“Beautiful and practical, like you,” he said, fondness saturating his tone. “The stone is an emerald, because you love the color, and your birthday is in May.” He reached down and flipped the spoon over in her hands to show her the other side. “Forgive my ego, but I put my scale pattern on the back of the bowl because I hope I’ll become one of your favorite things, too.”
The spoon still gripped in one fist, she flung her arms around his neck, squeezing him in a tight hug. “I think you already are,” she whispered hoarsely, sniffling against his shoulder.
“I did good?” he asked, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
“So good.” Better than good. It was hard to believe anyone could get it so right.
“Then I’ll say the alokim.” He pulled back, and, gripping her shoulders gently, told her to close her eyes. When she did, she felt him lick her right eyelid in a strange, sensuous slide. “Ivy, I see you.” He licked the left one. “I feel your flame.” He licked across her forehead. “You are known to me.”
Emotion rose in her at his simple declarations. She felt them all the way to her center. He knew her. Had spent years soaking up everything he could about her so he could give her what she needed, when she needed it. She kept her eyes closed. “What do I say back?”
His hands slid up to cup her cheeks and his thumbs brushed over her brows. “You don’t have to say anything, beautiful. But when you do, I’ll be listening.”
She blinked her eyes open to smile at him. “Then I’ll just say thank you for now. I love what you made for me, and I appreciate all the hours of thought and attention that went into designing and carving it. Nobody’s ever spent that much time and energy on me.”
He growled and pulled her into a crushing embrace, speaking to the top of her head. “I hate them all for giving you less than you deserved. But a selfish part of me is glad because it means you ended up in my arms.”
TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT EPISODE...TOMORROW!
Lots of love,
