My legs are still wobbly from the multiple orgasms he deftly wrung out of me, but Tai doesn’t let me stumble. He holds me steady and wraps a towel tightly around my shoulders.
“What does the Divine Goddess of Orgasms and Perfect Tits desire?” he asks and sucks a sensitive nipple into his mouth.
“Oh no, don’t ruin the afterglow.” I smack his chest. The gesture serves as a reminder of how hard his body is.
“Youareglowing,” he says between kisses up my neck to my earlobe, sending shivers over every inch of my skin. Dammit—he is good at this.
It’s impossible to think straight when we are naked and pressed together. My resolve to stay emotionally detached fights a losing battle with the desire pulling me toward him. Of their own volition, my hands wander up his muscular back, and my fingers rake through his damp hair.
“I can’t believe I’m about to suggest this, but I think we should get dressed and find some food,” Tai says. He must feel conflicted, because he doesn’t put any distance between us or stop the all-consuming kisses.
“Food sounds good,” I say and haul myself away. Clarity returns along with the reminder of who is beyond these doors. The tiresome brethren who wouldn’t know a critical thought if it smacked them in the head are always lurking around. Every attempt at liberating them from Boss has been met with blank stares. It is proving to be more difficult than I had originally thought, but I’m not ready to admit defeat.
“Come on. Let’s go find some of those red berries you like,” he says, leading me out of the bathroom.
We are both dressed in seconds, suddenly ravenous. Tai pauses at the bedroom door and turns back to face me. He guides an errant strand of hair back behind my shoulder and kisses the tip of my nose. The sweet gesture is not something a fling would do. He throws open the door and pulls me along with him. I decide to enjoy the moment.Carpe diemand all that shit. We can figure everything else out later. For now, in this strange world with these weird aliens, I’m right where I want to be.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Tai
Bri and I grab the same piece of flatbread and neither one of us lets go. She scrunches up one side of her face and tries to tug it out of my hand. I hold even tighter and refuse to give an inch. We’re both enjoying this battle of wills when Boss slinks into the dining hall. Bri looks over at him and drops her grasp on the flatbread. I let go as well, no longer hungry. With one look, he managed to ruin my appetite.
“The goddess is needed in the prayer room,” Boss says and yanks Bri up from her seat.
“I suggest you let go of her right now, or I’d be happy to relieve you of that hand.” I’m on my feet and towering over Boss with Bri standing between us.
“The rain hasn’t returned. You must summon more. Or you no longer serve a purpose to us.”
Bri looks up at me with rage in her eyes. “Sure, I’d be happy to pray,” she says awkwardly and overly sweet. He doesn’t know it yet,but that saccharine voice is dangerous. I follow them down the tunnels to the prayer room, not wanting to let Bri out of my sight.
I was ready to go to blows when he grabbed her arm. But the look in her eye told me I didn’t need to fight this battle for her. She’d get him back in her own way.
The prayer room is empty and dark. Boss shoves Bri down to her knees in the center of the room. His rough treatment of her sends a wave of fury through me, one that threatens to completely take over. The only thing calming me is the hatred in her eyes, and I know that his days are numbered.
“Now pray. And you, Tilak,” he spits, “Leave her in peace so she can fulfill her destiny.”
I plant my feet to the ground and dare any one of these fuckers to try and make me leave. But Bri catches my eye and gives me a quick nod, silent permission to leave. My ear twitches at the dismissal. Every instinct tells me to stay right here.
“Really, I’m okay,” she says.
Reluctantly, I back out of the prayer room and into the hall. I’m about to sit in the alcove facing the door when Boss calls out.
“Follow me,” he says over his shoulder as he walks down a tunnel I’ve yet to see, one I haven’t mapped out yet.
I can’t help myself, and against better judgment I follow. If he’s with me, he isn’t harassing Bri, and he's the only one I think is a possible threat. We go down another narrow tunnel I’m not familiar with. This one is older than the rest. The walls are crumbling, like they could collapse at the slightest touch. He stops abruptly and turns back to me with malice in his eyes.
“I warned you, Tilak, and now you have crossed the line.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I roll my eyes. What does he want now?
“I’m talking about you seducing the goddess. I saw how you looked at her at the Wahadi. The scriptures clearly say her pleasure must come from the brethren, not some Tilak scum. Your time has run out.”
I saw this coming.
“Yeah, okay. You got me. I’ll leave.”
I’ve already got a plan. I’ll leave peacefully then sneak back in. I’m confident I can grab Bri and get out without being detected.
