Mission: Planet Biter (Veslor Mates #4)(41)

“Exactly.” Abby began eating too. “The chefs marinate them in garlic and some other kind of seasoning before searing them. The reheater finishes cooking them. They come out perfect every time.”

“I do enjoy your food,” Roth acknowledged.

“Not mine. Ours.” Abby kept eating. “It’s one of the perks of me being part of your grouping.” She winked at Vera again. “I can’t cook to save my life. I’m always going to have D Corp send us shipments. It’s one Earth perk that I’m not willing to give up, since I don’t have to.”

“I’m not the best cook either,” Vera admitted. “It was just me and my mom growing up. She worked a lot, and I was too busy with my studies. I’m also not home often. The job sites provide us with a cook.”

“I can hunt and cook meals,” Roth said, as he continued eating.

Vera met Abby’s gaze.

Abby gave her a slight nod. “Veslors are very talented at doing a lot of things.”

A blush rose when Vera’s mind instantly returned to what Abby had told her about sex with a Veslor. She wanted to find out with Roth whether that was true. Now she just had to figure out how to accomplish her goal.

Worry filled her at the next thought. She might want to stay with him…but what if he didn’t want to keep her?





Chapter Eleven



Roth led Vera to his bedroom after the meal and opened one of his drawers. “Pick any shirt for you to sleep in.”

Vera stepped closer to inspect the contents of the drawer before peering up at him. “I like to sleep naked.”

She watched as Roth glanced down her body.

“I’d really like to share the bed with you, Roth,” she admitted.

“We discussed this. I am protecting you.”

“From you? You’d never hurt me.”

“I would not.”

“Exactly.” Vera remembered everything that Abby had said. Was she scared of potentially mating to Roth when it involved him having to transform into another shape? Yes. But she wasn’t a coward. Roth’s body might change, but he would still be him. Just different looking.

“I’m going to be picked up in a couple days by the company that I work for. I doubt the representatives from New Worlds will want to stick around on Defcon Red once they arrive. They’ll order me to go with them back to Earth.” She took a deep breath. “I have feelings for you, Roth. I know it seems really fast, but it’s the truth. The circumstances of how we met were awful, but you are amazing. I don’t want to miss this opportunity if you feel things for me, too.”

His expression softened as he gazed at her. “Humans normally take a long time to make decisions. You were traumatized by what you endured. I believe it caused you to emotionally bond to me, since I was the one to care for you.”

“I can’t deny that. Everything you’ve done for me, though, has only proven to me how amazing you are. I’ve hoped for my entire life that I’d meet a guy with even a hint of the qualities you have. I never thought I would find him.”

Roth frowned.

“What I mean is that I depended on you, and you didn’t let me down. You went above and beyond for me. I might have been a bit crazy, but I know that I didn’t imagine how the medical staff wanted you to leave me. You refused. I even remember mentions of them threatening to call security to remove you from the room. You risked getting arrested just to keep your word to me. You’re a unicorn, Roth.”

Confusion flashed across his features.

“It means men like you aren’t supposed to really exist—but I found you. I’m not stupid enough to just walk away. Plus, you’re super hot.” Her gaze ran up and down him. “I’ve never been more sexually attracted to someone than I am to you.”

He shook his head. “You have been through trauma and are confused.”

“No. Trust me. I’m not confused about what I want when it comes to you. Most people can’t make up their minds about much. What happened on that planet is going to cause me to probably have nightmares for a long time. Good people died. I didn’t, though. Do you know what I was thinking about most while I was helplessly watching my co-workers die?”

Roth inched closer, his golden gaze softening. “Tell me.”

“I replayed my entire life in my head. I have a lot of regrets. I settled for being with two men who I didn’t really love. I was just lonely. I felt more anger than anything when they let me down. I swore that if I survived, I’d find someone I could love. I think that person is you. Give us a shot, Roth. We have two days to figure out if we’re compatible before those representatives from New Worlds arrive.”

“I don’t wish to be another regret, Vera.”

“That will only happen if we don’t give this a shot. I think I’ve learned more about you in the short time that we’ve spent together than I ever did after months with my past two boyfriends. They never would have been as good to me or stuck by me through that hell. I not only trust you—I don’t want to lose you.”

“You are only grateful to me.”

She shook her head. “No. It’s more than that. I’ve replayed every moment in my head over and over that we spent together since the drugs left my system.” She drew even closer to him. “I’ve never met anyone like you. I’m not talking about you being an alien, either. I mean how good of a person you are. You’re sweet and kind. Patient. Protective. Sexy. I could go on. Not that I need to. You’re wonderful…and I think we should do this testing thing.”