Zoey felt much better when she woke up later that day. Her stomach had settled, and her minor, lingering headache would likely go away once she got some food and water in her system. And best of all?

She was cocooned in Ren’s arms. All four of them.

He lay with her back flush against his chest, and she was thankful to be facing away — he didn’t need to catch a whiff of her rank breath after her pukefest. If she weren’t so cozy and warm in his arms, she would’ve jumped out of bed to brush her teeth immediately.

The security of his embrace and the heat of his body weren’t all she was aware of, however; there was also a log nestled against her ass cheeks. A day ago, that would’ve sent her running for the hills, but now?

She’d used up all her embarrassment that morning, so rather than feeling ashamed, she reveled in the feel of him. Ren was attracted to her. He’d been aroused by her. She knew morning wood was just something that happened to men — human men, anyway — while they slept, but God, feeling his cock against her backside turned her on. Her nipples hardened and pussy clenched, hollow and achy, and if not for an exceedingly full bladder, she might’ve been so bold as to wiggle her bottom against him and finish what they’d started the night before.

That was one way to make up for passing out in the heat of the moment thanks to her stupid overindulgence.

Hell, just lounging in bed with him sounded divine. She was warm, safe, and comfortable, without a care in the world.

Well, except that insistent urge to pee.

Way to ruin the moment, bladder.

Zoey placed her hand on one of Rendash’s wrists and carefully lifted it. His arms tightened around her in response, holding her that much closer.

“How do you feel?” he murmured huskily.

Oh my God! Can a man’s voice be any sexier?

“Better.” She turned her head to look at him. “How long have you been awake?”

“Long enough.” There was a hint of mischief in his voice, adding a layer to it she’d not heard before — it was seductive as hell.

Her arousal grew.

Damn you, bladder!

“I, uh, need to pee,” she said, cheeks ablaze.

“You need to pee?”

“Yeah. Like, right now.”

Ren withdrew his arms, but not without a hint of reluctance — his fingertips lingered on her bicep and hip for just a bit longer than seemed necessary.

As soon as she was free, Zoey leapt out of bed and ran to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Sweet relief swept in to fill the growing space as her bladder emptied.

While she was washing her hands, she realized that the small toiletry bag on the counter was hers. With a silent thanks to Ren, she took out her toothbrush and scrubbed her teeth and tongue like they’d never been cleaned before.

Despite her thoroughness, she still ached with desire when she was done, and decided to hop into the shower to avoid returning to the bedroom — to temptation.

It was amazing how much better the hot water made her feel, and the tub had ample space to move around in, meaning she didn’t even have to deal with the shower curtain blowing in and slapping her leg with a jolt of cold. The showerhead was big enough that she felt more like she was standing in a rainstorm than in a bathroom.

When she finished, she returned to the bedroom with her breath smelling of mint, her hair wet, and nothing covering her body but a towel. Ren was sitting on the edge of the bed with his pants on. Her suitcase was set beside him, open to display her clothes.

His eyes swept over her hungrily. She could almost feel him looking through the towel, and that ignited her blood all over again. She bit her lip approached the bed.

“Thanks,” she said, picking out a pair of leggings and a tunic. She blushed anew as she withdrew a pair of red panties.

Awesome. My face is going to match my underwear.

Ren reached into her suitcase, plucked up her red bra, and — dangling it from a single finger — held it out to her. “Your harness.”

“You’re horrible,” she laughed. Snatching the bra from him, she hightailed it back into the bathroom — back to safety.

I must really be desperate for physical contact.

Okay, so not just physical contact, but sex. She’d only had two partners in her life — the first a one-night stand that popped her cherry when she was nineteen, and then Joshua seven years later. Sex had never been a huge part of her life. She’d gotten herself off far more times by her own efforts than with men, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want it. Didn’t crave it.

And boy did she want it with Rendash. With an alien.

So why not just do it? Why not get her freak on with this sexy, four-armed hunk of muscle?

Because it’s…because…

It’s wrong?

She knew that wasn’t the truth. A few days ago, yeah, it certainly would’ve been, but she’d spent time with him, had come to know him. He was still other, but she’d seen human qualities in him.

And yet, Zoey couldn’t be anything more than a curiosity to him. She didn’t want to be someone’s…curiosity fuck. She didn’t want to be used again. She deserved better, deserved more.

She wanted more.

It didn’t matter how much she longed for more with Rendash; he’d leave soon, and she’d never see him again. She couldn’t stand the thought of that loss as it was, so why get more involved with him and increase the hurt when that moment came?

But if we both want it, why not take it, even if it’s only one time? Why not be selfish for a change?

Because I want more than a one-night stand, damnit.

She wanted stability. She wanted love. She wanted it all.

And she needed to be stronger to obtain it.

Mind made up, Zoey hurriedly pulled on her clothes. She would have to keep some distance between them. Set some boundaries.

Once she was dressed, she stepped back into the bedroom. “Are you ready for those omelets I promised?”

He straightened and offered her a smile, flashing his fangs. Zoey’s entire body reacted to it.

Damnit. Boundaries, woman, boundaries!

“I would ask what that is,” he said as he stood up, “but I doubt I would understand your explanation.”

“No need for explanation. Just enjoy it.”

Zoey ended up making Ren four omelets with powdered eggs and a little cheddar cheese that, despite the expiration date being two days earlier, appeared to be totally fine. When she joked that it was one for each arm, he laughed, and there was something endearing about his appreciation of her humor even at its corniest. More serious was his ability to throw down food; she was grateful the pantry was well-stocked.

Ren excused himself to take a shower after he helped clean up. Zoey stared out the kitchen window for a few minutes, listening to the wind wail over the roof. The snow hadn’t slowed, and the drifts beside the house had already piled up over the base of the first-floor windows.

They were going to be here for a while.

She set to exploring the cabin while he finished. The place was, by far, the nicest she’d ever been in. Everything was so elegant, but it was somehow made accessible by the little, down-to-earth, rustic touches throughout. There were two bedrooms, a media room — complete with a stupid-big television and leather recliners — and a sun room on the lower floor. The garage looked large enough to house an RV, a boat, and three cars all at once.

Upstairs, she found two more guest bedrooms. Each of the guest rooms had a different color scheme, but all were decorated tastefully and coherently. She had no doubt that some of the old objects used as décor in the rooms hadn’t been purchased at thrift stores, like the stuff in her apartment, but in antique shops. She was thoroughly impressed.

She took a moment to breathe as she looked down over the living room from the second-floor walkway. Then she discovered the master bedroom at the end of the walkway and went from impressed to stunned.

The woodwork on the floors, walls, and ceilings here was taken to a new level of simplistic grace, paired with intricate stonework that culminated in a large fireplace directly ahead of the massive bed. A wide bay window stretched across the far wall with a cushioned bench running its length, granting full view of fat snowflakes in their chaotic dances outside.

A pair of leather armchairs with sculpted-wood frames were positioned in front of the fireplace. A cozy oval rug was positioned beneath them. She turned to see a dual vanity sink near the corner, with a stone countertop and gleaming, old-fashioned copper fixtures. Nearby sat a huge, jetted bathtub. It was built into its own nook, surrounded by stonework that would’ve been at home on a New England farm, with wide steps leading up to it.

The bathtub had its own glass-enclosed fireplace and a window looking out toward the snow-laden fir trees that surrounded the cabin. On the opposite side of the tub’s fireplace wall — and with a shared view of the fire — stood a large shower stall with stone on three sides and glass on the fourth. It looked like it had one of those state-of-the-art, multi-headed, multidirectional shower systems.

“If I had a dream home, this would be it,” Zoey said, running her fingers over the rough stone on the wall. She stared at the bathtub. “I am so using this before we leave.”

She turned away and moved to the dresser, pulling open the drawers one by one. There was an even split between men’s and women’s clothing inside. The walk-in closet, on the other hand, was dominated by women’s clothing and shoes. To Zoey’s surprise and excitement, the footwear and the clothing fit her.

Stealing wasn’t right, but she hadn’t exactly had an abundance of winter clothes to bring with her from Santa Barbara, and Ren had even said this was survival. From all she’d seen in this house, she doubted the owners would have a problem replacing a pair of boots, a sweater, and a coat — if they even noticed they were missing to begin with.

I already drank their two-hundred-dollar bottle of wine. Why not add more to the list?

What was that old saying? In for a penny, in for a pound.

Zoey had just stepped out of the bedroom when Rendash emerged from the staircase onto the second-floor walkway.

“Did you finally get your exploring in?” he asked.

“Yes! This place is a-mazing!” She looked over the railing toward the bottom floor. “I’ve never been in a place so beautiful before.”

“I suppose the bad weather has given us something to be thankful for, after all.” That gleam had returned to his eyes, though it was subtler now; she didn’t think he was talking about the cabin.

Zoey cleared her throat. “I know you want to get to your ship, and this is a delay, but it’ll give you time to rest and regain your strength.” Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t quite stop her gaze from roaming over his bare chest. He’d donned a towel instead of pants, but the towel couldn’t cover her clear mental image of his cock. “You, uh, should get some pants on. With it being cold and all.”

“I have already adjusted the temperature inside this building to a comfortable level. Do you need me to increase it?”

“No, I’m good. But you should really put some pants on.”

Please, for the sake of my lady-bits, put on some pants…

…or take off the towel.

He frowned, and she wasn’t sure if the knowing look in his eyes was real or a product of her imagination. “They are restrictive. I prefer not to wear them without need.”

“Do you walk around naked back home?”

“No. But aligarii clothing favors simplicity and comfort. It is also tailored to the…proper proportions.”

Unable to resist, she dropped her eyes to his groin again. Not surprisingly, he was tenting.

“Okay! Well, um…” She looked anywhere but at him. Boundaries. “Oh! You should see the home theater here.” She squeezed by him, sucking it in to avoid any inadvertent brushes with a certain part of his anatomy, and made her way downstairs. “We can watch a movie!”

The steps creaked as he followed her down. “Is it going to be the same as the other movie? The…Ace Ventures?”

“Ace Ventura. And no. We’ll have to check out their collection, and you can pick this time.”

They entered the media room. The TV mounted on the wall had to be eighty-plus inches, the biggest she’d ever seen, and there were surround-sound speakers set into little alcoves all around the room. There were no wires to be seen anywhere — and no DVD player, cable box, or anything of the sort.

She found a remote control, set in its own charging dock, on a stand beside one of the eight leather recliners. It was the most complicated remote she’d ever seen, complete with its own display screen.

At the back of the room, she discovered a small, black handle on the wall. When she tugged on it, a door — which had blended seamless with the paneling — swung open. She stepped through the doorway to find what could pass for a small bedroom in most of the houses she’d been in. Here it was probably just referred to as the media closet or something like that.

Shelves upon shelves stuffed with DVDs and Blu-rays lined the walls. There had to be more than five hundred titles. The missing electronics were set on a shelf near the door; a Blu-ray player, a gaming console, a satellite receiver, and the surround sound unit. The neatly-bundled cords for each device ran into the wall.

“This is so neat.” Zoey looked at Ren and grinned. “Pick a movie that looks interesting while I try to figure out how to get all this going.”

Rendash joined her in the closet; they were able to both fit inside without bumping into one another. His eyes widened. “All of those are movies?”

“Yep. And that’s not even close to how many movies are out there.”

Tentatively, he reached forward and removed a DVD from the nearest shelf, turning the case in his hand to look at the front. “And you mean for me to choose based on the picture?”

“A lot of people find movies that way.” She pressed the power button on the Blu-ray player, and there was a soft chiming sound from the main room. She poked her head out of the closet to see the TV turning on before returning her attention to Ren. “If the cover looks interesting, we can check the back to see what it’s about.”

He flipped the case to glance at the back and frowned. “I still cannot read human writing.”

“I can read it to you, or we can leave it as a surprise.” She stepped closer to him. “If you want a certain genre, I can point out a few to you.”

Moving back, he swept his gaze over the collection. She could understand how it would be overwhelming; she could read, and had at least heard of most of the movies, but Zoey doubted even she could make a choice in any reasonable amount of time given so many options.

She watched while he slid movies out for closer inspection, unable to tell if he was choosing randomly or based on whichever spine-logos were most appealing to him. In most cases, he only asked for the title, if for anything, but he had her read the back descriptions on a few.

When he made his choice, she wasn’t sure if she should’ve been surprised or not; he selected Galaxy Quest. She took the case from him, opened it, set the disc in the tray and pressed the button to close it.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing one of his hands and pulling him into the main room. He closed the door as he passed through.

Zoey released his hand when they reached the chairs, plopping onto one of the center seats. He settled into the chair beside hers, a comical look of worry on his face as the leather squeaked and creaked.

“Is that normal?” he asked, holding all four of his arms up as though afraid to lower them onto the chair.

Zoey laughed. “Yes, it is. I guess we’ll find out if leather sticks to scales like it does to bare skin before too long.”

Rendash lowered his arms slowly, settling the lower pair on the armrests with the upper pair atop them. He nearly leapt out of the seat when his leg bumped the recliner button and the whole chair tilted back.

Giggling, Zoey placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine. Lay back and relax.”

Leaning back, he shifted a hand to the recliner controls and tipped the seat backwards. Once he settled, he clasped the fingers on both sets of hands, resting them atop his bare abdomen.

From the moment the movie began, Zoey found her attention on Ren nearly as often as it was on the TV. His comments, often muttered absently, added a new layer of comedy to the film that she hadn’t guessed was possible. Whether he was questioning the existence of the alien species depicted on screen or debunking Hollywood physics, his earnestness was endearing and entertaining at once.

Toward the end, Zoey found herself watching Rendash rather than the movie, taking note of every shift in his expression — each curl or twist of his lip, the subtle twitches of his brow, and the intense look that often came to his eyes. It wasn’t exactly conscious. She just…

She was going to miss him when he left.

Rendash had quickly become an important part of her life, and despite the circumstances, these last few days with him were some of the best she’d ever had. She felt closer to him than any person should to another in so short a time. It didn’t make sense. She just…didn’t want him to go.

One of his side eyes flicked toward her. He lifted his head and turned it to face her, all four of his eyes focusing on her. “Shouldn’t you be enjoying the movie, Zoey?”

Zoey smiled. “I am. I’m also enjoying the company.”

“I cannot see how watching me is more engaging than watching that.” He gestured to the TV. “Though it is rife with inaccuracy, it is, at least, entertaining. You humans have quaint notions of space and the intergalactic community.”

“Hmm.” She continued watching him.

He arched his brow and held her gaze, though she caught one of his side eyes straying toward the TV.

Zoey burst out laughing. “Having so many eyes is not fair!”

“I cannot be held responsible for the shortcomings of your species.”

“Shortcomings?” Zoey gaped at him. “You can make your own dinner next time.” She crossed her arms over her chest and faced the screen.

From the corner of her eye, she saw him lean toward her and reach an arm out. He brushed his fingers along the side of her neck. “Just because you have freakishly few eyes and limbs doesn’t mean I think less of you.”

“Freakishly few?” Zoey looked at him and raised her brows. “Maybe you have freakishly too many.”

“Perhaps. By your own standards,” he replied with a grin.

“Humph.” She lifted her chin haughtily. “Well then, based on those standards, maybe I prefer a male with two arms and two eyes.”

“Oh?” Ren pushed himself out of the chair to loom over her, features cast in shadow as he blocked the screen. “Explain, human.”

He slipped one hand up from her neck to cup the back of her head, twining his fingers in her hair, while his other hands moved to different parts of her body — her side, just beneath her breasts; her hip; her upper thigh.

“Explain why you do not prefer this,” he rasped.

Zoey’s breath quickened, and her heart raced. She stared into his eyes. “I-I don’t…don’t have to explain myself to you, alien.”

He stared right back at her, and damnit if he wasn’t giving her his full attention, if he wasn’t seeing all of her and making her feel it. His lips parted in a smile, offering another glimpse of his fangs. His hands moved slowly, sensually, blazing hot despite the protection of her clothing. “Your reactions explain enough, I think…as does your scent.”

“My scent?”

He leaned forward, his face so close to hers that their lips would touch if she tilted her chin up. He lowered his head past her neck and breasts, past her stomach, lower and lower until it hovered over her thighs.

Rendash’s lower hands grasped her knees and spread them before he dropped his head between her legs inhaled deeply. “The scent of your desire.”

Zoey gasped. She pushed her hands against his forehead and squeezed her legs, but he kept himself in place. “Oh my God. That’s so—” sexy “—dirty!”

“What do you mean, it is dirty?” he asked, lifting his gaze but not his head.

Zoey burned inside and out. It was arousing as hell having him positioned between her legs like that, but she couldn’t let go of her self-consciousness. “It’s…naughty.”

“So is it dirty or naughty? Those words have different meanings, don’t they?”

Oh, God. She could feel the heat of his breath through her leggings. Her pussy clenched and liquid fire flooded her. She didn’t have wine to bolster her courage this time. “Both!”

“This scent is natural. It is a part of you.” His upper hands smoothed down her neck and shoulders and slid over her sides, brushing her breasts on their way. Zoey shivered. “All of this is part of you, and there is nothing but beauty to behold.”

How did he always say the perfect things to make her heart go pitter-patter? His words filled her with confidence and desire, something that Joshua had never bothered to attempt.

Boundaries, Zoey! Don’t let yourself be a doormat!

Not that she believed Rendash would treat her like one, but he was still going to leave. Whether he intended to or not, he was still going to walk on her heart before the end.

Then shouldn’t I want something more to remember him by?

No. This was about that soon-to-be-trampled heart, not the sex. Ren had come to mean more to her in a few days than Joshua had in a year. Josh’s betrayal had hurt, but she’d known she would recover with a little time. Rendash’s departure, on the other hand, was going to devastate her. That was the truth deep in her heart.

Everyone she’d cared about abandoned her eventually, one way or another — her mother, her father, her grandmother, her foster parents, Joshua.

Rendash would, too.

If she got intimate with him, it would open her up for a whole new kind of pain. There was no way she could have sex with Ren and not grow even more attached than she already was.

“Ren,” Zoey said, exerting gentle pressure to push his face away, “we need to stop.”

He furrowed his brows and finally lifted his head. “Why do we need to stop?”

“Because I—”

Just lie!

“—don’t want this.”

Bullshit. You’re so revved up that if he so much as stuck out the tip of his tongue you’d jump his bones and screw his brains out. He can smell you, remember?

“I just got out of a relationship, and we’re…we’re two different species,” she said.

“Different species, yes, but both thinking, feeling beings with many similarities.” The confusion on his face only deepened. “And your reactions—”

“Are natural, as you said. But they’re not voluntary.” Zoey cringed. That hadn’t come out right.

God, I hate myself right now.

Rendash clenched his jaw and averted his gaze for several seconds. His breathing was slow, deliberate, as though damming some immense reservoir of emotion. Finally, he pushed up off her chair, breaking all contact with her, and returned to his own seat.

She felt like a complete ass. She hadn’t meant for the words to come out like that, hadn’t meant to hurt him.

“I’ll let you finish the movie while I fix us some dinner,” Zoey said, standing.

“You said I had to make my own next time,” he replied. There was no hurt in his voice, but there was no joy, either. Was he truly unaffected? Had she…made the right choice?

Without another word, she left him, softly closing the media door behind her. It was too late to put distance between them to protect herself from hurt. Stinging tears brimmed in her eyes as she walked to the kitchen, and her legs were so wobbly that she had to lean on the island counter until she regained her composure.

She’d already let him get too close.

Shortly after she finished making dinner — elk steaks, canned corn, instant mashed potatoes, and more of the biscuits he liked — Ren emerged from the media room. Zoey set a large plate on the counter in front of him, offering a smile.

“Hungry?” she asked, hoping to diffuse the tension in the air.

“Yes.” He set into the food slower than normal, as though his usual appetite was diminished.

Zoey picked at her own meal.

They ate in silence. Zoey missed the sound of his voice, missed their playful banter.

Isn’t this what you wanted? Distance?

Appetite having fled, she scraped her leftovers into the trash and cleaned her plate.

Time to put that final nail in the coffin.

“I’m going to sleep in the master bedroom upstairs,” she said. “You can stay in the room down here, if you want, or pick one of the others.”

His hand stilled midway between his plate and his mouth, a skewered piece of elk steak quivering on his fork. “Why?”

“Why not? There are so many beds here, and so much space. Might as well put it to use while we’re safe.”

Rendash’s jaw muscles bulged, and his nostrils flared. A hard light entered his eyes — hard, but somehow vulnerable. When he lowered his fork, he did it with enough force to clank on the plate, and she jumped. He flattened his other hands on the counter and pushed himself to his feet.

“Even when we had two beds, you wanted to sleep with me. Why do you want space now? Why are you pushing me away? Explain it, human, in a way I can understand, because it makes no sense to me!”

“Because you’re leaving, and after you’re gone, I’ll still be here!” she yelled without meaning to. Her eyes widened, and she took a step back. “You’re leaving,” she repeated softly.

“Yes, I’m leaving. What is there for me on this planet but captivity?”

Zoey stared at him silently for a time before nodding. “You’re right.” Painful tightness seized her chest. “Nothing. Which means I made the right decision. Goodnight, Ren.”

She turned her back on him, but not before catching a look of shocked realization in his eyes. He was silent as she walked away. She didn’t look back.

Entering the room they’d shared, she stuffed her toiletry bag into her suitcase and hauled her meager belongings — this was everything she had, now — upstairs and into the master bedroom. She slammed the door closed behind her. Only when that solid barrier was between them did she allow herself to slide to the floor and cry.