FIFTEEN

Cecelia woke before Rixavox did.

She guessed it was still early.  She craned her neck slightly so she could look out the window and saw the beginnings of the suns rising.  She knew the one on the left rose first and ten minutes later, the other began its ascent.

Cecelia looked back over at her Luxirian.  He was sleeping on his stomach, his face turned to her, one broad, heavy arm slung low over her hip.  Under the warm furs, she felt his legs intertwined with her own and she wondered how they’d gotten into this intimate position without waking.

Her blood felt warm, slow.  She’d had no night sweats and only felt a slight stickiness between their bodies.  Perhaps the Rillirax was truly working.

Her eyes fanned over his features.  She had such little opportunity to study him, even though she was with him most of her waking hours.  She always felt like a creeper if she flat out stared, not to mention self-conscious since he was always so…intense.

So, Cecelia took the time to study him, to memorize his proud, angular face.  His skin was darker near the furs, but the very top of his forehead had already begun to shift and change colors, reacting to the peachy light of the suns.  His horns lay flat against his skull, but she’d seen them standing straight up before.  She wondered what that meant, whether it was emotion that made them move or not.  They were beautiful, smooth like a black ivory, with a single thread of silver running from the very base to the very tip.

His eyes were tilted and wide and even though his brows were sparse, she knew that they could still be expressive.  His nose was sharp and straight, the bone underneath impossibly smooth.  Male models on Earth would kill for such a nose, she thought, smiling a little.

And his lips…they looked soft for someone so hard.  Too soft.  She wondered if they would feel like velvet against her own, if she’d ever have the guts to kiss him, or if he would ever make the move to kiss her.  She wondered if Luxirians kissed.  It could be strictly a human gesture of affection.  She had absolutely no idea and she didn’t know of a way to ask without sounding like she was propositioning him.

Which is exactly what I want to do, she couldn’t help but think.

When she was around Rixavox, he made her feel like a woman.  Like a desirable, sexy, red-blooded woman.

No one had ever made her feel that way before.  None of her past boyfriends, which was probably why she’d had such a lackluster sex life up until this point in her life.  The cancer certainly hadn’t helped…

But I’m here now, she thought, something like relief, happiness, hope taking over her body instead of her disease.  She was lying in bed with a strange alien male that she was intensely attracted to.  Every night, she got naked with him only a few feet away and he watched her soak in a sacred pool of his people.

Would she be brave enough to make the first move? Perhaps, that very night?

Cecelia swallowed, a few nervous butterflies revving up in her stomach.  Then she couldn’t help but sober.  If this treatment didn’t work…how long would it be until she would feel this way again, this young again?  From her past experience with lymphoma, it started out slowly but then began progressing rapidly.  It started with the night sweats at first, with the unexplainable weight loss.  She hadn’t thought anything of them, hadn’t even seen a doctor, until it started becoming harder and harder to breathe.  Her lymph nodes began to swell, she started having racking, ugly coughs, coughing so hard sometime she thought she might pass out from them because she couldn’t get enough air.

It was only then that she’d gone in to be diagnosed.  Now, she recognized the signs.  She knew what her body was trying to tell her: prepare.

A few tears swelled into her eyes and she blinked them away.  Even if this treatment didn’t work, she thought, she didn’t want to waste the very short period of time where she still felt somewhat healthy.

Rixavox’s breathing was slow and steady and quiet, which helped calm her worries.  She inhaled a deep breath and felt relieved when she didn’t feel her throat constrict.

Don’t waste this, she repeated to herself silently.  Don’t waste this.

A loud shrill from the direction of the central hub made her jump slightly and Rixavox jerked awake, his eyes automatically flashing to hers.  His gaze was clear, no hint of fatigue, like the previous night when she’d awakened him and he’d reached for his dagger.

“Luxiva,” he rasped.  His voice sent a shiver racing through her body.  It sounded like pure sin, all dark velvet and deliciously husky.

Another jarring trill sounded and he let out a rough sigh, rolling over and out of bed.

“What is it?” she asked, coming up onto her elbows, the furs falling away from her body.  His eyes flared as he looked down at her, raking his gaze over her disheveled hair and wrinkled shirt.

“The Coms,” he grunted.  “I will return shortly.”

Cecelia gave him a nod and once he saw it, he turned from the bed and strode down the hallway.  She heard his voice in the distance, speaking with whoever was on the other end.  Cecelia pushed the furs off and stood, stretching slightly, before heading for the bathroom.  She used the toilet and scooped up some water from the bubbling springs to splash her face, drying it on the cloth she’d hung up.

She felt refreshed when she returned to the bedroom, only to find Rixavox stripping off his clothes from the day before.

Her breath hitched in her throat and he turned at the sound.  Thankfully, or unthankfully, he’d already changed his pants to another form-fitting leather-like material, this one in a soft smoky gray.  But he was in the process of fetching a shirt when she walked back in.

Even though she’d seen him shirtless before—hell, their entire first encounter had been with him shirtless—she’d almost forgotten how massive, how utterly ripped he was.  And the scars…there were more scars than she remembered lining his back.  She wanted to trace them with her fingers and ask about each one, her heart aching a bit at the pain he must’ve endured.  She knew little about the life of Luxirians, but she knew enough to know they were a warrior culture, like the Spartans of Earth’s own history.

And she’d taken Classics in college.  She knew how brutal that culture had been.

Rixavox turned to face her, those pierced nipples flashing, and Cecelia stood frozen, on the threshold of the bedroom.

“I apologize, luxiva, but I must begin my duties for the span,” he told her, unconcerned with his half-nudity.  Then again, he had no reason to be.  He shrugged on a tight shirt that clung to his muscles before bending to secure his boots.

“I-It’s okay,” she stuttered before clearing her throat.  “I know that you must be busy.”

Rixavox straightened and approached her, his mouth set in a grim line.  Her eyes couldn’t help but stray to his nipples, which poked through the thin shirt.  She met his eyes again, swallowing.

“I think I will send for companionship for you,” he murmured.  “Levrix has said that she would like to meet you.  I have known her for many rotations and I would feel better knowing that you have another here with you.”

Cecelia frowned a bit.  “I don’t need a babysitter, Rixavox.”

His brows furrowed at ‘babysitter,’ but he seemed to understand her meaning well enough.  “I know.  But it is hard for me to focus when I worry about you here.”  Her gaze softened a bit.  “I thought perhaps you could learn more about Luxiria from her as well.  She likes to talk.  She will love the attention.”

“Wait,” Cecelia murmured.  “Levrix…is this the…the woman that was here?  That was…”

Rixavox blew out a breath.  “Tev.”

Cecelia’s lips parted and an ugly flash of jealousy slammed into her breast like a sledgehammer.  “Are you serious?  You want your lover to come babysit me?”

“She is not my lover,” he growled.

“She was,” Cecelia corrected, crossing her arms.  He was so close that they brushed his chest.

Rixavox looked about to argue but then he cocked her a strange look, tilting his head in that maddening way.

Then he let out a huff of laughter, which only served to irk her even more.

“You are jealous, female,” he purred down at her, his neck craning so his face was only inches from her own.  Those brilliant blue eyes flashed in what seemed like…delight.

“I…I am not,” she replied, but the way she sputtered gave her away.  Ugh.

“If you are not jealous, as you claim, then why should Levrix not come over and entertain you?”

Cecelia marveled that she’d woken up to peace just a few moment ago and now she felt like a dragon with fire shooting out of her nose whenever he mentioned his ex-lover’s name.  How crazy was that?

“Okay, fine,” she bit out, the words tasting like vinegar in her mouth.  “Invite her over then.  I don’t care.”

“I will,” he purred.  He leaned forward and her breath hitched, thinking that he was going to kiss her.  Instead he turned his head slightly so that his horns rubbed against her forehead and their cheeks were pressed together.

And just like that, Cecelia felt a little of her irritation drain out of her.  She’d never suspected she was an easy woman by any means, but Rixavox had a way of making her melt at his feet like a human puddle.

He breathed her in and she felt his exhale blow a strand of her hair, tickling her ear.  “Have patience, luxiva.  I will finish my duties as swiftly as I can so I can return to you.”

Cecelia sighed, letting her tense body relax.  “Okay.”

He pulled back to look down at her, his expression serious.  “Female…you do know I would rather spend the spans with you and only you, tev?”

Her heart beat a little faster at his words, at the soft tone in his voice.  Even if she didn’t understand what it was, she knew that there was something more to his words, something more that she didn’t understand.

“Yes,” she murmured, slightly dazed, unaware that she’d even spoken until he jerked his head in a nod.

“Good.”

Cecelia walked with him quietly through the bedroom, down the hallway, and to the front door of his house.

When he turned to say goodbye, he stroked the center of her palm and said, “Levrix will arrive shortly.  I will have her bring you your meal.”

And because it seemed important to him that she had company while he was gone, she nodded.  Yesterday had been quite boring, she had to admit, broken up only by his visits throughout the late morning and afternoon.

“Okay,” she said.

He squeezed her hand and then he was gone, slipping through the door that shut heavily behind him.  The howling wind that slipped past him was bitter and cold and she worried about him flying the hovercraft in conditions like that.  But she knew he’d lived in this place for a long time and was used to it.

With a sigh, she turned back to the empty house.  The fire in the sunken pit had been reduced to embers throughout the night, but she went to go sit there, regardless, while she waited.

And when she heard the familiar heavy thud of a hovercraft landing on the patio outside, she took a deep breath in, slightly nervous if she was being honest.  She didn’t know what to expect out of Rixavox’s ex.

Levrix didn’t knock or alert Cecelia to her presence before she pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside.  Cecelia stood from her position in the fire pit and then approached her.

The Luxirian female was wearing a heavy, rustic fur coat and she saw little silver snowflakes trapped between the hairs.

“Hello,” Cecelia said hesitantly, unsure of what else to say.  Can I take your coat?  Please, won’t you sit down in your ex-lover’s house?

Levrix studied her from the doorway, her gaze raking over her in a way that made Cecelia shift.  But then the Luxirian gave her a smile and said slowly, “Forgive me if I jumble your language.  I just got the language implant and it is always strange at first.”

Levrix was tall and imposing, but her features were more delicate than the Luxirian males she’d seen.  Her hair was black, the darkest of shades, and her eyes were a light blue.  When she removed her coat, Cecelia saw that she was curvy, the kind of curvy that would make human men salivate, the kind of generous curves that she herself would never possess, especially since she’d been losing so much weight.

Cecelia cleared her throat as Levrix approached.  In her hands was a platter of food covered in a clear disk to keep it hot.  Levrix set it down on the cushions in the fire pit and then took Cecelia’s hands in her own.  They were cold from the outside but warmed quickly against her flesh.

“You can call me Levrix,” she said.  “I do not know if Rixavox told you my name.”

“He did,” Cecelia said, having to crane back her neck to see her.  She had to be at least a foot taller.  “My name is Cecelia.”

Predictably, Levrix repeated, “Sessela,” and she knew that it might be hopeless for a correct pronunciation on Luxiria.

“Yes,” Cecelia said, smiling slightly.  Then she said, “Tev,” figuring that if Levrix was speaking in English, the least Cecelia could do was try out a bit of Luxirian.

Levrix blinked at the word, but then smiled, revealing straight, but sharp teeth.  “You have learned our language from Rixavox?”

“Only a few words,” Cecelia admitted.  “I fear that I probably cannot pronounce most.”

Levrix grunted slightly and then released her hands.  “Come,” she said.  “Eat.  Rixavox was very clear that you should eat.”

Cecelia relaxed slightly, glad that there didn’t seem to be any strange tension between them, considering that Cecelia had walked in on her naked as she’d tried to seduce Rixavox.  If Levrix wanted to brush that under the rug, then Cecelia certainly could.

For once, she actually felt a little grumble in her stomach.  Again, she wondered if it was the Rillirax’s doing, but she wouldn’t question it too much.  She wanted to regain the weight she’d already lost, so she settled into the fire pit, Levrix settling next to her, and she lifted the disk off the food platter.

The food was familiar to her.  It was the same meat she’d been eating since she arrived.  It was tender and delicious and surprisingly still warm, despite the journey it had taken to get there.

“Thank you for bringing this,” Cecelia said after she swallowed a bite.

“It is my honor,” Levrix responded, studying her.  Cecelia brushed off her perusal, figuring that if this was the first time she was seeing a Luxirian, she would be more than a little curious.

“I brought you something to drink as well,” Levrix said slowly, sounding out the words, before she reached into the folds of her heavily lined dress.  She pulled out a flask and handed it to her.

“What is it?” Cecelia asked curiously.

Levrix thought for a moment.  “I think you would call it tea?  It is brewed from a Luxirian plant.  Very good for your health.”

Cecelia wondered if Rixavox had told her why she was there.  When she took a sip from the flask, she found that the tea was still warm.  It tasted faintly like green tea, one of her favorites, but it had a black licorice aftertaste.

Levrix smiled when she took another sip.  “You like it?”

“Yes,” Cecelia said.  “It’s very good.”

“We females used to drink this often.  It is good for the…for the womb, I believe you say.  It makes the young stronger.”

Cecelia almost sputtered on her next sip.  She felt a light flush color her cheeks.  “Oh, I’m not…we’re not…” she trailed off, wanting to groan in embarrassment.  “I’m not pregnant.”

Something flashed across Levrix’s face at her pronouncement but she didn’t want to read too much into it.  “Regardless,” the Luxirian female said, “it is good for you.”

An awkward silence descended between them so Cecelia took another sip and then returned to her meal.  After she’d chewed a few bites, feeling Levrix’s gaze on her all the time, Cecelia said, “I’m, uh, I’m sorry I barged in on you and Rixavox the other day.  I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Levrix waved her hand in the air, dismissing her words.  “Rixavox did not want me that night.  You interrupted nothing.”

Cecelia swallowed, wondering how Luxirians could be so, so blasé about sex.  It was somewhat refreshing, she had to admit, although it was strange hearing Levrix talk about Rixavox in that way, especially after her jealousy episode earlier that morning.

“Right,” she murmured, staring down at her plate.  God, she hoped it wouldn’t be this awkward all day.  Or else that day would seem even longer than yesterday had.

“You are uncomfortable,” Levrix realized, cocking her head to the side.  “Have I made you so?”

“It’s just a little weird,” Cecelia admitted.  “I appreciate you taking the time to come be with me though.”

“I wished to meet you, Sessela,” Levrix insisted.  “I told Rixavox I would like to meet with you, that you should have a companion during the span while he goes about his duties.  He is a busy male.  He cannot expect you to sit here all span with nothing to occupy you.”

Cecelia relaxed a little more and gave her a soft smile.  “That was thoughtful of you.”

Levrix returned her smile and scooted closer.  “Let us begin again, yes?”

Cecelia gave a little laugh and nodded.  “Okay.”

“Good.  Then you must tell me all about you.  I wish to know everything.”

Cecelia smiled.  “That could take a while.”

“It is good that we have a while then,” Levrix replied.

Cecelia smoothed the smile from her lips, feeling the awkwardness begin to drain between them.

“Alright,” she said.  “I will tell you everything about me, if you tell me everything about you and about Luxiria.  I want to learn, to understand.  Deal?”

“Deal?” Levrix repeated, a puzzled look on her face.

“It is a human expression.  An agreement on an exchange,” she tried to explain.

“Ah,” Levrix said, her chest rumbling in an excited purr.  “Yes, you can teach me these expressions.  For now, I agree to your deal.”

“Okay,” Cecelia replied, chuckling, settling in for what would probably be a long, but enjoyable, day.