Lifesong (19 page)

“That one’s been watching you since you got here,” Illistar warned as he mopped up the counter beside her. “Want me to get rid of him?”

Tara shook her head. “It’s fine.”

Tara drew in a deep breath and waited for Illistar to leave. The other xaran did so without question, but she could sense his eyes on her, even though he was off serving other patrons.
Risky, indeed.
If she hadn’t known any better, she could’ve sworn he wanted her for himself.
Not now.
Not with the new moon still hanging overhead. But, if he did, he hid his desire fairly well, which wasn’t possible for a xaran during a new moon. Sexual desire wasn’t something they could turn off. As a xaran, the night of the new moon meant pleasure and the company of another. It must be agonising for Illistar to have missed a new moon and the companionship that went with it, even now, as the night drew closer to morning.

Tara sighed as she traced the rim of her glass with her index finger. Her thoughts took her elsewhere, to the sexual pleasures she’d left in the night and the potential ones that were present within the room. She picked up the human’s scent again, his musk thick but inviting. He wore no cologne, which made it easy for her to sense his sexual intentions.

He might not have come to the bar tonight in the hope of attracting a female, but, now that she was here, his eyes hadn’t left her body. She let him grope her by sight alone, his gaze tracing every curve of her body, his spicy scent growing stronger than before.

Tara gripped her glass around the base with long fingers, and she closed her eyes. Her body shuddered as the door to the bar opened, then closed. With one leg crossed over the other, Tara flexed her thigh muscles, tightening them. A small part of her begged her to leave, to head into the unisex bathroom and relieve her sexual frustration before things could get any worse.

She remained, figuring it was better to suffer through the pain than to possibly bump into something on her way there. Tara’s heart raced when the man from the far end of the room glided towards her. His eyes were locked on to her, and only her. She could’ve left the bar right then and it wouldn’t have mattered. He’d be her pet for the night.

He settled down on the stool beside her, giving her a long sideways glance until she returned the favour. His green eyes widened as she bore into him, likely shocked by the pair of yellow orbs giving him equal attention. But he didn’t leave. Instead, he moved in closer, his breath caressing her cheek. Tara blinked, and, with a bit of effort on her part, calmed her nerves just enough for her eyes to return to normal.

Her vision darkened, then cleared. She drew in a shaky breath.
Hold it together, Tara.

“Not a drinker, huh?” the man teased, nodding to her flat soda.

“Not really,” Tara said, impatiently bouncing her leg under the table.

“You nervous or something?”

Tara held her legs still and willed her breathing to return to normal.
Slow, even breaths.
She struggled with the breathing exercise, squeezing her glass even more. Her new companion reached across the bar, prising the glass from her hands. His arm brushed against one of her breasts, coaxing the nipple to peak through her clothing. He smiled, eyes feasting on the pink mound hidden under her blouse.

Tara bit at the inside of her cheek, but the small flash of pain couldn’t compete against his hungry eyes and her anticipation. Dark curls hugged his face, short enough not to get in her way but long enough so that she could run her hands through them if she wanted to. His chiselled form invited her to touch, to imagine his hands on her skin. Her eyes flitted to the bulge resting between his legs. At that very moment, she wanted nothing more than to feel it between her thighs and beyond.

Tara drew in an uneasy breath. She’d never had a human partner before. It was forbidden. To fall in love with a human while in the human form would endanger everyone involved. Some claimed that the attraction to a human was enough to make a xaran forget about the Divine, their pact with the night and the pull of the new moon.

Tara pushed the rumours to the back of her mind.
Those are just stories to scare you into submitting.
There was no way her being attracted to a human would keep her from accepting the other half of her life. She had to shift with the new moon. It was what had kept the xaran alive for so long, and how she’d thrived for over three centuries.

Still, this was the first time she could remember ever taking an interest in another human. Forbidden or not, there was no reason she couldn’t have a little fun with him. Compared with the xaran, who saw sex as a necessity, the humans’ ability to play with their companions was of great interest to her. She’d seen a few of the male xaran in their naked human forms before, their cocks clearly visible. Her mind hung there a moment, imagining the hardened shaft penetrating her walls, causing her pussy to moisten, slick with her own bodily urges.

“I’m Alec,” the man said over the clamour of voices in the room. He went to shake her hand.

Tara’s eyes shot up to his face before she looked down at his hand. She shook it gently, taken aback by the electricity that seemed to pulse from his fingertips. Tara pulled her hand away and glanced around the room. No one had noticed. No one else had felt the shock.

Tara inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Tara,” she purred, staring back at Alec.

Alec took a moment to study the room, his eyes leaving her form for the briefest of seconds before settling on her mouth. Something inside her urged Tara to look away, but she held her ground. She wouldn’t submit to a human. Submitting to a male xaran was customary, but that didn’t mean she had to give a human the same respect.

Alec’s eyes moved to her breasts, plump mounds aching to be held. Now Tara did close her eyes, not out of submission but from sheer pleasure. How badly she wished she had left a few of the buttons undone, if only to show a little more cleavage. Granted, she could’ve unbuttoned them in front of him, but she preferred the more subtle approach.
Next time, perhaps.

Heat rushed to her cheeks when Alec took her hand in his. “Come with me,” he pleaded, his voice full of promise.

Tara gazed back at Illistar, whose arms were crossed over his chest.
If he can get away with avoiding the change and ignoring the needs of his bonded mate, then I can have a human pet for one night.
Tara ignored Illistar’s darkening eyes and slid off her stool, gently leaning into Alec’s arms. He rested a hand on each of her hips, smoothing her skirt.

“It’s not far from here,” he said.

Good,
Tara thought to herself. Perhaps a walk in the cold wind was just what she needed to calm down.

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About the Author

Erin Lark started writing erotica after a dare from her husband, who has since become her favourite test subject. Okay, so he’s her only test subject, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t her favourite. When not writing or planning a scene for a position she’s never tried, Erin spends her time reading, drawing or spending time with family. She also enjoys the occasional movie or video game.

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