Page 5 of Jarrn
“You’re the one who fell,” I say, snickering. “I just happened to be . . . lying on the bed already.” I buck my hips up playfully, meaning to urge him to get off me, and he stills. His forehead scrunches again, and like always, I find his fierce concentration incredibly disarming.
His gaze lands on my mouth, and it’s so heavy, I can almost feel it. Will I ever taste his kiss, or will I spend the rest of my life pining for someone I can never have?
I could be mistaken, but I swear his cock starts stiffening in his pants. Either that or he’s packing something big in his pocket.
His head lowers, coming closer to mine.
Is this it? Will we finally take whatever we have between us further than friendship?
I lift my head toward him, my lips parting . . .
Someone knocks on the door. “Jarrn? Jarrn? Hey, I know you just got on board, but three of the other guys already have motion sickness. I know you weren’t going to start dancing until tomorrow, but we need you. Now, actually. You in there, Jarrn?”
A veil falls across his face, and I know the moment I’d been wishing for is over.
He levers himself up and off me. “I didn’t mean that.”
“Mean what, Jarrn?” I ask, my voice shaky. I prop myself on my elbows as he rushes toward the door.
“I’ve got to go. Work,” he says.
“Don’t you need to get changed first?” I force a chuckle as I sit up on the side of the bed. I’m not sure how I feel about what almost happened. Assuming anything almost happened. The maybe-kiss could be totally in my mind. His big cock stirring, too.
“We don’t wear much of anything, Delia,” he says, pressing his forehead against the door. “There’s a dressing room. Whatever we wear will be provided for us there.”
“Jarrn?” the guy calls out from the hall. “Are you in there?”
“I’ll come with you,” I say, sliding off the bed.
“You shouldn’t.” He pushes off the door and undoes the latch, pressing the button to make the panel zip open.
A Tressalar alien stands in the hall, a frown tugging down his two sets of lips. “Ah, there you are. Ogre, right?” His orange gaze glides down Jarrn’s frame before he focuses on my friend’s face.
“I’m an ogre, yes,” Jarrn says.
The Tressalar’s lips curve up. “The females–and males–are going to eat you up.”
“Thanks?” Jarrn shoots a gaze at me I can’t interpret.
“I want to be in the audience during your first show, cheering you on,” I say.
The Tressalar’s attention lands on me. “Girlfriend?”
“No,” Jarrn barks.
Way to rub it in that we’ll never be more than friends. My oomph fizzles, and I slump against the wall beside the open door.
“Friend. Roommate. Whatever.” A huff escapes the Tressalar’s upper mouth, and his four arms flip up before settling against his rounded sides. “If I was you,” he leans close to Jarrn but does nothing to lower his voice, “Don’t let on that you’ve got someone willing and eager waiting for you in your room. You’ll build a fanbase faster if they think you’re available.”
“I’m not,” Jarrn says. “I’ll be right out.” He closes the door and leans against it, his gaze pinning me in place.
I feel like my life is about to change, though I'm not sure if it’s about to get better or worse.
“Do me a favor?” he asks, continuing at my nod. “Stay here and write. I’m nervous about how this first performance will go, and the last thing I want is for you to see me make a fool of myself.”
Chapter5
Jarrn