"Mmm." He moves his fingers over the pad, writing something down. "How are his lessons going?"
"Very well," I say brightly, pleased I can at last extoll Victor's virtues to the people in charge. "He's incredibly smart. Every lesson we have is so he can function in society here, but he's already moved past the rudimentary basics, so we're focusing on math skills and some reading this week."
"Reading?" That makes Novis look up. "What's he reading?"
"Right now, I'm just teaching him the basics of human English," I begin. "He—"
"Human English? Why would he need to learn that?" His lip curls dismissively. "If you're going to teach him, it should be Homeworld Basic, not a useless language from the far end of the galaxy."
"Oh, goodness, it's not useless at all," I simper, mentally envisioning wrapping my hands around Novis's throat and shaking him. "Why, he needs to learn how to fit in with the people here on Risda III, and all of the people here are, for the most part, human." I widen my smile. "As for Homeworld Basic, I'm more than happy to teach him that, but someone has to teach me first." I wink at Novis, as if we're sharing a secret. "I'd be surprised if any human has picked it up. It's so complex, though your faith in me to teach such a thing is so very thoughtful."
Novis grunts. "I guess if he shows aptitude with the human scribblings, that'll be good enough for now."
"Exactly," I coo. "Unless you had plans for him to leave Risda III, I think communicating with the women here is his best bet."
"Is he exercising? Working on keeping muscle mass?"
That feels like a loaded question, so I twist it a little. "Victor loves gardening, actually! You should see how well he takes care of the little trees that Akris got for him."
"Akris?" He tilts his head in that way that mesakkah do, indicating they're surprised.
"Yes! They've become good friends, Victor, Akris, and Herrix. We have them over for dinner some nights." I keep smiling, because I do like that the men have formed a friendship, even if it's slightly competitive and involves footraces or who can throw a rock to hit a mark a hundred paces away. "I think it's good for Victor to be comfortable around other people as well as me. You can ask the men their opinions of him—I'm quite sure they'll match mine. He truly is excelling in all areas." And because it makes me giggle inwardly, I add, "A champion of a student."
First Rank Novis taps a few more things into his pad. "I see. Thank you for your report. No incidents to note?"
"None at all."
He nods, and that's my cue that the comm is cutting off. Novis isn't much of one for chatter, and really, that suits me just fine. The moment the vid panel goes dark, I breathe a sigh of relief, rubbing my neck. For some reason, the weekly check-ins always make me tense up. I feel as if they're trying to catch me in a lie, and part of it is just my desperate need to make things as perfect as possible for Victor so they know how amazing he is.
More than that, they can't know that we're sleeping together, or that Victor's straw-filled mattress in the tiny side room goes unused. That we shower together and that Victor greets me in the morning by giving me head. If our relationship comes out, my credibility will be ruined. They won't believe me when I say that Victor isn't violent, or that he's intelligent and restrained enough to be treated like a regular person. They'll think I'm dickmatized and I'll be removed from my position, Victor will be back in a cage, and all of the hard work he's done will be negated.
I won't let that happen.
It's meant jumping through a few hoops for the last month, of course. I didn't lie when I said that Herrix and Akris come over for dinner. I also didn't point out that I scrub every inch of my skin twice before they come over so they don't smell my arousal, and that we claim our scents are mingled because I throw our laundry in the washer together. They think we're good friends and that I'm a generous, probably somewhat idiotic human female for working with Victor.
No one can know that his smile makes me light up with pure joy. That the feel of his tusks on the inside of my knee makes my pussy clench reflexively, or that I can't sleep unless he's curled around me in our small bed at night. That we link fingers and go to sleep talking about trees, or the weather, or the future here on Risda.
I don't know how long it all has to be secret. I just know that right now, it absolutely does.
There's a light rap at the front door, and Victor pokes his head in, wiping dirt from his fingers. The tickle in my nose returns, and I rub it, fighting back a sneeze. "What did Novis want?" Victor asks.
"You know," I tell him tartly. "You heard everything."
He grins at me, looking like a wicked little boy. "Figured that out, did you?"
I'd suspected it after he let a few things drop in conversation throughout the week, things that I hadn't told him but had mentioned on the vid-calls with Novis. His naughty smile confirms it, though. "You're the nosiest man," I chide, though I'm not really upset. I'd want to know what people were saying about me, too. "I gave you a glowing report. I said that you were smart, and strong, and that you have the best tongue I've ever sat on."
Victor throws his head back and laughs, the sound pure delight. It makes my belly flutter with pleasure, and I hope he's always that happy.
If I have anything to say about it, he will.
"Liked sitting on my tongue, did you?" He stalks inside with a predator's grace, a gleam in his eyes that makes my pulse speed up.
"You know I did," I tell him, breathless. I still haven't recovered from straddling his cheeks last night as he fucked me with his tongue.
"Good," Victor purrs. "It's time for my reward, anyhow."
"It's barely past breakfast," I protest, my voice as weak as my knees. "You…maybe we should…"
He looms over me, all sexy, confident alien, and the twitching in my nose from the soil is not nearly as noticeable as the twitching in my body at his nearness. "You should sit on my face and I should tongue you until you scream my name again? Why, I'd be delighted, Bee."
"I…you…"
"I'm going to wash my hands," he murmurs, leaning in so close that I can feel his hot breath fanning my hair. "And then I'm going to kef that sweet cunt with my tongue until you soak my mane. Because I deserve it."
God, how can I possibly argue with that?
Two days later, we're woken at dawn by the comm panel's annoying chirp.
I groan, trying to burrow deeper into the bed. "Novis is an asshole to call this early." Victor's big, heavy arm is tossed over my shoulders, and I clutch it against my breasts, because he's warm and delicious. "Ignore it. Maybe it'll go away."
He massages my breasts, teasing my nipples. "I am awake now."
A whine escapes me, because parts of me are now waking up, too. "Unfair," I pant. "I wanted to sleep longer."
"You sleep. I'll work." His hand leaves my breasts and hitches up my sleep tunic, baring my ass. "I'm finding myself rather hungry." Victor caresses my buttocks, then slips his fingers between my thighs from behind, stroking my pussy.