Nick
Nick woke up in Dan's bedroom for the second time in a row, the soft, unfamiliar sheets brushing against his skin. He blinked blearily at the dimly lit room, still trying to shake off the grogginess. His head felt heavy, like he'd just come down from some drug-induced high, and the edges of his mind were clouded with fragments of a dream—one that left him hot, bothered, and frustratingly unsatisfied.
His body was on fire, his cock pulsing with a need so intense it bordered on painful. He clenched his jaw, mortified by the urgency building within him. He was tempted… so tempted to slip his hand beneath the covers and bring himself relief, even if it meant risking the embarrassment of Dan walking in. But something about this ache felt different. This wasn't the normal arousal he usually felt. It wasn't just physical… it was primal, consuming, like he needed something he couldn't quite name.
He groaned, rolling onto his side, pressing his palm on his aching cock. A flash of memory made him freeze, and soon he was assaulted by his memories one after another.
His face heated as he remembered himself begging Dan to make him come. Not just because of how desperate he'd been, but because of how Dan had done it. His breathing quickened as he replayed the moment in his mind. Dan had used his... God. Nick covered his face with his hands, too mortified to finish the thought.
That sweet, warm liquid... the way it had spread through his body, igniting every nerve ending like wildfire. He shivered just thinking about it. Whatever that stuff was, it wasn't natural, at least not by human standards. The sensation had been euphoric, otherworldly, like nothing he'd ever experienced before. It was as though his body had been rewired to respond to Dan on an entirely new level.
Nick's curiosity warred with his embarrassment. If that venom—if you could even call it that—was supposed to elicit such reactions, then Dan was sitting on a goldmine. The pharmaceutical industry would pay billions for a single drop of the stuff. Humans would go crazy for it. Dan had used it on him. Why? Was it some sort of power move? Or was it something sexual? Of course, it had to be sexual.
Nick sat up, running a hand through his messy hair, his cheeks still flushed. He couldn't shake the memory of Dan's glowing eyes, the way he'd loomed over him, exuding power and control. Was this how Grosh intimacy worked? Was this their version of foreplay? Was Dan simply using Nick for his body? But there had to be better-looking men out there than Nick. Why him? A small part of him shouted the answer to him: "You were convenient." "You were easy." And Nick… God, he had lapped at the avath like a hungry puppy.
God, the taste of it, and the way the venom had coursed through him… Nick shuddered at the memory. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced. He reacted to it in ways that defied logic. His muscles tensed, and his heart raced at the phantom sensation of it. It was forbidden, unnatural, and exhilarating. Maybe that was why his body was going haywire… because he'd crossed a line he shouldn't have, gotten a taste of something alien, something his body wasn't used to. Yes, that had to be it. There was no other explanation. Or… was there?
He glanced down, suddenly aware of his nakedness, and flushed at the realization. His clothes had been neatly folded on the bedside table—by Dan, no doubt—and now he was lying stark naked in an alien's bed. The irony almost made him laugh, but the weight of reality shoved the sound back down his throat. What the hell am I doing?
Shaking his head, he reached for his t-shirt, slipping it on hurriedly. He dressed as fast as he could, his movements stiff with embarrassment. The thought of facing Dan made his chest tighten with a mix of guilt and annoyingly eager anticipation. Just the idea of those glowing eyes on him sent a warm tingle through his body that he resolutely ignored.
Once he was dressed, Nick made a break for it, slipping out of Dan's room just as he had the day before. He didn't care if Dan got mad; he couldn't stick around to see the aftermath. And if Dr. Desai ever found out what was happening between him and Dan, his career would be over in a heartbeat.
Back in the safety of his own quarters, Nick paced the room, his heart still hammering in his chest. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't shake the restless energy coursing through him. His skin felt too tight, his body uncomfortably warm, as though he were on the verge of something he couldn't name. He turned to the mirror, catching a glimpse of his reflection, and frowned. His face was flushed, his lips slightly swollen, and his pupils were blown wide. He looked... different.
But it was the heat pooling low in his abdomen that concerned him most. His cock was still hard, throbbing insistently, and every brush of fabric against his skin sent jolts of sensitivity rippling through him. He gripped the edge of the sink, trying to steady himself, but it was no use. His body craved something—someone—and the realization made his stomach twist.
"Side effect," he muttered to himself, glaring at his reflection. "It's just a side effect of the venom. That's all this is."
He wanted to believe that. He needed to believe that. But the memory of Dan—the intensity in his eyes, the way he had touched him, tasted him—kept creeping back into his mind, making his skin flush hotter.
Shoving the thoughts aside, Nick forced himself to focus. He had work to do. He'd figure this out later, once he was away from the suffocating thoughts of Dan and whatever the hell his venom had done to him. With a deep breath, he pulled himself together, dressed in a fresh uniform, and left his quarters, determined to get through the day without losing his mind.
"How come you're so late, Nick?" Dr. Desai asked, her voice sharp, her gaze pinning him with suspicion.
Nick froze mid-step, fumbling with the files he handled every morning at the start of his shift. His mind betrayed him, replaying vivid flashes of the night before: him tangled in Dan's sheets, hands gripping, mouths exploring. Heat crept up his neck, and he quickly averted his gaze, swallowing hard.
"I... I wasn't feeling well," he stammered, the lie tasting bitter on his tongue.
Dr. Desai raised a skeptical brow, crossing her arms. "You should have taken the day off, then. You don't get paid enough to push through when you're sick."
Nick shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny, forcing a weak smile. "I'm fine now," he muttered, his voice barely above a mumble.
Without waiting for her to respond, he clutched the files and moved hastily toward the lab's connecting door. He needed to get away from her piercing gaze before she could dissect the R-rated thoughts running through his mind. The guilt, the lingering heat in his body—it was all too much. He felt like she could see right through him, like she already knew what he'd done.
"I'll just, um, clean up the test tubes," he mumbled to himself, slipping into the lab. His pulse pounded in his ears as he walked to the wash basin, leaning against it for a moment to catch his breath.
He grabbed the nearest set of dirty test tubes and placed them in the test tube washer, setting the buttons to cleaning and UV disinfecting. This wasn't his job, but the cleaning guys only came at the end of the shift, and the late-night experiments left his work station a little dirty, which he cleaned during the start of the shift. The act of cleaning them gave his hands something to do, a distraction from the lingering shame and confusion. He kept his head down, avoiding the small window in the door. If he so much as looked back into Dr. Desai's piercing eyes, he feared she'd see everything written all over his face.
"Why are you heaving?" Dan's deep voice came out of nowhere, filling the empty lab, making Nick flinch. He turned sharply, his heart hammering as his eyes landed on Dan leaning casually against the doorway. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, the jacket stretched taut over his broad shoulders, and the pants clung to every flex of his powerful thighs. An expensive watch adorned his wrist, the kind of subtle but undeniable statement of authority that made Nick's pulse quicken.
And it wasn't the watch he was interested in; it was what lay underneath. His gaze flickered, almost against his will, to the spot where the avath was located, and his breath hitched as memories of last night surged forward unbidden. His face heated as he looked away, a blush spreading across his cheeks. Damn him, Nick thought, cursing how effortlessly Dan could fluster him. The air felt stifling, his skin prickling with heat, and a familiar tingling ran down his spine, pooling low in his belly.
No, no, no. This wasn't normal. He'd had the most mind-blowing orgasm of his life mere hours ago. His body couldn't possibly be reacting like this again... could it? It had to be some alien voodoo, whatever effect Dan's venom or pheromones had on him.
"I asked a question, darling," Dan drawled, his voice laced with amusement.
Nick's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he caught the smug glint in Dan's glowing gaze. His tone, his stance—Nick knew exactly what was happening. Dan was enjoying this. Watching Nick unravel. That thought only fueled Nick's mortification, and he bristled.
"I heard you," Nick snapped, his voice shaky with defiance. "And I am not your darling."
Dan smirked, the kind of lazy, knowing smile that made Nick's stomach flip.
"No?" Dan stepped closer with a predatory grace that had Nick's breath hitching again. "What are you, then?"
"One of your doctors," Nick retorted, forcing himself to keep his back straight and look him in the eyes while his hands trembled slightly.
Dan moved closer still, his presence a suffocating mix of power and seduction. Nick caught the faintest movement, Dan raising his hand as if to touch him. Instinctively, Nick flinched, spinning on his heel to face him, his voice sharp. "What are you doing?"
The question hung in the air, sharp and defensive, though Nick's body betrayed him, leaning into the space between them as if craving Dan's touch. He had to set boundaries, even if his resolve felt like sand slipping through his fingers. It didn't matter that his skin was on fire, his nerves crackling with electricity whenever Dan was near. Boundaries. He needed boundaries.
Dan's smirk deepened, his glowing eyes boring into Nick's. "You were begging me to touch you last night," he mocked, his voice low and taunting.
"Yesterday was... different," Nick managed to choke out, his voice faltering under Dan's scrutiny. "I wasn't... feeling myself."
"I see. Should I go then?" Dan asked, his voice low and dangerous, his gaze devouring Nick.
The heat in his eyes seemed to burn through Nick's clothes, searing into his skin. Slowly, almost lazily, Dan ran the tip of his finger down Nick's bare arm, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.
"Yes, please," Nick whispered, but the words came out more like a plea than a command.
Nick had no idea what he was asking for. His body betrayed him, leaning subtly toward Dan even as his mind screamed at him to pull away. How could he ask Dan to leave when every cell in his body yearned for him, for his touch? He wanted those hands, not just on his arm, but everywhere. Especially where he ached the most, where his need was most evident. His breath caught, and his eyes fluttered shut as Dan's warm, tantalizing finger glided over his skin, leaving Nick trembling on the brink of losing control.
"What please, darling?" Dan murmured, stepping closer, so close that Nick could feel the warmth radiating off his body. His voice was deep, husky, dripping with carnal promises. The tip of Dan's avath brushed against Nick's skin, a faint, electric touch that sent a jolt of pleasure straight through him. Nick froze, his body reacting instinctively, his cock twitching in response.
"Dan!" Nick gasped, his voice thick with need, betraying every attempt to sound firm. A reckless, desperate part of him wanted Dan to do more, to break his skin, to impale him with that avath once again, to reach his blood and fill him with his venom again. The thought was shameful, terrifying, and exhilarating all at once.
"Put that thing away," Nick said, the words forcing their way out. His body betrayed his words, a tremor running through him at the thought of what might happen if Dan didn't stop.
Dan's smirk deepened, but he stepped back just slightly, his movements calculated and deliberate. "Why? Does it scare you?" he asked. "Don't you want to feel good?" His gaze locked onto Nick's, and in those glowing eyes was a promise—a promise of pleasure so intense, so consuming, it would ruin him.
In any other circumstance, Nick might have surrendered. He might have dropped to his knees and begged Dan to take him in every possible way, to erase the distance between them until there was nothing left. But he couldn't. This was spiraling out of control. He needed to regain some semblance of sanity, some sense of self-preservation.
"Why me, Dan?" Nick demanded, his voice shaky but resolute. "Why did you choose me to play with, of all the people at the NEAE?"
Dan's expression darkened, his jaw tightening for a moment before he answered. "You are special, Nick," he said simply, his voice rich with conviction. "Don't you see it? There's a reason for this, Nick. I'm not playing with you. I chose you because we belong together. I need you to understand that." He reached out, his hand closing gently over Nick's. The touch was soft, intimate, but it sent a shockwave through Nick's already frayed nerves.
Nick opened his mouth to argue, but the words faltered on his tongue. There was no reasoning with Dan when he was like this—so sure, so steadfast in his belief that they were meant to be.
"It's better if we don't repeat what happened last night," Nick said finally, his voice cracking under the weight of his words. "I can't jeopardize my career more than I already have. You have nothing to lose, Dan, but I have everything at stake. So please… please don't pursue me." His voice wavered, and he didn't wait for Dan to respond. He turned on his heel and walked out, leaving Dan standing alone in the lab.
Nick's heart pounded as he hurried away, his resolve trembling but intact. If the NEAE ever found out about their forbidden encounters, it wouldn't just be his job on the line—it would be his entire career, his reputation, his future. No matter how much his body craved Dan, no matter how intoxicating his touch was, Nick couldn't afford to let himself be seduced again. He had to maintain control. He had to stay away.
Even if every step away from Dan felt like tearing himself apart.
***
If you want to see what the avath looks like, check out my Instagram ID- author_rhrose
Subscribe to my Patreon to read this full book and more alien romances just for $4.99. Link- https://www.patreon.com/RHRose