And I’m the buffet, she thought.
“Now who’s being ‘aggressive’ and ‘salacious’?” V’rone growled, frowning at Rive and Tem. “You’re makin’ her fucking uncomfortable—or can’t you tell?”
“Forgive us, my Lady,” Tem said swiftly. “We didn’t mean to—it’s just that we’ve been searching for our Heart for so long and a colony always hungers for their Queen’s honey.”
“She’s not gonna let us taste her honey,” V’rone growled. “Seven Hells! She wouldn’t even let us taste her mouth in order to do the Taste-test.”
“What…what’s the Taste-test?” Terra demanded. She was feeling breathless and flushed for some reason, her heart pounding in her chest like it was trying to get out and run away. “Is it like that Touch-test that you made me do back on the Mother Ship?”
“In a way,” Rive said. “It is just another way to ascertain if a female is truly meant to be the Queen of a certain colony.”
“Yeah, but she won’t do it,” V’rone said, shaking his head. “Little Terra here is too damn scared of finding out she really is our Queen to take the Taste-test.”
Terra lifted her chin. She knew the big Monstrum was goading her, but she didn’t like being cast as a coward.
“I told you, I’m not frightened of you,” she snapped at V’rone. Turning to Rive she said, “So how do we do this Taste-test, anyway?”
“It is quite simple, actually,” Rive said. “You must kiss each of us in turn and see what—if any—flavor you get from our mouths.”
“It will be something sweet—something familiar to you,” Tem added. “If you taste nothing familiar or sweet, then you are not the female for us. But if you do…” He shrugged.
“The test speaks for itself,” Rive said. He raised his eyebrows at her. “Would you like to try it?”
“Well…” Terra began hesitantly.
“Of course she doesn’t,” V’rone interrupted. “I told you—she’s afraid to know if she’s really our Queen.”
“And I told you—I’m not afraid!” Terra exclaimed.
Turning to Tem, who was closest, she reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and dragged him down for a kiss.
At first the Soul of the colony seemed uncertain. But after a moment, he wrapped his arms around Terra and kissed back—a slow, tender kiss that made her heart pound even harder. She couldn’t help thinking how good he smelled—the clean clothes and masculine spice scent seemed to fill her senses—it was somehow comforting and exciting at the same time.
Then she felt his tongue gently tracing her lips. Without thinking about it, she opened for him, parting her lips to let him in. Tem wasn’t harsh or rough, he kissed her gently but eagerly, drawing her in until, suddenly, a familiar flavor filled her mouth.
“Oh!” Terra pulled back, breaking the kiss. “Oh, I…I can’t believe it!”
“What is it? What did you taste, my Lady?” Tem murmured.
“Chocolate—milk chocolate!” Terra exclaimed. She licked her lips, as though to capture the last traces of it. The flavor wasn’t just any milk chocolate—it reminded her of some extremely fancy truffles a friend had brought her back from a business trip to Belgium. It was delicious.
No, not ‘it,’ whispered a little voice in her head. Him—that was Tem’s taste and he was right—it was sweet and familiar.
“So you did taste something,” V’rone growled, looking at her almost accusingly. “I told you that you would, little Terra.”
“It…it doesn’t prove anything,” Terra protested. “It was just one taste!”
“Try me next,” Rive said unexpectedly. He stepped up to her, bending down to look in her eyes. “Taste me, Terra,” he murmured. “I want to know if my theory that you are truly our Queen is true or not.”
Hardly knowing what she was doing, Terra put her arms around the big Monstrum to receive his kiss. Rive bent down to her and pressed his lips to hers. The spicy scent of forbidden books and aroused male filled her senses and she found herself tracing his lips eagerly, asking for entrance.
With a low groan, Rive parted his lips and sucked gently at her seeking tongue. Terra wove her fingers through his thick hair, standing on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss even more. Her pulse was racing and her nipples felt tight as she tasted the big Monstrum, exploring his mouth thoroughly.
Suddenly, a new flavor rushed over her tongue. It was cool and tingly and sweet and refreshing all at the same time.
“Spearmint!” she exclaimed, breaking the kiss. “The mint in a really good mojito—that’s what you taste like!”
“So I, too, have a flavor you recognize,” Rive murmured, raising an eyebrow at her.
“I…I guess you do,” Terra admitted. “I just don’t know—”
“What about me?” V’rone’s low growl interrupted her words.
Turning to face him, Terra tried to take charge of herself, despite the way her heart was pounding. Her body felt more alive and aroused than it had in the last ten years. Certainly Gregoryory had never made her feel this way when he kissed her!