"I hate your headache worse. Come, sit up." He helps me upright, arranging the wet towel on my head and then hands me the cup of soup. He watches me drink a few sips, his expression scrutinizing my every movement. "Better?"
I give him a lying sort of nod and take another sip. "I just have to get used to the fact that everything's a lot louder. It's going to be fine. Just takes time."
He arranges the towel on my head again, even though it's mostly dripping into my hair at this point. "I still don't like it. Once you finish your soup, I'll bring out your tea, and then you are going to lie there on the sofa and do nothing all day. I have the bots set to do scheduled feedings and crop waterings, so you won't need to touch 'em. And I left a comm for Rektar telling him that I'm not going to be in to work today. I'm taking care of you."
"Are you sure? I can manage."
Khex glares at me as if offended. "I don't care if you can manage. I'm your mate and I'm going to take care of you." He fluffs a pillow behind my back with a thump. "Do you want a blanket? A foot rub?"
He's cute when he hovers like this. I feel a little guilty that he's taking time off from work, but only a little guilty. Dropping my foot onto his lap, I decide I'll take him up on the foot rub. "I mean, if you're already here…"
Big, warm hands immediately begin to knead my feet. "Tell me if this helps."
I have to bite back a moan. Oh, it helps all right. It helps get me incredibly horny as well as makes my feet feel incredible.
Life as Khex's mate has been nothing short of magical for this past year. I wasn't sure what to think when he immediately decided to bail on his new job in favor of staying with me, but I'm so glad he did. I was worried he wouldn't be able to get his Port custodian job back, but Rektar had held it. Seems he never thought Khex would actually leave. Both he and Lucy were playing matchmaker on the sly, I think, and we were too dumb and stubborn to figure it out. So he's back to work at his job, which he loves, and I'm getting better at running the farm, though I'm still not a great cook. Lucy's been giving us lessons on the weekends but Khex tells me he's perfectly happy to eat noodles as long as I eat them with him.
The i'Yani family was not thrilled with Khex's choice to stay behind, nor the fact that he'd taken a human as his mate. They sent a strongly worded missive to scold Khex for wasting family resources and we haven't heard from them since. I was worried for a while that Khex would regret things, but he's the same guy he's always been—cheerful, easygoing, and full of laughter. He swears he doesn't miss them and tells me stories about his neglect-filled childhood while his parents swanned around in Homeworld society circles, and I can understand why he doesn't want to go back to that.
Everything here on Risda is rather perfect. My crops last year sold for a decent amount, and my meat-stock are growing fat and will go up for sale soon when the purchasers return to Risda. We'll have some extra funds then, and we've talked about expanding our house, getting a better air-sled, or maybe—mayyyyybe—looking at starting a family. We'd have to pay for fertility modification shots since he can't make me pregnant, but several of the humans who have married aliens have done the same and said it was fine, if expensive. I'm not sure we're ready to take that leap yet, but I've noticed Khex loves to hold and play with Tara, Rektar's little girl.
So I've been thinking about it.
His thumb grazes over the center of my foot, sending ticklish heat through my body and making me gasp. Immediately, Khex glances up at me. "Am I making your headache worse?"
"No," I breathe, no longer thinking about much other than him climbing on top of me. "You know what would make it feel better, though?"
"What?"
"Orgasms."
Khex's face broadens into a knowing grin. "I like how you indicated more than one."
"I mean, just to be sure."
He gets up from his end of the sofa and scoops me into his arms, hauling me toward the bedroom. "Never let it be said that I'm not a generous mate."