“Our sex life.”
“You believe our sex life needs spice?” Like the spices that Eden used in her baking? He shuddered. Once he had taken a big sniff of one and it had burnt the inside of his nose. “I do not believe that is a good idea.”
Francesca sighed. “I just meant that maybe having sex outside could be fun.”
His body stirred at the thought. But how could he ensure that no one saw them? He had no wish for someone to see his mate naked. “You wish to have sex on the roof? Now?”
“No. Not now. I’m freezing and I’m fully dressed. I doubt you could even get it up in these temperatures.”
It? Oh, it. He grinned. He did not believe he would have an issue. His rod pressed against his pants as though in agreement.
But he pushed that thought aside, zeroing in on what she said about being cold. He stared up at her, noticing the way she shivered. She should not be out in this weather. He knew that she felt the cold in a way he did not.
“Mate, you are chilled. You will come down now.”
“Sure, I’ll get right on that, sweet cheeks. Soon as I learn how to fly.”
What was she talking about?
“I am not in the mood for your riddles.”
“Riddles? It’s not a damn riddle to work out that the way I got up here is now lying on the ground leaving me with n-no way to g-get down. Or did you t-think I really d-did fly u-up here?”
Enough. She was stuttering because she was so cold. He needed to get her down. Were it not still light, he would fly up and get her. Although even if it was dark, the old bat would probably still spot him. He did not understand exactly why Francesca and Eden called her the old bat, although he did know it was an insult.
He picked up the ladder, frowning at it. It was old and worn and not at all safe. He would need to have a stern talk with Francesca about this. After he got her off the roof. And kissed her thoroughly. It seemed it was hard for him to keep his hands off her.
And thankfully, she seemed to feel the same way about him.
The ladder creaked under his weight as he started to climb it.
“Be careful,” she called out. “Y-you don’t want t-to fall.”
Better him than her. But he did not say that. Instead, he climbed to the top rung then reached out his arms for her. She stared at him, wide-eyed, looking uncertain.
“What is it?”
“I really don’t think that old ladder can take both our weight. Why don’t you climb down and then I’ll follow?”
He had intended to carry her down to safety, but she was probably right. Not that she weighed much, but even her slight weight could be too much. He climbed down a few rungs. “Start making your way down. If you fall, I shall catch you.”
She moved onto the top rung as he reached the bottom. He watched, his stomach tied in a knot until she was two-thirds of the way down. Once he was on the ground, he reached up and pulled her down, pulling her into his arms. He squeezed her against his chest.
“Do not ever do that again.”
“You’re so warm.” She slid her hands under his jacket. They were like small icicles. Her shivers died and she pulled slightly back to look up at him.
He gave her a stern look. “You had no business on the roof, my mate.”
“Yes, I did. I was putting up Christmas lights.”
He blew out a breath. “This Christmas stuff is not worth risking your life over.”
She snorted. “I was hardly risking my life, big guy. I wasn’t in any real danger.”
“You could have slipped and fallen and broken your neck. You could have frozen to death.”
“You’re cute when you get all riled up.”
“You are not taking me seriously. I want you to stop doing this Christmas stuff. There is no point to it.”
She gave him a hurt look. “Look, Christmas is…it’s a magical time. When you’re a kid, you look forward to it all year. Eden and I just wanted to give you guys an awesome first Christmas. Because we both love it and we wanted you guys to as well.” She blew out a breath. “But I guess you’re right. We’re trying to push our beliefs onto you when it’s obvious you’re not even interested. I’ll stop.”
He should have been happy or felt relief. Instead he felt guilty. She sounded sad. A little defeated.
“Francesca, I—”
“It’s okay, big guy. You don’t have to feel bad because you’re not into Christmas. I get it. And I can always go around to Dad’s for a bit of festive spirit.”
But she should be able to do as she wished in her own home. He did not like her thinking she had to go to her father’s house. This was her home.
“Do you like living here?” he asked her. They had moved everything she wished to keep out of her apartment and into this house. She had sold or given away most of her furniture since this house had come mostly furnished and she said the furniture here was better than her old junk.
He had not won the battle to make her replace her hovercar with a HoverHummer, yet she did not really object when he drove her to work instead of letting her take that death trap. He had considered just getting rid of it without her permission, but it seemed to have some sort of sentimental hold over her. He did not understand feeling sentimental towards an object.
But she was a female. And human. Allowances had to be made.
“Of course, I do. This house is gorgeous. Sure, living with all your, ah, brothers has taken some adjustment—” A scream erupted from the house as though to emphasize her point. “Hmm, seems like Eden is getting warmed up.”
He frowned. “I do not believe she is warming up. I think she and Marcun are joining.”
She grinned. “I know, big guy.”
His gaze glittered with heat. “You are cold. Perhaps I should warm you up.”
Frankie smiled up at her mate. Somedays she still didn’t believe that this was her life. That this gorgeous hunk of spunk actually loved her. That he was all hers. “Hmm, now that you mention it, I could use a bit warming up.”
He drew her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he kissed her. Shivers raced through her body as she pressed herself against him. The man could kiss. Damn, could he kiss.
His tongue swept inside her mouth to tease and play with hers.
They really needed to take this inside before… the blast of an air siren interrupted her thought. She would have jumped back if Sacaren hadn’t had a tight hold on her. Even he flinched, tensing.
“That old bitch has got it coming now,” she said as she attempted to extract herself from his hold. “I’m going to get the eggs.”
“You wish to have an egg?” he asked, clearly confused.
“No, I wish to throw eggs at the old bat’s house.” Childish, yes? Escalating an already tense situation? Undoubtedly. But oh, it would make her feel so good.
“You are not to throw eggs at her house,” Sacaren said sternly. “Ioin said we are to do nothing to engage with her.”
“Ioin isn’t the boss of me. I’m going to teach that old cow to give me a freaking heart attack.”
“Why did she blow that siren?”
“Because she is a dried-up old hag who doesn’t like anyone else to be happy or to have fun.” She made certain she said it extra loudly.
“She objected to us kissing?”
“I guess so.”
“Why do we not give her something else to object to.”
She stilled then grinned. “Why, Sacaren, you evil bastard. I like the way you think.”
“Is being an evil bastard not a bad thing?”
“Sometimes. But not in this instance. Carry me over to the hedge where she won’t be able to see us.” But she would be able to hear them. Just their luck that she had to be their closest neighbor.
He carried her over to the thick bush, not showing the least amount of strain. Not that she was big, but she was once again reminded of just how strong he was. He stood against the hedge.
“Follow my lead,” she whispered
to him. “Oh, big guy. Yes! Yes! Touch me there! More! More!” she yelled out. She stared at him. He looked at her as though she’d lost her mind.
She leaned in close and, unable to resist, licked the skin below his ear. Hmm, delicious. “Pretend we are having sex.”
“Why?” he whispered back.
“Because it will drive her nuts.”
“This is a good thing?”
She shrugged. “It will sure make me feel better.”
He let out a low, guttural moan. She grinned. “Francesca, touch me there.”
God, she loved him.
“Yes!” she cried out. “More!”
“You feel so good,” he replied.
“Touch me there. More. More. Oh. Oh.” She could barely hold back her giggles. They reached the climax, him groaning, her screaming. Frankie kissed Sacaren. “Baby, I love you.”
He sighed. “And I love you. Even when you do call me a child.”
She licked along his lower lip. “Hmm, is it time to take this inside?”
“Yes, I have a need to make you scream for real.”
He had turned towards the house when the sound of sirens filled the air.
She froze. “Well, shit. Do you think she called the cops on us?”
“It does seem to be something she would do.”
“We better go inside before they get here.”
He nodded and without putting her down, carried her into the house. She sent the old bat a one-fingered salute just as another scream broke the silence. She grinned. At least Eden was getting some satisfaction.
3
Nax and Crista
Nax scowled as he looked down at the parts lying scattered across the floor. He grumbled to himself. He needed to return to the ship. This human technology was a joke. The whole planet was ridiculous. He could not believe the state they had allowed the planet to be reduced to. There were hardly any trees or wildlife left. People scurried from building to building, trying to protect themselves from pollution and bouts of acid rain. He would be pleased to leave this planet once they had fulfilled their mission to find mates.
He still did not wish to have a human mate. They were far too much work. He did not have the patience or understanding to give them what they needed. They required a great deal of care. He wished to have a female who could look after herself. She would do what she wanted, he could do what he wished to, and then they would meet up occasionally to find release together.
Yes, that would be the most ideal situation.
A scream of pleasure filled the house and he grimaced. They should have purchased a house with better sound-proofing. Having to listen to Marcun and Sacaren with their mates was like a form of torture for the rest of them. He sighed. It was part of the reason he spent so much time in the large garage, working on his projects.
He banged around, searching for a tool that would help him with this next part. Even human tools were inferior. He should just give up.
Except he remembered the look on Eden’s face the other day when they were watching one of those Christmas vids. And this idea had come to him.
He had not thought he would come to care about these human mates. They were given to bouts of emotion. They took up a great deal of time. And they…they took care of them. Eden baked them whatever they asked for—and her baking was delicious. Frankie treated them like they were family, making them laugh with her sense of humor, and she had brought them into her family.
Surprisingly, Nax actually quite enjoyed her brothers’ company. But they were the only humans worth anything. He did feel bad that he hadn’t paid attention to what the females were doing earlier. Had he realized they were putting lights up outside, he would have ordered them to remain inside.
Whether they would have listened or not, he was not certain. These human females were not as respectful of his authority as they should be.
The sound of sirens made him pause. He glanced around. He was not making much noise. There was no smoke coming from anywhere. Surely those sirens were not headed here. His stomach tightened.
What had the old bat called them for now?
He made his way out of the garage just as Sacaren and Frankie stepped inside the front door.
“Nax, where have you been?” Sacaren demanded, setting Frankie on her feet. “Marcun and I returned home to find Francesca on the roof and Eden climbing up a ladder to put up lights. Why did you not stop them?”
“Um, maybe because we are grown women who can think for ourselves?” Frankie glared up at Sacaren.
“And you believed it a good idea to climb up an old ladder onto a slippery roof in the cold just to put some lights up?”
“When you put it like that it doesn’t sound that smart. But we got these old lights from my dad’s house. We thought it would be, you know, a good surprise. And it would be nice to have lights up for Christmas.”
Nax growled. “Christmas again.”
“Bah, humbug,” she said to him.
He did not know what that meant so he shrugged it off.
“If you had waited, Marcun and I would have done it for you,” Sacaren insisted.
“Wouldn’t be much of a surprise if we got you guys to do it, now would it?”
“Better than coming home to the two of you injured or ill from the cold.”
She put her hands on her hips as she scowled.
“The sirens have stopped,” Nax said, interrupting them. “They must not have been coming here.”
“A police vehicle just pulled up outside,” Marcun told them as he came downstairs. His feet were bare and he was tucking in his shirt.
Nax felt a slight stirring of jealousy. It was not that he wanted a human mate, but he did miss a companion for sex.
“Why do you think they are here this time?” Eden asked with a yawn as she followed her mate downstairs.
Marcun turned back to frown at her. “I believe I told you to remain in bed, mate.”
“I’m hardly going to sleep while there are cops on our doorstep,” she countered. “Mind you, it’s becoming a bit of a daily occurrence.”
She looked tired. Marcun had been right to order her to remain in bed, but he had failed to ensure that his order was followed. Their mates should respect their authority and obey their orders without argument.
But he kept that opinion to himself. The last time he had voiced it, Frankie had told him she would remove his balls from his body. And then Eden had handed her a knife.
He was not frightened of small females.
But it was a very sharp knife.
By now, Frankie was peering out the front window.
“Two cops, headed our way. They look serious. Shit.” She opened the door. “Hello, officers, what are you doing here on such a cold day?”
“Ma’am, I’m Officer Thorpe. This is Officer Todd.”
Nax stared at the two police officers. Normally, he steered clear from too much interaction with the humans. They just tended to make him angry. But with the rest of the pack out, he knew he needed to remain close to protect the females.
“Hi, I’m Frankie. I live here. That’s my husband, Sacaren. His brothers Nax and Marcun, and Marcun’s wife, Eden. What can we do for you?”
“We had some reports of someone screaming.”
Eden gasped quietly—too quietly for the officers to hear, although Marcun still placed an arm around her shoulders in warning. She was now blushing bright red.
“Screaming? Really? I’m not sure what that could be.” Frankie’s voice was relaxed, welcoming, and he could see the officers were warming to her. She peered out and looked over at where the old bat lived. “Did the report come from the lady next door?”
“We cannot say, ma’am.” Although they both now looked slightly irritated. “She also told our operator that there were people having sex on the front lawn.”
Frankie’s eyes widened. “Really? Sex? Wow, that’s pretty adventurous considering how cold it is outside.”
“I think I can offe
r an explanation officers,” Eden told them. “Frankie and I were hanging up some Christmas lights outside. And well, the ladder we were using was a bit old. I slipped. Luckily, Marcun managed to catch me. That was probably me screaming.”
The officers stared over at the three of them suspiciously. Nax slumped down, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Their size seemed to alarm most humans, especially the males, who were built on a much smaller scale than they were.
“You can see the ladder outside,” Frankie offered.
The officers turned to where she pointed. “I think the lights are still somewhere too. They kind of got dropped when Eden slipped.” Frankie stepped outside with the officers and Sacaren followed, watching over her. “Here they are. Cool, not even broken. I’m really sorry you came all this way for nothing.”
“That’s all right, ma’am,” Officer Thorpe said. “Thanks for the explanation. The person that called it in felt certain that someone was being murdered.”
By now they were back at the front door.
“Sorry about that,” Eden called out. “I got a fright. Want to come in? I was going to make some hot chocolate and I still have some shortbread that I made earlier.”
The officers looked at each other, then the older one shook his head reluctantly. “We can’t stop, ma’am.”
“Just wait a few minutes and I’ll grab some to take with you.” Eden returned a few minutes later with a tin in her hands. Nax’s stomach grumbled. He’d been smelling that shortbread all morning. He hoped she hadn’t gone and given it all away.
The officers left with waves and smiles and Frankie shut the door. Turning around and leaning against it, she let out a sigh of relief. “We have got to do something about the old bat.”
“I’ve tried baking her cookies and brownies. She didn’t touch either of them,” Eden complained.
Frankie straightened. “Well, now I think we go next level.”
“We are not throwing eggs at her house, Francesca,” Sacaren said sternly.
Frankie gave him a hurt look. “You are no fun.”
Nax gave the small female a surprised look. She wished to throw eggs at their next-door neighbor’s house? What would that achieve?
A Sky Warrior Christmas Page 3
