by J. E. Taylor
“You don’t want to do that,” André said just before her lips touched his. He put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her despite his racing heart.
“Why not? You afraid Anna would find out?”
Her breath caressed his face smelling like sweet licorice. “No. I couldn’t care less about Anna,” he answered, still conflicted and holding her above him. He wanted her from the moment she stepped into the infirmary six years before and this was just way too tempting.
“Then why not?” She glanced at his lips and then back to his iridescent blue eyes sparkling in the dark.
“Because I won’t stop,” he said and his lips curved in a slow easy smile. “And don’t you already have a boyfriend?”
“Not anymore. Besides, maybe I don’t want you to stop.”
His body reacted to her; heat pooled in his belly and lust lined his skin. It took everything he had to hold her at bay. “You shouldn’t tease me like this.”
“I’m curious.” Katrina stared down at him. “Are you anatomically the same as men on Earth?”
The glib question along with the mischievous sparkle in her eyes goaded him. “You already know the answer to that, don’t you?” he said, his voice husky with the need that filled his entire body.
She grinned. “I’ve heard some rumors.”
“And what? You thought you’d find out firsthand?”
She shrugged. “I’ve always been curious about you but could never seem to pin you down.” She licked her lips and smiled down at him.
That was all he could handle, and he gave in, pulling her to him, kissing her hard and rolling her over onto the sand under him. The sweetness of her lips drew air from his chest and for a moment, he lost himself in the exploration of her mouth and the kiss was everything he always imagined it would be. His hands slid down her sides to her waist before he regained control and pulled away, smiling as he stood up.
Katrina stared up at him with wide eyes full of surprise. “Where are you going?” she asked, hopping to her feet and following him.
He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. “If I stay, your curiosity will be satisfied and I’ll be up shit’s creek without a paddle,” he drawled and turned away again, reaching for the fence.
“Come on, André. We’ve been playing this game for years and we’re finally somewhere alone without our parents. Please, don’t go.”
He hesitated, still with his hand in the chain link. “I have to go,” he whispered and leaned on the fence, glancing at her feet as she walked up to him. His entire body fought for control over his senses and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before scaling the fence as quickly as he could. He walked away, leaving her silent and thoughtful on the other side. He didn’t glance back right away; her thoughts still clung to him and he snuck a peek just before he rounded the corner that would block the view of the beach.
Katrina was less than ten feet behind him.
André stumbled, fell and willed himself to stop just short of the pavement, stopping what would have been a nasty impact. He righted himself and turned to find her giggling at him. “What the hell are you doing?” he gaped.
“Following you,” she answered.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to play games anymore.”
André continued in the direction he had been heading, and she resumed her stalking behind him. He slowed a little, allowing her to keep pace. He glanced over at her staring, probing eyes. “I’m not a fucking bug,” he snapped.
Katrina blinked, but didn’t look away. “What was it like?”
“What was what like?”
“Space.” She glanced at the sky.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I only saw a little of it and that was from my father’s ship when he rescued me.”
“Really?” she said, astonished. “But you were out there for so long.”
He nodded. “Yeah.” He glanced over at her. “It wasn’t fun,” he said, not wanting to elaborate on the terror he felt each day, wondering if it would be his last one alive.
Silence settled between them as they walked.
“Five years?”
André nodded. “Sealed in a tin can.”
“How’d you not go crazy?”
“Who said I didn’t?” he countered, giving her a hint of a smile.
“Seriously,” she said. “How does someone get through that?”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be right now?” he asked, slightly annoyed by her line of questioning and even more so by her train of thought. Her close proximity messed with his mind, setting his skin on fire and he knew if she continued to follow, there was no turning back for him. No staying away anymore, despite what either of their fathers said.
“No.”
André stopped walking and leaned on a nearby tree, crossing his arms. He sighed as his eyes grazed her. “I guess my will to live overpowered everything else and I was smart enough to not eat what was provided all at once.”
“I don’t know any six-year-old with that kind of willpower,” she said and stepped closer.
“Please don’t,” he said softly as she reached out to touch him.
Katrina smiled and ignored his plea.
“Kat, I don’t have that kind of willpower where you’re concerned.”
“Are you like this with all your girlfriends?” she asked as she moved closer, leaning her body against his.
He shook his head. “No, only you can do this to me.” He swept her in his arms and kissed her, rolling his tongue gently in her mouth as his hands traced her back, stopping at her waist. One of his hands found its way back up into her hair and the other slid down her hip to the edge of the very short skirt she had on, grazing the skin of her thighs with his fingertips. He pulled her closer, kissing her deeper, searing his soul to hers.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Matthew yelled, stepping from the hovercraft a few feet away.
André and Katrina jumped away from each other, both panting with the power that still coursed through their veins. Oh shit!
Before he could say anything, Matthew’s hand grasped the scruff of his neck and hauled him to the hovercraft.
André glanced sideways at Katrina and offered her a small shrug as they pulled away, watching her in the side mirror. She continued to watch the hovercraft until they pulled around the corner out of sight.
“I have told you a thousand times to stay away from that girl,” Matthew growled.
André didn’t say anything. He just slouched in the passenger seat with his hands in his pockets and looked out the window. He heard all the thoughts flying through his father’s head loud and clear. When the silent accusations flew, he spoke. “I went to the beach and she happened to be there.”
“How did she know where to find you?”
André willed the hovercraft to stop.
“Stop that,” Matthew snapped.
“I have followed the rules you laid down for the past six years, Dad. I know she’s off-limits, but...” He took a deep breath. “But she just happened to be at the place I ran to. I had no idea she would be at the beach and if I did, I wouldn’t have gone there.” He released his hold on the vehicle and it lurched forward again. “One thing led to another...” He trailed off. “I’m not staying away from her anymore,” he announced as they pulled into the driveway.
“You are to stay away from that girl,” Matthew ordered as he stepped out of the hovercraft and slammed the door closed.
“No, I am not staying away from Katrina.” André stood his ground. “I’ve been in love with her since the day I set foot on this planet.”
Matthew stood at the front door with his hand on the doorknob, his back to André, struggling with the anger raging through him. He silently counted to ten. “She’s bad news, André,” he said. He had heard the commander bitching about the things she had done on a daily basis and Matthew didn’t want André exposed to such a rebellious child.
“I know she
has a reputation for being a little wild,” André said, “but I really don’t give a damn.”
Matthew turned. “I do.”
“You won’t let me play football; you won’t let me date Katrina. What next? What are you afraid of?”
“That you’ll get in trouble and the government will take you away from us,” Matthew snapped.
André took a half step back and blinked, hearing the truth in Matthew’s voice and in his mind. “They could take me away?”
“If they find out what you can do, yes,” Matthew said.
“Kat already knows what I am and she hasn’t said a thing for the last six years.”
Matthew took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Besides, I’m going to marry her,” André added.
Matthew laughed. “You are only seventeen.”
André shrugged. “I know what I want and she’s it.”
“You want her because I said you couldn’t have her.”
“No, Dad. I want her because she’s the one and I’ve dated plenty of girls since I came here but not one of them does what Katrina does to me, not even Anna.”
“What I saw back there was moments away from getting into a world of trouble, André. If that’s what she does to you, it’s just another reason for me to put my foot down. You are too young for that.” Matthew pointed in the direction where they had come from.
André tried to suppress a grin but didn’t do a very good job.
“Wipe that grin off your face. Seventeen is too young.”
“Too young for what?” André asked innocently, just to see his father’s reaction as he leaned on the porch banister, crossing his arms, the amused smile still on his face.
Matthew glared at him. “Sex. You are too young for sex,” he clarified. “Now go to your room. I don’t want to see or hear you until the morning. Got it?”
André nodded and walked through the door Matthew held open for him. His grin spread as he bounded up the stairs and closed his broken door. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him and if he ever finds out just how much I’ve screwed around, Jesus, he’d blow a gasket.
He pulled his cell out of his pocket and stared at the half dozen texts he ignored for the past couple of hours and sighed. It was time to cut Anna loose, especially after what happened with Katrina. He shot over a message, knowing Anna wouldn’t take too kindly to him breaking up with her by text, so after he pressed Send, he shut his phone off, tossing it on the nightstand before flopping back on his bed.
André stared at the ceiling in the dark room, his thoughts drifting to Katrina and all the things he’d like to do with her.
A soft knock on his window interrupted his thoughts and his eyes flew open. He crossed to the window and slid it open, staring into her hypnotizing eyes.
What are you doing here? He sent the thought into her mind. Surprise registered and she teetered on the tree branch but André reached out and caught her before she fell, hauling her in the window and putting his finger on his lips. Don’t speak; just think it and I’ll hear you.
Katrina looked around the room and then back at him. You can hear my thoughts?
I can hear everyone’s thoughts. André smiled at the bloom in her cheeks. What are you doing here?
I’m not sure. She glanced at the broken door. Let’s blow out of here. She looked toward the window and back at him.
André tilted his head and let his eyes graze her from head to toe. He looked over at his bed and raised an eyebrow. Why? The bed’s right there.
Katrina let out a small quiet laugh.
Isn’t that why you came? To satisfy your curiosity? André pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor.
Katrina scanned his bare torso and licked her lips. A slight sweat broke out on her forehead and she drew in a deep breath. Is it hot in here?
He chuckled and tilted his head. I took my shirt off. Now it’s your turn. He leaned against the bed waiting.
I don’t know. Katrina looked at the door and bit her lower lip.
Don’t worry. I’ll hear them if they come this way. Let’s see what you’ve got.
Katrina hesitated.
André sighed and moved across the room, taking her in his arms. “Isn’t this what you want?”
“I, uh...”
“Because it’s what I’ve wanted since I first laid eyes on you.” He didn’t wait for an answer; his mouth covered hers, tasting, tongues intertwined in a dance that left him trembling and wanting more. Her skin, like silk under his fingertips, lit a fire in his abdomen and he broke the kiss, smiling down at her upturned face.
He tasted the curve of her neck, grinning when her skin broke out in a batch of goose pimples followed by a shudder, and he peeled her shirt off. With a flip of his fingers, her bra unclasped and followed the path of her shirt to the floor. He found her skirt zipper and slowly unzipped it, kissing his way down the front of her body before he slid the garment to her ankles.
Standing, he maneuvered her to the bed, covering her neck with kisses and stretched her out underneath him. With a glance in the direction of the hallway, his nightstand slid, blocking the door and reducing the chance of a surprise entrance by his folks.
You’ve done this before.
André chuckled against her throat and moved his lips to hers, kissing her, losing himself in the feel of her mouth, her skin, her body. He throbbed against the fabric of his jeans and he shifted when her hands fumbled with his belt, giving her access to undo them, the progression of the zipper sounding like a jackhammer wrapped in the frantic rush of their breath.
With a rustle of fabric, he was free of his pants, settling between her legs, his heart hammering in his chest as he gazed in her surprised eyes.
I guess you are anatomically correct.
He grinned. No one had ever complained about what he had to offer. His smile faded as he scanned her face, his gaze falling on her full lips before returning to the green eyes he dreamed of night after night. His body ached for her but she was a virgin and the seed of doubt formed. Is this what you want?
She pulled him to her lips without speaking, her mind answering him as loud as the pounding of her heart against his chest but he had to be sure this wasn’t just the heat of the moment, not just his wishful thinking.
Not with her.
He broke the kiss. “Are you sure?” he asked, reining in the lust raging through his blood.
“Yes, I’ve wanted you from the first day we met, too,” Katrina whispered and that’s all he needed.
Her jaw clamped with the first thrust, a crease appearing between her eyes as he christened her, but it soon smoothed out with each gentle circle of their hips. Heat consumed him and he sped up, each stroke sending tingling sensations through his core, and her eyes closed, her lips pressing together, turning her moan into a sensual purr that drove him mad.
When her eyes opened, they flew wide and her breath hitched, her gaze locked on his but he didn’t care; he was too far gone to worry about his eyes or the shock rippling through her.
“Katrina,” he whispered, his lips curving into a smile; the sensations overcame him and he clamped his eyes closed, shuddering. “My Katrina,” he corrected when the aftershocks subsided. He opened his eyes and looked down at her, satiated.
You’ve done this before.
André smirked and shook his head. Not quite.
I know you’re not a virgin, so what do you mean by not quite? Katrina tilted her head.
“I’ve never lost control before,” he answered.
“What are you talking about?”
I’ve never let anyone see me.
Katrina raised her eyebrow and smiled, lowering her eyes to their melded bodies and returned her gaze to his a moment later.
The real me, and you know what I’m talking about, Kat. I saw it in your face, in your mind. My eyes—they turned, didn’t they?
Katrina’s smile faded and she nodded.
You would have heard about that by now, don�
�t you think? He pulled off her and put his underwear and pants back on, the smile on his face faltering as his gaze shot to the door. He swiped her things off the floor and handed them to her, pushing her toward the bathroom. Shit. Bathroom, now. He moved the dresser back soundlessly as she disappeared behind the bathroom door. Jumping on the bed, he stretched out on his back, covering the small red stain on the comforter she left behind. He snapped his eyes closed.
Matthew poked his head in the room.
André made his chest rise and fall in the rhythm of sleep, praying Matthew would buy it. But his father’s gaze traveled from him to the window and he stepped inside the bedroom.
André opened his eyes. “I’ll close it later, Dad,” he said, startling his father and slowing his progress across the room.
“I got it,” Matthew said and stopped between the bed and the window. He reached down and picked up the discarded bra, looking over at André with scrunched eyebrows and parted lips. “What the hell is this?”
André sat up, refusing to move from his place on the bed. If his father saw the stain, he’d know and at this point, he just suspected some less than innocent petting. “I, uh...” André looked between the bra and his father.
Matthew’s eyes narrowed and his glance darted to the only logical place a girl could hide. He crossed to the bathroom, shooting André a warning glare. Flipping on the light, he caught Katrina frantically adjusting her skirt.
His jaw tightened and he held out the bra. “I assume this is yours,” he said.
Katrina traded a glance with André and nodded, taking the bra from Matthew’s outstretched hand.
He closed the door so she could reassemble herself and spun in André’s direction, pointing his finger at him. “You have no idea how much trouble you are in right now,” he growled. “Downstairs when she is finished. Understand?”
André nodded, avoiding Matthew’s eyes. After his father left the room, he flopped back on the bed with his heart hammering in his throat. When Katrina opened the door, he stood and grabbed his shirt off the floor and slipped it on. “Shit.”
Katrina bit her lip. “I’m sorry.”
