“Annadri, Ambrisa, Garrok and Mike,” she put the new names to faces. “Mike?”
Steve laughed. “Yeah, just Mike. It’s a common name on Vraga. The rest of us took on new names that suited the identities we created for living in your United States.”
“How? I mean, you can’t just make a person out of thin air, can you? And didn’t the men in black suits or something come after you?”
“You can easily create a persona if you can create the correct paperwork,” he shrugged. “Your technology is… I’m sorry, but it’s archaic. It was easy for me to hide our entry from your detection capabilities. It was in the middle of the day so the sun hid our approach over the Oregon wilderness, which I agree was pure luck. With the way our ship was mangled, Garrok barely kept us from landing in the middle of the ocean where we would have all drowned.”
He stopped as the memories from six years ago crashed into his present. The fire-fight with the Targasians. Desperation forcing the use of the damaged hyperdrive. The Zau’gaut falling to pieces around them as they plummeted to Earth. Burning the dead. Stars, had it been six years already? “Even still, with all our luck and technology, it wasn’t enough to save the majority of the crew.”
Her hand squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry you lost your friends.”
Letting go of the memory that had entered his mind, he smiled. “Thank you.” They smiled at one another in silence for a long moment. He was content to sit there and let her take it all in. He was happy just to be sitting with her on her couch, but then he saw the expression in her eyes shift to worry. “What is it?”
Noelle leaned sideways against the back of the couch, chewing her bottom lip. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, because Garry seems like a great guy, but…”
“You’re worried about Rosa and Mary,” he finished. “I will ask him to back away.”
That sounded wrong to her, the more she thought on it. Garry was a great guy. He had helped Rosa, talked with her throughout dinner and even danced with Mary. He hadn’t seemed to care one bit that Mary couldn’t walk straight. He’d picked her up, leg braces and all, and helped her hang a star on the tree before dancing with her around the tables. That probably made him a far better person than many born here are Earth.
“No,” she smiled again. “Rosa deserves to decide for herself, but I think if Garry wants to pursue her seriously, he should be honest with her.”
“Unlike I was with you,” Steve frowned.
“We met yesterday, Steve.” She realized the truth of those words as she spoke them. “Wow, we met yesterday. It feels like so much longer, but I couldn’t have expected you to just hand me my earmuffs and blurt out that you’re more than just an out-of-towner. You have a good reason to be careful. The wrong person could put you guys in danger.”
He nodded, thinking that it did feel like they had known each other more than two days. They had each confided deep, personal secrets. Their shared search for understanding was pulling them together faster than he ever expected. “It feels good to tell someone, though. It feels good to be myself again, even if just around you.”
“Thank you for trusting me,” she smiled then lost her battle with the yawn that crept up on her. Glancing at the clock on her cable box, she was surprised at the time. “Goodness, it’s nearly midnight.”
“I should go so you can get to bed,” he stood. He didn’t want to leave, but it was probably what he should do. “Do you know if the Thirty-Two-A to the twenty-six carpool lot is still running this late on a weekday?”
She stood. “No, I don’t think they run this late.”
“Oh,” he stopped his reach for his jacket then dug his phone from his back jean pocket instead. “I’ll just call a cab.”
“You could stay,” Noelle blurted without thinking, but she didn’t want to take the words back no matter how hot her cheeks were getting.
“Noelle, I,” Yes, I’d love too, he wanted to say.
“I have a perfectly good bed,” she said then quickly clarified as his eyes widened. “I don’t mind sleeping on my couch, and we could do breakfast in the morning.”
“I,” he tried to come up with some logical argument to quiet every other part of him yelling at him to accept. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She snorted, giving his tall, bulky figure a once over. “Not unless you have some sort of alien-shrinking superpower.”
His gaze flicked to her five-foot couch then gave in. “Alright. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she mumbled between lips that wouldn’t stop grinning like a giddy girl. She reached around him to lock her front door then led him down her hallway. “Bathroom,” she pointed to a door on the right. Walking into the bedroom, she turned on the bedside lamp before disappearing into the closet to grab her extra blanket and pillow.
He stopped her as she headed for the doorway. “You’re sure this is okay?”
Craning her neck back, she smiled. “I’m sure. Goodnight, Steve.”
In a moment of pure instinct, he dipped his head down and kissed her cheek. “Goodnight, Noelle.”
It took every ounce of willpower that Noelle had to leave him alone in her bedroom. His sweet kiss warmed over her entire body like a blanket and followed her all the way to the couch. She sat down, staring blankly at their barely touched coffee mugs, held her pillow against her chest and buried her face in it. She had an alien in her bedroom! More than that, she had strong feelings for that alien, in her heart.
6: So Deep
Stevverax lay on his back, wide awake and staring at the popcorn-stucco ceiling in the dark. Kraxxians being a nocturnal people who slept less than humans, he’d always had trouble adjusting to the ridged circadian rhythm of this planet. The fact that he was laying in his boxers in Noelle’s bed was certainly not helping him fall asleep. The sheets, the pillow – they smelled like her. A hint of vanilla with something more citrusy, like oranges. He wondered if it was a lotion she used, or maybe her shampoo.
Whatever it was, he wanted to find out so he could buy a few bottles. That was desperately lame, he figured, but it didn’t keep him from wanting to do it. He thought about asking her what it was in the morning, which couldn’t come soon enough. There was still so much he wanted to tell her, and he doubted all her questions had been answered before the exhaustion of the day had caught up with her.
He’d told her so much already, things he thought would send her running. She hadn’t run, though. Freaked out a little, sure, but then she’d given him a chance and listened to his story. It felt so good to share himself, his real self, with someone. Especially someone like Noelle, who he was beginning to feel more than just a little attachment to.
She was everything he could hope for in a life-companion. Understanding, smart, funny and so very kind. If she were Kraxxian, there would be no question that he would have already initiated the Xurux and stated his intended courtship. Stars preserve him, it had only been two days and he was already thinking about courtship.
Damn, maybe Garry had been right. Maybe one did simply see a pretty girl, the pretty girl meant for them, and get bit by a damn bug. Steve’s hand scratched subconsciously across his chest. He most definitely had an itch, and he was also most certain that only holding Noelle in his arms could satisfy it.
The feeling in his chest was tight, latching on and burrowing deep. When he closed his eyes, he saw nothing but her smile or the green of her eyes. It stopped his breathing and sped the beat of his heart, just like the sound of her laughter. It filled him with a gentle happiness. Contentment. A feeling like he had come home.
A noise from the hallway broke into his thoughts. A light appeared under the doorway then disappeared again as a door closed. Glancing to the alarm clock, he wondered what Noelle was doing up at two in the morning. For the briefest second, his fearful gut clinched with the worry that she was calling someone one to spill his secret. His heart fought back the fear. Deep within his soul, he knew she would never betray him. The toilet flushe
d and he laughed.
The light appeared again then shut off, then the door to the bedroom opened. Noelle shuffled in, half asleep with one hand covering a yawn and the other out in front of her, searching the darkness. Steve’s eyes refocused, following the lines of her shirt to where it ended mid-thigh.
She had on nothing but, he assumed, a pair of panties under the shirt. Her bra was off, made obvious by the nipple peaks he could see pressing against the fabric. The sight sent a shiver through his entire body with a desire to hold her and make love to that beautiful body. That thought flushed him with aroused heat, and then he froze stiff as she started crawling into the bed.
“Uhm, Noelle?” he whispered.
Noelle gasped and jumped up. “Oh, shit!” Her hand palmed her chest as she breathed in panting, startled gulps for air.
“I’m sorry,” he touched her arm.
“No,” she coughed. “I forgot,” she coughed again. “I…”
Steve sat up sharply. “Where’s your inhaler?’
Her hand was on her throat as she pointed at the nightstand. He opened the drawer and dug frantically for the inhaler as she continued fighting for air. Finding it, he pushed her to sit on the bed as he uncapped the inhaler, shook it and handed it to her. Two deep puffs later, her breathing began to steady.
“Thank you,” she sighed.
“I’m sorry I frightened you,” he whispered past the racing heart in his throat. Her glasses were still off and her messy bun had come unraveled. Long strands of brown hair cascaded around her shoulders. He tucked some of the strands behind her ear and she turned to him with a smile.
“Not your fault. I was half asleep and just walked on autopilot. Sorry I woke you.”
“I was awake,” he shrugged.
“Oh,” she leaned her head into his touch as his fingers lingered behind her ear. “Is the bed uncomfortable?”
“It’s fine. Just a lot on my mind.”
She laughed quietly with a nod. “I guess you’re worried I’ll call the government, or maybe the newspapers. I’ve heard the tabloids pay well for a picture of an alien.”
“No,” he corrected with a soft laugh, his thumb passing across her cheek. “I trust you.”
“I trust you, too.” Her hand topped his.
The cold nature of her touch sent a shock through him. He took her hand in his, then her other hand as he filled with worry again. “Why are you so cold?”
“Oh,” she tried not to completely melt from his warm touch. “The heating vents in the living area haven’t ever really worked all that well. I must have kicked the blanket off at some point.”
“You shouldn’t be sleeping on a cold couch,” he frowned then paused in thought. Her bed was a full size. She was cold. He was warm. It made logically sense for her to sleep with him.
He swallowed. It made perfect sense for her to sleep next to him, he corrected himself. Scooting over, he held the comforter open to her. “You could sleep here? I promise not to do anything inappropriate.”
She blushed in the darkness but couldn’t deny how appealing his offer was. She could feel the heat radiating from him and the spot on the mattress he had uncovered. “Alright,” she squeaked out as she lay down beside him, facing away. His arm became her pillow as his other arm tucked the comforter around her.
“Whoa,” he flinched. “Your feet are like ice cubes.”
She gripped the comforter with an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry!”
“You should have told me the heat out there sucks,” he grumbled as he tucked her feet between his legs to try and warm them.
“Would you have stayed?” she asked while trying to keep her feet still as his legs sandwiched them. He was so wonderfully warm.
He thought on her question for a moment, further tucking her body into the comforter and against him. Setting his chin against the top of her head, he let out a tight breath with his admission. “Yes, but I would have suggested we sleep together. Uh, I mean… share the bed… together… like this…”
Noelle giggled into the comforter and snuggled back against him further. “I like this. It’s warm,” she yawned against the word.
Chancing a kiss against the back of her head, he held her in his arms and realized the itching in his chest had stopped. “I like this, too.”
He listened as her breathing evened, his lips upturning into a smile as a soft snore began emphasizing each inhale. Such a small, delicate thing, he mused. Small and beautiful, fitting perfectly in the space next to his body. Delicate, and causing him worry about her health, but she was also strong. Compassionate. Soft.
His hand smoothed down her arm until he found her hand, threading his long fingers through hers. She snorted lightly in her sleep then settled more deeply against him. Her fingers tightened between his and he felt his heart tremble. He held off sleep for as long as possible, knowing that the morning light would bring more questions from her, and possibly an end to his crazy ideas about courtship. Holding her, within his arms and within his heart, he finally fell into the most peaceful sleep he’d had in six very long years.
7: They Saw A Star
A cold puff of air followed Amber’s exhale as she closed her car door. The night was darker and colder on the city outskirts off highway twenty-six, but it was worth the drive. The farmhouse northwest of the city, with its huge old barn and pine tree fenced four-acre lot, gave them a place to store their decorating supplies and the seclusion five aliens living on Earth needed.
Securing the funds to buy the place had been easy, though a little illegal. Anna didn’t think the government would miss an eighth of a percent from money earmarked for some overfunded pork barrel project that Stevverax had been able to access. Why their government needed seven hundred million dollars to build a website was something that still had Amber and the rest of the team scratching their heads.
Amber walked up the driveway past the other vehicles, noting that Steve’s truck was the only one missing. A giddy grin spread across her lips, and she hoped he was having a good time. She also hoped he had decided to give Noelle a real chance. The Earther was sweet and seemed like she might just be okay with Steve’s less than human qualities.
“Is that grin for me?” Garry called out from the porch swing as Amber strode up the steps.
“For Steve,” Amber grinned wider, not at all surprised to find Garry in his favorite spot this time of night. He was in shorts and nothing else despite the frigid temperature. “I noticed his truck was missing.”
“Indeed it is,” he nodded and patted the empty spot on the swing. “He sent me a message that he’d be staying at Noelle’s place tonight.”
“Really?” Amber sat down as her skin went orange then yellow. “That’s wonderful,” she sighed happily, her pigment fading to a soft pink.
“Wonderful?” Garry huffed. “Bastard cost me a hundred bucks.”
“You should’ve learned by now not to bet against your brother,” Amber snickered. “You think it’ll work out? I mean, you think Noelle will be okay with everything?”
“He knows the rules,” Garry shrugged then stared back out at the stars. “But, I wouldn’t blame him if he told her. I think she’s a nice lady and maybe hiding for six years has been long enough. Maybe it’s time we test the waters of honesty with these Earthers. If we’re really stuck here, it’s only a matter of time before one of us has to spill the beans.”
“Spill the beans,” Amber snorted. “I’ve never understood that one. I get what you’re saying, though. Don’t get me wrong, I love you guys but not as potential mates. No offense.”
“None taken,” Garry chuckled. “Anna is off limits, Steve isn’t my type, and you’re too young for me.”
“But Rosa is just right?” Amber poked his shoulder.
Garry cleared his throat. “Well, the woman makes a damn good pie.”
“Her daughter is cute, too,” Amber pushed. She was enjoying her role as the new match-maker.
“No argument there,” Garry replied w
ith a soft smile then sighed. “But maybe Rosa needs less complication in her life instead of more. Between her business, her abusive ex and Mary’s muscular dystrophy, an alien is probably the last thing she needs thrown into the mix.”
“Or, maybe it’s exactly what she needs,” Amber pushed again, but Garry just stared out at the stars in silence.
After a long moment to put away his thoughts, he side-glanced Amber. “So, what about you and the kid?”
“He’s not a kid,” Amber went immediately defensive with a flush of green. “He’ll be nineteen in February.” Kyle had blurted that out on their drive to the all-night diner where he worked, obviously worried himself about the apparent age difference. If only he knew, Amber frowned.
“And you’ll be fourteen in April,” Garry crossed his arms with a playful smile, but his intended joke was lost in the darkness.
“You sound like Anna,” Amber lowered her eyes. “She noticed Kyle’s interest tonight and pulled me aside for a good ole Captain’s lecture about the age perception differences between Earthers and Cloedytes. Like I needed the reminder that I have a shorter lifespan.”
“Only by fifteen years or so compared to an Earther,” Garry sighed. “Sorry, I was trying to be sarcastic with a failed Anna impression, but that’s Mike’s talent, not mine. I don’t really see a problem if you like Kyle. So what if you’re a fourteen year old who looks twenty-five? It’s all just chronological. When I was seven, I was chasing rung’jiats through the snow for fun, not serving on board a starship as the science officer.”
Amber gave a small nod then went quiet for few minutes. Garry gave the swing a push. The chain creaked back and forth as the stars twinkled overhead. Finally, she asked the question that had been on her mind for at least a year. “Do you miss it?”
Garry’s foot stopped its rocking. “Being on a starship?”
Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars Page 73
