“I never have sex on a first date either,” she told him.
“That’s okay,” he said. “We went to sleep for the night already. This is our second.”
“Wow, I’m feeling kind of gypped here. What happened to dinner and a movie?”
“We had dinner, too,” he reminded her.
“But no movie.”
“So, let’s make a movie, then,” Lobo suggested wickedly.
“What, a porno?” she giggled.
“That’s the idea.”
“I bet that’d sell really good if they knew you weren’t from around here,” said Maggie, chuckling.
“You’re probably right about that,” he had to agree. “Come on, Mags, aren’t you feeling a bit overdressed? I want to see you.”
When he tugged her nightgown up and over her head, Maggie was far too heated up to protest. The heat amped up a few notches the moment the thing was out of their way. Breathlessly, she accepted Lobo’s hungry kisses, giving a few of her own in return.
“We could record this on your cell, if you like,” he teased, chuckling. “You’re going to want to remember this moment, I think.”
“Confident, I see,” she purred. “But I think I’d prefer to keep this time just between you and me.”
“Fine by me,” he agreed. His thumbs found her nipples and slid over them, making Maggie gasp. He grabbed ahold and squeezed her breasts, moving in to kiss her again. Their tongues twined.
“Lobo, I need—” she gasped, moving so that she was nestled right underneath of him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, undulating against him temptingly. “I need you! I can’t take it anymore, Buzz. I’m sweltering, and it’s all your fault!”
Lobo’s amber eyes took on a glow, and she could feel the heat of it in her own blood. She felt drawn to him in a way that should be impossible, but it was real nonetheless. She groaned encouragingly as one of his hands blazed a trail over her belly, then her mons, and his fingers dipped into her moist slit.
When he found what he was looking for, it was electric. His thumb rubbed at her clit while two of his fingers dipped inside, driving her wild.
“God, Lobo, it’s not enough!” she pleaded.
With a growl, he figured out where to put his leg so that he could bury his cock deep into her, gritting his teeth until he got as comfortable as he possibly could. Maggie cried out ecstatically as she realized how well he filled her up. Then, he began to move.
“Oh, wow!” she gasped, almost feeling completely overwhelmed. It was so good—too good! Every nerve ending fired off with delight, taking her breath away. She was so wet, it only made it easier for the man to keep on doing what he was doing to her. His voice was low and husky, like smooth whiskey and silk pie and bubble bath at the most perfect temperature. It felt like the man could stop time.
“You like that?” he whispered, teasing.
“Y-yes!” she managed to admit. She used her legs to pull him closer, beginning to give as good as she got. He moaned, low. It turned into a groan. She flexed her Kegels experimentally. It practically made him shout. And it made her laugh gleefully, then smile wickedly as she stared into his eyes.
“Wow!” he whispered, his eyes closing as a wave of pleasure washed over him.
“Lobo, you’re dead,” Maggie announced.
There was no longer a need for words as the tone of their interaction shifted. This wasn’t about a first time anymore, it was about a best time ever. They pounded into each other, chasing after it with a fervor that crested to a fever pitch. When they reached the pinnacle, they came crashing down together, momentarily spent.
Neither one of them had a chance to comment before they heard the front door open. Maggie groaned and grabbed the pillow, covering her head. Lobo moved so that he would be in a better position to defend himself, since they both knew it was Fred.
“I knew it!” he shouted angrily. “You brought that guy home to take him to bed. What were you thinking, Maggie? You don’t even know him. Are you going to throw four years away for some street-rider bum?”
“Mister, you don’t know anything about me either,” said Lobo, sitting up to glare at him. “I’m no bum. I’m just here on vacation. And besides that, how did you know I have a ride?”
“It’s sitting in the back of her truck in pieces,” he pointed out. “But it doesn’t look like any sort of bike I’ve ever seen. What brand is that thing?”
“Why the hell are you getting into the back of my truck, Fred?” Maggie demanded hotly. “You haven’t got a right to invade my things like that.”
“I was just trying to get my tools,” he retorted. “If you don’t want me, you sure as hell don’t need them.”
“Well then you’d better take all your clothes right now, too,” she said. “Because I don’t want you to have any more reasons to barge into my home.”
“Oh, so that’s how it is?” he scoffed. “Well, I hope you’re sure.”
“As sure as I am that you’re with Jeanie anyway,” she told him. “Now get your things, and go away.”
“Fine,” he said, and he started digging through her closet, taking a few items, and heading for the door. “Enjoy her, buddy. She’s all yours.”
“Not a problem,” Lobo called after him.
Maggie sat there with her head in her hands for a moment. She blew out a long breath of air.
“Are you okay, Mags?” asked Lobo, rubbing her back soothingly.
“He’s right, you know,” she told him, lifting her head to look into his eyes.
“Hmm? What about?”
“Your bike,” she said. “It’s totally in shreds. And I sure as hell don’t know what to do about it.”
“Well, maybe we can find a mechanic,” Lobo suggested.
“What mechanic?” she scoffed. “There’s no human alive who knows how to fix that thing.”
“Then maybe it’s not a human that we need,” Lobo said, smiling. “You got a phone book around here? I think I might know somebody local who can not only fix my bike, maybe he could even fix my leg too.”
Maggie stared at him like he was out of his mind. “You mean an alien? Like you?”
“If he’s still around, that is,” he added. “My dad left him here about twenty Earth-years ago, on his last trip out this way. I was barely a teenager back then, but time works a bit differently on a planet than it does in a space ship. By now my Uncle Xenon might even be sporting some grays. If we find him, maybe he can help.”
SIX
The man who knocked on the door that afternoon looked so much like Lobo that Maggie didn’t even need to ask him who he was. She nodded gratefully and opened the door wider to let him in.
“Lobo’s a pretty smart man,” he said by way of greeting. “I didn’t think he would remember the name of the woman I stayed on Earth with, but his mind is like a steel trap. You must be Maggie. Thanks for being a friend.”
“Well, since I’m the one who ran him over to begin with, I don’t know that ‘friend’ is quite the word I would use to describe our current association.”
He chuckled dryly. “You like him, don’t you? I can see that you do. Where is the kid, anyway?”
“I put him in the bedroom,” she explained. “He’s sleeping right now, but I’m sure we could wake him up in a few. Maybe we should take a look at his ride first, since he really needs the rest.”
Maggie stepped outside and led Xenon out to her rig. She busted the seal once again, opening the doors wide.
“We should really move this thing out of sight,” the man said with concern. “Without the shielding in place, this rover doesn’t look like anything an Earthling has ever seen, and I’ll need to disengage the device if I ever hope to fix the thing.”
“What, you mean it really isn’t a motorcycle? I was just guessing.”
“Help me out, will you?” he said. “Where do you want me to fix this thing?”
“Let’s take it into the garage,” Maggie suggested. “I’m supposed to take this
truck out tomorrow for a local delivery. It’ll only take a couple of hours, but I don’t think it would work having an alien attempting to repair some weird space machine back here along with the freight. I bet the lumpers would freak.”
He chuckled. “You’re an interesting lady, Miss Maggie. Go on, grab an end. Let’s move this thing.”
“Watch out, though,” she warned him. “I cut myself on this thing once already.”
When she held up her hand, Xenon’s eyes zeroed in, and one of his eyebrows shot up as he grabbed it. “Well, well. Now I know why Lobo is in your bed, at least,” he commented, chuckling.
“Lobo did the same thing,” she said, frowning. “What is up with that?”
“I assume you know about your bonding already,” he said, grinning. “Well, not that a human can see it, but your hand is glowing. By the time the connection becomes complete, that glow will spread over your entire body. It’s how the Karrianas recognize that someone has a life mate. My own mate and I had that glow, and I don’t doubt that when I see Lobo, his body will have the beginnings of it too.”
“But—how does that work?” Maggie asked worriedly. “What about when he leaves?”
“Maggie, you need to understand something. There is no way for the two of you to be apart now,” he said sympathetically. “Either you’ll have to board whatever ship is coming to get him, or—”
“Or?”
“Or Lobo will have to agree to stay here,” he finished. The two of them set the wrecked rover down in the middle of her garage and the man stood up again. “There is no other way.”
“But I have a business to run,” she complained. “That might be pretty hard to accomplish from billions of light years away. I mean, sure Buzz is cute and all, and I have to admit so far everything’s been great, but I can’t just up and leave, can I?”
“If I know my brother, Lobo’s probably got his own business to take care of too,” said Xenon thoughtfully. “Covo owns and operates a fleet of space ships that haul cargo and customers all over the known galaxies. It was always his plan to put each of his five kids in charge of their own ships so the company could expand, see? Our own father started that company, and until I ended up with Ellen I was also running freight. It’s pretty strange that you and Lobo should happen to meet like you did, considering the similarity of your jobs.”
“Fate,” Maggie repeated. “That’s what Lobo called it. But I didn’t realize what he meant at the time.”
Xenon nodded as he turned to head back toward the house. “This thing’s fine to sit here for now. After I look at Lobo’s leg, I’ll get one of the tarps from my Jeep and cover the thing up, just in case. Does anyone ever come out here besides you, Maggie?”
“Well, I mean, Fred used to, but I just kicked him to the curb,” she said. “So, I don’t think we’d need to be worried about him.”
“All right, then,” he nodded, and the two of them headed out. Before they left, Maggie turned around and locked the door, setting the key wordlessly into the alien mechanic’s hand. He pocketed the thing as they stepped back into the house through the kitchen door.
Lobo apparently had hobbled his way into the kitchen and was currently downing a tall glass of milk. He smiled at the two of them as he set the empty glass down.
“About time you got here, Kelan,” he grumbled as he reached up to give him a knuckle-bump. “I sure hope you brought some narbloo along with you. You have no idea what I’ve been going through.”
“I’ve got you, son,” he chuckled.
“I thought you said his name was Xenon?” asked Maggie curiously.
“Xenon is the English word for the same element that is known as kelan on our world,” the older man supplied. “But on Earth, I took the legal name of Xavier Dallas. Dallas is Ellen’s last name.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t bring Ellen along for the ride, considering that the two of you are so inseparable,” Lobo said. “How is she doing?”
“I lost Ellen about a year ago, actually,” he said, frowning deeply. “Cancer, unfortunately. Even with all our advanced technologies, there was nothing I could do.”
“Sorry to hear it, old man,” Lobo said, grasping his hand and giving it a squeeze. “I’ll return you home next week, if you want me to.”
“Oh no, I’m too set in my ways to be traipsing off into space again,” he said. “Got a sweet little deal with the U.S. government now, helping them learn about our advanced technologies. They’ve been slowly introducing things over the last twenty years the likes of which this world never would have seen for centuries. In fact, plenty of folks here on Earth are nearly ready to learn the truth about our interstellar treaties and everything.”
“I don’t think I’d go quite that far,” Lobo scoffed. “Some of these folks are ready, but there are still some of them who are dumber than rocks. I think the flag is probably still pretty red.”
Maggie chuckled. “He’s not wrong. Take Fred, for instance—”
“I’d rather not take Fred anywhere but the edge of a really tall cliff,” Lobo commented dryly. “He’s a total pain. I can’t imagine what four years must have been like for you.”
“Let’s just say it was no picnic,” she said. “But anyway, if he were to find out about you two, he’d totally flip. He’s sell your story for a fraction of what it was worth just so he could spend it on that floozy waitress of his. Not to mention, he’d probably think it was his civic duty to put a couple bullets into each of your heads.”
“Great,” Xenon groaned. “But you said you broke up with him. Is that something that he understands? As in, he’s not likely to come snooping around again?”
“Who knows, with him,” Maggie sighed. “He’s a pretty persistent kind of guy.”
“Perimeter orbs?” asked Lobo suggestively.
“Definitely,” Xenon agreed.
“You two think he’s going to come snooping around?” Maggie asked uncertainly. “But, I mean, why would he?”
“Because some strange street-rider bum is shacking up with the woman who, until yesterday, was somebody he believed belongs to him?” Lobo suggested.
“He has better things to do with his time than worry about us,” Maggie sneered. “He ought to be busy with Jeanie, now that he can have her over free and clear.”
“Maggie, clearly you don’t know the way that type of a man’s mind works,” Lobo told her. “Even if he had four women on the line, he would still be possessive of them all. In his eyes, his property has just misbehaved, and he’s going to be looking for some way to put you back in line.”
“I’m afraid I have to agree,” Xenon commented dryly. “I haven’t met him, but I trust Lobo’s evaluation.”
“Fine,” she sighed. “In any case, I have to go to work tomorrow, so while you tend to Lobo, I’m going to get some sleep.”
“I need to go with you,” Lobo told her.
“Hmm?” she asked, surprised. “What for?”
“Well, my outfit is all torn to shreds, just like my bike, and Fred ran off with all the clothes that would have fit. Since you don’t really know my size, I’ll need you to take me to the store.”
“You’d be sitting around in the truck for quite a while,” she explained. “I leave around eight to pick up the load, and it takes about an hour to get it in. Then we’d drive it over to the drop-off and take just as long again.”
“Understood, but I really do need some clothes,” he pointed out. “I can’t go with you on Thursday in nothing but my underwear, right?”
“That might be quite the sight,” she teased. “But yeah, if you want to come, I won’t mind having the company.”
“And in the meantime, I’ll be working in the garage,” Xenon added. “And yes, I’ll be deploying the perimeter orbs this evening.”
“The sooner the better, if you ask me,” Lobo agreed. “I haven’t been here a whole day, and Fred’s already seen me twice. For all we know, the guy could be lurking around out there right now. He’s a menace,
really.”
“Do I detect a hint of jealousy?” Xenon teased.
“Under the circumstances, uncle, that’s a distinct possibility,” Lobo admitted ruefully. “Go on to bed, Mags. When he’s set my leg properly, I’ll be in, okay?”
“If you’ll be spending the night, Xenon, I believe Lobo remembers where to find the blankets,” she said as she got to her feet. “Take some narbloo, Lobo, okay? I’ll see you soon.”
She bent down and kissed him before she walked away.
SEVEN
“Fate,” Maggie said with a soft sigh as she laid in her bed listening for the sounds of Lobo’s pain once Xenon set his leg. Her lips were still tingling from when they had touched his, and the telltale swirl in her belly at just the thought of it left Maggie’s thoughts in turmoil.
She’d been all for the idea of dumping Fred and finding somebody better. And Lobo was better—so much so that she was still feeling a little sore. But she hadn’t intended for the change in lovers to change every part of her world. It weighed heavily on her now, that one of them or the other would have to give up everything to be with the other. It just didn’t sit well.
Still, it would make a whole lot more sense for her to leave behind a company that she’d only owned for five years, than for Lobo to give up on the dream his father had been nurturing his entire life. Maggie knew in her heart that she could never ask that of him.
Maybe that was why she hadn’t said a word about it just now, when they were all gathered in the living room. Everything between them was too new, and too wonderful, and the last thing she wanted to do was pick a fight. If it would even be a fight, considering Lobo seemed a whole lot more mellow than Fred could ever be.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a long, low moan. Maggie shot up out of the bed and rushed into the living room, but by the time she got there the sound was already gone. Lobo was lying passed out on the couch.
“Hey, Maggie,” said Xenon, smirking. “If you weren’t planning on me sleeping in your bed tonight instead of him, you may want to help me get him off of my couch.”
A New Reason To Fight: An Intergalactic Romance Page 22
