by Karen Kelley
No, it was more like he was a dog panting after her, and she was a snotty cat, tail in the air, as she waltzed away chanting, you can’t have any.
He rolled over and sat up on the side of the bed.
“Damned chocolate.” It had kept him up most of the night. He’d forgotten about the caffeine in it. Speaking of which, he needed some.
He grabbed his pants off the floor and tugged them on, then pulled a T-shirt out of the drawer, and stumbled barefoot to the bathroom.
One look at his face, and he knew it was an image that could give kids nightmares. He settled for washing it and brushing his teeth.
Lara was in the kitchen working with her research plants. She didn’t even look up when he walked into the room. As he fixed the coffee pot, he stole glances at her.
She looked as if she’d had a good night’s sleep. Had she even thought about making love? Probably not. After all, she’d meditated.
Oh, God, why’d he have to think about that? The white transparent robe. Tight nipples, dusky areolas. The thatch of curls between her legs.
He did a quick retreat, going back to the bathroom. After stripping out of his clothes, he turned on the shower and stepped beneath the spray, sucking in air when the icy cold water hit him.
He was one large goose bump when he shivered out and grabbed a towel. But he wasn’t hard as a rock. Mission accomplished. The ache was still there, though.
He knotted the towel at his hip and headed for his room. Too bad if she caught a glimpse of his near nakedness. He was only returning the favor.
Except for some reason, he had a feeling she wouldn’t suffer nearly as much as he had last night.
Lara happened to look up just as she was putting a drop of chemical on another plant, so she saw Sam making his way back to his bedroom. Her mouth dropped open.
All that beautiful, naked male flesh. Sinewy muscles, tapered hips, firm legs. The drying cloth barely covered him. She tried to swallow and couldn’t. “Oh…my,” was all she could mutter.
She squeezed the stopper, then jumped, immediately realizing what she’d done. “No,” she mumbled with disgust. Now she’d ruined this specimen. One drop only, not the stopper-full of chemical.
It was Sam’s fault.
She frowned.
No, it wasn’t. Just as last night hadn’t been his fault, either. He’d been right. Her face grew warm as she remembered how dreadful she’d been. How could she even call herself a healer?
The Elders would’ve been so ashamed. She was so ashamed.
Sam came into the kitchen. He wore the pants he called jeans, and he’d pulled a black shirt on. His dark hair was damp and fell to the side of his face. She drew in a ragged breath. He looked good even wearing clothes.
He went to the cabinet and got the coffee down without speaking a word. She bit her bottom lip. The silence wasn’t good. It made her feel as if her stomach was tied in knots.
When the coffee began to drip into the glass receptacle, she knew she couldn’t go on any longer. This wasn’t going to be easy. Healers never had to say they were wrong—because they never were.
She stood, bowing slightly. “Forgive me.” When he didn’t say anything, she raised her head and looked at him. He didn’t appear angry, more as if he was trying to decide what to say. She waited patiently.
“It’s okay to mess up occasionally,” he finally told her.
His words made her feel better, but he still didn’t understand. “Thank you for exonerating me of my deplorable behavior.”
“But?”
“More is expected from a healer where I come from. No one is closer to the royal family than a healer. We are set above everyone for a reason. We never make mistakes. We’re very close to perfection. Do you understand?”
“No.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, maybe I do. Just because you’re supposed to be higher than everyone else and better than everyone else at what you do doesn’t mean you can’t experience life.”
“It’s complicated.”
“But you had fun.”
She ducked her head, not wanting him to see the truth of his words reflected in her eyes. It caused her deep sadness to know she’d broken away from what was expected of her.
Before he could say more, there was a noise out front that sounded like a car.
Sam heard it, too, and looked at her, then at the plants on the glass dishes. “Damn, it looks like a drug lab in here,” he muttered as he went to the door.
She followed, curious to see who might be outside.
“Stay here,” Sam said as he went to the porch.
A red car had parked beside his pickup. The woman getting out of the driver’s side looked the same amount of years as herself. She had black hair and delicate features, and she wore the casual dress of most Earthlings: dark slacks and a short-sleeved white top.
The passenger door opened, and an older woman got out. Lara tensed as she took in the Nerakian clothes. She was vaguely familiar. Lara studied her.
The woman wore the clothes of an interplanetary explorer: deep blue vest coat that reached to the top of her thighs and gold pants. Her hair was a soft brown, swept away from her face.
Her eyes grew wide as the woman came closer, and Lara could see her clear gray eyes.
“I am Aasera,” the older woman said. “This is my daughter, Lyraka.
Lara pushed open the screen door and stepped out, glad she’d worn her robes today so she wouldn’t bring shame upon herself and all healers. She looked at first one woman, then the other.
Sam groaned. “You were supposed to stay inside,” he whispered.
Aasera drew in a sharp breath before bowing. “Welcome, Healer.”
Sam looked between them. “Oh, Lord, more aliens.”
The younger woman followed her mother’s example, murmuring her words of greeting.
Lara stepped further out on the porch. “No, it is I who welcome you, Grandmother and…daughter.”
“Grandmother?” Aasera’s head jerked up. “You are of my DNA?”
Lara nodded, a smile forming on her face as she walked down the steps. “I have holograms of you. I’ve visited with you often. Your memory is strong within me.”
“What did they tell you…” Aasera stopped and looked away.
But she didn’t have to finish—Lara knew what Aasera was asking. “That you had passed while on a mission. They told how very courageous you were.”
Lara’s gaze moved to the younger woman. There was something familiar about her. Then she knew. “You were the one who watched.”
“Forgive me for not identifying myself. I needed to know if you were Nerakian. You must be very powerful. No one has ever been able to detect my presence.”
Lara nodded her head, accepting the girl’s words for what they were—acknowledgement of Lara’s superior abilities. Not that detecting people was a strong gift for her.
“You were very good, but you wore a particular fragrance. If not for that, I wouldn’t have known anyone was there,” she conceded, then reached beside her and took Sam’s hand, drawing him forward. “This is Sam.”
Aasera raised her eyebrows. “You touch him, Healer?”
Sam grew tense as he stood
beside Lara. And so he should. Her grandmother had just insulted them when she forgot her place. Maybe she should remind her grandmother where they stood.
She squared her shoulders. “He has given me shelter so that I might test Earth’s plants.”
“Forgive me.” Aasera bowed her head.
“I have coffee,” Sam said, apparently deciding that was a good enough apology. “That is, if you drink it.”
Aasera stiffened slightly. No one else seemed to notice. Lara found herself curious to know what had happened to her grandmother. Why she seemed to dislike Sam, or was it because he was a man? In time, she would have answers.
They went inside to the living room.
“I’m sure you have a lot of catching up to do. I’ll get the coffee.”
As soon as Sam had left the room, Lara took a seat, knowing they wouldn’t sit until she did. It was the way of her people, and she acknowledged their deference with a nod of her head.
They sat on the lounging sofa.
“You had a child,” Lara said, studying Lyraka.
Aasera clasped her hands tightly in front of her and raised her chin. “I refused to eliminate her. She was born from my body.”
“Amazing.” She had suspected Nerakians could have children if the circumstances were favorable, but she hadn’t been sure. It had been so very long since a woman from her planet had borne a child. “Did you suffer greatly?”
“It was not as bad as the Elders had warned us.”
“You question their wisdom?”
Aasera bowed her head. “No, Healer.”
“My mother did what she had to do,” Lyraka spoke up, then continued. “My father was of this planet.”
Lyraka showed a fierce protection toward the woman who’d borne her. She had much of her mother’s courage. This was good. But the admission that her father was from Earth intrigued her. She wanted to know what effect it had on her.
“You have gifts?” She already knew Lyraka could move about undetected.
Before she could answer, Sam brought in the coffee and set it on the small table, then looked toward her. “You’ll be okay?”
She nodded.
“I’ll be out back if you need me.”
“Thank you.”
Maybe Sam had gifts also. He knew she needed to be alone with Aasera and Lyraka.
When he left, she waved her hand, giving permission for them to serve their drink. Aasera hesitated before filling two cups and adding cream and sugar. After she took a drink, Lyraka followed suit.
“Tell me about these gifts. Did they dilute with the mixing of DNA?”
Lyraka glanced at her mother. It was good that Aasera’s daughter would ask permission first. She had given her daughter excellent qualities to live by. When Aasera nodded, Lyraka began to speak.
“My gifts increased with the mixing of Nerakian and an Earthman’s DNA. I have speed and hypersensitive hearing.”
“Do others know?” This could be dangerous for Aasera’s daughter.
“We have been cautious,” Aasera spoke up.
“You are wise.”
She could see that Aasera wanted to say more. She waited patiently while the grandmother assembled her thoughts.
“Are they exploring again? The Elders told me just before they…exiled me that because I had fallen prey to temptation, they wouldn’t be taking any more chances and they were stopping interplanetary travel.”
Lara could see the hopefulness in her eyes. “My cousin came to Earth after viewing some of your documentation. When her craft returned, there were Earthlings on board. One of them became ill and infected an Elder. I was sent here to find a cure.”
Aasera’s face drained of color. “An Elder ill! Which one?”
Hearing which Elder was ill would not be easy. Torcara had lived long and was the strongest and most supreme of all the rulers. Everyone looked to her for guidance.
“Torcara,” she said as gently as she could, but the blow was visible.
Aasera drew in a sharp breath. “You can heal her?”
“I don’t know. I’ll try.”
Aasera looked toward the back of the cabin, the direction Sam had gone, then faced Lara again. “I have room for you. After I was exiled, I started a place where artists and others can work on their craft in perfect harmony. We have writers and painters, sculptors and poets. You would blend in and be safe.”
“I’m safe here.”
“He is a young male. They are dangerous to be around. You will think they care, but they don’t.”
“I cannot disturb my research at this time.” She knew there were other reasons, but she refused to voice them.
“We are close if you should have need.”
Lara could see it upset Aasera that she wouldn’t go with her, but she bowed to her authority. “I’ll take your advice under consideration.”
They spent the next hour talking about Nerak and the changes that had occurred since Aasera had been gone, and the whole time, Lara could see the longing to return in her eyes.
At one time, the interplanetary travelers had been revered because of the stories they brought back with them. Interplanetary travel stopped about the time Lara was created, but she had a feeling she’d have loved to hear them. The stories had been replaced with artistic dancing and viewings the hologram makers created.
It might not be as exciting as it once had been, but the performances were very…beautiful.
The conversation soon began to lag. There was research that needed to be completed. She looked at Aasera and gave an imperceptible nod indicating that their time had come to an end.
“We will leave you to your work.” Aasera stood; Lyraka also came to her feet. They bowed at the same time.
Lara stood at the door, watching the dust swirl as the car went down the road. It was good that the grandmother lived. She would like to have time to make the connection with her more complete before she went back to Nerak.
And also with Lyraka. There was something very unusual about her. Her eyes were a luminous shade of blue and very pale. And her hair was very short and dark. She sighed, sensing Lyraka didn’t quite know where she belonged.
“They left?” Sam asked as he came back inside.
She nodded.
“I was afraid you’d go with them.”
She turned. “My research.”
“Is that the only reason?”
She shook her head.
“Good. I kind of like having you around.” His smile only lifted one side of his mouth. It was very engaging and made her horny. And his eyes told her he knew what she felt for him. The man was much too full of himself.
She arched an eyebrow. “I was afraid they wouldn’t have chocolate.” She swept past him.
His laughter followed her to the kitchen. She smiled, not caring that he saw through her façade.
She was starting to see why Mala and Kia couldn’t leave. Men were very addictive. But she didn’t have the luxury of staying as they had. An Elder’s life depended on her finding a cure and bringing it back to Nerak.
No matter how much she would like to stay, it was not an option. But she would make many memories to hold close when she was home once more.
They would
be enough to sustain her. They would have to be.
Chapter 17
L yraka pulled into the small parking area at the colony. Her mother had done a good job pulling everything together here. There was one main building flanked by rows of smaller cabins. Some visitors had one night reserved as they passed through, and others had been here for months.
A bubbling fountain sat in the center of the grounds, surrounded by flowers in an array of bright colors. Tall pines encircled the area like guards watching over everyone. Each day, much like today, there were people standing or sitting in front of their easels as they tried to recreate the woodsy setting on canvas. And then others sat on blankets and meditated as they communed with nature.
Benches were scattered throughout the trees, and though you might not see the person, you would hear the light tones of a flute.
The setting was serene and peaceful, as she often heard people say who visited—a delight to the senses. They couldn’t seem to get enough of the colony.
Lyraka lived with her mother in a larger cabin set slightly away from the others. It was much like the size of Sam’s cabin, but with a sunroom. Her mother worshipped the sun and seemed to need it. She would often sit there for hours and meditate.
It was a place that had been started for quiet reflection, where one could explore their creative side, but after twenty-nine years, Lyraka had reflected on everything until she felt as if she would start screaming if she had to reflect one more minute.
Maybe because Rick had shown her something more. One brief affair with a guest who’d stayed for a week, then drifted out of her life much like he’d drifted in. One day, he was there, and one day, he wasn’t.
But she couldn’t leave. It would kill her mother, and she’d never hurt her mother.
