by Karen Kelley
She sucked in a breath when he entered her. Hot, wet heat surrounded him. He closed his eyes, letting the rush of fire spread through his body, fill his testicles, and engorge his erection.
He thrust inside her, sliding out, then thrusting deeper. The colors were back again. They caressed his body. He felt her need, felt the lust coursing through her.
Lights swirled over and around him, passing through his body. Hot reds, cool blues rocking his body. She opened her eyes and met his gaze. The connection was complete. He read her thoughts, cupped her ass, and brought her closer to him; she tightened her hold around his neck.
He plunged inside her body. She bit her bottom lip, wanting more.
Now, Sam, now.
He heard her thoughts. Drove deeper, faster inside her.
“Yes,” she cried out as her body stiffened.
Fire swept through him. He couldn’t see her, only felt her body shudder against him as his orgasm rocked over him, seeming to shake the ground beneath where he stood.
He looked up at the lights above the cabin. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen swirls of color like this. He could almost feel the energy coming from them.
There had been many other times, other places.
When he turned and walked back to the cover of the woods, he was thoughtful.
Chapter 20
S am couldn’t move. Hell, it was too much of an effort to drag his eyelids open. Maybe they were open. Oh, Lord, he was blind. He slowly forced one open, and a sliver of light broke through.
Okay, he wasn’t blind.
Maybe if he just sort of rolled over, he could swing his legs over the side of the bed and onto the floor and make it to the kitchen for a cup of coffee—or seven. Caffeine sounded good right now. A couple of pots might make him feel alive and less like the living dead.
There was a moan beside him. Lara? Had she survived? He reached out. His hand came up against something soft and warm. He ran his hand over it, stopped at the nipple.
Reaction.
Excruciating pain!
Down, boy!
Oh, man, it hadn’t fallen off after the sixth or seventh time they’d made love. He’d been almost certain it had.
Nope, it was definitely there. He knew because if it could talk, it would be cursing him, screaming out, are you an idiot or what!
“I want to vaporize you, Sam,” Lara murmured beside him.
“I think you already did.” Not even one little drop of alcohol would pass her lips as long as he was alive. “No more wine.”
“No,” she agreed. “No more wine.”
He finally managed to sit up on the side of the bed, resting his head in his hands. So this was what death warmed over felt like. He scraped his fingers through his hair, then reached for his jeans.
It even hurt to raise his leg and slide his jeans up. He grimaced as he fastened them. His gaze moved to the bed.
Ah, damn, was she into torture or what? The sheet was draped across her hips, but that was just about all it covered. Her rosy-tipped breasts were just too damn tempting…except he was in severe pain. She’d turned on her side and stared at him through bleary eyes.
“Kitchen…coffee,” he mumbled as he hobbled out of the room before he did something that would hurt both of them. Damn, he could barely walk.
He made a pit stop at the bathroom, then onward to the kitchen. In no time, the coffee was dripping, the rich aroma drifting upward, tickling his senses.
A few minutes later, he heard Lara moving about, and then she walked into the kitchen looking a hell of a lot better than he felt.
“I like this time the best,” she said as she went to the screen door, drinking in the morning.
She was so beautiful. How did a guy like him end up with a woman like her? He’d dated some nice-looking women, but Lara was different, special.
She’s an alien, idiot. Of course she’s different.
Yeah, he needed coffee.
Sam had a feeling that even if she hadn’t been from Nerak, she’d be special. She’d traveled to a distant place with very little knowledge about Earth, risking her life to save one of the Elders. She had more courage than most hard-nosed cops that he knew.
Yeah, she’d be special no matter where she was from.
He poured some coffee and raised the cup to his lips. There was something about that first drink. He closed his eyes and savored the taste. This was living.
She turned and smiled.
And now his day was brighter.
“There’s some orange juice in the fridge. Do you want some?”
She bit her bottom lip. “It won’t make me horny, will it?”
He chuckled as he set his cup on the counter and went to the refrigerator. “Probably not.” He got the juice out and poured her a glass.
She took it from him and sniffed, then took a hesitant drink. When she lowered the glass, she was smiling. “It’s good. Much like a smoothie.”
Just as suddenly, her smile wavered, and he felt her anxiety. “What’s the matter?”
She shook her head. “I’m not any closer to finding a cure.”
“Do you need to test more plants?”
She shook her head. “I’ll check these that I already have. Add more chemicals, and see if there’s any reaction at all. Maybe one will be the right plant.”
“How sick is the Elder?”
“She seemed very ill before I left. I’ve never examined someone this sick.”
“There’s no disease on Nerak? I mean—none?”
“No.”
“What about death? People die. The heart has to stop at some point.”
“We have ways to ease the passing when it’s time so there is no pain.”
Okay, enough on that subject. If they said, ’bye, grandma, then zapped them into dust he didn’t even want to know about it. He already had an illegal alien and drugged smoothies on his growing list of things he probably shouldn’t be mixed up in. He certainly didn’t want to add zapping people when their time had come.
Although, zapping might not be a bad idea. He could think of a few people he’d like to zap—at least one, in particular.
His phone rang. He reached for it, flipped it open, and glanced at the number. Speak of the devil.
“I’ll leave you alone so you can do your research,” he told Lara.
She nodded, already getting started.
As soon as he was alone, he pushed the button so he could talk. “Do you think a warning would’ve been in order?” Sam said to Nick.
Nick chuckled. “I’d forgotten about it. Kia’s never had alcohol.”
“Then how did you know?”
“Mason warned me before we left his ranch. Told me he and Mala had been in San Antonio, and she’d wanted to try a margarita.”
“It would’ve been nice if you’d shared that information. Is there anything else you might want to tell me?”
“Your dick will turn purple and fall off.”
He could feel the color drain from his face. “You’re kidding!”
“Yeah. Gotcha, didn’t I?”
He moved the phone away and frowned at it before bringing it back to his ear. “That isn’t funny. I could’ve had a heart attack.”
“Other than the alcohol incident, how are things going?”
“No cure yet.” His stomach lurched. Damn, he didn’t even want to think about Lara leaving. “But something did happen that neither one of us expected.”
“What’s that?”
“Their grandmother didn’t die. She’s living practically next door. Lara said she had an artists’ colony or something. The reason she didn’t leave was because she was pregnant.”
“Kia said her cousin had told her there were other Nerakians living on Earth.”
“It feels like a damn family reunion here. I don’t think the grandmother likes me, or men in general.” He cleared his throat. “How’s your partner working out?”
“It’s my day off. Thanks for ruining it.”
“It’s nice to know I can get a little revenge.”
“Gotta run. Kia is dragging the pups and me walking. Do you know how bad it looks to be dragged around by four girly pups? I’ll tell Kia about her grandmother. I’ve noticed they’re funny about family, though. There’s not much of a connection. It’s almost as if…”
“They were created in a laboratory? Not taught how to hug or show real emotion?”
“Yeah, I see what you mean. They learn real fast, though.”
They said good-bye, then Sam clicked his phone closed and slipped it into his pocket. He walked to the door and looked out. The trees were thick and tall. A light breeze carried the scent of pine through the house.
A squirrel ran up one of the trees, stopped halfway, looked around, then jumped to a nearby limb.
He thought about his mother and father. They had hugged their kids a lot, praised them, gone to bat for them, and even spanked them when they’d needed it. But all through his growing up years, he’d known he was loved.
Lara had grown up so differently. He sensed curiosity and wonder warring with all she’d been taught. Maybe she could at least change a few things when she got back home.
He looked over his shoulder, knowing he didn’t want her to leave any time soon. He grinned, remembering how uppity she could get. It had infuriated him at first, but then he realized she came by it naturally. It was all she’d ever known. He wanted more for her. Before she left Earth, he hoped Lara would have a different outlook on life.
He went to his room and finished dressing before stepping outside, then grabbed his fishing pole and headed for the river. She needed to be able to concentrate on her research, and he wouldn’t mind having fish for supper.
But when he got to the edge of the woods, something didn’t feel right. Gut instinct told him something was out of place. He scanned the area. He was about to put it down to being a cop way too long when he noticed how the grass was crushed in one area. As if someone had stood there, watching.
A closer inspection revealed a boot print a little further away. Sam straightened. From this angle, he had a perfect view of the cabin. The print was fresh. It was too big for Lyraka or Aasera.
Then who? A hunter? The imprint showed a slick-bottomed shoe. Most hunters wore ridged shoes or boots for better traction. He didn’t think this was the print of a hunter. Someone was apparently interested in him…or Lara.
Lara checked another plant that had been sitting in the added chemical. Still nothing. She came to her feet, pushing away from the table. All morning, she’d been working. Nothing. What if she didn’t find the cure? A shudder swept through her. No, she wouldn’t think like that.
A sudden feeling that she wasn’t alone swept over her. She whirled toward the screen.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Lyraka said.
“On Nerak, we let our presence be known,” she reprimanded, raising her chin. “You may enter.”
Lyraka hesitated for a second, then opened the door and came inside. “My mother doesn’t know I’m here.”
Lara moved to the area Sam called the living room. She didn’t want to disturb her research.
She sat in the chair. Lyraka went to the lounging sofa, sitting on the edge, looking as if she might dart out of the cabin at any second.
“Oh, was I supposed to wait for you to give permission so I could sit?”
“It’s no matter. You don’t know all our customs.”
She stiffened. “But I wouldn’t shame or embarrass my mother.”
“You aren’t.” She studied Lyraka. They were about the same age. “Why have you come?”
“I want you to take my mother back with you.”
“That would not be permitted. You must know that. It would upset everything on Nerak.”
“But I’ll stay behind. No one would have to know I exist.” She drew in a deep breath. “She’s dying here. She misses her people.”
“And wouldn’t she miss you just as much?”
Lyraka jumped to her feet. Lara didn’t tell her that was not permitted; the girl was so clearly agitated that she decided to relax protocol. Besides, Lyraka wasn’t from Nerak and didn’t know the ways of the people—her people, too.
“Aasera could come back. You know, for a visit or something.”
“Interplanetary travel is forbidden.”
Lyraka turned, a hard edge in her eyes, in her stance. “I know I would never be permitted to see that part of my ancestry. I’m, after all, only half Nerakian. My blood is tainted.”
Lyraka strode to the front door. The screen was the only barrier between inside and out. She stood there without speaking, but she didn’t have to. Her frustration, the turmoil inside, rolled off her in waves.
“Maybe you’re the best of both worlds?”
Lyraka jerked around to face her. “Yeah, right. I bet they would accept me with open arms on Nerak.” Her laugh was bitter. “I would be ostracized, an oddity only. After all, isn’t Nerak the perfect planet? That’s what my mother has always told me.”
Lara’s gaze traveled out the door to the tall trees Sam called pines. She inhaled their fragrance, which scented the cabin when both doors were left open. And Earth had chocolate and pizza. They had lots of water.
Aasera had kept the good memories of Nerak, but Lara was discovering it wasn’t quite as perfect as she’d thought.
“Maybe we only think it’s perfect because it’s all most of us have known.” There, she’d admitted aloud what she’d started to feel.
“I thought you were a healer, one of the exalted ones, next to the royal family? Yet you admit Nerak isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?”
Now Lyraka had confused her. “No, Nerak isn’t cracked at all. Our planet is quite stable.” Had she given the impression that Nerak was defective?
Lyraka laughed. Lara enjoyed the sound. Deep and throaty and vibrant. She would make a good warrior. Like Kia.
“If you weren’t a healer, I think we could be friends.”
Friends? She thought about it for a moment. “Why can’t we be friends?”
“You’re practically royal blood.”
“Yes, but it doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. I’d like someone other than Sam to discuss Earth with—a female’s point of view. I’d like to know more about it. Sam has shown me some things. He took me to gamble.”
Lyraka raised her eyebrows. “You gambled? At the boats? Why would he take you there?”
“They mentioned it on the television. I wanted to experience fun and excitement like it said. It was quite frustrating, though. The slot machine took all my money. Have you gambled?”
“No. I rarely leave the colony. Aasera worries about my safety, but there are artists and writers who live there. Mostly women. Because of my father, Aasera doesn’t trust men. I’ve enjoyed their company.”
“Then you haven’t had sex.”
Her face took on a rosy hue. “There was a man once.” She smiled and hugged herself. “But then he left.” She shrugged. “I enjoyed the time I spent with him. Aasera didn’t know about him. Or maybe she did, and that’s why he left.”
Good, she would hate it if Lyraka hadn’t enjoyed some of the better things on Earth. “And do you know your purpose in life?”
“I’m not sure I have one.” Her shoulders slumped as she went back to the sofa and sat, curling her feet beneath her.
“But you have many gifts that you haven’t told Aasera about.” When Lyraka looked at her, Lara could see the truth in her eyes. “Why haven’t you told her?”
“It would only upset my mother.”
“I know loyalty,” she said. “I came to Earth for one of the Elders.”
“But do you know a love so fierce you would do anything to protect the other person? Even if it meant giving up your own life? I don’t mean traveling to Earth. Would you give up everything for the one you loved?”
“But why would anyone do that? It’s foolish.”
“Then you’ve never known love.”
“If this is what love is, then I don’t think I want to know it.”
There was a wistful expression on Lyraka’s face as if her past, her present, but most important, her future rose up in front of her. “Sometimes, it feels like a slow death.” When she looked at Lara, the melancholy was gone, replaced with a smile. “What do you think about Earth so far?”
