by Emma Castle
Harper’s gaze shifted to a distant look, and her mouth hardened.
“Hate is such a strong word. I don’t hate them. But I want them to leave. They’ve ruined so much, especially here. Middle America is dying. They want us to grow fruits and vegetables, but some people need meat protein in their diets, and not all farmlands have the right soil to be turned from grazing fields into crop-yielding land. Not to mention it’s a bit off-putting being told what to do. Un-American, you might say.”
Sef smirked at that. Stubbornness was a trait one could apply to this nation.
“Our way of life was taken away, and we didn’t get any say in how to stay alive. It’s one thing to have lofty ideals and to force people to bend to your will and all that, but if you don’t stop to look at how it impacts others, doesn’t that make you a monster? The Ks were wrong to do what they did. This is our home. We live, fight, and die on this little blue planet. The Ks could go somewhere else if they can’t respect us and our lives here. They have the technology to travel anywhere—I’ve seen it.”
“You have?” That surprised him. His files on the King family hadn’t suggested she’d encountered any Krinar up close.
“I mean, not in person, but I’ve seen pictures and videos.” Suddenly Harper’s eyes were bright with excitement. “They’re all close-lipped about what they can do, but FTL, or faster-than-light travel, is no small feat. Plus we know they have special healing devices, and…” She blushed again and cleared her throat. “Sorry, don’t get me started talking about Krinar technology. But I’d give a small fortune to be able to take apart even one of their children’s toys for ten minutes.” She grabbed a set of keys hanging from a hook on the wall and left the office. Sef followed behind, and she led him through the darkened garage and out another door. He wanted to know more about what she thought about Krinar technology, but it was wise to keep his mouth shut.
“The apartment building connects to the far end of my shop.”
“Your shop?” He’d assumed her brothers also owned the auto shop. He’d only glanced at her dossier before he’d come here. She wasn’t his target, after all.
“Yep. Brothers got the bar; I got the garage. I’m good with machines, always have been. Dad let me take over after I graduated high school.”
“No college?”
“No—self-taught. So what? Bill Gates never graduated either.” He smelled a faint trace of panic in the air just as he had back in the bar when he’d asked her to give him her notepad. She’d refused. There was something there that bothered him, but he couldn’t figure out what.
“So, there’s another door outside you can get in if you want.” She opened the door from the auto shop to a stairwell and held up a ring with a green fob. “This key with the green fob opens the outside door to the stairs, and the red fob opens your apartment. It’s that one up there.” She nodded up the stairs. He trailed behind her as she led him to the apartment.
The room was dark and musty as he searched for a light switch. There was a small kitchen, a bedroom, and a little living room. Adequate, if a bit small for his tastes.
“I’ll grab some fresh bed linens. We keep the mattress bare until we rent the room.” She went to the linen closet by the bedroom and pulled out some sheets. “I washed these a few days ago. The fridge is empty, but there’s a supermarket just a block away. Only it’s not open right now. Have you had dinner?”
Sef shook his head. He wasn’t terribly hungry, but if she was offering to cook, he’d be more than happy to accept—to protect his cover, of course.
“Why don’t you get settled and come down to my apartment when you’re done. I’ll whip something up. I always end up having a late dinner on nights like these.”
He watched her walk away, unable to deny the sway of her bottom in those jean shorts. When she shut the door behind her, he gave his head a little shake and focused on fixing up his bedding. He then removed a small device from his pocket and sent an encrypted message to Arus, one of his friends, who was also a powerful and influential Krinar. Arus was the one who’d given him this mission.
Sef: I’ve made contact with the King brothers and have a job at their bar as well as living accommodations nearby. My next goal is to gain their trust and show sympathy toward the resistance.
A few seconds later, Arus responded.
Arus: Excellent. We will send a fabricator and jansha healing device now that you have secured lodging. We will send you items to set up localized surveillance of the King properties.
He sent Arus a thank-you reply and then locked the communication device inside one of the air vents near the front door. Humans tended to look under mattresses and inside bathrooms for hidden items, but never in vents by the entrance. It felt too vulnerable, but that was what made it a perfect hiding spot. It would be only a matter of minutes before a small drone-like device flew here to his apartment to deliver his other requested technology.
He put the sheets and pillows on the bed and retrieved a couple of thick blankets from the closet. When he got into the bedroom he noticed the window was open and on his bed lay a parcel of small items. The drone had already come and gone in his absence of a mere thirty seconds. After he was done hiding the Krinar technology and laying the blankets on his bed, he went downstairs and knocked on Harper’s door. Even though this was a bad idea, he couldn’t deny the appeal of having the little Earth human all to himself in her living space. The subtle intimacy excited him. Maybe he could steal a kiss. One kiss from a human wouldn’t put his mission in jeopardy, would it?
3
Why the hell am I so nervous?
Harper didn’t want to analyze the answer to that question too closely. She opened her apartment door, and Seth stepped inside. She moved back, as he dwarfed her in the doorway. He had to be close to six foot seven. Her head didn’t even come close to the top of his shoulders. She had to admit she liked that, a lot.
Seth faced her and inhaled deeply. “Smells good.” For a second she thought he was smelling her, and a shiver of delight rippled through her despite herself.
Harper forgot all about the food as she took in the sight of his muscular body. His shoulders strained at the edges of his red plaid button-up shirt, yet he was perfectly proportioned with a trim waist, the kind of waist a woman wanted to wrap her legs around. But that was a dangerous thought. He moved deeper into her apartment with a panther’s grace, and she didn’t doubt his rough-and-tumble side after having watched him deck that asshole earlier tonight.
“I…thanks.” Harper tried to remember that he was commenting on her food, and she rushed past him back toward the kitchen. She had grilled some chicken breasts on a skillet with oil, lemon, and rosemary and put together a basic salad. She wasn’t a pro, but she had mastered a few recipes to keep her from hitting the fast-food joints too often.
“Chicken?” Seth leaned his elbows on the tall bar that formed part of her kitchen as he watched her.
“Yeah. I know the Ks shut down the chicken and beef production plants, but I know a guy. He has free-range chickens, cattle, and goats. He sells eggs and meat products and goat cheese to the local families. That’s not illegal, so the Ks haven’t shown up to stop him.”
Seth’s eyes glittered, and he chuckled. “A town of rebels? I like it.”
Harper almost told him he was more right than he realized. She considered telling him about the local resistance, even though she wasn’t a part of it. It was pointless fighting the Ks, causing unrest and more violence. It wasn’t the answer. The Ks weren’t evil—it wasn’t like they were bent on destroying the world. But they hadn’t been forthcoming with their motivations either. Harper wanted to believe that if the humans and the Krinar could just meet and really talk a few things out, it could go a long way. But the Krinar were so secretive. It was hard to trust a race of aliens who wouldn’t talk to you and treated you like misbehaving children.
She focused on Seth again as she cut the chicken into strips and placed them on top of the sala
ds. He was classically handsome, with a strong jaw and aquiline nose, but his lips were a little too full, making him look sensual rather than statuesque. They looked kissable and tempting. She didn’t want to focus on his eyes because if she did, she would daydream about their deep, rich blue color. Right now they were almost a rich China blue, but earlier she had seen a darker, stormier color in them at the bar when he had defended her.
“So, Seth. Where are you from?” She kept her tone casual because he was watching her a little too keenly, like a man who was contemplating the risks and rewards of making a move on her. That would be trouble. There was nothing better and in some ways nothing worse than being the sole focus of a gorgeous man.
“I’m from everywhere. Military brat. Dad was in the army. Can’t seem to shake the travel bug out of my system.” He shot her a half-cocked smile, somewhere between a grin and a sexy smirk, something that always tore a woman between wanting to kiss a man or slap him.
Damn, this Seth guy was dangerous. She tugged at the neck of her T-shirt, feeling the telltale flush of arousal flare inside her. Why hadn’t she changed into something more attractive?
No. Bad Harper. You can’t sleep with him, so there’s no reason to dress up.
“Army, huh? How about your mom?”
“She’s an accountant. My dad’s retired, but she still runs a small office. They live in Boulder now.” Seth picked up the two salad bowls and took them to the already set kitchen table, his body lightly brushing against hers from behind. A flare of excitement and wild heat passed between them, and her breath hitched. “Come and sit,” he said. “I bet you’ve been on your feet all day.” He swept his eyes down her body, pausing on her feet still in her strappy sandals before he met her eyes. Harper sucked in a breath. She could’ve sworn his scorching gaze almost touched her in a tangible caress.
“Thanks. I am pretty beat,” she admitted. “You want a beer or wine?” She started for the fridge again.
Strong hands caught her by the waist and steered her back toward the table.
Normally she would have hated it if a man tried to steer her around like that, but when Seth took control, somehow it was like he was caring for her, spoiling her. What a strange and…wonderful thought. Maybe he wasn’t like Xander after all.
“Allow me,” Seth said, his eyelashes sliding down to half-mast in that purely male, bedroom way that sent her into a wild flash of arousal. She was sucked in by the seductive lure of his rich baritone voice.
Okay… This man seemed to have been created out of thin air from the fantasies of women around the world. That meant something about him had to be wrong. He had to be a womanizer or married or something. After all, what did they say about when something looked too good to be true?
The last thing she needed was to be in another relationship, but if she could have one night of fun with him, why not? There was something about him that promised long, sweaty nights and sweet, intimate mornings. Things she’d once longed for in a relationship and now feared. Because good-looking men couldn’t be trusted not to stray, and she couldn’t trust herself not to be the fool who got her heart broken again and again.
She sat down at the table and had the good fortune of watching him bend over a little to reach for a bottle of wine inside her fridge. Damn, those jeans fit his body just right. It made her thirsty just to look at him. He quickly found a bottle of shiraz and two glasses. He handed her one and sat down opposite her at the table.
“So, what are your plans if you’re just passing through?”
“I’m hoping to work for a bit and then head to Colorado, maybe settle down.”
Harper took a bite of her salad and watched him spear a piece of chicken on his fork and look at it in momentary concern before he ate it.
“Do you like it? Is it too dry?” She immediately felt like an idiot. She shouldn’t care if he didn’t like her cooking. She wasn’t lacking in self-confidence, at least not in general terms.
“It’s surprisingly good. I’m not usually a fan of grilled chicken, but this is fantastic.” Her shoulders lowered as she released the tension in them.
“Relax, Harper. I’m not going to bite,” he teased her.
She choked on a swallow of her wine. “What?”
He took another bite, watching her as he chewed and swallowed. “You look half-terrified of something. I’m not some secret food critic. I’m just a man.” He chuckled as if at some private joke.
“I’m not terrified of you,” she argued.
“Really?” He quirked a brow, still grinning at her.
“Really. I’m just not used to having guys over lately. I don’t even know why I invited you.”
The smile didn’t let up. “So you don’t do this for all your brothers’ new hires?”
“Not at all.” That was the thing that was bothering her. Even when she was dating, she preferred to spend the night at the man’s place, not hers. Her apartment, even though it was small, was her refuge. Her Fortress of Solitude. It was decorated with her favorite pictures of the London and Paris skylines and other places she feared she would never be able to see. There just wasn’t money to spend for a trip like that, and her savings always ended up going somewhere else. So her home was off-limits to the men she casually dated.
“You’re just sweet, that’s all,” he replied. “Sweet and brave. I saw you stand up to that man tonight. You weren’t scared of him at all, just pissed, but you barely showed it.”
“I could have handled him if I hadn’t been outnumbered. But I’m not an idiot.” She hated how frosty her tone sounded right now, but she was used to defending her actions because her brothers always assumed she couldn’t take care of herself.
“I never said you were.” He finished off his wine as though it were a glass of water. He was not even buzzed. If she tried to keep up with him, she’d be swaying on her feet in a matter of minutes.
He finished his salad and put his plate in the sink after cleaning it. Something that simple should not have turned her on, but damn, it totally did. Then he took the bottle of wine and put it back in the fridge.
“I can clean up,” she said quietly. “You should get settled. If you have a car, you can park it outside the garage tomorrow.”
“Thanks.” He started to leave but paused as he noticed the artwork on her wall. He approached one black-and-white photo in particular. It was of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris from before the fire that had ravaged it in 2019. The fire had ruined the nine-hundred-year-old structure, devastating the world with its loss. The art and relics inside had been rescued, but some of the priceless stained-glass windows were gone forever.
He reached up to touch the towers, the only parts that hadn’t collapsed in the raging inferno. “This was taken before the fire, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. My parents went to Paris for their honeymoon. Mom loved the cathedral. She and my dad went to Mass there.” Harper’s voice thickened as she joined him in front of the framed print.
Pictures were the only way she felt she could relate to the world without headaches. Words were hard to read, which meant she relied heavily on audiobooks to read. But photos truly were worth a thousand words. When she looked at the Notre-Dame, she saw the past, she saw her parents, she saw beauty, faith, and devotion, not necessarily one of religion but to culture. And so much of it was gone, carried away on the winds over the Seine.
“If the Krinar had been there, they could have saved it.”
“The Krinar would have tried to save it?” That surprised her.
“Yes, they could have put out much of the flames. The roof was made of nine-hundred-year-old timber, and much of the pews and altars in the church interior were all made of wood. But they could have stopped it if they’d been there. They value human culture.” Seth’s gaze was solemn and distant in a way that stirred Harper’s heart. Whoever this man was, he had a connection to the cathedral on some level, the same way she did because of her parents.
“Were you ever there? Did y
ou see it before the fire?” She didn’t stop herself as she reached out and put a hand on his arm.
A world-weary sigh escaped his lips. “I saw it a year before the fire. I never quite got over the reality that what I saw so clearly and looked as if it would last forever is gone.” He shook his head and turned toward her. “Thank you for dinner, Harper.” He changed the subject so abruptly that she was caught off guard when he leaned down and kissed her.
With a gentle brush of those soft, warm lips over hers, an electric pulse sparked between them. Harper reached up to curl her arms around his neck without thinking. His kiss was a force of nature—raw, sensual, demanding, yet coaxing as he assaulted her senses. Hints of leather and sandalwood mixed with a clean scent that reminded her of fresh laundry and rain. He tasted like the shiraz they’d shared, sweetening her tongue in response.
He groaned and lifted her up by her waist, carrying her to the kitchen counter, where he set her down, bringing her closer to his height. She parted her legs, and he stepped in between them, like an ancient dance they had done a thousand times before. Heat pooled in her belly as a wave of sensual fire carried her away with building pleasure. He threaded a hand in her hair and cupped the back of her head as he devoured her lips.
God, it felt like heaven to be kissed like this, and Seth was a master. She was consumed by him, the way his hands roamed reverently down her back to her hips, the way he caressed her hair as though she were precious to him, but his kiss was open-mouthed and raw, dirty in the best possible way. A girl couldn’t help but get turned on by this, so much so that it hurt. She whimpered against his lips, desperate in a way she hadn’t been in a long time, with a need born of a longing and hunger she’d never felt before now. All of her previous lovers paled in comparison to this man and how he made her feel.
“Bedroom, now,” she hissed and clawed at his back, wanting to drag him closer to her. He separated their bodies with a soft pop of their lips and cupped her face in his hands.
