"And you?" she asked.
"Getting a much needed break from my own sort of job at home."
"Sort of job?"
"It's hard to explain," he said, brushing off the subject.
As he had been speaking, Mallory was taking a discreet inventory of Elric. She liked the look of him. He was tall, over six feet with a strong jaw and kind-faced. His body was slightly tanned, and muscular and toned. He didn’t look like he sat on the beach all day. She hoped he wasn’t a bum or a conman. She’d had enough of those. His hands were thick and she had felt his grip when he’d caught her. Her body had reacted to his strong, thick fingers. She wanted to feel that grip on the rest of her body. She was getting a good feeling about Elric. She wanted to know more about him. She was enticed.
"How are you this evening?" he asked.
"I… uh," she stuttered.
"Are you okay?"
She laughed. "I’m fine… fine. Just fine."
He smiled at her. "Do you need anything?"
She smiled as she shook her head. "How kind. But, no. I’m ok. I was just enjoying the view." She wanted Elric to know that it wasn’t just the sun’s view she had been enjoying. She also didn’t want to come off as desperate in their first-time meeting.
She said, "Well then, we can keep one another company?"
Elric ran his hand through his hair and looked away, then back at her, nodding his head. "We could."
They found their chairs and moved them under a tree overhanging onto the beach, casting sporadic shadows all over them. They talked about themselves. She found out that he liked sweets and couldn't have enough, where she could take them or leave them. She preferred salty foods. He didn’t like dogs very much, saying he knew too much about them, whatever that meant, while she loved them and wanted one. He asked why didn’t she already have one, and she revealed it was because she lived in an apartment in LA. He nodded, wondering what it was like to live there. She told him how crowded and gentrified it was. She was sick of it. She hoped to someday have the chance to move wherever she wanted. They got to know one another like that, talking steadily for a few hours.
Every now and then, while he was speaking, his hand would graze her skin, or he would lean close to speak and she could feel his hot breath gusting over her skin and even with the sun blaring, her skin broke out in goosebumps. She was sweating from the sun and Elric’s closeness. When he spoke, he would look her right in the eyes. At one point he had said they should both take off their sunglasses so they could see each other’s eyes.
He’d stared and smiled as he lifted his glasses. She was sort of nervous. This was intense. His eyes were piercing blue. Her jaw dropped open. She stared. He was gorgeous. He had raised one eyebrow at her. She smiled. Lifted her glasses away from her face. His smiled beamed. ‘No, they aren’t contacts,’ she’d told him. He had nodded and said, ‘Mallory, I already knew you were beautiful, but you just let me in… really let me in. Thank you.’
His hand had reached out, probably without him even realizing it and he had caressed her cheek and jaw. Before he had dropped his hand, he’d smiled at her and winked. Her stomach had felt like butterflies were going crazy inside her. Her blood had raced through her body. Her pulse had pounded so hard. Just from his one touch. She couldn’t believe the reaction she was having to him.
It was Sunday, and on Little's, it meant there were drummers on the beach, preparing everyone for the staff spinning and fire show once nighttime fell.
The beats throbbed through the sand into their feet. They laughed at some of the goofy antics and snickered at some of the drunken antics. They ordered food to the beach and stayed right where they were sitting. They had a pile of wings, and fries and veggies, and stuffed their faces, laughing at the spots where the sauce from the wings would land. And they talked, about everything and nothing. Mallory was blissfully blissful.
Then the festivities began. They watched a fire spinner twirl the staff while doing a one-handed cartwheel and another spun it so fast around their front and back that it left light trails. The drumming went to the beat of the spinners. It was thrilling and entertaining.
Mallory hadn’t drank much. Elric hadn’t drank much. They had bottled water more than anything. Mallory told Elric about her running ritual and he told her that he liked to run too. They had discussed the possibility of meeting up for a morning run. When the festivities on the beach had ended, Elric had offered to walk Mallory to her room, and told her that he was not trying to get into her room. He liked her and didn’t want to ruin anything by being too pushy. She had thanked him for being such an enjoyable and entertaining companion for the evening, he said the same.
When they got to her hotel room, she pulled her room key out of her beach bag. Elric took it from her hand and smiled. He slid the key in, the light turning green and he pushed the door open for her. And stood back.
She smiled. "Elric, I had a great time. I’m really glad I nearly fell on you." She laughed.
He smiled. "I’m really glad you nearly fell on me too, Mallory." He leaned in to her. Mallory’s heart was pounding. God. He was going to hear it. He whispered against her ear, "I love the way you react to me. Breathe Mallory. Sweet dreams." His soft and perfectly cool lips grazed over her cheek and then the contact was gone. She had been holding her breath. Then he was gone.
She leaned against her hotel room door and let out a deep breath. It felt like she had been holding that breath all day. It felt good to feel so alive. She smiled as she pulled away from the door and let it close. She headed for the bathroom. A shower… was definitely called for, and most assuredly needed, right now.
*****
Jumping Ship
Mallory woke up the next morning, smiling. She stretched and wiggled her body all over the bed. She had slept like a baby. She felt amazing. Jumping out of bed, Mallory headed to the washroom. She tinkled.
Heading back into her bedroom, she walked over to the little table and grabbed a banana from the small fruit basket she had brought up with her. She ate the banana and as she let it digest before going running, she tidied up the bed, her clothes from the night before. Brushed her teeth. Tied up her unruly hair. Dressed in her bikini and then her running clothes over her swimsuit. She knew it was going to be hot and didn’t want to have to come back up to change, just to swim after running.
She tied the small but functional pack around her waist; hotel key, money, bandaids, phone neatly tucked inside and a bottle of water inserted just beside the pouch. She didn’t need to tune anything out here, so she left the earbuds in her room. It was going to be heaven to run and not have to block out the LA noise.
As she exited the elevator, she looked up and there was Elric, leaning against one of the thick, marble columns that decorated the hotel lobby and was probably a very pivotal part of the structure. With more windows and doors open than a regular hotel, there was a gentle breeze blowing in. You could hear water splashing, and laughter, and all the other sounds associated with a resort close to boats and water.
Elric had his shirt tucked into the waistband of his shorts. Oh god. His shorts. She was going to die. Right there. They weren’t too tight, but they weren’t loose either. She could almost see… She stopped herself before she let it get any dirtier. They smiled at each other.
He lifted his sunglasses as she approached him. "Mornin’ beautiful." His blue eyes sparkled as he looked her right in the eyes, and asked, "Did you sleep well?"
She smiled at him. "Good morning Elric. Yes, I slept like a baby. Yesterday was a lot of fun and I was exhausted when I got to bed. Did you sleep well?"
Mallory watched Elric’s face as his eyes pulled away from her eyes, almost regrettably, and slid down her body and took in exactly what she was wearing. She wanted to smile but her body was too busy pulsing with his stare. She was very glad that she had picked the soft pink, tight tank top and snug, black spandex shorts to wear. The shorts stopped mid-thigh. She could hear his breathing. It was deep and speeding up. It sounded lik
e he groaned. She smiled. He looked back up, into her eyes.
"Yes, Mallory, I slept great. God. I can’t stare at you for long or everyone in this lobby is going to know just how happy I am to see you. Let’s go running." She laughed. He laughed. They walked out of the hotel. He pulled the shirt out of his waistband and slid it over his head.
"Phew. That was close. An embarrassment that I didn’t really want to experience." They laughed louder.
They headed to the paved path that wrapped around the hotel property. There was a small hut with lockers inside where people could leave their stuff. There was a bottled water machine. You could swipe your room card and get a water. They stopped and began stretching their bodies. Arms and legs were extended and small grunts could be heard. Mallory loved the sounds coming from him. They were otherwise quiet in their minute of preparing to run.
Elric turned to Mallory and asked, "How long do you run for Mallory?"
She finished her stretch and replied, "I’m not a crazy runner. I just like to run to unwind a bit before my day, so 2 or 3 miles is good for me."
He smiled. "Perfect. Ready to go?" She nodded. They headed out toward the paved path and started pounding the smooth path. Within a few minutes, they were both breathing a little heavier. Mallory concentrated on running. She didn’t want to screw up and fall. Her body was vibrating to life. Every inch of her thrumming with the force of hitting the pavement. She laughed. This was why she ran. This exhilarating feeling.
Elric didn’t speak. They didn’t need to talk. They savored the peace and enjoyed the sounds of nature surrounding them. They followed the windy path around the resort and saw colorful birds in trees and on the ground. There was a pond in the middle of the natural sanctuary and birds were flying in and landing on the water gracefully. The squawked and frolicked in the water.
They had been running for about 20 minutes when Elric asked if she had been running long enough. Mallory nodded and they started to slow their pace down. They slowed to a fast walking pace for another minute and pulled in deep gulps of air. Once they had stopped running and were walking at a brisk pace, they turned around and headed back to the resort’s main building.
They were both sweaty and their skin was shining in the glorious early morning sun. Mallory reached behind her and pulled out her bottle of water. She took a few sips, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and said, "That was glorious Elric. God I love running outside."
He smiled and nodded his head, "Agreed. And you look amazing all sweaty and shiny." They both laughed out loud, and kept walking. As they neared the resort, Elric lifted his arm behind his neck and pulled his t-shirt off. Mallory reached for the waist of her tank top and lifted it up over her head too. Elric stopped walking and was staring at her. She smiled widely and said, "I’m wearing my bathing suit under my clothes."
"Do you want to go swimming?" she asked. Elric still hadn’t spoken but nodded and followed Mallory toward the water. She stopped as she stepped onto the sandy beach and hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her spandex shorts and shimmied her hips as she pushed the shorts and the waist pack down. Elric gasped. "Do you really have to get undressed… right here?" She smirked and nodded, and continued pushing her shorts down her legs and left them where they dropped.
Mallory smiled as she started walking backward towards the water. She rolled her finger at him in a come here motion and Elric dropped his shirt and followed. She turned and let him follow her. She snickered at what sounded like a groan from behind her, and she felt the heat of his stare on her booty. She swayed her hips a little harder.
The clear blue water felt invigorating against her heated skin. She sighed and swished her arms around her, making the water fly up a bit and land on their bodies. She giggled when she heard Elric’s sharp intake of breath. Eventually they were past the waves and had swum a few strokes before turning toward one another and floating on their backs.
She was relaxed at the summer retreat on Maui's East shore. She looked over to Elric as he floated next to her, his face up, looking to the sky.
He turned to her and asked, "Can you even perceive starlight in its intimate details or is it all just a concept to you? Lights in the sky?" Ok. Random. Kinda deep. She turned to Elric. Puzzled at the direction of the conversation.
"Starlight? I wouldn't want to be close to the microwave emissions from stars. I'm fine being this far from them."
"Because they're hitting interstellar water molecules!"
"I didn't know that," she said, looking toward him as she kept her arms spread out in the water to stay afloat and moved her feet slowly, lazily. "How do you know that?"
"It’s a subject that interests me," he said.
"Taking it all the way back to Kant's ‘The Island Universe,’ are you?"
"Surprisingly accurate work," Elric replied.
"Isn't it?" she agreed.
"Anyways, it’s just something I ponder when I’m bored."
A sort of look of severity came over his face. She thought she noticed something like a scale or two around his temple, but then shook her head and figured it was a trick of the sun reflecting against his skin.
She felt a closeness to him that she hadn't felt with anyone else. An understanding that he had about the universe that she had always known could be attained, but had never achieved herself. She wanted to be around him, learn from him, but before that she wanted, no, needed to kiss him. She imagined it as they floated, looking at the sky, and she let her hand drift over to his, to hold it.
He straightened his body in the water and waded over to her. She could feel the temperature in the water around her getting warmer as he approached, and she straightened her body and bicycle peddled in the water. He reached for her slowly, staring into her eyes and leaned his face in close to hers. She tilted her head slightly and slid her hands over his shoulders. His shoulders tensed under her touch and she dug her fingers into his skin as he pulled her body closer to his.
Mallory’s heart was pounding, she was panting. She could feel Elric’s hot breath against her mouth and she moaned really softly. Goosebumps broke out over her skin as he slid one hand around her neck, under her hair, and squeezed her neck lightly with his long, thick fingers. "Elric." She moaned as his mouth grazed over hers and his lips parted against hers slightly. She kissed him back as his mouth opened, and she felt his warm, wet tongue slide into her mouth slowly. Their tongues swirled around and Elric pulled her against his body tightly.
"This is something else," he said against her mouth.
"I've never felt this before," she agreed. "I don't usually kiss anybody this fast."
"Are you okay with it?" he asked.
She nodded. Something made this man in front of her seem totally different than any man she had met before.
"It feels different with you."
Their hands slid over each other’s body under the water. His hands held her hips, feeling the delicate curve of them, and she held his shoulders, feeling the muscles tense under her fingers. She liked the feel of him and the way he was able to touch her. She liked the way she felt comfortable and relaxed, but excited and ready all at once.
As they pulled away from each other slightly, Mallory felt a bright, white light shining on both of their faces. Even in the bright sun, it was brighter than anything Mallory had seen and she had to shield her eyes.
Elric did not. He knew where the light was coming from.
Quickly, he told her, "The thing about my family is," he took a breath and said, "They can always find me."
"What?"
"They're here," he said, as she was pulled from the water with him. He would have ordinarily gone into the direct transport tube, but instead chose to stay with Mallory in the human containment field. They were whisked away into the ship and the both of them stopped seeing the white bright white light quickly.
As for the people on the beach, the only thing they would have seen was a bright white light that was stunning, but only momentarily.
They would never know that it was actually a spacecraft coming down to pick up Elric, delivering him to his family, and to take Mallory.
Mallory screamed as she was pulled out of the water. Elric tried to reassure her, but she couldn’t hear anything above her own screaming.
*****
Together
Once on the craft, in a containment pen, Elric and Mallory looked at one another. She was just as surprised as him. He had never been in one, let alone in one of their craft with a human. He didn't know what to do, how to get out, or where they were being taken.
She wanted to know all of these things, but all she could ask was, "Do you like me?"
"I do like you," he said.
"That's good. That will help."
Crouched down within the barred cage, he asked, "Help with what?"
Mallory said, "Help with getting us out of here."
He laughed, then asked, "How do you figure that?"
"Well, I figure that if we didn't like one another we would fend for ourselves and be at each other's throat. But, since it seems like we're captured, which my god is scary enough. Like, really really scary. But, besides how scary it is, it will probably be better if we stick together. Probably."
"I can assure you, it will be."
"Then what do we do? Besides start crying and banging on these bars, which I don't want to do."
"Why not?" he asked, amused.
"Somebody would for sure hear us and then we'd have company."
"This type is unmanned."
"Unmanned?" she asked. "You don’t say?"
"Yes," Elric told her. "I know because..."
Just then, Elric realized he saw something that could help them. On the other side of the bars of their barbaric cage was a sensory screen for his race's handprint. All sensory screens for his race allowed full access to all of his race. He let his arm take on its alien form then squeezed his arm through the bars. He twisted it uncomfortably and pressed his palm onto the sensor display.
The bars all disappeared into the floor and Mallory stood, stretching her arms then looking around herself protectively.
Alien Mate Page 112
