by Lea Kirk
He cringed inwardly, even though he deserved it for how he had treated her. And more so for what he had to do.
“Good day, Ms. Vogel.”
She raised her eyebrows. “I trust we aren’t going to have a repeat of yesterday.”
The fire extinguisher, or the dream kiss? He swallowed the impertinent question back down. She did not need to know that it was really him in her dreams.
“I was out of sorts yesterday and handled the situation poorly.” He closed the distance between them as her gaze flicked from his face to the flowers and back. “I am hopeful that we can put my past mistakes aside and start anew.”
He came to a halt in front of her desk and extended the bouquet, six bright yellow sun flowers. Their name alone made them a worthy gift.
The corners of her mouth twitched as though she was fighting a smile. “Is this a peace offering?”
“If that is what keeps you from chasing me out again.” He gave her what he hoped was a sincere enough grin. “I am very sorry for my words. It was not my intention to hurt you. You are in no way a sham, Ms. Vogel.”
A full-blooming smile brightened her face, and the entire room. “All right, I accept your apology, if you forgive me for using the fire extinguisher on you.”
“It is forgiven, though I did deserve it.”
Her laugh was like the bubbling fountain in the meditation garden back home, soothing yet joyful. He transferred the gift into her hands. The brush of her fingers against his ignited another wave of fire, and he clamped down on the urge to react with a full-body jolt. Her soft intake of a breath drew his attention to her slightly parted lips. Would the red paint on them make them taste different than they had last night?
And why in all the heavens was he thinking about kissing her in reality? Only soul mates were attracted to each other in such a way. She was simply a means to an end.
Nixy set the flowers on the desk next to her phone and cleared her throat. “I’ll find a vase for them later. Won’t you have a seat, Elder Kai?”
The pink blush on her cheeks was lovely, and she smelled like Earth roses. He blinked twice, three times. What was happening to him? This female was human, therefore not a match for him.
But, what if…?
No, it could not be. Phoenixes soul mated with other Bezchians, never off-worlders. He straddled the nearest perch and settled himself onto the cushioned seat as he folded his wings close to his back.
“Now,” Nixy said. “What can I do for you, Elder—”
“Kai. Just Kai.”
She tipped her head the tiniest bit to one side, then nodded. “Kai.”
That was so much better. “I….”
He what? Now that he was here, his mission seemed ridiculous. Selfish. “I was hoping to…get to know you better, Ms. Vogel. I believe there is much we have in common.”
Where did that come from?
Nixy stared at him as though contemplating his worthiness. Then she leaned forward, arms folded on the edge of her desk. “First, it’s Nixy, not Ms. Vogel. Second, can I take you to dinner tomorrow night…Kai?”
The way her breasts rested on her arms was an art form…wait a minute. What did she just say? He dragged his gaze back to hers. “D-dinner?”
A chance to speak with her on more neutral territory?
The pink on her cheeks deepened and she sat back, clearly flustered. “Sorry. Sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Aye.”
She froze in place like cornered prey. “Y-you will?”
“Aye.” And he truly meant it, as surprising as that seemed even to him. “I would be honored to share a meal with you.”
Her smile slowly came back. “Well, good. How about I meet you downstairs outside the front doors?”
“Of course. I propose we defer our discussion until then.”
“Oh, sure.” She waved one hand in the direction of her computer. “That’s a good idea. I just got in a dozen new applications today, so I’ll be working late to get them processed.”
“In that case,” he rose from the perch. “I will see you tomorrow evening.”
“Sounds good.”
Somehow her positive reaction buoyed his heart as he strode toward the door.
“Kai?”
He stopped and turned partway around as the door swooshed open. “Yes?”
“Do you like spicy foods?”
“Very much. I also eat meat.” What had possessed him to add that?
“Okay.” She waggled her fingers at him. “Bye.”
“Bye.” He stepped through the doorway into the reception area.
Adam looked up from his desk. “Looks like all went well. No shouting. No fire extinguishers.”
“Aye, as I promised.” He pressed the button for the elevator. “Did you think I would break my word?”
“Let’s just say, I wasn’t a hundred percent convinced.”
A chime sounded and the elevator door opened.
“I see.” Kai stepped into the transportation box, turned, and locked his gaze on Adam’s. “Nixy invited me to dinner tomorrow night.”
There was something immensely satisfying about the way the door closed on the male’s stunned, wide-eyed expression.
Chapter 7
Same park, same lawn, same arch, but something had changed. Every time Nixy had escaped into this dream, it had been a refuge, a place to revisit her past, see Efrem again.
But this time Efrem wasn’t there and everything else seemed to be made out of tissue paper. One sprinkle of rain would set the colors running in rivulets until it all melted away. Including the grass she sat on.
I want to hear the birds sing.
The gentle coo of a mourning dove reached her ear. And somewhere beyond the empty archway, where the rows of grapevines normally stood, came the muted chatter of chickadees, or finches, or some sort of flittering small bird. But it all lacked the clarity of before. She leaned forward to rest her arms on her drawn-up knees.
What’s wrong with me?
“There is nothing wrong with you, Nixy.”
She closed her eyes and allowed herself a relieved smile at the sound of Kai’s deep voice. “I knew you would come.”
Or, at least, she’d hoped he would. It was kind of nice not to have to wait until their date to see him again.
“Did you?” He stepped up next to her and lowered himself to sit on the ground, then stretched out his wings to each side so they partially rested on the grass, one directly behind her. “The white runner and rows of chairs are gone.”
“And the guests, and the vineyard.”
“Yet the rose bushes remain.”
She glanced behind her. “Yes, they do. The pond too.”
Her gaze skittered to the golden skin of his bare chest. A sinewy strength projected from him, even in real life. Human guys his age weren’t built like that, but human men also didn’t need to stay in shape in order to fly. That alone would be a motivator for anyone. And, to be honest, she rather liked Kai’s muscular structure over the bulkier bodies of Kyzel and the others she’d met from the Raptorclaw clan.
Geez, what was wrong with her? Sure, this was a dream, but gawking at him still seemed invasive. She lowered her gaze to study the way the light fabric of his orange harem pant-like leggings settled against his muscular legs. It was too bad he was so much older than her.
Why’d you ask him out on a date, then?
She sighed and forced herself to look out over the pond. It wasn’t a date exactly, just two colleagues getting together for dinner. That was all it could be, right? The most they could ever be was friends. She’d already found the love of her life, and that lightning bolt didn’t strike twice.
“Where is Efrem, Nixy?”
An invisible claw closed around her stomach. “I…I can’t find him.” Or he didn’t want to be found. He had bumped her into Kai’s arms during the last dream, after all. “He was a good man, y’know.”
<
br /> Kind, sweet, supportive…everything she had waited to find in a husband.
“Aye, I believe that. You would not put up with an unworthy mate.”
Darn right. “I miss him.”
“I know. I can feel your sorrow.”
He could? She looked up into his eyes. “Are you an empath or something?”
“Aye.” He nodded, the red sheen of his fine headfeathers reflecting the dream sunlight. “It is important to honor what he stood for, but not at the cost of living.”
Wow, this was great. Her very own dream psychoanalyst to help her through the stages of grief.
Hey, you know, whatever works.
She was hardly in a position to complain. “That makes a lot of sense, Kai.” Why couldn’t he be more like this in real life? “Do the birds sound louder to you all of a sudden?”
“Look over there.” He pointed toward the arch, but it was what was beyond the arch that grabbed her attention.
“The vineyard is back. But where are the chairs, and the runner?” And the guests, and the priest?
And Efrem?
“Those are part of the past now.” He met her gaze. “But the rest of the universe still surrounds you and is very much alive.”
A spark of defiance tried to catch in her heart. “Well, the arch is still here.”
“And it always will be.” Kai brushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear. “As it should.”
His words settled around her like a warm, fuzzy blanket on a cold day. Everything was as it should be, all of it. “Efrem isn’t really gone, is he?”
Kai shook his head. “He will always be a part of you. Part of your past.” He touched his finger to her chest directly over her heart. “Right here.”
A sense of excitement bloomed over her skin from that touch point, spreading like goosebumps until it encompassed her entire body. Everything was okay. She was okay. And, somehow, Efrem’s absence didn’t feel hollow anymore.
“You are a good soul, too, Nixy Vogel. Do not ever doubt that.”
“I’ll try not to.”
She scooted closer to Kai, leaned against his side, and rested her head on his shoulder. After a moment, the soft rustle of feathers reached her ear, and his wing appeared over her shoulder, curving around her. She allowed her eyes to close, and the bird song to fill her until it too faded away as sleep claimed her.
Chapter 8
Kai strode into the living room area of the penthouse, the sand-color silk of his leggings swishing pleasantly around his legs. “I will be going to meet Ms. Vogel now.”
Fyad turned away from whatever he had been staring at outside the panoramic windows, and frowned. “I advise you to wear a shirt, Elder.”
Kai frowned and looked down at his chest, bare except for his red flying leathers. “I see no problem.”
“As Monarch Kyzel discovered, human females seem to appreciate a suitably clothed male. At least, when going to dinner.”
“They do?” This was news to him.
“Very much. And Monarch Robyn once claimed to prefer Monarch Kyzel’s light blue nayar because it matched his eyes.”
How interesting. “I do have a dark purple nayar.”
“That would work well.” Fyad nodded, a gleam of approval in his eyes.
Purple it was, then. “Thank you for your advice, Fyad. I shall go cover myself.”
Never in all his lives had he considered that the color matched his eyes. But, if Nixy might like it, then why not? Although, why he cared about what she thought was unsettling. On the other wing, a part of him truly wanted to be appealing to her. For her.
You will just hurt her once you have the information you seek.
He frowned as he entered his room and strode toward the closet. She had had more than enough pain in her life. It was wrong to play with her emotions, but how else could he get the information he needed to protect the ancient traditions of the Firewing clan?
What a quandary. Perhaps he was not the phoenix for the job after all.
You dare to question the most esteemed’s orders?
Uri was wise, had many hundreds of sun migrations of experience and knowledge. Knew things Kai had not yet learned. Had the welfare of Bezchi in his heart.
And then there was matter of Kai earning back the honor of being a phoenix. Had he not failed his clan enough?
He waved his hand over the closet door sensor and the maroon panels parted. Tonight, he would wear purple. He quickly draped the nayar over his head and laced up the sides.
Then he hurried back to the living room. “I am ready.”
“Very good, Elder.” Fyad indicated at the door with one hand. “I will remain out of sight.”
What a pain in the wing that the bodyguard insisted upon going, but the youngling did have his orders—as he had made abundantly clear the day Kai had attempted to sneak away from the Silverstar suite. “Aye, then, let us go.”
The Silverstar building was only an eight-minute fly from the hotel. They entered through the rooftop access and took the elevator down. Kai exited the front doors alone the moment Nixy approached the building, a vision in her red dress.
Her color choice could be intentional, or not. Either way, the dress hugged her voluptuous curves, stopping at her knees. The matte black shoes on her feet had tall sticks attached to the heels, which gave her extra height and accentuated the beautiful shape of her calves.
If red had not already been his color of preference, it certainly was now.
He brought his gaze back up to her breasts, round and full. A tremor ran through his hands in response to his inexplicable desire to touch her there. Heat rushed to his cheeks. This was the behavior of one who had never seen a beautiful female before, which was not true in his case. Many of the females he had matched had been quite lovely, but had never captured his attention. Ever. No female would except his soul mate. His body was for her and her alone, because that was how it always happened.
Nixy smiled at him, her lips as red as her dress. “Hi, Kai.”
“Hello, Nixy.” He inclined his head. “I appreciate you allowing me to use the roof to come and go this evening.”
Breathe and focus.
That was the only way to recapture some semblance of sanity over his body’s inappropriate responses.
“You’re welcome. Are you ready?” She gestured toward the street with one hand. “The restaurant is just a couple of blocks away. Walking distance.”
“Yes, I am.” He stepped smoothly to her side.
“Let’s go then.”
Nixy gazed over the top of her menu at Kai. “So, what do you think?”
He pursed his lips in an adorable way, his full attention had been riveted on her as she’d read the menu to him. “I believe I will have the prawn vindaloo.”
“Wow.”
“Do you think that is bad?” He seemed anxious.
“Not if you were serious about loving spicy food.”
His anxiety melted into a smile. “I do. Besides, you have already read the menu to me once. I do not wish to inconvenience you again.”
“Oh, bosh.” She set the menu aside. “I don’t mind at all. Sorry your visual language translator is on the blink. Has that happened before?”
“Only once, when I first arrived. I will have Fyad look at it when I get back to the hotel.” He patted his hand on the backless bench under him. “Thank you for making sure I was accommodated with a comfortable perch.”
She grinned at him. “No problem.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d taken an off-worlder out to explore Earth. Although, this was the first time she’d been attracted to her guest. And wasn’t that an interesting turn of events?
The waiter picked that moment to pop in and take their order, then he collected their menus and hurried away.
“So.” She took a sip of ice water, swallowing it down before continuing. “You must miss home.”
He nodded.
“I do.”
She held his gaze waiting for him to go on, but he didn’t. Okay, then. It was on her to kick start this conversation. “What’s it like on Bezchi, especially where you live? Anything like SoCal?”
“Not like this town, but where the spaceport is, it is similar.”
“You mean the desert?”
“Aye.” He picked up a papadum appetizer she’d ordered for them and spread a little of the chutney on it.
She made a rolling motion with her hand. “And…?”
“And what?” He seemed surprised by her interest.
“What’s it like? Hot all the time? High desert, or low? Are there seasons? What kind of plants grow there?”
Mirth danced in his eyes as he bit into the crispy food, chewed, then swallowed. “Firewings do not usually talk during a meal.”
“Well, you’re on Earth, buddy, and you’re with me.” She patted her palm against her chest. “So we’re going to talk.”
He was probably pulling her chain about that anyway.
Kai chuckled. “Yes, my clan and colony live in the desert regions of Bezchi. We thrive in the heat. One of my favorite plants is the ember-berry bush, which produces the most delectable and spicy berries in the summer. We eat them right off the bushes as snacks.”
“Wow, that’s neat. I used to do that with the raspberry plants in my mom’s garden when I was a kid.” And still would be in her own garden if she’d inherited half her mother’s green thumb. “I thought about living out in the direction of the spaceport, but the commute is longer.”
“It is a fair distance, even when flying.”
“When I found my cottage on this side of the mountains, I decided the desert just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe after I retire, I’ll move there.” She leaned forward. “What’s the difference between a clan and a colony?”
“A clan encompasses all phoenixes, wherever they live. A colony is a smaller enclave.” His gaze drifted to her cleavage, then snapped to study the flat-bread in his hand instead.
“I see. And do you have a monarch too, like the other clans?”
Kai raised his gaze to meet hers, but didn’t say anything. Had she overstepped herself? It had seemed like an innocuous question to her, but the shuttered look in his eyes suggested otherwise.
