She grasped his hand, turning her face into his palm. “I want to stay so badly. I feel it too, that I belong here but I can’t stay. He’ll send more men for me.” Her tears began to fall. “I’ll get you all killed.”
Victor’s jaw clenched. It took all of his willpower not to take her into his arms. “It’s time you told us what’s going on, Evelyn,” his tone was authoritative, demanding obedience. “The truth, now.”
She pulled away with a whimper. Michael glowered in his brother’s direction. “Easy, Victor.” He inched closer to her, taking her chin between his fingers, forcing her to look at him. “Please, Evelyn. We can help you. You don’t have to try and protect us. It is our duty to protect you. Tell us everything,” he coaxed gently.
She exhaled. “Okay, okay. I work—worked for a company called LeeCorp as a hematologist. LeeCorp was founded by Doctor Bolin Lee. It’s a company that specializes in research and making pharmaceuticals for rare blood disorders. All I did there was research, collect and study blood samples. My younger sister died from leukemia when she was a child so I figured as a hematologist I could help others where I failed to help my sister.” Her voice cracked. “I didn’t know what Dr. Lee was really doing, I swear. I accidentally discovered that they were keeping a man—a dragon shifter in captivity. He was chained to a wall. Dr. Lee and a few others appeared to be studying him. I saw him change into something like you two did. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Dr. Lee saw me and I ran. I overheard him telling his guard to eliminate me when they found me because he didn’t want me telling anyone what I saw. I went to the police but Dr. Lee and the very corrupt Captain appear to be best buds.”
She paused, looking from Michael to Victor. “I had no one else to turn to for help. I have no family left. I have no friends because all I ever did was work and I can’t be around people because I’m different. I can tap into people’s emotions. That’s how I stumbled on the man being held prisoner. I felt his pain. But, who would believe such a story? I drove off and kept driving. I was thinking I would head to Canada or somewhere else far away from Washington.”
Michael ran a hand over his face and Victor’s expression had turned deadly. Evelyn shook her head. “Oh, God you guys don’t think I was a part of Dr. Lee’s evil doings, do you?”
Michael softened. “Of course, not.” Evelyn let out a relieved breath. “What did the dragon shifter look like, Evelyn?”
“He was tall, muscular, built like the two of you. When he changed, he looked like you guys, except he had green scales.”
Victor muttered a curse. “Do you have any idea if he’s still alive?”
She shrugged. “I—I have no idea. He looked weak when I saw him.” She gasped. “Oh, my God. He’s your friend isn’t he? I overheard you talking about someone who had gone missing.” Evelyn covered her face. “I’m so sorry. I should have gone back and tried to help him. I took the coward’s way out.”
“No, you did the right thing. If you hadn’t run, you would be dead.” Michael pulled her hand away from her face. “I’m glad you ran. You ran right into our arms.” His smile was soft, reassuring.
“I’m going to get Marcus and a few of the others. If Alexander is still alive, we’re getting him out of that place tonight. Where exactly is the lab, Evelyn?”
She rattled of the address, eyeing Victor warily. There was no hint of the gentleness he had shown her over the past few days. He was the cold, grim man she had met on the balcony her first morning there.
“Victor, I’m sorry about your friend.”
He nodded. “Michael will stay here with you to make sure you’re safe.” Then he was out the door, leaving her bewildered.
Michael studied Evelyn with concern. She’d barely said a word, just paced his bedroom and nibbled on her nails. It was a wonder she hadn’t nibbled off a finger. He sighed. “Evelyn, come here.”
She looked his way and slowly walked toward the chair he sat in. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong is you driving me crazy with your restless pacing.”
“I can’t help it, Michael. Do you think Victor and the others are alright?”
“They’re fine. If anything happened, especially to Victor, I would know and so would you.” He pulled her onto his lap.
“You wanted to go with Victor, didn’t you?”
“I did, but someone had to stay to keep you safe. I don’t mind the job.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. Her bottom lip bore teeth marks, proof of her anxiety. He lifted a finger to caress the bruised skin. “I wish you’d stop biting yourself. That’s my job,” he drawled, lowering his head to playfully nip the swell of her breast. Michael pulled down the t-shirt he had loaned her, exposing her breasts which he eyed hungrily.
“I really need to get some clothes of my own,” Evelyn mused.
“Mhmm or you can just walk around naked.”
She chuckled. “You’d like that wouldn’t you?”
“Immensely.” His hand slid up her thigh to slip into her underwear. Fingers massaged her clitoris. “I want you, Evelyn. I need to be inside you.”
She shivered. “Yes.” Evelyn lowered her head to capture his lips. Her tongue slid into his mouth to explore as he shifted, turning her to straddle him. He freed himself from his pants and pushed her panties aside. Palming her hips, he lifted her and lowered her onto his hard length.
“God, Evelyn, you’re perfect,” Michael whispered as her muscles clenched tightly around him. She took control, setting her own rhythm. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, savoring the feel of him touching everywhere inside of her.
Michael gazed at her. She looked like a goddess with her long blonde mane falling over her shoulders, her lips slightly parted, creamy skin lightly flushed, and breasts swaying gently with each movement. He gripped her slender waist, encouraging her to move faster.
“Michael,” his name emerged as a moan. Her nails dug into his arms as her orgasm hit her like a tidal wave. He followed closely behind her, letting out a satisfied shout. Evelyn rested her head on his shoulder. They sat locked in each other’s embrace for a long while.
“What’s going to happen when, Victor gets back?” Evelyn finally asked.
“What do you mean?”
“He was angry with me. You saw him. He wouldn’t even look at me. I left your friend in that place. What if he hates me for what I did?”
“He isn’t capable of hating you, Evelyn neither am I. If you hadn’t run, we would have lost you before we even found you. No one blames you for anything.”
She sighed. “I hope your right.”
Evelyn woke with a start, feeling the presence of someone else in the room. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She gaped. “Victor!” She sat up, looking him over. He looked tired, but uninjured. Evelyn stood up and threw herself into his arms. She didn’t care if he was upset with her or not. It was a huge relief to know that he was alright. “I’m so glad you’re back. Did you find Alexander?”
His arms wrapped around her and he inhaled deeply, taking her scent into his lungs. “We did. It will take him a while to heal but he’ll be fine.”
Evelyn reluctantly pulled away. “I’m sorry I didn’t do more to help him when I had the chance.”
“Stop, Evelyn. I’m not angry with you. I never was. I have to make that very clear because I don’t want another lecture from Michael. Earlier I was overcome with emotion. Alexander is one my oldest and dearest friends. The possibility that he was alive, coming so close after losing you, then getting you back, it was all so much. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I don’t handle emotions very well.”
She smiled. “I noticed.”
“It was never about me being angry with you, Evelyn. How could I be? You’re like a dream come true.”
“For both of us,” Michael added, watching them from the door. “Say you’ll stay with us, Evelyn. We’ve already fallen in love with you.”
“I—” she looked to Victor.
“The lab was burned to the ground after we freed the other shifters being held there. Authorities will come to the conclusion that the fire started from an electrical problem. Dr. Lee is gone. I made sure to find out who the bastard was and I made sure he got what he deserved. You don’t have to run anymore, Evelyn.”
She stared at Victor, a bit in shock. “It’s over,” she breathed. He nodded. “Thank you.” She swallowed. “Being with the both you feels right. I like that you’re not quite human. It makes me feel like I belong. I don’t have to hide my ability anymore. I have friends, a family. I’ve fallen for the both of you. Why wouldn’t I want to stay?”
Both Victor and Michael let out relieved breaths. Victor pulled her to him, giving her a searing kiss. “We should celebrate your decision in bed. We’ll tell the other the good news when we come up for air.”
Evelyn giggled as he lifted her into his arms and tossed her onto the bed. Michael grinned and locked the door, walking toward them with his usual devilish grin.
THE END
Bonus Story 30 of 50
The Fall of a Billionaire
I’m standing in front of one of the largest glass buildings I have ever seen. I can’t help but feel remarkably small next to it. Smaller even than I usually do, and that’s saying something.
“It’s just a job,” I tell myself. “I know the boss. My brother works here, it’ll be fine.”
Still, that tiny voice that’s been in my head ever since I remember, the voice that whispers, ‘you’re going to fail’ over and over and over again won’t shut up. I guess I’ll just have to ignore it as best I can.
I stand up straight, square my shoulders and walk upright through the tall, crystal clear front doors and into a long, echoing hallway. I look around, through a maze of people rushing in and out before I spot him standing right beside the receptionist’s desk.
“There she is!” my brother’s booming voice rings out. He is as tall and large as I am short and skinny. He still wears flannel shirts and sports a five o’clock shadow, despite being a very well-paid designer for one of the largest consulting firms in the country.
Glad, at last, to see a familiar face in the bustle of the unfamiliar city, I rush towards him.
“Gabe! Thanks so much for being here!” I say wrapping my arms around him.
He presses me to him and picks me up in a large bear hug the way he’s done since I was about six years old.
“I thought you were supposed to be off today with Emma,” I say referring to my sister-in-law. She’s currently seven months pregnant with my very first niece.
“Emma agreed to reschedule the couple’s doctor visit,” Gabe tells me. “I couldn’t miss my little sister’s first day.”
“I wouldn’t miss it either,” a voice to Gabe’s right says. “With Evie around this place’ll definitely get a lot more interesting.”
I turn from my brother to find a smart-looking young man with floppy, light brown hair, bright green eyes and a sharp blue suit smiling down at me.
“Alex!” I say rushing over to him, “How are you?”
He continues to smile as he opens his arms and gives me a quick, somewhat awkward hug. We pull back and I blush. He smells just as nice as he did almost two years ago. That was the last time I saw him.
“I’ve been keeping myself busy,” Alex answers. “Your genius brother is designing bestselling software left and right. It’s hard for us to keep track.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have a job if it weren’t for Alex,” Gabe says. “So, I figure I owe him as much as I can dish out.”
“That goes for two of us,” I say turning to Alex. “I know I said this on the phone but, thanks again, so much for giving me this position.”
I can’t be sure, but I think I see a hint of color come into Alex’s cheeks and he gives me the shiest smile I’ve yet seen from him.
“You’re my best friend’s little sister,” he answers. “It’s the least I could do. You look great, by the way!”
He gazes appreciatively up and down my relatively new body. I proudly throw my shoulders back, glad that he’s noticed.
“I lost a lot of weight since you last saw me,” I say.
“You also did quite a bit of growing up,” he says and, though he tries to hide it, his gaze shifts very slightly to my breasts which have grown significantly larger than they were when I was a teenager.
“Hey, I’m not sure I like where this is going,” my brother cuts in. Though, the good-natured smile is still on his face. “I’d rather you not ogle my little sister in front of me.”
I giggle, but Alex definitely blushes at this and turns away. He clears his throat before turning back to us.
“Well,” he says, “I guess we should show you around, Evie.”
“Sounds good,” I say and follow Gabe and Alex down the hall and through another large set of glass doors.
The company, Dregfield & Mosoti looks a lot like your typical ‘Google’ type tech outfit. Open floor plan. People bobbing up and down at their desks on Swiss balls.
During the tour, I remain mostly silent, all the while keeping my eyes on Alex.
Alex has always been the one guy I fantasized about. He was Gabe’s best friend through high school and my very first crush. I was only twelve at the time but, I still remember the first time I saw him.
Gabe had invited him over for dinner.
Alex walked in, looking effortlessly handsome with his sleek brown hair and tight-fitting jeans. I became extremely aware of my stringy brown hair, overlarge stomach and flat chest.
Through the rest of my adolescence, I kept admiring Alex from afar. He, on the other hand, seemed to have adopted me as a sort of little sister substitute. Usually, he treated me just the way that Gabe did. With brotherly affection.
I thought that was all I would ever be to Alex.
But, this morning, when he met me in the lobby and looked me up and down while red colored his cheeks, I began to think, for the first time, that Alex might, finally, see me as a woman.
“This is where you’ll be, Evie,” Alex says, leading me and Gabe through another set of large glass doors.
Alex stops at a large, black desk with one phone and a large desktop computer.
“This is your desk,” Alex says, “you’re really going to be a kind of gatekeeper for me and my partner, Simon. He should be in any time now. But, he’s usually late.”
I notice for the first time, an unpleasant frown line Alex’s face. Clearly he’s not entirely pleased with his partner and I can’t help but wonder why that is. Almost as much as I wonder if I’ll ever see his adorably shy blush again.
“So, I guess this is where the tour ends?” I ask with a bit of a flirtatious lilt to my voice. Secretly, I’m hoping to see Alex’s cheeks color again.
“We do have to get to work sometimes,” he says with a smile at me before looking over to Gabe. “That includes you, Gabe.”
“Fine,” Gabe answers. “I guess I can trust you to take care of my baby sister.”
Gabe reaches out and ruffles my hair. I feel annoyingly small under his hand. Like I’m twelve years old again and much too young for Alex to notice me.
“Gabe!” I say, ducking from underneath his hand, “I’m twenty-three. I think I’m capable of taking care of myself.”
“Either way,” Alex says, clearly wanting to avoid some sort of brother vs. sister confrontation, “I’m glad you’re here. Simon and I have been looking for an assistant for a while. It’s good that you became available when you did.”
Gabe says goodbye to me and Alex and returns to his design studio.
“Here,” Alex says once Gabe has disappeared through the glass doors, “I’ll show you what you’ll be doing. It’s pretty straightforward,” he says, “nothing you can’t handle.”
He moves behind my desk to bring up what he calls the ‘scheduling system’ when the door to the office opens and a tall figure strides in.
“‘Morning Alex,” the man says in a deep,
sensuous voice. “I see you’ve found an assistant for us.”
I look up and, for the first time, I’m met with Simon Mosoti’s captivating gaze.
His hazel, almond-shaped eyes dance as they smile down at me. I’m caught almost equally by his dark hair elegantly lined with silver and his small, bow-like lips.
I know he’s quite a bit older than me. Almost fifteen years if Gabe’s account is to be believed. Despite this, I feel heat rush to my cheeks when he smiles at me and gives me a suggestive wink.
“Simon, this is Evie,” Alex says. As he does I feel Alex move closer to me and put an almost protective arm around my shoulder. I chance to glance at his face as he does so. He is smiling, but I can see a protective, almost jealous glint in his eye.
This makes my face color even more.
“She’s Gabe’s sister,” Alex continues before turning to me, “Evie, this is Simon Mosoti. My partner.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say shyly, holding out my hand. Simon laughs good-naturedly.
“No need to be nervous, Evie,” he says. “No matter what that brother of yours might have told you, I promise I don’t bite.”
I look up at him and smile as he holds my hand in his. I barely notice that he’s been holding on to my hand for quite a bit longer than any other men have ever done when it comes to handshakes.
He looks into my eyes, his own still dancing brightly, and I can feel my pulse begin to jump in my wrist.
“Well, Evie and I should really get back to training,” Alex says quickly, moving his arm around me once again in order to pull me away from Simon.
Simon steps back and drops my hand. I feel my heart sink at the loss of contact before I realize that Alex’s equally warm hand is still curled around my shoulder. My pulse, once again begins pounding, this time reaching my ears.
“Well,” Simon says, “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other, Evie.”
And, with another wink, Simon saunters back into his office and out of sight. Almost as soon as the door closes behind Simon, Alex’s hand falls from my shoulder.
Pregnant to an Alien King Box Set Page 123
