Once he gave the attendant his name, a young woman in all black escorted them to a window table overlooking the water. After he helped Annabelle with her jacket, he scooted her chair out, and she sat down. “Are you pleased?” he asked.
She let out an exaggerated sigh as she gazed out the window. “I can’t believe you did all this for me.”
Why was she surprised? Didn’t she know how incredible she was? Had no other human showed her what she was worth? If he was being honest, he was delighted no one had. The last year with her had been the best of his life. Still, he had reservations. A human man would’ve been better suited as a mate for her, but he was happy she was giving their relationship a chance. The way he felt about her was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Minute by minute, he sensed their bond growing. “I would do anything for you.”
“I feel the same way about you.”
A dark storm of emotions churned inside him. Was she feeling their bond as well? He let go of those thoughts immediately. When she was ready, she would let him know.
Biting her lip, she stared intently at the menu.
Kaden followed her lead and reached for the list of specials. It was interesting to read the variety of delicacies they offered. He rarely went to a restaurant, preferring to eat in the privacy of his home or with Annabelle at Yummy. But it was nice to get out in public with her, especially in an exceptional place such as this. “What are you going to order?”
She hummed with delight as if she were already tasting her meal. “I’ve heard the steaks are excellent. I think I’ll have a four-ounce filet with a garden salad.”
Human cuisine was much better than what they offered on his planet. Food there was only thought of as sustenance for the body. Since it was consumed in pill form, there wasn’t any taste to it. The first day Kaden and his brothers arrived on this planet, they were overwhelmed by the scents of the fruits and other natural growing nourishments. It’s what first drew him to Annabelle. He could smell the sugary fragrances coming from her bakery miles away. It was intoxicating. He’d followed the aroma right to her front door.
“I will have the same,” he decided.
A young brunette waitress came to the table and took their orders. Hours ago, he’d called to make sure they had Annabelle’s favorite, brut rosé from Louis Roederer, in stock, and the waitress was quick to bring the bottle of sparkling rosé wine he had preordered. “You remembered,” she gushed.
“I wanted to make sure tonight was special,” he replied, pouring her a glass.
“You’ve succeeded.” Her skin flushed pink from her cheeks down into her cleavage.
He wished he could follow the trail and see how far the blush went. As he raised his flute for a toast, he opened his mouth, but before a word could come out, four chubby middle-aged men circled their table. Crap! He had forgotten about them. A moment later, every head in the room turned when they belted out some romantic song in Italian. Their voices were loud, bouncing off the walls in their high-octave tones. Kaden leaned his head into the palm of his hand, rubbing his fingers over his temple.
“Let me guess,” Annabelle yelled over the singing. “Part of the prom package?”
He let out a hearty laugh. “Actually, I paid extra for this.”
Laughing along with him, she cupped her hands around her mouth. “How long are they going to do this? I don’t think the other diners are into it.”
Glancing around, he saw several older couples were shooting him pretty nasty glares. One man even removed his hearing aids. Kaden opened his wallet, pulling out a one-hundred-dollar bill. He handed the money to the closest singer. “You can have this on top of your fee if you stop now.”
The man narrowed his eyes as if he were offended, but took the hundred. The four of them scurried off to the sounds of several patrons clapping. When Kaden turned back to Annabelle, he was prepared to apologize, but her eyes appeared glazed over. Was she about to cry? “What’s wrong? Is the date really that horrible?”
“No, it’s the opposite.” She took in the room. “I can’t believe you did all of this. No one has ever put out this much effort…for me. I don’t even know what to say.”
It seemed that in spite of the chaos, she appreciated what he’d tried to do for her. Even without a bond, he was already hers, he realized now. “Say that you’re happy. That’s all that matters to me.”
She reached across the table, intertwining their fingers. “I can’t imagine being any happier than I am right now.”
The rest of dinner went by without any more distractions. The conversation flowed freely, as it always did when they were together. When their meals arrived, the steaks were cooked to perfection. Kaden had never realized how much he enjoyed watching her eat. With each bite, her red-frosted lips closed around her fork and she let out a soft moan of pleasure. The sound sent a wave of heat through him. How had she managed to turn him on with food?
Before long, he was paying the check and they were heading outside. The stars lit up the dark skies, and the temperature had dropped at least twenty degrees. Although she had her coat on, Kaden wrapped his arm around her. He couldn’t stand the idea that she might be cold. When she leaned into his shoulder, he inhaled the scent of her strawberry shampoo. Everything about this woman was tantalizing. And all he wanted was more.
Once inside the limo, she sat silently with her hands in her lap. He wondered what she was thinking about. The corners of her lips were curled up. Whatever was on her mind must’ve been a pleasant thought. His attention turned to the front of the vehicle when the radio switched on. The driver closed the window between them, returning them to the peaceful quiet. Kaden leaned back in the seat, watching out the window as familiar streets passed by.
“I want to know if we’re bonded,” she said, breaking the silence.
His head snapped in her direction. “There’s no definitive way to know for sure.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “You said sex would seal the bond, assuming there is a bond.”
A riot of emotions swirled in his head: lust, worry, joy. Everything melted together, and he could barely organize one cognitive sentence. “Are you saying you want to have sex?”
“Don’t you?”
Yes, every minute of every day since we first met. Sweat pearled in the palms of his hands. “Of course I do, but I thought you wanted to take it slow.”
“I do. I mean, I did.” She laughed, shaking her head. “The words don’t seem to want to make sense.” Her cheeks burned. “Look, we’re both adults, and I already know I have feelings for you. I just can’t help wanting to know if there is some kind of cosmic bond between us.”
Pulling her into his lap, he said, “If you’re ready, you definitely won’t be getting any objections from me.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
They went at it like two teenagers in the back of an empty movie theater.
He peppered her mouth with kisses, nipping at her lips as he groaned into her mouth. This was more than a simple kiss. It was almost as if he wanted to devour her. To claim her as his. Annabelle let out a moan, spearing her fingers through his hair. A low growl escaped his throat, which made her tighten her thighs around him. As she opened her mouth wider, his tongue plunged inside, tangling with hers. Every nerve ending in her body sizzled. She didn’t care that they were still in the limo. All she could think about was the feel of his body against hers, and the anticipation of what was about to come.
She had asked Kaden to have sex with her.
When had she become so bold? She hardly recognized the woman rubbing her core into his erection. She was the person who took things slow. The one who weighed out her decisions until her eyeballs went crossed. But all that washed away with him. Now she wanted to know, had to know, if there was a bond between them. And since his way of determining that meant having sex with him, she was eager to give it a go.
The limo came to a stop, and she couldn’t hide the disappointed whimper that escaped.
; Kaden chuckled.
She tried to collect herself while he helped her out of the vehicle, tipping the driver as he went. As the cool night air whipped against her face, she searched her purse for the front door key. Her hands were shaking, but not from the cold. Flutters of anticipation ricocheted in her belly. Was Kaden the person she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with? Deep down, she hoped so. In many ways, he already was. She had finally admitted that to herself halfway through dinner. Even though her life would never be normal, maybe she didn’t want normal. Maybe she was never happy with other men because they were too normal.
Or maybe it was simply because they weren’t Kaden.
With the limo gone, the street was empty. It was after ten o’clock and the bars down the way held most of the remaining crowds. As she slid the key into the lock, Kaden pressed up against her from behind. His erection rubbed against her ass, and Annabelle had to resist the urge to stimulate him any further. As turned on as she was, she might rip his clothes off right in the middle of the street. The door unlocked, and they both went inside. Before the door had closed completely, Kaden was already unbuttoning her jacket from behind while he ran kisses along the side of her neck.
Whispering in her ear, he said, “You forgot to turn on the alarm again. I’m going to have to punish you for that.”
She startled. “But I did turn on the alarm. I’m sure of it.”
He released her from his hold. “Go wait outside,” he said sternly.
A wave of panic flowed through her. “Let me turn on the lights.”
Before she could reach the switch box on the wall, the power flicked on.
She jolted, putting her hand over her chest. A pudgy police officer stood partially hidden behind her bakery counter. “Oh, Officer. You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing here?”
He didn’t answer her. As he moved toward them, she got a better look at him. A few inches shorter than Kaden, he had to be in his mid-forties, with dark blond hair and tanned skin. He wasn’t any cop she recognized from Germantown. Since she offered free breakfast to all the men and women in uniform, she knew most of them on a first-name basis. But something about the way he stared at Kaden put her nerves on edge.
“Why don’t you tell her who I am?” the officer said to Kaden.
“Uriel,” he said, snarling. “What are you doing here?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, appearing very pleased with himself. “I came to offer my condolences, but by the looks of things, there is no need for that.”
Annabelle pulled her jacket tightly closed. “Who is he, Kaden?”
“I am Uriel, brother of his fallen mate.”
All the pieces came together. This was the alien who had put the brick through her window. The one who was trying to get to Kaden through her. Knots of fear twisted in her belly.
Uriel narrowed his eyes at her. “I am not surprised you know nothing of his family. Why would you? I doubt he would admit to killing my sister.”
She let out a gasp. Had she heard him correctly? Kaden killed his wife? “What is he talking about?”
“I didn’t kill her. We were attacked before we left the planet. None of us were prepared.” Kaden took a step forward. “By the time I reached her, I couldn’t revive her. If I could have, I would’ve given my life to save hers.”
“And yet, here you are with this human.” He spat the word “human” from his mouth, venom in his tone. “Is this how you mourn my sister?”
Clenching his fists at his sides, Kaden said, “I have mourned her every day since she died.”
Uriel held his palm up as if he were holding a weapon. “I did not come here to listen to your lies.”
Did he also have a special power? Unease crept up her spine, urging her to run. But she wouldn’t leave Kaden alone. She had to find a way to defuse the situation. “Kaden has told me about his wife—I mean, mate. He has expressed nothing but sadness over her loss. Please just give him a chance to explain. Maybe—”
“Your fight is with me.” Kaden positioned himself in front of her. “Leave her out of this.”
Fight? Was he planning to attack Kaden? Were they going to have some kind of alien throwdown in the middle of her bakery? There was no chance in hell she was going to stand by and let that happen. She came out from behind Kaden, waving her hands in front of her. “Enough. We can settle this as adults. There’s no need for anyone to get hurt.”
Kaden swatted out his arm, attempting to push her behind him once more, but she twisted out of the way. She glanced over at Uriel, who was watching her with a wicked grin on his face. A glowing beam, faster than a lightning bolt, shot toward her. There was no time to scream. No time to move out of the way. The explosion hit her in the center of her chest. Pain exploded from every nerve ending as she crashed into the wall.
Everything went black.
Kaden rushed to her side, catching her limp body before she hit the ground. “Annabelle!” he screamed.
Her eyes were closed. A pool of blood swelled around the burn mark in the center of her chest. A fury unlike anything he had ever felt before grew inside him, the rage growing until he saw nothing but red. Red like the blood soaking Annabelle’s clothes. “I will end you for this,” he roared.
Uriel chuckled. “Step away from her or I will shoot her again.”
As the leader of their planet’s military, Uriel’s skills were useful. Here without a weapon, Kaden could not win. But there was no time for fighting. Annabelle was dying. He had to help her.
I won’t risk her life.
Snarling, Kaden reluctantly rose up and moved a few feet from her. “If you want to kill someone, kill me. Not her. She has no part in this.”
“Kill you? Why would I do that?” Uriel smirked. “I want you to witness the deaths of everyone you love. Maybe then you’ll know the pain I feel.”
“I did not kill your sister,” he said, accentuating every word as he tried to reason with him. “Annabelle is my mate. She is bonded to me. If it had not been for the bond, I had every intention of spending the rest of my life alone.”
“Impossible.”
Kaden put his hand on his chest. “Come and feel for yourself. My heart beats as a human. You know my heart has never beaten before, even after I bonded with your sister.”
His eyes narrowed a second before he shot Kaden in the hand. The force of the bolt was so strong it knocked him into the wall.
“See if you can save her now,” Uriel said, strolling out the front door. “If you survive, tell your brothers I am coming for them.”
Blood ran down Kaden’s arm, flowing like a river. He put his other hand over his injury and concentrated. Warm heat tingled around the edges of the wound as he began to heal, but he needed to conserve his energy to save Annabelle. He healed himself enough to stay alive. Once he stopped the blood, he crawled over to her. Pressing his ear into her chest, he checked to see if she was breathing, but he heard nothing. Next, he grabbed her wrist. There was a faint pulse that gave him hope that it wasn’t too late. Tearing her dress open from the front, he exposed her wound. He had never tried his power on a human, but he had no choice. Annabelle was minutes from death. There wasn’t any time to call an ambulance.
Kaden flexed his fingers, pressing his palm into her bloody wound. An explosion of energy rushed out of his body and jolted into hers. The intensity of the exchange caused her back to arch. A moment later the hole in her chest glowed with a white light. Using the energy like a laser beam, he closed the tissue that had been torn apart. The longer he worked to put her back together, the more he weakened. Pain seared through him in waves, stealing his breath, but he had to fight through the agony.
He would rather die than live without her.
Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as he worked to stop the internal bleeding. The biggest damage was done to her stomach, but he was able to repair it. Once he had healed all of her injuries, he closed the skin. If the healing on humans worked the same as w
ith his own kind, there would be a circular silver scar left above her belly button. When he was finished he collapsed beside her. It would be a while before he was fully recovered. If Uriel returned, Kaden would be helpless.
He needed to get Hayden on the phone, but he’d lost his cell in the fight.
Rolling to his side, he attempted to get to his knees. Annabelle’s store phone came into view. It was sitting on the counter, only a few feet from where they both lay. But before he could attempt to get to his feet, he buckled from the weight of his body. All of his energy was gone. He had no choice. Unless someone came to the store, he would have to stay there until he was revived.
He shifted onto his back only a moment before everything went black.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Annabelle slowly opened her eyes. At first, her vision was blurry. Once everything around her came into focus, she realized she was staring at the ceiling of her bakery. She tried to recall what had happened. As she replayed her thoughts, she remembered Uriel had shot some kind of beam out of his hand. Her stomach tightened and ached like she had done way too many sit-ups. When she put her hand on her stomach, she felt something wet.
She screamed when she discovered her palm covered in blood. As she rolled onto her side, she was horrified to see that she was in a pool of her own blood. Even worse, Kaden was lying next to her with his eyes closed. He had blood on his hands and face, but it was nothing compared to what was on her. Should she check his vitals? Were they even the same as a human’s? Putting her ear above his nose, she was relieved to discover he was still breathing. He looked peaceful, as if he had fallen asleep.
Under His Skin Page 13
