Hinekiri

by Shelley Munro

  “No, we can talk now.” She’d go crazy if she had to wait to hear what he was going to say. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t guess. Probably something along the lines of it’s been great. Goodbye and have a good trip.” By the goddess, it wasn’t fair. She didn’t want to spend her life alone.

  “I’ve been thinking—”

  “Like I said, ominous.”

  “Hinekiri, dammit. Will you be serious and listen to me for a minute?” He sounded nervous and that made her stop talking and listen. “I want to go with you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “What?” The roar of Hinekiri’s heart was so loud she could hardly hear herself think. Had he said—

  “I’ve been thinking about us. I don’t want what we have together to end. I want to go to with you.”

  “Go with me?” Hinekiri was having trouble comprehending. Reacting.

  Richard grasped her shoulders and tilted her chin. Their gazes meshed. “So, what do you say?”

  “I— But this was just a romantic interlude. Nothing serious.” Hinekiri laughed softly. “A little lighthearted fun between two people.”

  Richard frowned and her insides twisted. He couldn’t be serious? “I love you, and for me, that’s serious. If you don’t feel the same way, tell me.”

  Hinekiri hesitated, torn by conflicting emotions. Joy at his desire to go with her and fear because the horoscope was never wrong. Never. “The horoscopes are always accurate.”

  “Bullshit. They’re bloody contradictory. You can read what you like into them. I bet the stars didn’t label you a courtesan. It was the sorcerer’s interpretation and you all bought into it.” He ripped out the words impatiently and with total conviction. Richard didn’t give a damn about the horoscope but Hinekiri couldn’t go against years of tradition and her upbringing. It wasn’t easy to treat the matter so lightly.

  His eyes narrowed on her. “Did Janaya have her horoscope done?”

  “Yes.” Hinekiri frowned. “She listened to the sorcerer and then told him she’d never heard so much rubbish in all her life.”

  Richard’s grin was wide and lit up his whole face. “I know I’m going to love having Janaya as a daughter. You’re sure she and Luke are a couple?”

  “I’m sure. They’ve bonded. Their circumstances are different from ours. I had my shots but Janaya left Dalcon in a hurry.”

  “I see. Let’s get going. I want to search your person once we’re back in our cabin. I’m positive there’s a tracking device on you somewhere.”

  A surge of disappointment hit Hinekiri, knocking the air from her lungs. She inhaled, her mind chasing in circles. Was that it? She glanced at Richard from beneath lowered lashes trying to puzzle the male out while fighting chagrin. He was giving up that easily?

  Richard took her hand and they walked in silence. Hinekiri heard the rustle of the trees and long grasses that edged the track and the occasional call of an animal on the hunt for dinner. With each breath, she drew in essence of Richard, reminding her of the rapidly approaching departure. Did he mean it?

  “I thought you liked living in Sloan and never wanted to leave.”

  “But I won’t be leaving,” Richard answered.

  “I thought you wanted something more permanent. You asked to go with me. Fodo crap, what do you mean?” His smug tone stung. It sounded as if he was asking her to give up everything and move to Sloan. A…a wifehouse! He wanted her to be a wifehouse. “I don’t want to be a wifehouse,” she blurted in sheer horror.

  “Wifehouse?”

  Oh fodo crap. He was confusing her that much she was forgetting her Earth speak. “I meant housewife,” she snapped.

  “Sweetheart, I don’t want that either. I didn’t explain things very well.” Richard stopped walking again and turned to face her. His expression was earnest. Serious. “Yes, I’d like to travel and work with you, spend time with you. But it would be a partnership with give and take. I thought that when we were between jobs we could come back to Earth and live in Sloan. It could be our home base. And I guess we would need a base on Dalcon too. That’s what I meant when I said I wouldn’t be leaving.”

  “Oh.” Hope blossomed. A partnership. It was true they worked well together. Hinekiri’s lips and breasts started to tingle when she intercepted his hot, intense gaze. They did other things together that turned out extremely well too.

  Richard closed the distance between them and lowered his head to kiss her. Their lips touched and moved together. It was slow, sending happy signals racing through her body. His large hands cupped her head and her world narrowed to just him. She quivered at the touch of his lips and the intimacy. The kiss was everything. It was tender, a promise of love. He communicated exactly how he felt about her in that single, perfect kiss and for the first time Hinekiri started thinking about a future that wasn’t one of loneliness.

  Finally, he lifted his head and stroked the pad of his thumb across her kiss-swollen lips. “What do you say? We could try it on a trial basis if you’re still not sure.”

  “I suppose,” she said slowly. “I was thinking about coming back to check on Janaya anyway and I want to visit Alaska.”

  “Good. I’ll work on persuading you to make things permanent.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Hinekiri grinned and pursed her lips for a kiss. Instead of kissing her, Richard was staring at her boots.

  “The tracker must be in your boots. This is the first time you’ve worn them since we left New Zealand.”

  “I wore them when we were on the ship coming from New Zealand,” Hinekiri said. “You’re right. I haven’t worn them since. They’ve been in the cabin wardrobe.”

  “They must be set off by motion. That’s the only thing that makes sense. Where did you get them? Have you had them a while or are they new?”

  Hinekiri’s brow wrinkled at the answer since she couldn’t believe… “Janaya gave them to me. They were a present and her excuse to get on my ship. Janaya hid when my back was turned and stowed away because she couldn’t talk me out of this trip. She wanted to protect me. You’ve seen what she’s like. I can’t believe Janaya would try to set me up. She’s like a daughter.”

  “I agree,” Richard said. “Where did she get the boots?”

  “They’re issued to all the bodyguards. Fodo crap! That means one of the bodyguards is twisted.”

  “I think you mean bent. Someone Janaya trusts might have planted a tracker in them. Still, it narrows the field. We still have to find the tracker.”

  “Do we do it here or in our cabin?” Hinekiri glared down at her boots, a gut feeling telling her Richard was right. The boots had led the Torgon to their prey. Her.

  “We’re almost back at the lodge. Let’s wait until we get into the grounds. I know the animals have a truce but I’d feel better if we were in the lodge grounds with security guards wandering around the place.”

  They hurried along the rutted track as fast as they could with the light limitations. Five minutes later the trees and grasses gave way to rocks then the track turned a corner and they entered the lush grounds of the lodge.

  “There’s a seat over there. Why don’t we sit there and you can take off your boots.”

  Hinekiri sat on the seat. From there she could see some of the private cabins and part of the car park. “I see our poacher friend is back from his skullduggery.” She unlaced the heavy black boots and handed one to Richard while she retained the other. They started to check them carefully. “What do you suppose it will look like?”

  “I was hoping you’d know.”

  Hinekiri searched the inner part of the boot before deciding she would probably have noticed something if it were inside. “I can’t find anything. The heel looks okay. I’ve managed to get a stone stuck in the tread but that’s not it.” She tugged at the stone and pushed it, trying to pry it from the tread. A click sounded and a piece of the heel parted. “By the goddess, I’ve found it. It was inside the heel.” Hinekiri plucked it out and stood, intending to crush it
.

  “Wait. I have a plan. Since we’re leaving tomorrow, let’s plant it on the poacher’s vehicle. Ah look, here’s another one.” His eyes gleamed with mischief. “Perhaps we can find something personal inside the vehicle. I’m sure the Torgon would enjoy following the poacher.”

  “The poacher won’t have much fun,” Hinekiri said, her tone dry.

  “I don’t have much sympathy for him. He’s not only killing the animals but he’s depriving future generations of something precious. Come on.”

  Hinekiri put on her boots again and the two set off on their mission. After dodging the security guard, they placed a tracking device under one of the seats and another inside the lining of the poacher’s binocular case. Hand in hand, they walked to their cabin.

  “I think we deserve a sleep in since it’s so late. I’m looking forward to exploring with you, although I’ll miss my son and daughter and my friends.” Richard squeezed Hinekiri gently. “My friends are going to love you. You’re going to fit in perfectly.”

  Hinekiri felt a warm glow in the region of her heart. Richard was so accepting. He was a good man. Like a well-lubricated machine, they functioned perfectly together. In truth, she wanted to say yes, but a tinge of fear held her back. “You will bear the courtesan label.”

  “Me?” Richard gave a bark of laughter and opened the front door to the cabin. He stood aside to let her enter, ever the gentleman. The small courtesy buoyed her confidence.

  “Yes,” she said. “I would like you to travel with me.”

  “Great!” Richard swung her off her feet into his arms and headed for the bedroom. “And you’ll marry me.”

  A smile played around her mouth. “We’ll see.” Probably. How could she resist this Kiwi cop? She had never felt this way about a male before.

  Richard set her on her feet. He bent to remove her boots and stood again to start on her buttons.

  “Where you been?” Killer barked. “I starving.”

  Richard groaned. “I’ll get something from the fridge. Hinekiri, I want you naked by the time I return. I want to celebrate.”

  “Remember I impressionable,” Killer yapped.

  “Yeah right.” Richard gave Hinekiri one last heated look before striding to the kitchenette area.

  A hot ache grew in her throat. Celebrate. Hinekiri undid the rest of her buttons and shrugged from her shirt. Her jeans slid down her legs followed by her panties. Her bra joined the pile and she lay back on the bed, listening to Killer and Richard.

  “That it? I want real food. Steak. Do ya have any?”

  “That’s it until morning. I’m going to bed now. Don’t interrupt.”

  “You have sex,” Killer barked.

  “No, Hinekiri and I are going to make love. There’s a difference.”

  They were going to make love. Hinekiri smiled at the thought. And that was the moment she fell head over heels, irrevocably in love with Richard Morgan, Kiwi cop from Earth.

  The end

  I hope you enjoyed Hinekiri’s and Richard’s story. Please turn the page for a glimpse of the next story in the Alien Encounter series – Alexandre, which features Richard’s daughter, Lily, and also an excerpt from Captured & Seduced, book 1 in my House of the Cat series. To learn more about my books please visit my website or join my newsletter if you’d like to keep up with upcoming releases, contests and other goodies exclusive to newsletter subscribers.

  Excerpt - Alexandre

  Copyright 2015 Shelley Munro

  Book 3 in the Alien Encounter series.

  Lily noticed the man straight away. Tall and golden, he prowled along the main street of Papakura, reminding her of a jungle cat. Proud. Determined. Aware of his surroundings.

  Every other female in the vicinity noticed him, too, but he didn’t hesitate or take any notice of the admiration. An elderly woman preened, patted her silver hair and promptly dropped her walking stick. The man stooped to pick it up, and she rewarded him with a coy smile. Lily would have bet the old girl’s heart pounded. Hers certainly did.

  A trio of teenage girls put their heads together to whisper then burst into giggles each time they checked out his muscular physique.

  Mrs. Pappadopoulos, the proprietress of the kebab shop across the road, rushed out with her straw broom and pretended to sweep her doorstep. Her gaze never left the golden cat. She might have fooled the man but Lily saw through her ploy. A dangerous stud seated at the window booth would boost sales during the slow back-at-work Monday.

  Lily shifted on her wooden chair as she stared out the huge, plate glass window that fronted her travel agency. A frown formed between her brows. She could do with some customers to browse through her brochures and bring business. Her bank account was so far in the red it glowed like Rudolph’s nose at Christmas time. The statements arrived on a daily basis, a not so subtle reminder by the bank manager that her overdraft was at the upper limits of acceptance. Maybe she should hire the golden man to stand in front of her building? Her gaze swept over broad shoulders and a truly tempting masculine butt. A sigh of appreciation whistled through her lips. Nice view—but not for her.

  Lily picked up her pen and aimed her gaze at the flickering computer screen. A scant two seconds later, her eyes were right back on the golden man. He turned. She sucked in a loud, startled breath that echoed and filled the travel agency making her aware, more than ever, of the lack of customers. Probably for the best. No one to witness the overweight divorcée making cow eyes at an impossible dream.

  Golden man.

  An apt description. His curly blond hair grazed his shoulders and shone in the early morning light, the gentle sun picking out highlights that Lily envied. Even features arranged in a tanned face. His dazzling smile was definitely worth a second look. She wished she could see the color of his eyes. Curiosity propelled her need to know. Maybe brown, she decided.

  Her gaze drifted downward. His faded blue jeans were skin-tight, highlighting muscles and bulges with loving care, and one knee peeked through a rip with each prowling step. A white cotton shirt accentuated his tan. White, Lily noted, bearing not a hint of what he ate for breakfast. She glanced down at her hip-length, cover-all-sins top. Two ugly brown splotches marred the light green fabric. Yep, definitely coffee splashes, Lily sighed as she glanced up again to follow the man’s progress.

  The man stopped outside the kebab shop. Mrs. Pappadopoulos beamed and hurried forward to greet her cash fall. She made a sweeping gesture with her right hand toward her best table. The golden man smiled.

  Lily’s heart skipped a beat. “Holy heck,” she breathed in awe. There was a whole street and two footpaths between them yet she reacted to him physically. A tight sensation in her chest reminded her to breathe again.

  The teenagers waltzed into the kebab shop, hips swaying, small pert breasts stuck out proudly. Lily didn’t blame them. She realized she’d sucked everything in while glued to the unfolding drama. Not that things moved into place as promptly as she liked. For starters, her breasts had never, ever looked pert.

  Lily blinked rapidly to clear the sudden onslaught of tears. Past history. She was never going there again.

  She sniffed and concentrated on the scene in the kebab shop. The elderly lady had found a friend, and they both stepped through the door Mrs. Pappadopoulos held open for them. Once they were over the threshold and safely inside, she shut it so they couldn’t leave in a hurry. Lily supposed the oldies could always break out using their walking sticks if they got desperate.

  Mrs. Pappadopoulos returned to the golden man. He flashed his smile again, and warmth suffused Lily. The underwire bra she wore nipped at her delicate flesh, and she wriggled uncomfortably. Damn, she was gonna have to break the piggy bank to buy the next size up. Not good.

  The golden man said something. Lily saw Mrs. Pappadopoulos’s shoulders slump as she spoke in return. The bell on the kebab shop door tinkled merrily as the golden man sauntered outside. Lily stared as he crossed the street without checking for traffic. Wit
h her luck, she would’ve ended up squashed flat as roadkill on a Sloan country road. He emerged with nothing more serious than disheveled hair, and dammit, that made him look sexier.

  Okay. Show time over. Things to do. Bills to pay.

  But Lily couldn’t drag her gaze off him. The view was even better since he was much closer. Chest pains forced her to suck in a breath. She stared, mesmerized. An urgent need to touch filtered through her brain. No. No. No! Why was her body not cooperating? The slow prickle of awareness that tightened her full breasts pissed her off. Her mouth firmed and her grip tightened on her favorite, lucky pen.

  Not again.

  Never again. But still she looked, unable to tear her gaze from the wide shoulders, trim hips, and…uh…muscular legs. Lily shivered and tried to recall exactly what underwear she’d donned this morning. Just in case she outdid her usual clumsiness and sprawled at his feet. The memory wasn’t comforting. A white bra—well, okay, off white with a pink tinge and black granny bloomers. Not—Holy shit! It didn’t matter what she wore. Even if the golden cat was interested, she wouldn’t let him touch her. No way, no how was she letting a man close enough to rip her heart out again.

  She tore her gaze off the male’s muscular thighs and barely resisted the urge to check out other bodily bits. The golden man paused outside her travel agency. He saw her through the window and smiled, his brown eyes glowing with an inner fire.

  Lily’s jaw dropped. Her hand started to shake and her silver pen somersaulted through nerveless fingers to do a perfect backward half pike before it landed somewhere under her desk. The golden man reached for the door.

  Shit.

  Shit.

  He was coming in.

  What the hell was she gonna do with him? That was assuming she could remember how to speak.

  Alien Encounter: Alexandre

  Excerpt – Captured & Seduced

  Copyright 2014 Shelley Munro