“No!” Memories of her childhood rose up to taunt her—her tantrum because they’d left her toy soldier in the spaceport café; her father’s fury because they’d missed their allocated slot to fly and the vicious storm that had swept through the sky just before their arrival at Dalcon. Janaya swallowed and backed even further away from the cliff edge. How could she explain her paralyzing fear to Luke? She recalled the long agonizing hours perched on the edge of the mountain with nothing but empty air beneath while they waited for rescue from the crash sight. She remembered her older brother crying then finally falling silent forever and the steady drips of blood that trickled from the gaping wound on her mother’s leg. Her father’s grief had been a palatable thing even for a child of six cycles. He’d never forgiven her. When rescue had finally arrived, it had been too late for her mother and brother. Her father had suffered broken limbs that gradually mended while she had escaped without a scratch. Janaya knew her father still blamed her for the accident. He’d shouted it was her fault because they’d missed their time slot and become trapped in the storm. And he’d followed that up with blaming her for the death of his heir and his beloved mate.
“You rescued me,” Luke said, stepping up beside her and cupping her face in his palms. “You can rescue the boys.”
Janaya took comfort from his confidence but not enough to agree to his plan. “The only reason I went over the cliff to rescue you was because Hinekiri pushed me.”
Luke’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Janaya took one look and took two rapid steps backward. “No. Absolutely not! I can’t go over that cliff. I just can’t.”
“How do you get on as a bodyguard if you’re afraid of heights?”
“I am not afraid. I’m a good bodyguard. I would have got that promotion!”
“Of course you would.” Luke’s face gentled. “All right. Here’s the plan. I’ll climb down to the boys or as far as I can with the ropes.”
The idea of Luke climbing over the rim of the cliff terrified her. She curled her hands around his biceps and held tight. “You can’t. You can’t climb down there.”
“There’s no one else to do it,” he said simply.
Janaya heard a soft whimper. The sound reminded her of the cries her brother had made while they waited for rescue from the mountain ledge in which their spaceship had lodged. A second cry sent a helpless shudder running through her. A tear leaked from her eye.
“What is it?” Luke said.
Janaya squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to halt the escalating panic. “One of the boys is crying.”
“No time to waste.”
“Wait.” Janaya grasped his shoulder. “I’ll do it.”
Luke looked down at her, a tender expression on his face. He pressed a butterfly kiss on her lips. “We’ll do it together,” he said. “A partnership.”
A partnership. The idea that he’d be with her while she faced her fears, her memories of the past, made all the difference.
“You can do this, sweetheart.”
Maybe.
Or maybe not.
But she couldn’t live with Luke’s disappointment if she didn’t even make the effort.
Janaya grasped his hand tightly and stepped toward the cliff. Her knees started to knock together and when she moved close enough to see over the cliff to the ground hundreds of feet below, panic bombarded her mind.
Janaya jerked back. “I think you’d better push me,” she forced out from between dry lips.
“You can face this without me,” Luke murmured. “But I have an idea.”
“I’ll try anything,” Janaya said.
“Good.” Luke picked up a coil of rope and placed it over his left shoulder. Then he grabbed Janaya and kissed her, taking possession of her lips in a masterful manner that made her forget her wonky knees. He hauled her close to his chest, his tongue thrust into her mouth and she felt his erection jabbing into her belly. He pulled away and nuzzled her nose with his.
“Let’s go,” he said, and took her hand before calmly stepping over the edge of the cliff.
“This is your plan?” she shrieked.
“You’d better think about flying in a hurry,” Luke shouted. “Otherwise we’re gonna go splat.”
Janaya pictured herself standing on solid ground. That had worked last time.
Their downward plummet slowed.
“I have an idea,” Luke murmured.
“Don’t. I didn’t think much of the last one.”
Luke kissed her, slow and lazy, as if he had all day. When they surfaced from the kiss, Janaya found they hovered in the air.
“I knew it,” Luke said in a smug, satisfied note. “When your mind is clear of panic, you can fly.” He stepped onto a nearby ledge, his arm around her waist propelling her onto the ledge beside him.
“There’s the other boy,” Janaya murmured.
He lay a few feet from them, one of his legs at an unnatural angle.
“He’s not moving.” Luke grasped the rock face above the ledge they stood on and pulled himself up to the silent boy. “He’s unconscious. Janaya, you take him up to the top and I’ll check on his friend.”
Janaya gaped in shock. He trusted her with the small human. He wasn’t even watching her to make sure she followed his instructions. Her confidence took a flying leap.
He trusted her.
A warm sensation curled around her heart. Without stopping to analyze further, Janaya stared up at the still child. She found herself hovering beside him and picked him up, careful to keep his leg stable as she rose to the top of the cliff. She prayed she didn’t make his injury worse by moving him.
“Janaya? I need a hand down here,” Luke called.
A trace of fear unfurled inside then she concentrated on Luke. She closed her eyes, held her breath and stepped over the edge.
“Over here.”
Janaya kept her eyes firmly shut but followed the sound of his voice. “Keep talking.” Please, she thought.
“Have I told you how sexy you look?”
Janaya heard the smile in his voice. “No.”
“Pretty eyes.”
Janaya’s eyes flicked open when she found herself brushing his body. “Is that all?” she whispered.
“Nah.”
His grin was infectious and brought an answering smile in her.
A soft moan broke the spell that shimmered between them.
“How about taking this little guy up to the top then coming back for me? He’s drifting in and out of consciousness.”
Janaya gathered the small pliant body into her arms. “I’ll be back soon.”
She shot upward and placed the boy on the ground well away from the edge of the cliff. The sound of approaching voices hastened her actions. Janaya leapt over the cliff and shot down to Luke.
“Quick,” she muttered. “We have to hurry. It sounds like the rest of the rescue team is nearly here.”
“Give me a kiss first. You deserve one,” he said, and nuzzled the soft skin of her neck.
Janaya groaned. The sound of the voices became louder. “We don’t have time for this.”
Luke dropped an open-mouthed kiss on her collarbone. “You’re right.” He placed his hand in hers. “Do your worst, sweetheart. Throw me around.”
“Slam you into a tree more like,” she muttered. “That might knock some sense into you. Do you know what they do with aliens?”
“No, but I know what I’d like to do.” He moved her hand over his bulging erection. “I hope that none of the rescue team notices my hard-on.”
Janaya seized him by the scruff of the neck and yanked upward.
“Whoa!”
They slammed into the ground with enough force for the air to whoosh out of Luke and winded him.
“I’m sorry!” Janaya ran her hands down his legs and body to check for broken bones. “Are you all right?”
I sure as hell would be feeling fine if I had you poured over the top of me.
Janaya gasped a
nd sprang about to face the three men that had appeared from the thick bush that covered most of the hill. “We managed to get the two boys but Luke got slammed against the rock face when we were getting him up,” she blurted. Her cheeks heated despite her best efforts to remain unaffected by their untimely arrival.
To Janaya’s relief, Luke sat up and took over the conversation. “Have you got the portable stretchers? One of the boys has a broken leg. Both seem to have concussions. We’ll have to carry them out.”
“We’ve only got the one with us,” one of the men replied. “I’ll radio down for them to bring up another. The rest of the men aren’t far behind us.”
Between them, they seemed to have smoothed out the story. The men seemed more interested in getting the boys to medical attention, Janaya thought with relief.
She felt edgy with the adrenaline pulsing through her body. Her gaze met Luke’s. They blazed with an inner fire that matched the licking flames inside her. She stepped from one foot to the other and a zap of current shot from her clit where her G-thing massaged the tender spot. Janaya sucked in a deep breath. More than anything, she wanted Luke. She wanted to feel his cock pounding into her pussy. She wanted him full stop.
Chapter Ten
An hour passed before the second boy was safely transported down from the cliff top and handed over to the ambulance officers. Janaya bent over to toss the boy’s hat into the ambulance. Luke couldn’t help admiring the rounded cheeks of her butt faithfully outlined by her tight blue jeans. Unfortunately, every other red-blooded male in the vicinity noticed too. Luke barred his teeth at the ambulance driver but the kid smirked, blew him a kiss and carried right on looking. He couldn’t have that!
Luke stomped over to Janaya and arrived in time to hear a chat-up line. He curled his arm around Janaya’s waist in a clear statement of possession before he remembered they’d told everyone they were cousins. Shit.
He jerked away but still narrowed his eyes to slits of warning. “You ready to go?” Man, that had sure sounded cousin-like. NOT!
“I could do with a shower,” she agreed, a trace of teasing in her violet eyes.
Whoa! Down boy, Luke thought when his body reacted with the same possessiveness his mind had tried. At least wait until they were alone.
The ambulance pulled away and the members of the volunteer fire brigade waved and drifted off to their respective vehicles.
Luke tapped Janaya on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”
They walked to his Land Cruiser together. Once in the privacy of the front seat, Luke kissed her, eating at her mouth as though he hadn’t touched her for months. His hands moved to her breasts, tracing their shape beneath the tight green t-shirt. When Luke finally pulled away they were both breathing hard.
Janaya’s eyes glowed. “How long will it take to get home?”
“I know a shortcut,” Luke promised and he took off in a cloud of dust.
“This is quicker?” Clear disbelief shot Janaya’s brows toward her hairline. Her head thumped against the ceiling as the vehicle scrambled through a series of muddy potholes.
“Yeah.” And it had the added advantage of keeping away from town. Probably—no—definitely the best plan when all Luke could think of was getting her into his bed again and the delicious things they could do to each other.
He sped down a back road past the Sloan camping ground.
“The UFO hunters are still in town,” Janaya said.
Luke scowled at the two old vans parked under a trio of kauri trees. “I just wish they’d piss off and leave us alone.” And they might have if Dad and Hinekiri had flown to Africa in the middle of the night instead of five in the afternoon when every man and his dog were watching. But he didn’t say it out loud since he didn’t want to upset Janaya again.
“The press is still hanging around town too. That was another good reason to drive home on the back roads. Besides, this is the scenic route. See that river through the totara trees over there?”
“I see it.”
“I caught my first trout in that river when I was six. Haven’t had much time to fish since I moved back home.” A trace of regret coated his voice. “Maybe next weekend.” When you leave and I need something to occupy my time.
Luke slowed at a give way sign and turned to the right, pulling up behind his father’s house with a screech of brakes five minutes later. He leapt out of his vehicle and when Janaya reached his side, he dragged her through into the kitchen and slammed the door on the world outside. They stared at each other for a long heated moment. Without taking his gaze off her flushed face, he undid the buttons of his blue uniform shirt and discarded it on the floor.
Janaya snickered but he noticed the way her eyes darkened. “Someone’s in a hurry.”
“Yeah.” Damn straight, he was in a hurry. At the moment. But maybe later he’d leaf through Janaya’s copy of the Kama Sutra. Not that he was likely to run out of inspiration but trying a new position or two sounded like fun.
Janaya sashayed up the stairs in front of him, the sway of her butt attracting his appreciative eyes. She peered over her shoulder and winked. “Don’t forget the honey and the whipped cream.”
A slow grin spread across his face when he remembered their last session. Luke made an abrupt about turn. Sounded like a damn fine plan to him. He thundered up the stairs and arrived in his bedroom aroused and out of breath to find Janaya flicking through the pages of the Kama Sutra.
“Is that possible?” she demanded pointing at an entwined couple. Fascination and curiosity combined along with a frown to give her a really cute look.
Not for the first time, Luke felt something give in the region of his heart. He shied away from the elusive emotion and concentrated on the book. This was about fun. Nothing more. Nothing less. He tilted his head to study the picture she pointed at. It was difficult to see which legs belonged to which partner. Even stepping up beside Janaya and looking at the illustration right way up didn’t help.
“Don’t know,” he said finally. “But we can sure as hell try.” A leer claimed his lips as he imagined Janaya entwined with him, arms holding him so tight they felt like one.
“Not straight away.” Janaya’s tongue dipped out to moisten her lips. After placing her book on the bedside table, she heaped up his pillows and leaned back to study him with an expectant expression. “Strip for me.”
“No music.” Luke groaned inwardly. Weak, Morgan. Weak.
“If that’s all you’re worried about, I can do music.” She hummed a few bars then started to sing an unfamiliar song in a low husky voice.
Luke hesitated, feeling decidedly stupid and more than a little embarrassed at the idea. But determination showed in her eyes and when he thought of the possible payback…he changed his mind. Besides, with his shirt lying on the kitchen floor, there wasn’t much clothing left to strip off.
The need to please her made him start his striptease. Janaya continued to sing in a low, sexy voice that plucked at his sexual buttons. A little out of breath and very turned on—the fly of his navy uniform trousers was starting to strain under the pressure. His hands went to his black leather belt. With a shake of his butt, he started to get into the spirit. He unfastened the buckle then realized he’d tip arse over teakettle if he didn’t get things in the right order.
Shoes first, idiot.
Luke grinned at his near miss. Somehow, he needed to even the playing field, make her as hot as jalapeno pepper. Then they could burn together.
As he stooped to deal with his bootlaces, he raked his gaze over her curves then rose higher to her eyes.
Janaya’s heart jolted. Her pulse pounded at the intense passion in his eyes. The words of the Dalcon song came out of her mouth automatically, which was a good thing. Her nipples tightened at his heated look and her body ached for his touch, for the ecstasy to come. The Earthman removed his boots and peeled off his black socks. One sock landed near his boots and the other draped over the back of a wooden chair. His hands moved to th
e belt that circled his waist then ripped it from the loops and dropped it to the floor at his feet. The hiss then the thud of the buckle striking the floor stalled her breathing. Excitement lurched inside her stomach. Soon, she’d touch and trail her fingers over his muscled abs but for the moment she’d savor the ripple as he moved, breathe in his sandalwood scent and let her imagination roam.
The male sauntered past the bed, spun about with a devilish grin and eased his zipper down. Every trace of spit disappeared from Janaya’s mouth. A pale V of flesh showed between the parted fabric. The words of the song faltered. She swallowed then picked up again, humming this time because the words had fled her memory.
Luke ambled past the bed again and turned with a definite swagger in his step. His lazy appraisal sent an urgent message to her brain. Touch. Hurry. Her clothes clung to her aroused body, hugging her skin like a lover. Too many clothes. Way overdressed for this party.
The trousers slid down his legs and he stepped out of them leaving him standing before her in a pair of silky black shorts. They tented in the front and, once again, her musical accompaniment faltered.
“You’re very good,” Janaya whispered, giving up on the humming.
“I’d like to be bad.”
“Show me.”
He waggled a finger at her. “I think not. This is your show…”
“A challenge?”
“Yeah.” Luke whipped off his silky shorts and lay back on the bed beside Janaya but not close enough that they touched. She felt his heat through her clothing and saw his goofy grin.
Janaya gave a confident nod. “Close your eyes. No. Wait. I need your scarf.”
“It’s in the bedside drawer.” Interest and definite approval colored his expression.
Janaya opened the drawer and tugged out the soft silk. Leaning over him, she covered his eyes and tied it at the back. His tongue traced a wet path over the upper curve of one breast. A shudder of pleasure jolted clear to her toes. Janaya closed her eyes and swayed toward him in anticipation of his mouth suckling her breast. Instead, he taunted and teased her. Licking. Nibbling and licking again.
“Feels good,” she murmured. Maybe she’d do some licking of her own. Bending over him again, she reached for the bottle of runny honey. She planned the move so her t-shirt covered nipple passed right over his lips and lingered to tempt him. When his mouth closed over her offering, a soft sigh escaped. A flood of heat dampened her panties and sent a flush storming across every inch of her skin. Too many clothes, she thought hazily. Slowly, she moved away, the tug on her breast sending a corresponding jolt spearing straight to her clit.
Talking Dogs, Aliens and Purple People Eaters Page 11
