***
Melanie opened her eyes in the cabin. How had she gotten there? Had the men she fought off brought her there? They must have because the other option was impossible.
“You finally woke,” a man with a scratchy voice said.
He sounded like Jared, yet he sounded nothing like Jared. How could that be? She looked over in the direction from which the voice came and saw none other than Jared standing in the doorway.
“Jared!” she exclaimed. “When did you get here?”
“You do not remember?” he asked. “I helped you when they shot the tire.”
Melanie chuckled and tried to sit up. A heavy wave of nausea and dizziness swept over her, so she lay down again.
“That was some knock to my head,” she said. “You’ll never believe what I dreamed. A knight in shining armor on a white horse rescued me.”
To her surprise, he didn’t even crack a partial smile. Instead, Jared’s appeared confused. “How is your head?”
“It hurts like hell. Did you say somebody shot out my tire?”
“Two men. I think they wanted to abduct you.”
“Then you did rescue me. I hope you plan to spend the weekend in case they come back here.”
“The weekend—and more.”
He wanted to do more than spend the weekend with her? That wasn’t possible. They worked together. His office policy forbade one worker from having an affair with another. Well, unless they were already married to each other, of course.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Jared took her hand in his and used his free hand to check the lump in her hairline. “That is quite bruised. Perhaps you should see a doctor.”
“I’m sure it’s just a contusion—and maybe a concussion because I was out for a few minutes. I don’t need a doctor.”
She stared into his blue eyes, but they weren’t the color of blue that they used to be. These blue eyes had flecks of gold in them, which made them even more mesmerizing, and there was something different about his touch; it felt as though an electric current flowed between them.
To distance herself, she pulled her hand from his, saying, “Maybe you staying here isn’t such a good idea after all. You should leave.”
His confused expression deepened. “I thought you liked to hold hands.”
“With a boyfriend. Not my boss.” As she spoke, she noticed the mark around his neck. It hadn’t been just a dream but some sort of psychic connection that told her what happened. “Did you try to commit suicide, Jared?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because of the mark around your neck. And you’re talking strange. Maybe from a lack of oxygen to your brain.”
To her surprise, he stood and wandered to the window overlooking the lake. Her suspicions rose. This wasn’t Jared; this was some sort of double for Jared.
“Who are you? And how did you know about me?”
This Jared turned from the window to face her and said, “I came for you. You are destined to be my mate.”
His voice had changed. It was now deep and smooth as velvet. It caught in her heart, as she’d never had happen before.
“I’m not destined for anything concerning you—most especially not your mate.” Melanie pushed herself up to lean back against the headboard. “Now, who are you?”
“I am your knight in shining armor. I am your knight on a white horse.” Striding back to the bed, he sat down again. “I saved your life; now, we belong together.”
“You’re the knight on the horse?” she asked, astounded. “That was for real? I thought I was dreaming it. What in the world would possess you to do something like that? Did you set up those men so you could rescue me?”
“Set up?” He shook his head. “I do not understand. Why would you think that?”
“Because nobody in his right mind would do such a thing. Now, who the hell are you? Certainly not Jared.”
He straightened himself and spoke with a proud note in his voice. “I am Odin of Cartonia.”
“Odin, like in the Scandinavian god? And where the hell is Cartonia?”
“A very long way off. I don’t know of this Scandinavian god. My name is Odin, and I came to make you mine. We are destined to be together.”
Melanie scrambled from the bed and raced to the front door before he caught her. “Let go of me! You’re crazy.”
“I will not release you until you understand. My name is Odin, and I came from Cartonia for Melanie Collier. That is you, yes?”
His touch left her weak-kneed. She wanted to just melt into him. Jared/Odin could do things to her with just a touch, and she would love to be with a man like this forever.
“And you love Jared Scott, but that will change,” he announced. “You will love me instead. We chose you because you have no one—no family, no true friends, no Jared.”
“I don’t know why you look so much like Jared, but …”
His words interrupted her. “I look like Jared because I need a body to live on Earth. You love Jared, so I used Jared’s body. Therefore, you will love me.”
Unable to move, Melanie stared up into his gold-specked eyes. Her chest ached with a grief she hadn’t even felt when her parents died. She repeated four of his words that she couldn’t comprehend him having said. “To live on Earth?
Chapter 3
“Yes,” Odin replied. “Surely, you understand what I am saying. My council and I did research, and you are a very bright woman. You are exactly the female I want for my life-long mate.”
Melanie struggled with what he said. The word council barely registered in her mind. Life-long mate? He didn’t even know her. Somehow she had to stall him, so as she sat down on her sofa, she said, “But to live on Earth indicates that you normally live elsewhere. How could that possibly be?”
“I told you that I am from Cartonia,” he replied, sitting down beside her. “I will take you. With the right body, you would do well there.”
The right body? What the heck did that mean? He had said he had taken over Jared’s body, and now he was talking about her having the right one.
She must be in a coma. That had to be why all of this strangeness was happening. If that were the case, she may as well enjoy the ride. It was something to do rather than just lying there waiting to wake up.
“What body do you suggest I use? By the way, now that I’m thinking about it, if you’re from this place called Cartonia, how do you know English?”
“If I had used a body from a different place, I would be speaking French or German or any number of other languages. I know English because that is what Jared spoke. I rely on his memories.”
Jared’s memories included knights, armor, and white horses? Of course, they did! He was a Medieval Era geek and went to all of those Renaissance fairs. That had to have been where Odin got the idea to rescue her riding a white horse and wearing armor. Oddly, everything was starting to make sense.
The only problem with Odin’s story was that Jared didn’t love her. He still missed Sarah; he still grieved for Sarah; he still loved Sarah. She would never mate with Odin because Jared would never have sex with her. Obviously, Odin didn’t know that.
“I hope you realize,” she said, “that if you really took over Jared’s body, if you really have his memories, he wouldn’t screw me because we’re just friends.”
Odin gazed at her with questioning blue and gold-flecked eyes. “I do not understand screw, but Jared very much wanted to mate with you. Now it is time.”
He pulled the loose T-shirt he wore over his head, revealing a body that Melanie had only seen in magazines. That certainly wasn’t Jared’s body. Although Jared was a lean man, he didn’t have the six-pack abs or the pecs of a man who worked out daily. He didn’t have those strong arms, well defined without being too big.
Was she ever tempted to let this happen! But, unfortunately, she couldn’t. She needed to stand her ground and keep a distance for now because she had no idea who this man really was.
To sta
ll him, she asked, “Where is this Cartonia?”
“It is what you call light years away.” Odin repositioned himself and pressed his lips against hers.
They were soft yet firm, and they tasted sweet—not like candy or sugar or honey. Just sweet. Melanie felt as though she would melt right into his mouth. But she couldn’t do this! She needed to remain rational, or as rational as she could, considering a hunky man from some planet called Cartonia was kissing her.
Willing herself to move, she laid her hands on his chest and pushed him away. To her surprise, she couldn’t remove her hands. It was as though they were glued to him, stuck to those hard pectorals that danced under her touch. Oh, how she loved the feel of them!
“Did you not like that?” Odin asked, his voice filled with confusion. “Jared’s memories show that is pleasurable to Earth women.”
“It was very pleasurable,” she replied, still unable to remove her hands, “but it’s too soon after meeting you. Don’t his memories tell you that?”
“His memories tell me what I need to know, and I need to know how to mate with you to best make you want to stay with me forever.”
This whole dream was amazing yet confusing, but she couldn’t seem to wake from it. His next words, though, increased her bewilderment even though she’d thought she couldn’t be any more confused.
“I need a princess from Earth before I can return to Cardonia. We must strengthen our … our … What do you call it here? Ah, yes, there it is. We must strengthen our species.”
Chapter 4
Unable to contain the bubble in her chest, Melanie burst forth into laughter. Boy, did he have the wrong woman!
“A princess?” she exclaimed. “Me? You’ve got to be kidding. I’m about as far from a princess as somebody can get. I was the biggest tomboy growing up. Princess stuff was all silly, inane play that I only did so I had some girl friends.”
“You do not understand. I am Prince Odin of Cardonia. I am a prince like …” He hesitated and took on an expression that made him appear to be searching his mind, or Jared’s memories, for the words he wanted. “Ah, yes. Like Prince Albert of Monaco. I rule Cardonia, so we must return before long so I can attend to business. I do not have a lot of time for this discussion. We must mate and go back to Cardonia together.”
Melanie almost panicked. She wasn’t ready for sex with this Jared. Somehow she had to postpone what appeared to be the inevitable.
“Tell you what,” she said, her words coming out before she even knew what she would say, “why don’t you take me to this Cardonia first? Then, if I like it, we can screw our minds out. I’ll decide when I get there if I want to stay with you. But you have to promise to bring me back if I don’t like it.”
“I do not understand screw for some reason.”
“It means mate. Now promise me, or maybe you don’t know what a promise is. That means that if you say you’re going to bring me home, you absolutely must do it. Do you promise?”
He hesitated but nodded once and replied, “Yes. I promise. But you will be pleased with my Cardonia.”
“How do we get there?”
To Miranda’s dismay, Odin slid back into his T-shirt. Too bad, she thought. I was hoping I could keep an eye on that while we were traveling.
“My transport is not far away, hidden away in the forest where the people of Earth will not see it.”
“Terrific. Just let me call Jared and tell him that I won’t be in to work for a while. How long will I be gone?”
“There will be no more work for you, Melanie Collier. Your job will not be there next week.”
She stared at him in shock. “What do you mean? Of course, it will.”
“Do you not understand? The body I use has to be one that is just short of dying. Jared is no longer alive.” He rubbed the mark on his neck. “He used a cord to kill himself. He could no longer live without his mate. He cared for you very much, but he loved his mate. We must go now, and when we are gone, Jared will be found in his garage. I will no longer look like him. I hope you are not disappointed by my new appearance.”
Miranda followed him in a daze. Jared had committed suicide, and that probably meant the company would be sold. Even if it wasn’t, she couldn’t work there anymore—not with all of her memories of the good times she had there with Jared.
Chapter 5
Her mind reeling from what he’d told her, Melanie walked beside Odin, deeper and deeper into the Minnesota woods she’d explored as a child, but she didn’t remember this area.
She glanced up at Odin and noticed that the color of his hair had changed from red to some kind of pink, a kind she couldn’t describe. Had he left Jared’s body already? If so, how was he functioning on Earth?
Grabbing his wrist, she exclaimed, “Odin, wait! What’s happening to you?”
The magnetic energy between them startled Melanie. Oh, how she wanted this man. She felt as though she could actually ravage him right here in the woods.
They stopped walking, and Odin turned to face her. His hair was a pinkish color, but his skin had turned to bronze—not the bronze that people called deep tans, but a bronze that looked like the metal. How could she be so attracted to a man—more precisely, an alien—who was made of metal? But his wrist was soft and supple under her grasp.
“What do you want?” he asked in that deep, smooth voice.
“You’re changing,” she replied, staring up into Jared’s face.
“I must. Someone will find Jared Scott soon. I must put his body back.”
“How can you breathe? Doesn’t Cartonia have a different atmosphere?”
“Yes, but not so different that I cannot adjust gradually. That is why I can mate with you.”
“About that mating stuff,” she said, a bit hesitant to ask, “do you think maybe we should do it before you totally change?”
“I understand. I will not look like Jared any longer. Yes, we can do it now if you wish.”
“Dear Lord do I wish!” The words erupted from her mouth before she could stop them. Then she remembered where they were. People hiked in these woods all the time, and she wouldn’t want someone interrupting them. “Unfortunately, this probably isn’t the best place to do it.”
He stripped his shirt over his head, once again revealing his perfect abs. Oh, how she loved looking at them, especially now that they looked like a bronzed sculpture. Were they as hard as a sculpture? Or were they hard like an athlete’s?
Reaching out, she laid her hands on his broad shoulders and dragged her hands slowly over his pecs to his abs, from the belt of his relaxed-fit jeans to his manhood. It throbbed once in her hand as she fumbled to loosen his belt with her free hand.
“That feels very good,” he said with Jared’s toothy smile. “Better than on my planet.”
In an instant, she released him. “I shouldn’t be doing that. We’re in the middle of the woods. Hikers could walk by and see us.”
“There will be no hikers. No one but I—and now you—can access this part of the forest. It is hidden to only us. You may continue.”
“Oh, no! I couldn’t. I shouldn’t have done that to begin with.”
Odin grasped her shoulders and gently pulled her against him. His lips inched close to hers, giving her time to stop him, but she had no intention of doing so. They were in his world now, and she wanted to taste all of him.
Their lips finally met, and Melanie melted against him, unable to do anything but submit. He slid his right hand to her buttocks and clasped her to him. His organ throbbed against her lower abdomen, exciting her even further. His left hand found its way down to her right breast, where he lingered, using his thumb to taunt her nipple until it was erect. When it was, he used the palm of his hand to excite it, rubbing her nipple gently through her tank top and lacy bra.
If this was how Jared had conducted foreplay, she was sorry she’d never had the chance to make love with him. Now she just wanted to feel his naked chest against hers, so she broke contact and
yanked her top over her head.
He kneaded her mounds tenderly. This man was an incredible lover, especially for an alien. Reaching behind her, she unhooked her brassiere, and when it was loose, she worked it from between them. At last, his hands caressed her naked breasts. She sighed.
“You do that so well,” she praised.
“Do I? This is not how Cartonians do it, but I find it pleasurable.”
He unbuttoned her jeans and slid down the zipper as he backed her toward a tree. But when she touched the tree, she discovered it was soft like a mattress, not course against her skin. How was that possible? Did it matter?
Kicking off her sneakers, she leaned against the tree and unfastened his jeans. Then he bent down to remove her jeans, so she could no longer reach him. He kissed his way up her thigh and her stomach before centering his attention on her right breast. He suckled a moment, increasing her desire. She could scarcely hold still as he moved to the other breast.
Unable to resist a moment longer, she reached out and slid his jeans over his thighs, exposing his excited manhood. She grasped it, pumping it gently, until he moaned. She closed her eyes to imagine her dream man, the one with blond hair and amber-brown eyes, her dream man that she imagined on those nights when she needed to pleasure herself. Then he nibbled his way over her shoulders, up her neck, and around her jawline until he reached her mouth to kiss her.
With her hand still holding him, he lifted her at the knees, bracing her against the soft tree. She led him to her womanhood and rubbed his penis between the folds to wet it with her juices. Moments later, she removed her hand to grasp his buttocks with both hands, to hold on and to feel his muscles.
He slipped into her slowly, causing her to moan into his mouth. His tongue worked its way between her lips. The kiss intensified as he thrust into her again, this time skewering her on his excitement and grinding his pelvis against hers.
MILITARY ROMANCE: The War Within Himself (Alpha Bad Boy Marine Army Seal) (Contemporary Military Suspense & Thriller Romance) Page 61
