Murmuring a fervent prayer of thanks, she pulled onto the freeway and headed north, toward the small mountain community of Chadds Creek.
It was almost dawn when Lainey parked the car in the ramshackle garage behind the cabin. She had made one stop on the way up the mountain, stopping at a market to buy enough canned and dry food to last for at least a month.
"Micah?" She shook his shoulder gently. "Micah?"
Slowly, his eyelids fluttered open. "Lainey?" A faint smile touched his lips. "Thought… I had… dreamed you."
"No, I'm here." She brushed her fingers across his cheek, noticing that his skin felt hot and dry.
"Transmitter… ?"
"I've got it. Come on, I want to get you into bed."
"Don't think… I'd be… much good… right now."
In spite of the seriousness of their situation, she burst out laughing. "Micah! You made a joke."
"Not…joking…"
"Come on, you big lug, let's get you inside."
Five years made for a lot of dust and cobwebs, Lainey thought as she swept the kitchen floor. Earlier, she had found a rat's nest, several small piles of bones, and assorted animal droppings. All were gone now, picked up and scrubbed away.
Micah was sleeping, tucked between clean sheets and the blankets from her bed at home. She had changed the bandage on his arm, realizing, as she did so, that they had deliberately cut into him, taking little bits and pieces to study, she guessed. The thought made her sick to her stomach. Thank God she'd gotten him out of there before they did any real damage, she thought, and then wondered if she had. He had a low fever, but didn't seem to be in any pain in spite of the raw place on his chest and the shallow incision on his arm. He was still dizzy, groggy, a little disoriented. He said he had been drugged. What if the drug had permanent adverse effects on him?
She shook her head, refusing to think about the worst until it happened. For now, all that mattered was that Micah was there.
It took twelve hours for the drug they had given him to wear off.
Micah slept most of that time. Lainey sat beside his bed, afraid to leave him alone for more than a few minutes at a time in case he woke up and needed something. She touched him frequently, assuring herself that he was really there. His color was good. His fever was gone; the faint blue glow that had emanated from his skin seemed almost nonexistent and that worried her because she didn't know if it was a good sign or not.
Once, he cried out as though he were in pain and she took his hand in hers and held it tightly. He quieted instantly at her touch, and then he murmured her name.
She wept then, tears of gratitude because he was alive, tears of despair because she was afraid of what the future held.
"Lainey?"
Her head jerked up at the sound of his voice. "Micah! You're awake."
He nodded groggily. "Where are we?"
"At my grandmother's cabin in the mountains. We'll be safe here. No one knows about this place except my folks, and even they don't know we're here."
Lainey chewed on the inside of her lip, knowing how worried her parents would be when they didn't hear from her. In a day or two, she would have to drive down to Chadds Creek and call home.
Micah glanced around the room. It was small and square, with blue walls and checked curtains at the windows. "How did we get here?''
Lainey tilted her head to one side. "You don't remember?"
"No."
"It doesn't matter. We're here, and we're safe."
"The transmitter!" Micah exclaimed. "I've got to go back…"
She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Micah. I've got it with me."
He relaxed visibly, and she wondered what was so important about a broken radio.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
"Weak."
"Maybe you should eat something?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Well, I'm going to fix you some tea and toast just the same."
She brought him a tray a few minutes later and he obediently ate the dry toast and drank the tea, only to have it all come up again.
Lainey quickly cleaned up the mess, then changed the sheets.
"I'm sorry," Micah said. He refused to meet her gaze, embarrassed by his weakness, and by the fact that she had seen it.
"No," Lainey said, "I'm sorry. You said you weren't hungry. I should have listened. I just wish I knew what to do to make you feel better."
"Your being here makes me feel better," he murmured. "Come, sit beside me."
He didn't have to ask her twice. She sat down beside him, and he pillowed his head in her lap and closed his eyes.
"Micah? Your blue glow is almost gone."
"Is it?" He opened his eyes and studied his arm, surprised to see that the glow was, indeed, very faint.
"What does it mean?"
"I'm not sure." He closed his eyes again and burrowed deeper into Lainey's lap. "It might be a reaction to the drug they gave me," he murmured after a while, "or maybe it's fading because I'm becoming accustomed to the earth's atmosphere."
Lainey felt a little thrill of hope. If the blue glow disappeared altogether, he'd look pretty much like any other man except for the webbing on his hands and the size of his ears. But those things could be explained away as a birth defect, she thought, or maybe surgically corrected.
Gently, she stroked his brow, his hair. How had she grown to love him so dearly in such a short time? It was almost as if they had been destined to be together, as if Fate, realizing Her mistake in having them born on separate planets, had sought to rectify that error by bringing Micah to Earth. It sounded bizarre, even to Lainey's wild imagination, and yet the pieces all fell into place so neatly—her going out to the old Grayson place, her car refusing to start, the storm that had compelled her to take shelter inside the mansion.
She gazed at Micah, studying his profile, loving the strong, masculine planes and angles of his face, the sensual shape of his lips, the line of his jaw. His brows were thick without being bushy, his nose was long and straight, his cheekbones high and well defined. He was, she thought, nothing short of perfect.
"Lainey…"
"I'm here."
"Maybe you should leave. You're in danger as long as you stay with me."
"I'm not going anywhere, mister, so just put that idea right out of your mind."
His eyelids fluttered open and he gazed up at her, his silver-blue eyes bright with amusement. "Are all Earth women as stubborn as you?"
"Not all."
Lifting one hand, Micah cupped her cheek. "Looks like I owe you my life once again," he murmured.
"You don't owe me anything."
"I don't mind." His fingertips trailed down her cheek, and then he let his hand fall, as if he didn't have the strength to hold it up any longer. "Whatever happens. Lainey, I'm glad I met you."
"Nothing's going to happen."
He smiled at her for a long moment, wishing he was as sure of that as she was, and then his eyelids fluttered down and he was asleep.
He woke to find Lainey lying beside him, her head pillowed on his shoulder. How beautiful she was, this brave Earth woman. She had put her own life at risk to save his, not once, but twice.
Lying there, careful not to move lest he awaken her, he took stock of how he was feeling. His mind was clear, and except for a slight ache in his right arm, he felt strong. Turning his head to the side, he focused his energy on a glass of water sitting on the small table beside the bed. In a matter of seconds, the water started to boil and he glanced away, satisfied that his power had returned.
He would have to leave her soon, he thought sadly. The three men who had captured him would be searching for him. Scientists, whether human or Xanthian, were all the same, eager to explore the unknown, to poke and prod and examine every new specimen they encountered, whether that specimen was humanoid, animal, or mineral. As much as he loved Lainey, he could not stay here and put her life at risk. She thought they were safe, but he didn't share
her optimism. Tomorrow, or the next day for sure, he would activate the distress signal, alerting Pergith to his whereabouts. Surely another day or two with Lainey wasn't too much to ask.
Lainey stirred beside him, her head burrowing deeper into his shoulder as she snuggled up against him, driving everything else from his mind but the supple curves of the woman beside him. The scent of her hair and skin wrapped around him, evoking memories of the many nights they had made love. The first time they had been intimate had been an experience unlike anything he had ever imagined. At the time, he had been certain nothing in his life would ever be more satisfying and yet, each time he had made love to her had been better than the last.
And he wanted her now. Desperately. Needed to feel her closeness, needed her sweetness to banish the feeling that he was utterly alone in a strange land.
In his mind, he whispered her name.
"I want you, too," replied a sleepy voice.
"Lainey, I didn't mean to wake you."
She smiled up at him, her brown eyes glowing with amusement. "Didn't you?"
"Maybe I did."
She stroked his cheek with her forefinger, then drew it lightly over his lower lip.
"I don't have to ask what's on your mind," she said, grinning broadly. "Your thoughts are coming through loud and clear."
"Is it all right?"
She couldn't help laughing. They'd made love countless times in the last few weeks, and he still felt the need to ask her permission. It was sweet, somehow, that he never took her for granted.
"Of course it's all right." Turning on her side, she began to drop light kisses on his cheeks, his nose, the curve of his jaw, his eyelids.
He made a soft sound of pleasure as her mouth settled over his, her tongue lightly stroking his lower lip.
Now that he had her permission, Micah made love to her ever so sweetly, his hands light and gentle as he adored her, his voice thick with desire as he whispered that he loved her, that she was the center of his universe, the sun in his sky.
His hands were like magic, softly caressing, filling her with wonder, carrying her to the heights and depths of ecstasy, and yet it was the words of endearment he spoke to her that brought her the most pleasure. He had never been in love before, and Lainey felt truly blessed to be able to share the newness of it, the wonder of it, with him.
Later, lying in the circle of Micah's arms, she tried to remember the words of an old Michael Bolton song, something about a man who told his girl he loved her but he lied, because it was more than love he felt inside. How true that was where Micah was concerned, she thought.
She had told Drew she loved him; at the time, she would have sworn it was true, but she knew now that comparing what she had felt for Drew to what she felt for Micah was like comparing the pale silver light of the moon to the blinding brilliance of the sun.
There was no comparison at all.
Chapter Fifteen
She awoke to find Micah gazing down at her, his silver-blue eyes filled with sadness.
"What is it?" Lainey asked. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Micah forced himself to smile. "Why?"
Lainey shook her head. Maybe she was just imagining things. "Are you hungry?"
Heat simmered in the depths of his eyes as his gaze moved over her, slowly, suggestively. "Very."
"Men," Lainey muttered in mock disgust. "Don't you ever think of anything else?"
Micah took her hand in his, his thumb making lazy circles on her palm. "I never thought of it at all until I met you."
She was melting, she thought, dissolving from the inside out.
"Lainey…" He brought her hand to his lips and kissed each knuckle, then turned her hand over and kissed the pulse point on her wrist. How was he ever going to leave her? How could he go back home, back to the loneliness of his old way of life, now that he had known Lainey St. John? How could he leave her, now that he knew what it was like to love, to be loved, to be a part of someone else's life?
He drew her into his arms, crushing her close. How could he even think of a life without her? His former life seemed empty and without meaning as he recalled the years he had spent in space, exploring other worlds, gathering samples of dirt, of plant and animal life. There had been times when he had gone for months without seeing another living soul. Until now, he'd always been happy with his lifestyle, content to be alone, satisfied with his work. Only now did he realize he'd been lying to himself, that his life had been empty, that he'd been content to be alone because he himself had been empty.
"Micah?"
"Hmm?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Micah, don't lie to me. I may not be able to read your thoughts right now, but I can sense that something's bothering you."
His arms tightened around her, as if he would never let go.
"Please, Micah, you're scaring me."
"I love you, Lainey. You believe that, don't you?"
"Yes."
"It's because I love you that I've got to go."
A cold hand squeezed the warmth from her heart. "Go where?"
"Back home."
"No!"
"Lainey, don't you understand? As long as I'm here, you'll be in danger."
"I don't care."
"I care."
"But no one knows where we are. Please, don't go."
He stroked her hair gently. He could feel the wetness of her tears on his chest, feel her shoulders shake with the force of her silent weeping.
"Lainey, I don't want to hurt you."
"Then don't go!" She leaned back so she could see his face. "I was so alone until you came. My life was so empty. There were days when I never left the house, when I buried myself in my writing because what was happening in my story was so much more exciting than reality."
"Lainey…" He drew her into his arms again, his face buried in her hair. "I know, cominza," he murmured. "I know."
"If you know, then how can you even think of leaving?"
"Because I love you. Those men who had me, they won't stop looking. I wasn't the first Xanthian they'd captured, Lainey. There was a Xanthian skeleton in their laboratory. They're conducting the kind of experiments you once accused my people of doing."
And that was another reason he had to go back, he thought bleakly. He had to warn his people that the people of Earth knew of their existence.
"Is there nothing I can say to make you stay?"
"I must go." He put his forefinger under her chin and tilted her head up. "But I'll come back if I can, Lainey. I promise."
"Do you have to contact your people right away?"
Micah shook his head. He had planned to stay another day or two. He knew now that it would take at least that long just to say good-bye.
Later that afternoon they went for a walk. Hand in hand, they climbed a narrow, winding path that led through a forest of tall trees, their footsteps muffled by a thick bed of pine needles.
It was beautiful, Micah thought. The sky was a clear, bright blue, so different from the sky at home. Colorful birds flitted from tree to tree, filling the air with their cheerful melodies. Lainey pointed out chipmunks and squirrels, told him the names of the different kinds of birds. They paused to watch a deer grazing on a patch of grass in a shady glen.
They'd been walking about an hour when they came to a small mountain meadow fragrant with clover and wildflowers.
"Pretty, isn't it?" Lainey asked.
"Yes. Almost as pretty as you."
"Oh, Micah…" Blinking back a tear, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his chest. She'd known him such a short time, and yet she couldn't imagine what her life would be like without him.
"Don't think of it now," he urged.
With a nod, she sniffed back her tears. "There's a small lake over there. Do you know how to swim?"
"Like a fish."
The water was cold, but Lainey hardly noticed. Wrapped in Micah's arms, feeling his wet skin against
her own, she was conscious of nothing else. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms, reveling in the latent power she felt there. He kissed her cheeks, her neck, the curve of her breast, and heat suffused her, making her forget the cold water, making her forget everything but Micah.
She let her gaze move over his face, memorizing each feature, let her fingertips trail across his chest. She smiled as she felt the hard evidence of his desire press against her belly, and then his hands were doing their own exploring, filling her with a bittersweet pain.
She had never made love in the water before. It was a unique experience, slick flesh sliding against slick flesh, their bodies buoyant in the water. It was primal, the ancient, eternal mating of male and female, life renewing itself. Almost, it was like being reborn.
Spent, they stretched out on the grass, her head pillowed on his shoulder, and let the sun bake them dry.
"The sunlight doesn't seem to bother you anymore," Lainey remarked.
"I think I must be getting acclimated to Earth's environment," Micah replied.
He lifted his arm and studied it a moment. The faint blue glow that had shadowed his skin had disappeared. Except for his ears, and the webbing on his hands, he looked much like any other human male.
He picked up Lainey's hand and pressed his own against it, palm to palm, noting how similar they were, and how different.
Lainey folded her fingers over his. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me," she whispered.
She placed his hand on her belly and covered it with her own, wishing she could bear a child, wishing she could feel Micah's seed growing within her womb.
"I wish I could stay." He kissed her gently. "I want to stay."
"I know." She turned onto her side, her head propped on one hand while she traced figure eights on the broad expanse of his chest.
His skin was firm beneath her fingertips, warm from the kiss of the sun. For a moment, she thought of destroying the transmitter, of smashing it into a million tiny pieces so he'd never be able to contact his people, never be able to leave her, but even as she thought of it, she knew she would never do such a thing.
Couldn't do it. He was an honorable man. And a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. She didn't know where she'd heard that phrase, but she suddenly realized it was true. And on the heels of that bit of wisdom came the memory of a line she'd heard in the movie Parenthood. Women have choices, Steve Martin's character had said to his wife, men have responsibilities.
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