Ice

by Michelle M. Pillow

  “We’re looking for a truck with a red logo that reads ‘Pan Darrell’ on the side.” Elle quickened her pace.

  “Are we stealing another car?”

  “We’re going to stow away in one of the trailers. The Pan Darrell driver told me his next stop is Boulder. That’s right outside of Denver. I went around and told everyone I was looking for a ride. I had two offers, but the first one was sketchy and smelled like he hadn’t bathed in a while. The second one only had room for one passenger in his cab, and I think he wanted to trade sex for travel. He said he was leaving in twenty minutes, so we don’t have much time. We are going to have to sneak onto the back of his truck.” She glanced at Ice. “Do you know how to read English?”

  Ice nodded. “It was part of my uploads.”

  “Uploads?” She continued her search.

  “The Galaxy Brides aliens inject the information into our brain so that we may have the knowledge. Once it processes, we are able to possess a new skill.” Ice noticed a long white truck with a red cab. The rounded logo looked as if it said the words she was looking for. “Is that it?”

  “You let someone inject a whole language into your brain, so you could come to Earth and meet women?” She frowned at him. “That seems extreme.”

  “Actually, they injected two.” Ice paused, accessing the ability to add in the gurgling nuances of the Venimice. “Though we didn’t need the first one.”

  “That’s the noise you were making when we,” she paused before finishing, “found you.”

  “When you and your friends captured me and took me to a laboratory?” he offered.

  Elle stiffened as if he’d insulted her. “They’re not my friends. They’re people I was hired to work with. If I had known that aliens were real, that you were real, I would never have taken the job. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not. If you had not taken the job, I would not be free right now. You would not be my girlfriend.”

  His comment made her laugh, and he smiled. He liked her laughter. It was better than the worry that had been lining her features since the policeman pushed her onto the hood of the stolen car. Even now, he pictured the panicked look on her face as the man patted his hand against her. No one would touch his woman without her permission. Ice would not allow it.

  “Why do you all want to marry so badly, anyway?” she asked. “Oh, crap, that’s the driver.” She pointed at a man in a red jacket coming down one of the aisles. “Hurry.”

  Elle ran around to the back of the truck and pulled a pin from the bottom of the door. Throwing a lever to the side, she lifted it by small degrees before leaning around the side of the truck. “Get in.”

  Ice felt cold air hit him, and he sighed in relief. Finally, some reprieve from the heat. He set the bag inside and leaned forward. He then braced his foot to push through the narrow door space on his stomach. Inside, he stood, looking around. Small blue lights illuminated the white walls. Brown boxes wrapped in clear plastic were stacked along the side walls and held into place by yellow ties. The cold felt great against his skin. He didn’t realize how badly he’d missed the feel of it. Even his wounds began to tingle.

  “He’s almost here. Pull me in,” Elle said. Her hand darted beneath the door. He didn’t hesitate as he grabbed her and slid her along the floor. He then pushed the door shut, trying to be quiet as he forced it down. The sound of the latch falling into place clicked and he let go.

  “Wait, don’t,” Elle cried, hurrying to the door and pulling on it. She couldn’t get it to move. “We have to get out of here.”

  “Why?” Ice turned to look at the cargo. He leaned closer. It was hard to read in the dim light, but he made out a few of the words. “Are chicken patties dangerous?”

  Her breath came out in tiny puffs of air and she gripped his arms. “This is a refrigeration truck. They get down to like negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit.”

  He took a deep breath and smiled. This would be a very pleasant journey.

  Elle squeezed him tightly. “Ice, I’ll die at negative twenty. Humans can’t be that cold. I need a heat source.”

  She again tried to pull at the door. The trailer began to vibrate and rock. Seeing her panic, he tried to help. The door wouldn’t move.

  “What are we going to do?” She hurried toward the front of the truck and began striking it with her hands, yelling, “Hey, we’re in here!”

  Cold air blasted from a grate next to her.

  She fell back, lifting her arms as if they could protect her from the gust of air. Ice pulled the jacket from his shoulders and wrapped it around her own. The truck rocked. Her yelling did not alert anyone.

  As good as the cold air felt against his skin, he could tell it had the opposite effect on Elle. She trembled violently. He looked around, finding cloth tarps piled near the wall beneath the air conditioning unit. He pulled them toward the back of the truck and piled them against the boxes, away from the air.

  Ice sat on the floor and motioned at her. “Come. I have heat.”

  “We have…to get…out…of…here,” she said through chattering teeth.

  “I have heat for you,” he repeated.

  “Ice, I—”

  “Come.” This time the word was stern. He motioned to his lap.

  Elle inched closer to him, rocking as the truck swayed to the left. She stumbled a little, and he caught her hand.

  She gasped, clutching his arm with icy fingers. “You’re…warm.” She practically fell against him as she knelt on the ground. “You’re like…a fire.”

  When she burrowed into his chest, he reached for her hips and lifted her onto his lap. Her legs straddled him. He would have to deal with the discomfort of their position if it meant helping her. He did not wish for her to die. “No. I believe fire melts ice quickly. I do not.”

  Elle’s head rested against his shoulder. He felt her breath on his neck. His body began to vibrate with need, even as she shivered in his arms. By small degrees, the temperature of her body warmed.

  “Thank you,” she whispered against his neck.

  “I will share my warmth with you anytime, Elle,” he answered. “You are my girlfriend.”

  “I don’t think that means what you think it means,” Elle said, “but right now, I’d agree to anything so long as you don’t let go.”

  Ice had no intention of releasing her. Ever.

  Chapter Eleven

  Elle was unsure how long she’d lain against Ice’s body, but the warmth had called to her, lulling her to sleep. The smell of Fall filled each breath. She awoke still pressed tightly against him, her legs wedged on either side of his. He was stroking her thighs as if instinctively warming them with his hands. They were on a bumpy road as the truck drove over construction grooves.

  Her breasts tingled with awareness and she arched her back to pull her chest away from him. The movement did not have the desired effect as the vibrating against her nipples became more pronounced. It was then she realized it wasn’t the truck that vibrated. It was Ice.

  She pushed back, not as bothered by the cold air as before. Ice’s bright blue eyes stared at her. She glanced down. It was hard to see anything in the shadows. The vibrations came in steady waves, pulsing in an even tempo.

  Without thinking her actions through, she kissed him.

  The hands on her thighs stilled and tightened. Where his lips had been cool before, they were now warm, as if his body activated in the cold. She moaned softly, parting her lips as she deepened the kiss. He tasted like an exotic spice, slightly familiar, and yet not at the same time. She pulled back, licking her lips.

  “Why did you kiss me?” he asked.

  “Why did you let me?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she kissed him again. Their mouths met in a testing rhythm. Elle knew kissing an alien was, perhaps, strange and wrong and so many other things, but she couldn’t stop. Her mouth was drawn to his, just as her body was drawn to his heat.

  He pulled on her hips, and she stiffened in a moment of panic. Sh
e pressed her hands to his chest. She took several deep breaths, trying to bring rational thought back to her hazed brain.

  “Are we…?” She glanced down. The truck continued down the road, swaying as it took a curve.

  “I am assured we are compatible humanoids. We would not have been brought here otherwise. I hope that is true because I cannot take much more vibration.” Ice pushed up on her hips, urging her to stand. “I will show you.”

  Elle shivered from being away from his heat. Ice stood and tugged the dark pants down his legs and took the shirt off. An erection stood from his hips. The head was narrower than a human male’s, and tiny bumps moved beneath the skin. Curious, she reached to touch the blue member with the tip of a finger.

  The bumps were the source of the vibration.

  “Do you have a place for it?” Ice’s words were pained.

  She thought about lying. Could she go through with this?

  Her body’s reaction said yes, but since when did she let her body make decisions for her brain?

  “Is this where you would like me to place it?” Ice touched her opened mouth, slipping a finger in as if to test the entryway.

  Elle reached to unbutton her jeans. She pulled his probing finger from her mouth and placed it down the front of her pants. “My place is here.”

  Heat enveloped her sensitive clit. Her breathing became ragged as she tried to remain standing. The shock of cold and heat made her lightheaded. He dug his fingers against her soft folds, slipping downward. “I do not feel where I should—” Then his finger slid into her, and he made a small noise. He moved it around, stroking the walls of her sex before nodding. “Yes, that place will do very well. Expose it for me.”

  Elle wasn’t sure what to think of the alien sex talk. It was half-commanding, half-begging. She trembled, looking at his blue skin, debating. She could stop this now. “It’s so cold in here.”

  “I have heat for you.”

  Heaven help her, she didn’t want to stop.

  Elle ineloquently took off her shoes and pants. He lowered to his knees before her, instantly pressing his face forward to examine what she had to offer. His breath fanned over her sex, tickling her as it blew the hairs guarding her opening. He petted her with the tip of his finger.

  “I have never seen hair here.” He brushed his lips over her, and then a hot tongue flicked along the folds. The truck hit a bump, causing his face to press against her more fully. She gasped, grabbing his black hair. She pushed him back so that he fell against the boxes.

  Elle went to him, seeking heat, seeking relief from the turmoil building in her wet sex. She straddled his waist, not hesitating like before as she brushed the tip of his vibrating member along her ready body. He grabbed the shaft, aiming it as he braced his other hand and lifted his hips off the floor.

  Elle dropped onto Ice’s quivering shaft. The clamp of her sex did not stop the vibrations. If anything, they intensified.

  “Your cave is so soft,” he said, moving his hips in tiny circles. His eyes closed, and he moaned. “I enjoy being inside.” Elle lifted to stroke herself against him and his eyes instantly opened. “Please, don’t release me. I am not done vibrating.”

  Elle’s gaze met his pleading one, and she dropped back down. Oh, fuck, but it felt good. He sighed in relief and restarted the tiny circular movements. Her hands gripped his shoulders. The blue flesh fascinated her and she couldn’t look away.

  “This is how we Earthlings do it.” Elle lifted up and bore down, stroking his length.

  “That is…strange.” He seemed to consider the motion.

  “It’s how you make me vibrate,” she tried to explain as she felt her climax approaching.

  Elle couldn’t believe it. She was having sex with an alien. And it was freaking awesome.

  Ice slowly mimicked her rhythm. By small degrees, a smile crossed his features. “And this is how you like—”

  “Oh, yes,” she interrupted, riding him harder. “This is how I like it.”

  Tremors erupted inside her belly, causing her to stiffen on him as she met with release. The intense pleasure filled her. She cried out softly and was unable to move.

  Ice gripped her hips, holding her against him. The vibration of his shaft pulsed harder, sending what felt like tiny shocks of electricity into her. His climax caused a jolt of energy to flow out from him into her. Strange alien words left his lips. The energy made her skin tingle with awareness, but it also warmed her, giving her an inner heat that had not been there before.

  They both tried to catch their breath. She no longer noticed the cold.

  “I will enjoy vibrating you again,” he whispered, kissing the curve of her neck. “Many times.”

  Elle knew that she was going to let him do just that.

  Whatever happened when they met their sexual climaxes had infused her with enough heat to feel comfortable in the impossibly cold temperatures. But the feeling did not last, and after an hour she felt the cold trying to creep in. Ice held her in his arms, not bothering to cover himself. His shaft stayed partially erect as if that were its natural state.

  Elle ran her chilled fingers along his inner thigh. “I think I need you to vibrate me again. I’m starting to freeze.”

  Instantly, his body responded, gently at first but when she touched his member, the bumps engorged along the shaft to press against her hand. The vibrations intensified.

  “You showed me the Earth way. I will show you the Sintazian way now.” He stood up. Her hand fell away from him. He motioned that she should join him.

  Elle stood, and he turned her away from him. Then, pushing at her back, he lowered the top half of her body forward. She grabbed the boxes to keep from falling. The truck continued to sway and bump. He took her hips in his hands and shoved himself into her sex. He stayed deep, working his hips in tight, fast circles. The hardened bumps hit her just right, and she cried out as she gripped the boxes tighter. The cold stung her fingers, but she didn’t care.

  He spoke his alien language, the sound like a song she couldn’t understand. As he remained seated inside her, he leaned into her ass. The vibrations worked their way up his stomach to spread over her from the back as well.

  As much as she wanted him to slam himself into her with hard thrusts, she had to admit there was something to be said for the steady vibrating motion.

  “Now I will do your Earth way.” Ice pulled out and thrust. Elle made a weak noise of surprise. He did it again. “This Earth way is enjoyable.”

  “Ah, fuck,” was the only response she could manage.

  All she could do was hold on as he took her from behind. He had her under his complete control. The zaps of electricity started. She climaxed hard. He kept riding her, drawing out the tremors racking her body. Then, the final burst of energy shot through her. Heat infused her, and she pushed weakly to standing. He slipped out of her body.

  Elle lifted her arms around his neck and leaned her face close to his. “Had I known you’d make me feel like this, I’d have helped you escaped weeks ago.”

  “Had I known I’d find you, I would not have protested coming to Earth,” he answered.

  Elle moved her mouth closer to his so that their lips brushed as they spoke. “Had I known I’d be expending this much energy, I would have had us stow away on a snack cake truck.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Ice hoped the truck would never stop. If infusing his woman to keep her alive held so much pleasure, he never wanted it to end. Galaxy Brides had been vague on the human mating customs, only to say that Sintazian and Earthlings were physically compatible. He never imagined there would be so much writhing and thrusting involved.

  Seriously, why hadn’t his people thought of this technique? Usually, they pressed together and vibrated, but she didn’t vibrate unless he made her, and even then, it was more trembling and jerking. Ice liked the challenge it presented. He wanted to do it again.

  “This trip has to be over soon,” Elle said, her teeth beginning to cha
tter a little, “and he’ll check the load, so we can get out of here.”

  Ice felt mildly guilty as he sat naked, enjoying the temperatures. His wounds had healed, and he felt better than he had since leaving his home planet.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, pressing her cold ear against his arm for heat. “This is the worst rescue attempt ever. I should have come up with a better plan.”

  “You freed me. That is all that matters. This plan has not been bad.” Ice tried to comfort her, though he wasn’t entirely truthful. He found very little about his trip to Earth to be good. He’d found her, that was the one sunny spot in an otherwise shadowy experience, but he had lost his brothers, and he might never see them or go home again.

  He longed for the isolation and silence of the ice plains. Earth had so many noises—voices, buzzing lights, beeps and dings, jingling bells over doors, grumbling engines. This planet was a chaos of sound and movement.

  Chaos had not been a good surname choice. He should have been called Ice Silence. That is what he wanted. Yes, Sintaz was lonely. His people were leaving the harsh planet for better opportunities, but it was still home. It was safe. It was familiar. Snow and Frost had been there where he could protect them. He longed to go back.

  But what about Elle? Her frail human body would not survive the Sintazian winter without meticulous preparations. As much as he liked infusing her with heat that wasn’t exactly practical on a daily basis. He’d have to hunt for their food, tend to other chores. She’d spend half the year in an ESC snowsuit. He couldn’t stop every earth hour to warm up a wife.

  His body stirred, giving a completely different opinion on the matter. “Shall I warm you again?”

  “I’m so tired,” she mumbled, shivering. “I just want to sleep.”

  It appeared that their mating had been a temporary fix. He held her closer, willing her to take his body heat. She looked as if she wanted to open her eyes but couldn’t. Her lashes fluttered.

  Her hand dropped weakly from his chest onto his lap. She slumped against him. This didn’t feel right.