“That’s not the reason. We’ve been fighting this war since we first met Mira. That was a little over a year ago.”
“That long?”
He nodded, squeezing her hand. “It feels like just yesterday when we had our first encounter with them. We were at a club, and Tristan spotted Mira. Some big mouth human threatened her. Tristan wanted to show him how to respect women. That’s when we realized he wasn’t human or at least not totally human. The Shadow came after Mira and others around us as well as the community. That was our first encounter with them.” He leaned back on his arms looking at the sky making sure his hand was still on Keva’s.
“After that, we had plenty of little skirmishes with them. Nothing big until Ava came into Locke’s life. It was like they stepped up coming after us.”
“Now I’m here and they seem to have upped their timing once again.”
“It’s like they know something we don’t.”
“I think you might be onto something.” They wanted to destroy this world. Wasn’t that what dictators, in the end, wanted worldwide? She knew they said they wanted to rule the world but there was a part of them that wanted to destroy everything they came into touch with. That way no one would ever be able to succeed them. The Shadows wanted to destroy the world; she refused to burden him with that knowledge until she could tell them all at once. For him, she would carry the burden alone.
“Should I go home?” God, she was nervous it was like she was thirteen again waiting to see if the boy who lived down the block who always pulled her hair was going to ask her out.
“Probably,” he leaned in. She licked her lips. He was going to kiss her, he better kiss her, after making those eyes at her.
His lips touched hers, sweet, innocent, and totally swoon-worthy until his hot tongue flicked over the seam of her lips. The kiss was going from innocent to scorching hot. She opened her mouth moaning when his tongue flicked over hers. He had small bumps on his tongue that seemed to rile her up more. She found herself rocking back and forth on the porch as pleasure worked its way through her body.
His hand came up to her face holding her still so that he could get a better taste of her.
“You taste like cherries,” he pulled back so he could look into her eyes. “We didn’t know what fruit was when we first came to this planet. Our makers kept us half-starved so that we would fight harder. We’re mean when we are hungry. I thought I would hate fruit, but the locals at the time insisted we try a variety. The first time I tasted a cherry I was hooked, much like I am hooked on you. You are beautiful Keva, soft and round while tasting like the worlds juiciest fruit. I can’t believe I met you and your allowing me to kiss you.” He dipped his head to give her another deep kiss.
How was he still single? Besides being eloquent with his praise, he was hot. What woman or women in their right mind walked away from him? When he pulled her into his arms lying on his back with her on his chest, she went with him. There was no way she was giving up the moment. Who knew how many more she would get?
He kissed her as their lives depended on it; she was pretty sure they did. His tongue sliding over hers doing battle with her. He was finding the secret places of her mouth the places that made her feel good that she hadn’t discovered yet. His mouth was a treasure trove of sensations.
It was the clearing of a throat that broke them apart.
“Sorry,” Taris was standing behind them his eyes cast off in a different direction. “Mira wanted to know if you were staying for dinner.”
Dinner? Had that much time passed? She fished for her phone in her pocket to find out it was almost time for dinner.
“I don’t—”
“Stay?” Kayden’s hand was still rubbing up and down her back.
“I’d like that. I will be staying,” she told Taris in a stronger voice.
They sat up after Taris left, making sure they were pulled back together. She reached out wondering if that was a onetime thing. That’s when she felt the spark between them. The fire wasn’t out it was banked waiting for one of them to stroke it.
They went for a walk leaving the backyard to draw closer to the tree line.
“It’s amazing to think that right now there’s life like ours going on its everyday business somewhere in the stars.”
“I think things have more meaning when you think that you’re the only intelligent life outside your world.”
“I don’t know. It’s crazy to believe that only you or only your world has the special sauce to allow them to live. Besides, if we pay attention, the bible tells us there are other worlds. I mean if God made us why stop there?”
“I envy that about your people.”
“What?”
“That the being who made you loves you. It is not our reality.”
She never thought about that. It was second nature to believe that they were created by an all-powerful loving God. How must it feel to know the ones that created you didn’t love you?
“I think that even though those who created you didn’t love you, God loves you. I mean he brought you here.”
“You would share your God with me?”
“We share him with everybody, it’s one of the reasons we get into so much trouble. Where’s that dinner you promised me?”
They walked back to the house holding hands. She was feeling about sixteen right now and loving it. All she needed was her mom to come out of the house to call her name.
There was controlled chaos when they got into the kitchen. The music was a soft beat in the background as the table was set and food was shuffled around making sure everything was heated up or cooked thoroughly. They were teasing each other.
They included Keva like she lived there all her life.
“Taris came back with a flush to his cheeks when he went to ask if you were staying for dinner. I wonder what happened to him,” Ven asked with his ‘butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth’ smile.
Keva shrugged, “No idea did you say something to him?” she passed him by to sit at the table giving him the same innocent face.
“I thought maybe he got a look at the two of you kissing.”
“Nope he did mention you dropped your phone, and he picked it up. He was mumbling something about busty babes.”
Ven gave her a look of horror before everyone else broke into laughter.
“Busty babes? Why don’t you go to the same website where I met Ava maybe you can meet someone there? Some of the women there have to be busty.” Locke sat back with a too pleased look on his face.
Ven frowned at Keva. “I’m coming for you,” he tried to keep the smile off his face.
“Bring it brat,” she winked at him.
“This is why I try to never miss a meal,” Mira told them as she helped to load the table down with food. Once they each had a plate and were eating, she brought up a few housekeeping tidbits. “I got an update on detective Oliver today.”
“How is he doing?” Key asked.
“He started working again today, but he’s riding a desk for now. His motor skills came back faster than predicted. He’s not cleared for carrying a weapon yet, but at the rate he’s going they think it will only be a few more weeks until he is.” She lifted her glass of soda. “Good job family.”
“Here, here,” they joined her in a cheer about the good news.
“Is that the one who was missing a couple of weeks back?” Keva asked them, her glass in her hand.
“The Shadows took him. We think they were trying to draw us out.”
“Are you standing between them and something they want?” It did seem like the right question, but it felt wrong. Was there something she was missing? She didn’t know the Kur’iks, that could stop her from coming up with the right answer. Then again, none of this could be relevant.
“It’s enough to make your head hurt,” Mira told her.
“It really is,” Keva took a sip of her drink and finished her meal. She insisted on helping to clean up. When everything was done, the
couples wandered off in their separate directions. The others went to the living room. Kayden took her to his room where he had a balcony. They sat outside under the starry night.
She inched over until he took her in his arms. This was beautiful, the silence gave her a chance to hear nature sing its goodnight song. The stars that twinkled above along with the darkness that comforted not threatened. To find this paradise in the city was amazing.
When Kayden bent his head to kiss her, she opened her mouth eagerly surprised that she had been waiting for another kiss from him. Her hands roamed his arms before they slipped underneath the shirt he was wearing. The warm skin tickled the pads of her fingers. Her breath came out hard as his hands slid over the side of her breasts and his teeth grazed her neck.
She breathed in deeply wondering where the honeysuckle bush was until she realized it was Kayden. It was the smell that tickled her nose all day long. He might not think honeysuckle was masculine, but it had an honest, clean, enticing scent that she loved. He reminded her of that love, that innocent time in her life.
“Spend the night? I promise to keep my hands to myself.”
Him keeping his hands to himself was the last thing she wanted. Spending the night, on the other hand, was something she could get behind.
“Yes.” He adjusted her in his arms. Together they watched the stars as they slowly moved across the sky. As the moon shared its brightness with them, she wondered what other paths she would find worth walking in the dark.
Chapter Ten
Keva shook her head in the mirror and couldn’t help smiling. Kayden was prepared, he never had an overnight guest before, but he wore the look of a male that secretly hoped. From underneath the sink, he brought out a basket of all new products. ‘Things a woman needs.’ Then he blushed, that’s right her cold-blooded killer blushed and fled the room. Could she keep him? She wanted to keep him.
There were toothbrushes, soft, medium, and hard as well as toothpaste, several varieties. The basket contained deodorant as well as several shower gels and bubble baths. Then there were the tampons and pads because you never know. At that point, she laughed and cradled the basket to herself. This was a male that had no idea what he was doing but was dedicated to finding out. Wasn’t that the cutest thing she ever saw?
Dressed in a long tee he gave her to sleep in, she hesitantly walked into the bedroom.
“Hi,” she felt shy. It’s not like she never slept with a male before both sexually and platonically. It’s that one never meant this much to her so fast.
“You look beautiful.”
“In this old thing? Hush your mouth.” She smiled wide so he would know she was playing with him.
“I like it on you more than on myself.”
She was the one blushing now. “Thanks for the basket it came in handy.”
“I never thought I would have a chance to use it.” He was looking anywhere but at her.
“I know what you mean.”
That got his attention, his head came up sharply and his eyes tangled with hers.
“Sometimes I sit on the outside of life watching it go by. It’s almost like it’s a spectator sport as opposed to one I’m supposed to be part of. That’s hard. I want to reach out and stop everyone as I introduce myself like the new kid on the playground and beg them to let me play too.”
He reached out, taking her hand pulling her to the bed. “I understand. For me, it feels like my sins keep me in the corner.”
Keva crawls in the bed before Kayden joins her turning out the bedside lamp. She could have slept in one of the extra rooms in his suite she was given the option. He would have slept in one of them and let her take his bed. What she didn’t tell him when she turned him down was that she wanted to be next to him. The skin on skin contact didn’t scare her, not with him, even though he was an alien.
He laid perfectly still in bed while she tossed and turned trying to get comfortable. How do women do this? Forget other women how was she going to do this? With a sigh, she put all her I don’t give a fucks in a row. She flopped over and ended with her head on his chest and her leg wedge against his pressing into an area that was hot and getting harder by the second. Now she was comfortable.
“This is better, don’t you think?”
The groan coming from his lips led her to believe they may not be on the same page. Laughter bubbled up until he placed his big hand on her rear end. Was that groan on her lips sounding suspiciously like the one he let out moments ago?
“That’s better.”
Oh, he liked to play. She wiggled just enough so that her leg rubbed his hard dick and her hot pussy burned its way through his thigh.
“You’re touching me, really touching me,” it came out through clenched teeth.
Hadn’t she been touching and kissing him all day? She distinctly remembered the kissing. With all the touching and the kissing, none of it was as hot as this. It felt like they skipped several levels on the get to know you ladder. They were higher than they should be. Were they in the one-night stand part of the ladder or had they skipped that level too?”
She nuzzled into his chest while petting him with her hands. Thoughts of jumping him and taking what she wanted raced through her had followed closely by sleep. Her eyes closed, the day had been longer and more adrenaline-packed than she was used to. She fell asleep warm, safe, and comfortable.
Best night sleep of her life. When had she gotten the new bed and comforter? Slowly memories of yesterday came back as her brain came online. One eye opened enough for her to peek out. She slammed it shut. Yep, Kayden was looking at her.
“I know you’re awake.”
“What is this awake you mention?” His body shook as he laughed. Sighing she opened both eyes and smiled at him. “Aww, morning breath!” She flew out of bed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and take care of other bodily functions since she was up.
He was frowning when she came back.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was hoping for a kiss.”
She threw herself at him. Don’t care, she told the logical part of her brain. He caught her kissing her deeply before he finally settled her on his lap.
“I just want to say, in case you’re interested, that I am not opposed to certain things.”
“Certain things?”
“Uh-huh.” She winked at him and headed for the bathroom. She took a shower it would be rude not to use the gifts in his basket. With a deep sigh, she put on her clothes from yesterday. She wasn’t in love with shopping for clothes, but fresh clothes were a thing she appreciated in her life.
When she came out of the bathroom, he was sitting in the same spot on the bed.
He looked at her as if his brain was calculating the variance in two different courses to take them around the sun. “Certain things?”
“I think I broke you,” she climbed on his lap allowing her legs to hang over beside his as she leaned in to kiss him. “Yes, certain things.” Her hand slid down his chest before she reached his dick giving it a caress over the sleep pants he was wearing. “That’s if you’re ever interested.”
She jumped up going to sit in the chair on the other side of the room. “You owe me breakfast, hurry.”
His eyes were wide, and his pupils were almost blown. He gave her a smile that tied her stomach in knots and promised her more pleasure than she ever experienced. Then he stepped through the door giving her a chance to get herself together. She was going to need all her defenses with him.
It didn’t take Kayden long to get ready. They walked into the kitchen together holding hands. When he reached for her hand it felt so right that she took his without thinking about it. She thought about her mother instead, how she was able to find love at her age. Not that her mom was old. She was only forty-nine, she had Keva when she was nineteen. It wasn’t that she was old it was just that she spent so many years putting Keva first that at times she thought her mom wasn’t interested in the opposite sex. Turns out she was wrong. Kev
a didn’t have anyone to put before her happiness, especially now that her mom was happy.
“Sit, you’re just in time for breakfast,” Mira gestured to a chair.
“How was your night? Did you sleep well?” Ava wagged her brows because friends did not let their friend sleep with a hot guy without giving them trouble the next morning.
Keva laughed she may deserve this and much more. Maybe a few texts were exchanged when Ava was having her mind blown along with other parts by Nobody’s Prince.
Ava tapped her phone, nodded, then put it back. It took every bit of Keva’s control not to bust out laughing. Payback was coming. That’s why Ava was one of, if not the only best friend she had. Breakfast was light with teasing glances and outright suggestions that had all of them blushing.
“I need to go home.” She was walking with Kayden outside.
“I’ll take you.” He hit his key fob a different car lit up today.
“You guys just take a car?”
“Yeah, we don’t play favorites except with Mira’s car. That one we don’t touch. The key chain has an ‘M’ on it for her. I suspect that will be the same when Ava gets her car.”
“Why are their cars different,” She climbed into the front seat of a Lexus sedan.
“Ava’s car was designed with extra’s it can take a hit and keep moving. The glass is bulletproof. The inside is designed to help keep her alive in every disaster situation we could think of.”
“I don’t want to sound… I’m not sure of the word I’m looking for but why?
“She’s human with a human life span and frailties. Now that she mated to a Kur’ik her life span will be expanded. It should last as long as Tristan’s but her human frailty will always be a problem. As she ages, she will enjoy better health and less chance at death as her body adopts some of Tristan’s traits. I’ve no idea how long that will be ten years, one hundred years? You see the problem. So yes, we will always be more cautious with our mates.”
“How long do you live?” The thought of her dying long before Kayden made her ache inside. He would go on to love others why she grew old and withered away. It shouldn’t bother her, he wasn’t hers. The thought of him with someone else tore through her. Did that make her a stalker in the making? “They get to be together I think that’s what’s important.”
The Wolf & The Pretender Page 6