by Cara Bristol
This wasn’t the time or place to engage in a pissing match. “If Jordan is here, then why call me?” I asked sweetly.
“Because you’ve worked here the longest, you’re the most familiar with the hardware and software, and you’re like my right-hand man. I trust you.”
“Maybe you ought to give me a big fat raise, then.” And, stop interfering with my social life, let me have the codes to the frickin’ safe so I can do my frickin’ job, and tear up that employment contract. I wasn’t buying his bullshit du jour.
“You’re already the highest paid employee,” he said.
That surprised me—if it was true. I wouldn’t put it past him to tell all his long-term employees that. Psst! You’re my favorite. Don’t tell the others. And, like I said, my salary looked good on paper until you divided it by the number of hours worked. The hourly rate wasn’t as impressive.
I sighed. “Well, since I’m here—what do you need help with?”
“Double-check to determine if anything was stolen. I don’t think anything was, but maybe Jordan and I missed something.”
“All right.” It was the least I could do.
“Come this way,” Orman beckoned. “We’ve photographed everything, but try not to touch or step on anything.”
Sixx started to follow us.
“He needs to wait outside,” Miles said.
“If you require my assistance, then Sixx comes with me,” I said. “He’s not interested in your video games. He’s from Dakon.”
Miles dropped his jaw. “Seriously? You mean the Daniel Boone outfit, the horns, are real? I thought you guys had been to a cosplay convention. I figured the whole alien thing was a put-on.”
Did I say Miles was intelligent? I take it back. “Do I look like I’m in costume?”
“Well, no, but I figured you had opted not to participate.”
I sighed. “The point is, Sixx is not going to steal your games. First, he’s honest and doesn’t steal. Second”—I gestured at the mess—“everything proprietary is locked up, and if the intruders couldn’t get to it, neither can he. Third, he has no market. His planet doesn’t even have computers.”
“We have one,” Sixx volunteered. “Your people gave it to us so we could contact them. It’s located in the main lodge of our Meeting Place. An Earth female named Andrea operates it for us.”
“There—you see?” Miles said.
“Don’t be an ass.” I scowled and gripped Sixx’s arm. “Come with us.”
Under Miles’ watchful glower, Orman, Sixx, and I scrutinized the damage. True to his word, the detective wouldn’t let me touch anything, so I couldn’t peer under overturned desks and cabinets and cube walls, but I counted hard drives and monitors and gave it as thorough a look-see as I could. “I’m about 99 percent sure everything is accounted for,” I said. “I think they just trashed the place.”
“That’s the way I’m leaning.” Orman nodded. “There are hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment here, and nothing was taken? Unless Ellison’s private computer expert discovers otherwise, I think the motive was simple vandalism. Someone wanted to break stuff.”
“Why would they do that? What’s the point?” Sixx asked.
“People are assholes,” I said.
“Does Ellison have any enemies? Anybody with an axe to grind?” Orman asked.
I snorted. “How about everyone who knows him?”
Miles had ceased watching Sixx like a hawk and was now engaged in conversation with Jordan. Orman thrust his jaw in their direction. “I sense some tension between you.”
“Jordan? No issues. He’s a nice kid.” I pretended to misunderstand. Discussing Miles, my ex, in front of Sixx would be crass.
Orman narrowed his eyes. “You know what I mean. You and Ellison seem to have an interesting relationship.”
I twisted my mouth. “Miles and I go back a ways.”
“They were mates,” Sixx said.
The detective’s eyes turned even squintier.
Before much longer, I needed to coach Sixx to not volunteer information or answer unasked questions.
“We dated in high school. Miles started this company, and, after college, he hired me. We don’t always see eye to eye, if that’s what you’re getting at.” The detective’s skeptical facial expressions were pissing me off. Surely he didn’t consider me a suspect. As this was the start of an investigation, he should avoid jumping to conclusions—especially erroneous ones.
“I wasn’t getting at anything,” the detective said.
Yeah right. “Are we finished now?” I glanced at the retro office clock on the wall. Its face had been shattered, but it still worked, or at least the hands had moved. The big one was on twelve, the little one on three. “I’d like to go home and get some sleep.”
“I think we’re good.” Orman handed me his card. “If you think of anything, call me.”
“Will do.”
I was glad Miles and Jordan were still in a huddle. Keeping my distance so I wouldn’t get sucked into a conversation, I waved from afar, alerting them we were leaving.
“I’ll text you,” Miles yelled.
“Yeah, you do that.” I wrinkled my nose. I didn’t need to ask if he expected me in on Monday. Of course he did. Probably tomorrow, too, to help clean up the mess. That sounded like a job for Super Intern, if you asked me. It might be best if my phone “accidentally” got turned off.
Sixx and I got in my car. “Your ex-mate still desires you,” he said.
“No, he doesn’t.”
“I see the way he looks at you when he thinks you’re not looking.”
Could he be right? Well, I suppose it was possible Miles harbored a tiny flame. However, I had a hunch Sixx’s jealousy caused him to imagine things that weren’t there. The charm of his possessiveness had waned with the hour.
My grand romance plans had been thwarted, Zephyr’s already tight deadline would be more challenging to meet, my hand had begun to throb, and I was so tired I could hardly see straight. I just wanted to go to bed. Alone.
Sixx wanted to see me home and then call an Uber, but I overruled him and dropped him off at his barracks.
“I worry about your safety.” He furrowed his brow.
“I’ll text you when I get home.” Under the circumstances, convincing him Earth was safe would be a hard sell.
“All right.” He didn’t look happy.
Intending a quick peck, I leaned across the seat. Sixx deepened the contact, brushing his tongue inside my mouth while stroking my hair. Despite fatigue, desire kindled, and my body tingled. One kiss became two then three, and I started to question whether going home alone was the best idea. Being in his arms seemed to make everything right again.
But, no. When we got together for the first time, I wanted it to be perfect—or at least I wished to avoid falling asleep in the middle of the act.
Reluctantly, I pulled away. “Maybe we try again tomorrow? Finish what we started?”
“I would like that,” he said.
We kissed again then I gave him a nudge and he extricated himself from my car and entered his building. There being no traffic in the wee hours of Sunday morning, I drove back to my apartment in record time.
Our two glasses were on the ottoman, the wine undrunk. Damn that Miles! I texted Sixx. I’m home safe and sound. See you tomorrow! It will be better, promise. Then I powered off the phone and dropped it on the ottoman. I emptied the glasses in the sink, put our uneaten dessert in the fridge, and staggered to bed.
Chapter Ten
Sixx
“I brought breakfast.” I held out the bakery box.
“What time is it?” Moxie squinted at me. Her hair was in disarray around her head. Twisted sideways, an oversize pink tunic slipped halfway down one arm. Her pleasing rumpled look caused my horns to twitch. Her knees and feet were bare, the former scraped and bruised from the attack, the toenails of the latter painted a sparkly pink.
“Ten a.m. I tried to call you, b
ut it went straight to voice mail,” I explained.
“I turned my phone off.” She stepped back and widened the door. “Come in.” She eyed the box. “What did you bring?”
“Cinnamon rolls, banana nut muffins, chocolate doughnuts, and blueberry turnovers. I wasn’t sure what you liked.”
“Can I get you some coffee?”
“Sure. I was hoping you’d have some.” I’d gotten to like the hot drink made from ground roasted beans. We didn’t have anything like it on Dakon. Nothing native anyway. I followed Moxie into the kitchen. She pressed a button on a machine. It hissed and slurped as it filled a mug with the aromatic, dark liquid.
Good hand on her hip, she watched it pour. “How do you take it?”
“Take it?”
“Do you want sugar? Cream?”
“Both, thank you.”
She handed me a small jug of white liquid and a bowl of sugar. I fixed my coffee the way I liked it—light, with plenty of cream and four spoons of sugar.
Her eyes widened. “Would you like a little coffee with your sugar?”
“I don’t understand. I have coffee and sugar.”
“I meant you like it sweet.”
“I do.” When I went home, I would miss Earth confections. On Dakon, we used tree sap to sweeten macha before baking it, but nothing could compare to the variety of sweet foods and drinks of this planet: cakes, cookies, candy, pies, ice cream, milkshakes, fizzy sodas, juices, and sweetened coffee.
She ran a hand over her head. “I have bedhead and morning breath. Why don’t you bring your cup of sugar into the living room and get comfortable while I take a quick shower. Then I’ll join you for breakfast, okay?”
I settled on the sofa and sipped my favorite Earth drink. From the other room, I heard cabinets opening and slamming shut then the sound of running water. The “quick shower” was taking at least three times as long as my most leisurely one. I finished my coffee and then returned to the kitchen for another. I did as she had done and pressed a button on her machine, remembering at the last second to put my cup underneath.
Fortified again, I returned to the living room. From the bathroom came the sound of the hair drying machine. I had never imagined such a device until I arrived here. Other men in the barracks sometimes used the devices. One man, a Nuknuk, used one to dry the fur that grew all over his body.
“Sorry, that took a little longer than expected.” Moxie appeared, wearing a pair of leggings clinging to her lower limbs, and a long, breast-hugging tunic offering a peek at her cleavage. A gold chain encircled her neck, and matching hoops dangled from her earlobes. She’d colored her face, tinting her cheeks, lips, and around her eyes. “Let me get some coffee.”
She reentered the living room, balancing a tray atop her bad hand. I jumped up. “Let me help you.” I set the platter of breakfast sweets, her coffee, and plates on the ottoman. “How did you shower without getting your bandage wet?”
“I covered it with a plastic bag and taped it. Wrapping it up is what took so long. I have to do everything one-handed. And my left hand isn’t as skilled as my right.”
“You should have called me. I would have helped you,” I said.
She laughed. “Yeah, you’d like to help me shower, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course I would like to help you. If you need me, I’m here.”
Her face went serious. “Oh, Sixx. You’re a nice guy, you know that?” Curling her legs under her, she settled on the sofa and held her cup with both hands. She appeared to be breathing in the coffee vapor. She took a big gulp. “A shower, coffee—now I feel more human.”
“What did you feel like before?”
“Like something the cat dragged in.”
I looked around. “You have a cat?”
“Figure of speech. I meant, I’m more alert.” She took another drink of her black coffee. “I owe you an apology for last night.” She made a wry face.
“For what?”
“The interruption…rushing off…”
“Not your fault. Any time spent with you pleases me.”
She leaned a little closer. “Miles doesn’t mean anything to me.”
I believed her, but after seeing them together, it was obvious the opposite wasn’t true. However, I didn’t want to talk about her ex who very much wished he wasn’t an ex and wanted to have relations with her. “I know that. Why don’t we forget about him and have breakfast?” I suggested.
“Good idea.”
“What would you like?”
“Um…a cinnamon roll.”
I placed breakfast on one of her small plates and handed it to her. Feeding her filled me with satisfaction. Seeing to our mates’ needs was one way Dakonians showed our females how much we cared about them. Thus far, she’d been the one to feed me. Did that mean she cared as much for me as I cared for her? I hoped so.
Moxie unwound her cinnamon roll, eating a little piece at a time.
I took a chocolate doughnut for myself. When I bit into it, rich sweetness exploded in my mouth. I wished I could take some doughnuts to my son, but the journey back was long, and they wouldn’t last. I finished off the remainder and took another.
I caught her staring at me. “What is it?”
She touched the corner of her mouth. “You have chocolate…”
I dabbed my face with a paper napkin.
“Other side. Let me.” She set her plate down and leaned in close, but instead of wiping my face, she kissed me. I tossed my doughnut on my plate, half dropped it on the ottoman, and pulled her close. “Mmm…” she murmured against my lips. “This is the best way to enjoy chocolate.”
“I think you’re right.” Moxie and chocolate were much better than chocolate and coffee.
I threaded my hands through her hair, enjoying the silkiness against my skin. She smelled like fresh rain, clean soap, and warm female. Her lips were soft like flower petals, her tongue avid, her breath sweet and spicy from the cinnamon.
Breakfast and the previous evening’s interruptions were forgotten. Passion flared, intense and hot. Our mouths slid together with fervor. She nibbled on my lower lip with sharp nips that caused heat to surge through my body.
I fell back against the cushions and pulled her on top of me, tugging up her tunic so I could caress bare skin. Unhooking her bra, I scooted a hand between our bodies to cup one heavy mound. My loins swelled to stone hardness, the ache growing stronger as she rubbed her pelvis against me.
When she stroked one of my horns, pleasure spiked so sudden and fierce, I growled.
“Does that feel good? What does that feel like?” she asked.
“Like you’re stroking my manhood.”
She touched my horns again, and my cock tightened. She smiled, and I knew I was in for trouble. “You feel this”—with deliberation she swirled her thumb around a pulsing horn—“down here?” She thrust against me.
“You tease me,” I growled.
“You like it,” she countered.
Too much. I kissed the smile off her face. I kissed her until she moaned, until she panted.
“Maybe we should take this into the other room,” she murmured in my ear.
In a swoop, I rolled us off the sofa and onto our feet. “Good idea.”
She giggled.
“Your phone is off, right?” I glowered at the device.
“Yes.”
Like the rest of her apartment, her sleeping chamber didn’t look lived-in. She had nothing on the walls to relieve the stark whiteness. She had a cabinet of boxes—a chest of drawers I think they’re called—made of some sort of fake wood. Two of the handles were broken. Two metal folding chairs flanked her bed, one used as a table, the other holding a small pile of clothing.
Her bed, rumpled, with the covers in a heap, while not overly large, was big enough.
We pulled off our clothes, tossing them aside, and then we stood naked before each other. Moxie studied me. I scrutinized her with appreciation, following the swells and curves, dark cu
rls forming a neat V at her sex—and the scrapes and bruises marring her smooth skin.
I jerked my head in self-disgust. “I should have been more vigilant. I should have—”
She glided into my arms and placed a finger to my lips. “Don’t talk like that. Don’t think about it,” she said. “I’m fine. It’s over. It’s done.”
She hadn’t been seriously hurt, but, to my mind, the attack wouldn’t be over until the authorities apprehended the culprit. Unfortunately, I didn’t foresee justice occurring—another contrast between Dakon and Earth. Our population was small, grouped into even smaller tribes. Everyone knew everyone—at least by sight. Nobody could commit a crime and get away with it. But, on Earth? One could easily vanish into the crowd.
I’d failed her once. I wouldn’t fail her again. I would stand by her no matter what.
All softness and warmth, she pressed against me, wrapping her arms around my waist. Horns and loins throbbed with need. I’d never desired anyone more. I wanted to touch her everywhere, to feel her, to make her mine. I tipped her chin and claimed her mouth while tightening my arms.
She moaned with pleasure, and satisfaction coursed through me.
A couple of steps forward, and we tumbled onto the bed and kicked the covers to the floor, removing all impediments to our passion.
I kissed her with a lifetime of fervor. She was created by the Fates for me. I could not imagine a more perfect moment than being with her, unless it would be when we returned to Dakon.
Mindful of her injuries, I explored her with gentle hands, massaging her breasts and teasing the hard tips, smoothing over her ticklish stomach, sweeping down the long lines of her thighs. They’d taken the brunt of her fall, judging from the bruises. My lips followed my hands, and I kissed every spot.
I sought her feminine center and fondled each delicate petal, dipping into her velvet wetness. I groaned as heat surged through me, my cock and horns swelling more, aching. The urge to join with her heightened to a fierce command, but I held my desire at bay to please her. She grabbed my hand and drew it to a pearl at the top of her sex and showed me how to stroke. Her neck arched, and her face contorted as I brought her to rapture.
I kissed her, my unrequited need pounding through me, but I’d never felt so happy. “My beautiful mate,” I murmured.