by Kali Argent
Sunlight spilled in through the windows, glistening off the moisture in her eyes, but no tears streaked her face. “I’m okay. Startled, a little rattled, but it’s going to take more than some male posturing to send me into hysterics.” Then she closed the distance between them and took his hands—the hands that had just threatened violence. “I trust you, and I’m not afraid.”
From behind him, Xavian cleared his throat. “Uh, I’m just going to go…check…on something. Yeah.”
“No.” Vane appreciated his friend’s willingness to give them privacy, but the moment had passed. “Stay here. I’ll do a sweep around the building.” He returned his attention to Charlotte. “I need you to close the shop and go up to your apartment. I won’t be gone long.”
Charlotte squeezed his hands and rose up on her toes to brush a chaste kiss against his jaw. “Be careful.”
Once she’d disappeared through the kitchen doors, Xavian stepped forward with a heavy sigh. “Vane, you know you can’t—”
“I know.” Timelines were finicky things, and it didn’t take much to set the future on a different course. “Watch her.”
“No, would you stop and just listen to me?” Sidestepping, Xavian placed a hand on Vane’s shoulder to stop him. “I know that look. I get it, okay, I do, but we don’t belong here.”
Batting Xavian’s hand away, Vane stepped around him with a growl and pushed the door open. “Watch her,” he repeated.
Vane did a perimeter check around the building as promised, and then he broadened his search to include the next street over—and the next. He didn’t hold much hope of finding the Morph, but searching gave him a purpose.
Just as he’d done that morning, he searched up and down the streets of the Quarter, past the cathedral, and inside every pub, bar, and night club he came across. At one point, he had come close to assaulting a teenager until the girl had turned to reveal her bright green eyes.
The reminder of what he couldn’t have had affected him more than he wanted to admit, and no matter how far or fast he walked, he couldn’t escape his own thoughts. Logically, he knew he’d have to return to his own time, to his own world. Just as Xavian had pointed out, even if he wanted to, he couldn’t stay.
Long after he’d given up hope of finding the Morphling, Vane continued to wander the streets of New Orleans. He hadn’t considered a destination when he began walking, but somehow, he wasn’t surprised when he found himself at the banks of the river.
The sun had set by then, bringing another round of ominous clouds that blotted out the heavens and leeched the warmth from the earth. A lazy rain splashed against the surface of the water and plinked off the vessels anchored near the docks. Across the river, lights from the city illuminated the haze, reminding him of his last view of Taldor from his perch on the catwalks.
And none of it mattered, because as he’d been reminded, he definitely didn’t belong here.
His first meeting with Charlotte on the steps of the cathedral had challenged everything he’d once thought about humans. He’d questioned if maybe he’d misjudged them, but after spending the afternoon in the sweets shop, he knew otherwise. His opinion of Earthlings hadn’t changed—with one important exception.
The length of time he’d known the female amounted to a mere flicker in his life. Charlotte was beautiful, of course, but Vane had met many beautiful females from around the universe. She possessed no special skills or unusual talents, unless he counted the ability to talk more than any creature he’d ever met. With anyone else, the incessant dialogue would fray his nerves, but from Charlotte, he found the trait oddly endearing.
Whatever allure she held for him, it needed to stop. He couldn’t allow his fascination with her to jeopardize his mission, his people, and potentially, the lives of countless others. Whatever he thought he felt for her could be explained away as simple intrigue, a brief respite from the redundancy of the norm. It would pass, and in a few years, he wouldn’t even remember her name.
He wouldn’t recall the flush of her cheeks, the way her nose crinkled when she laughed, or how she bit her bottom lip when she became flustered. It would all dissipate into the ghost of a memory, like a dream he couldn’t quite remember after waking.
Knowing what needed to be done, Vane turned away from the muddy waters of the river and followed the winding streets back to Charlotte’s apartment. As he made the trek, he remained alert for any signs of his quarry. If not for the jewel, he’d fry the asshole the next time he caught sight of him. Unfortunately, he needed the diamond more than he needed the Morphling.
As he passed under a streetlamp, Vane checked the timer on his wrist and sighed. Only fifty-four hours remained until his ride home stitched itself back together, and he had come no closer to locating his target. His preoccupation with Charlotte hadn’t helped matters, but he could change that.
Linking his fingers, he rested his hands on top of his head and paced the alley behind her building. It shouldn’t even be a question. No argument he could make justified the life of one girl over thousands of others—even if that girl made him feel things he hadn’t experienced…ever.
He’d been so sure of the answers when he’d left the river, but now, standing outside her door, he wavered. “Fuck!”
Swinging his foot out, he struck the side of a trash bin with his boot, sending the receptacle bouncing down the alleyway. He needed to create distance, to erect a metaphorical barrier between them. As he stared up at the light shining through her bedroom window, every fiber of him wanted to be closer to her.
He’d teasingly thought it several times, but now, he feared it may be true.
Charlotte Rousseau would be the death of him.
CHAPTER SIX
“I didn’t hear you come in last night.” Charli finished stirring the sugar into her coffee and turned to face Vane as she leaned back against the counter. “Did you sleep okay?”
Xavian had left just after sunrise to continue the search for Don—or whoever he was—and Vane had stayed behind to watch over her. Somehow, she couldn’t shake the feeling he didn’t want to be there. Even dragging him upstairs for coffee and toast had been nearly impossible.
“I didn’t sleep.” He took the tall mug of coffee she handed him with a nod.
“Is everything okay?”
“You’re in no danger.”
“Okay.” That hadn’t been what she’d meant, and he knew it. All morning, he’d seemed different, distant, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why. “Vane, did I do something wrong?”
The corner of his eye twitched, and he shifted on the barstool. “No.”
“Fine, don’t talk to me.” Something had changed. She could feel it the same way she felt the warm ceramic of her mug against her palms. If he didn’t want to discuss it, though, she wouldn’t force him. “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed. I’m meeting a friend for brunch in an hour.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Um, yes.” Charli nodded. “I made plans with her a week ago, and besides, what do you expect me to do? Hide in my apartment until you find this demon thing?”
Judging by the expression on his face, that was exactly what he expected from her. “It’s not safe, Charlotte. Please understand that. The Morph will use whatever means necessary to get to you, so if you care for your friend, you’ll stay away from her.”
She hadn’t considered that, but now that he’d pointed it out, she felt foolish for not thinking of it first. “I’m not very good at this, am I?”
The first genuine smile she’d seen from him all morning stretched Vane’s lips. “It’s not every day you have to worry about being kidnapped by a shape-shifting demon from another planet. I think you can cut yourself a little slack.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“You just did.”
Charli ignored him. “How do you know English?” She’d taken French language courses in high school, but not much of it had stayed with her. “Do you know any o
ther languages?”
“I know a few, not many, but English, as you call it, is my native tongue. Your race has added words and changed the meaning of others during the course of evolution, but it’s largely still the same.”
“Wait.” Shaking her head, Charli pushed away from the counter and moved to join him at the bar. “Are you saying that the Nekros brought the language to Earth? What about the others, like Spanish, French, and Italian?”
“The Atreans’ language is similar to your Latin, and the Stravoris speak what I believe you call Hebrew. I don’t know what French and Spanish are, but the Crimnians brought the Italian language to Earth.”
“No shit?” Charli found him utterly fascinating, but she tried to keep her questions to a minimum and not be a pest. “So, does any culture on Earth have a language of their own?” It made sense when she thought about it, and she wondered why she’d never considered the possibility before now. “Or is it all borrowed from other races?”
“Pig Latin,” Vane answered with a neutral expression. “No one is claiming responsibility for that travesty.”
“Hardy har.” Pulling her feet under her, Charli sat cross-legged on the barstool and straightened her spine, eager to hear more. “Okay, so are humans the youngest beings in the universe? I mean, we’re like babies, right?” She’d heard it said more than once in those bad sci-fi movies she liked to watch.
“More like toddlers, but yes, still very young.” Vane winked at her before taking another sip of his coffee. “Anything else?”
Pursing her lips, Charli tilted her head to the side while she thought about her next question. “Why were you so crabby earlier?”
The muscles in his jaw flexed, and he looked away before answering. “I’m just tired. Time is different here, and it’s hard to adjust.”
He’s lying. “Why don’t you rest now? You can borrow my bed, and I promise I’ll stay in the apartment.”
“Maybe when Xavian returns.” His eyes strayed to the folded blankets and stacked pillows on the sofa. “Did he sleep here last night?”
The sudden wave of jealousy hit her like a freight train, and Charli bit the tip of her tongue to hold in her gasp. She’d always been intuitive when it came to reading people, but it hadn’t extended beyond keen observation, or so she’d thought.
The more time she spent with Vane, however, the more powerful her newfound ability became. So far, it only happened in sporadic bursts, and she had no idea how to control it. Worse, she’d be lying if she said it didn’t scare her a little.
“Y–Yes,” she stuttered when he continued to stare at her. “Xavian said it would better if he stayed close.”
“I’m sure he did.”
Now, she could hear the jealousy, and a small part of her thrilled to the idea. She’d spent most of the night staring up at her ceiling while straining to hear the creak of the back door. She and Xavian had heard a loud crash in the alley during dinner, but when he’d gone to investigate, all he’d found was an overturned trash can.
When midnight came and went, she’d worried something had happened to Vane. Her pleas for Xavian to find him had been met with steadfast refusal, and in the end, she’d had no choice but to crawl into bed and wait.
It had been just after sunrise when a knock at the back door of the shop had woken her. Dressed in only a T-shirt and a pair of faded, plaid shorts, Charli had hurried down the stairs behind Xavian, only to be greeted with a silent nod and a guarded expression from Vane.
Things hadn’t gotten much better after that, not until she’d mentioned leaving for brunch. She wished she knew what had happened to snap him out of his surly mood, because she much preferred this version of Vane without the side order of detachment and indifference.
“I need to call Sage and let her know I won’t be able to make it to brunch.” She picked up her cell phone from the countertop and turned on the screen. “Are you sure you don’t want to sleep? You’re also welcome to the shower.” Images of him naked and wet in her shower nearly sent her into cardiac arrest.
“I mean, not that you smell or anything. I’m not trying to say that I think you need a shower, just that I have one if you want to use it.” More flashes of his smooth, tanned skin slicked with soap came to mind, and a rush of moisture dampened her panties. “Well, of course I have a shower. Everyone has a shower, right? Maybe not some people, but most people. How else would they—”
Without warning, Vane palmed the back of her neck and pulled her toward him, slanting their mouths together in a gentle but heated kiss. Then his tongue parted her lips, dipping into her mouth to caresses and explore while shock held her immobile.
His tongue stroked her own in a slow, coaxing glide that hardened her nipples and tripped her pulse into a gallop. Shaking off her stunned paralysis, Charli threw her arms around Vane’s neck, dragging him closer as she arched against his chest.
A needy moan bubbled up from her throat, while she busily mapped the hard muscles of his chest and abs through the material of his fitted shirt. When she tried to slide her hands beneath the hem in her quest for warm, bare skin, Vane stopped her. Gathering her wrists into one hand, he ended the kiss and rested his brow against hers.
“I’ve wanted to do that since the first time I saw you,” he confessed.
“Me, too.” She didn’t know why they were talking. Charli tried to free her hands to continue her exploration, but Vane held tight. “Please don’t stop.”
Vane grinned before pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. “Xavian’s coming up the stairs now.”
Groaning, Charli fell against him and buried her face against the side of his neck. “We could always send him back out for milk and eggs.”
Laughing quietly, Vane petted her hair and caressed her back before easing her away so he could stand. “This isn’t the time or place. Call your friend, prya.”
It was the second time he’d called her that, but like before, she didn’t get a chance to question what the word meant. Her apartment door opened, and Xavian entered the kitchen brandishing a beignet.
“Have you tried these things? They’re better than sex.”
Charli snorted. “If that’s the case, you’re doing it wrong.”
Xavian gaped at her, but Vane laughed as he slid off his seat and headed toward the bathroom. “I’m going to shower. You two play nice.”
While she liked Xavian, Charli only wanted to play with one man, and she wouldn’t exactly describe what she wanted to do to Vane as “nice.” Watching him walk away, she bit down on her bottom lip and hummed under her breath. He really did have a fabulous ass, and she couldn’t wait to get her hands on it.
Once he’d disappeared into the bathroom, some of the hunger clawing at her melted away, leaving a rush of embarrassment in its wake. “Oh, my God,” she mumbled into her hands as she covered her face. “What just happened? I mean, I know what happened, but seriously, what the hell just happened?”
She’d practically climbed the guy like a jungle gym and shoved her tongue down his throat. That was exactly what had happened.
Rounding the low bar, Xavian shoved the last of the beignet into his mouth and slid onto the stool beside her. “You talk to yourself a lot.”
Charli dropped her hands to her lap but continued to look down at her knees. “I live alone, and I don’t go out much. Plus, it’s easier to work through problems when I talk about them out loud.” The more they discussed something other than Vane and how she’d thrown herself at him, the better she felt. “What about you? Any weird habits?”
“A few, like sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong. Do you want to tell me what you’re going on about?”
“Not really.” She didn’t fully understand it herself. “You know about this ability I have? How I can feel other people’s emotions?”
Xavian swiveled his seat so that he could lean back against the counter and nodded. “Yeah, I know. What about it?”
“How do I control it? Where did it even come from? Why h
aven’t I ever noticed it before?” Charli stopped herself there before she could get too worked up and start babbling.
“I think you probably have felt it before. You just didn’t realize it.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Xavian stared at her with a creased brow. “You’re special, Charli. I don’t know exactly how it works, but that’s the short answer. As for how you control it, I can’t say. I think that’s something that will come with time and practice.”
Charli deflated. “That was incredibly…unhelpful.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” He didn’t look the least apologetic as he laughed at her. “I wish I had better answers.” Reaching across the counter, he took her phone and placed it in her hands. “I believe you were supposed to be calling someone?”
“Sage, yeah, to tell her I can’t make brunch. How did you know?” Realizing he’d heard them through the door, Charli dropped her head and groaned. “How much did you hear?”
“Not much.” The smirk on his face said differently. “Make your call.”
“One more question.”
Xavian nodded. “Okay.”
“What does ‘prya’ mean?”
His smile slipped a notch, and the light in his eyes dimmed. Though he recovered quickly, a sense of despair washed over Charli, and this time she knew the emotion wasn’t her own.
“On our planet, it’s an endearment that means something close to dear one or beloved.” His eyes strayed to the closed bathroom door. “Why do you ask?”
Without being told, Charli understood she’d crossed a line she shouldn’t have. “Oh, uh, I thought Vane said something like that when he was talking about Sage. I guess I misheard.” Holding her cell phone up, she waved it at Xavian and offered a tight-lipped smile. “I should probably make that call now.”
She slid off her seat and shuffled the five steps into the living room to give herself the illusion of privacy in her tiny, one-bedroom apartment. Curling up on the end of her plum-colored, suede sofa, Charli draped the matching throw blanket over her legs and dialed.