by Karen Kelley
“Oh, you aren’t built quite the same as my companion unit. You’re quite large.”
A thrill went through him. Okay, he was pathetic, and he knew it. But hell, it was kind of nice to know he was appreciated.
“Do you vibrate?”
“Do I…” Ah, crap, there went his short ego trip. “No, I don’t vibrate.” He moved to the bed. He’d bet the companion unit did, though.
“I won’t hold that against you. After all, you’re only human.”
That was a challenge if ever he heard one, and a Texan never backed away when the gloves were thrown down. He didn’t care that the bedroom had turned purple all of a sudden. He wasn’t too drugged that he couldn’t make love to a beautiful woman.
She lay back and closed her eyes, spreading her legs again. “I’m ready.”
He grinned as he moved next to her. “You think so?”
She opened her eyes. “Are you not ready? Is there some ritual that you must perform before you can have sex?”
“You could say that.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. “You taste sweet.”
“Your lips are…warm. I rather liked the touching of lips earlier and when you stuck your tongue in my mouth. Can we do that again?”
“That and a whole lot more.” He brushed his lips across hers again, then dragged his tongue over them before delving inside and more fully tasting what she offered.
Her hands wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer. Nerakian women weren’t so different from Earth women, after all. It would seem they both had the same basic instincts, and when she began to massage the back of his neck, waves of delicious heat washed over him.
Man, she tasted hot. And the lights were still swirling even when he closed his eyes. Sweet, so damned sweet. He stroked her tongue with his, cupped the side of her face, then twined his fingers in her hair.
When he finally ended the kiss, she moaned in protest.
“Please don’t stop. I enjoyed your tongue inside my mouth very much.”
“It’s called kissing.”
“Then kiss me again.”
“Okay.” But rather than kissing her mouth, he dropped a kiss on one tight little nipple. She immediately arched her back with a gasp of pleasure.
“And do you like when I kiss you there?”
“Yes,” she moaned. “Don’t stop.”
“Oh, baby, I don’t plan to.” He lowered his head again, sucking her breast inside his mouth, scraping his tongue across her nipple, then moved to the other side.
“My companion unit never did this,” she managed to say. “My body feels as if it’s on fire—but a good kind of heat. It doesn’t burn.”
“Just wait. I’ll make you burn for me, baby.”
She moaned, her eyes closing.
Oh, yeah, he’d make her burn.
It was difficult to maintain his control. Her body begged for satisfaction. All he wanted was to fit himself between her legs and plunge into the heat of her body again and again.
But he didn’t want to stop exploring. He liked the little panting sounds she made. And maybe he wanted her to see what a real man could do.
He slipped his hand downward and tangled his fingers in her curls. He was right—they felt just as soft and silky as they looked.
“Sam,” she whimpered.
“What?” he whispered as he moved to his knees between her legs. Damn, she was beautiful as she lay spreadeagled before him. His gaze worked its way downward. Past the dark areolas of her full breasts, the hard nipples.
He leaned forward, tugging the nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, rolling them between his fingers before cupping them in his hands and massaging. “Do you like that?”
She nodded. “Yes.” That one breathy word almost made him come. It was the way she’d said it. The way he knew she’d never experienced what he was giving her. But he wanted more from her.
“I want to hear you say it. Tell me you don’t want me to stop.”
“Don’t…stop.”
“But I have to.”
“No…please.”
“There’s much more of you that I want to touch, to kiss, to taste.”
“I need you inside me…now. My body aches for you. Please, Sam.”
“Just a minute more.” He brushed his fingers back and forth through her curls.
She moaned her despair until he flicked his finger across the fleshy part of her sex. She fisted her hands in the bed-sheet.
“A woman is never as sexy as she is in the throes of passion,” he murmured as he lowered his head and placed a kiss on her mound before running his tongue over her clit. “You taste sweet.” He sucked her inside his mouth, sliding his hands beneath her bottom and bringing her closer to him.
She began to whimper, then tremble as she climaxed against his mouth.
He eased her to the bed, noting the lights flashing above his head. That smoothie was something else.
He quickly slid a condom on, then slowly entered her. Ah, man, she was so friggin’ tight. As he slid deeper, moist heat enveloped him. He closed his eyes, letting out his breath as he lost himself in exquisite pleasure.
“I’m not hurting you, am I?”
“No, Sam, this is good. More. I want more.”
“It’s only going to get better.” He thrust deeper, then pulled back, then dipped inside again only to pull back out. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and he sank further inside the tightness of her body.
This was sweet. Damn, it was so sweet.
She clenched her inner muscles, and he almost came. No, not yet. Sweat broke out on his forehead. His breathing became ragged as he fought to hold back. Pain and pleasure ripped through him at the same time.
“Now, Sam, now!”
That was what he was waiting for. What he needed to hear. He plunged faster and faster. Her body trembled; she stiffened and cried out.
He couldn’t hold back any longer. He growled when the first wave of his orgasm crashed over him. His body shook with the force of his release.
Lights swirled around them, the heat washing over them, settling on them, momentarily binding them together. And then he was collapsing and rolling to the side, taking her with him.
He felt her tears land on him. He swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. Damn, he hadn’t meant to be so rough.
“Did I hurt you?”
She fiercely shook her head. “No. It’s just that this has never happened before. I didn’t know it could be like this. It will be difficult to leave this behind when I return to Nerak.”
He brushed his lips across her forehead. “But you don’t have to leave tomorrow.”
She was quiet for a moment. “No, I think we’ll have sex many times before I leave.”
Chapter 7
A asera stood outside staring up at the night, a worried frown marring her features as she looked toward the west. She’d seen the light. A swirling of bright colors. What was worse—she was pretty sure what it meant.
Why now? It had been thirty years since she’d had any contact with Nerak.
A rustle of leaves startled her. She whirled around
.
“Sorry. I should’ve made my presence known sooner,” Lyraka said. “You usually know when someone is approaching.”
And she would’ve known this time if she hadn’t been so shocked by what she’d seen. “Did you see the lights?” she asked.
Lyraka nodded. “That’s why I came outside.” She hesitated.
Aasera knew what she was thinking but waited for Lyraka to speak her thoughts.
“Nerakian? I remember you telling me about the pretty lights that swirled above when a Nerakian felt intense pleasure.”
“Maybe.” She drew in a deep breath. “I hope not.”
“Do you think whoever it is knows you’re here? An Elder possibly?”
“No, they’ve let me be as long as I didn’t bring notice to myself. Besides, too many years have passed. I’m old. I’m not a threat.”
Something close to regret filled her as she thought about all that had been left behind. Her home, her people. Being constantly drenched in the warmth from the sun. Never feeling the cold seeping into her body.
She quickly got hold of the emotion. No regrets. That’s what she’d said when her decision was made, and she hadn’t regretted it, not really.
But sometimes she longed for her home, her people. The ones she’d given up.
A tender smile lifted Lyraka’s mouth. “You’re not old. You’re only fifty-one by Earth’s years. Your hair is still the same soft brown color I remember as a child, and you don’t even have wrinkles. I see other women look at you with envy.” She glanced toward where the lights had been. “Surely it isn’t an Elder.”
Aasera looked at the blanket of stars in the night sky. “I angered them so much.” Pain washed over her as she remembered the fear and the disgrace. She’d been so full of herself back then—invincible. Nothing could touch her; nothing could bring her down. She was an interplanetary traveler, and there were so few of them. The elite.
No, she’d been above falling for the temptations of other planets. She’d thought as long as she had the freedom to explore, she would always return to her roots. Her ego had been bigger than Nerak. When she fell, she’d fallen hard.
“The colony isn’t in danger, is it?” Lyraka asked, clasping her arms around her middle as she looked in the direction where the lights had been.
“I don’t know.”
She’d begun the colony years earlier. There were almost forty people living here: psychics, mediums, spiritualists, healers, painters, sculptors, and writers. And her. She blended well with them. No one suspected she was from another planet. Lyraka was the only one who knew everything.
They were quiet, unassuming. No one bothered them here in their little part of the world. She’d made sure the people in the colony stayed just active enough in the surrounding communities that no one thought that much about them.
She knew all the neighbors. It paid to be cautious even after the passing of so many years. Ranches bordered each side of the colony. Except for one small piece of property.
The owner rarely visited the lone cabin. She’d already guessed it was a vacation home. The man had never been trouble. Other than fishing, he left the animals alone, which was good. She would’ve hated to see harm come to the deer and smaller creatures.
He hadn’t worried her—until now.
“Tomorrow, I’ll see what’s going on,” Lyraka suggested.
A moment of panic washed over her. No, it wasn’t Lyraka’s responsibility to protect. Aasera had created the crisis when she chose to stay on Earth. It was up to her to fix any problems that arose.
“I’ll be careful,” Lyraka promised.
“No, I can’t place you in danger.”
“You’re not. No one suspects I’m anything other than what I appear to be.” Lyraka smiled. “I’m always careful. You’ve taught me well, Mother.”
She was right, of course. Her daughter was born of two worlds. Nerak and Earth. She had a little of both inside her. The black hair and luminous shade of pale blue eyes of her Earthling father. Aasera still remembered how she’d been drawn to his eyes. She’d been caught in a trap by those eyes. The eyes of a father who refused to accept a child.
But Lyraka had gotten some of her attributes as well. A need to explore every chance she got. Having an adventurous daughter was not always a good thing.
And the gifts. She’d gotten those as well.
The mixing of DNA should have weakened her Nerakian strengths, but it hadn’t. No, it had made them stronger.
Much stronger.
“Keep your distance until we know for sure,” Aasera finally said, giving her permission. “Don’t make contact. Not yet.”
Aasera’s worried gaze traveled once more toward the fading lights. Fear coursed through her veins. That, and excitement. It had been a long, long time since she’d been around her people, much too long.
Chapter 8
L ara yawned and stretched as she came awake. A warm, fuzzy feeling enveloped her. She had never slept as soundly as she had last night. A smile curved her lips. Who knew sex could be so good? She rolled to her side and rose on one elbow, staring at the man beside her.
Sam’s breathing was even as he continued to sleep. He was a handsome Earthman. She studied his face, noting the growth of hair that wasn’t there yesterday. It gave him a different look: rough and very male. She thought she rather liked this look on him as well.
What would it feel like? She brushed her hand lightly across the hairs. He wiggled his nose and rubbed his face. She jerked her hand away.
Sam continued to sleep.
Her gaze moved down his body. Hair grew on his chest as well. He had a nice chest, too, broad and muscular. It rose and fell with each respiration.
The sheet covered the lower half of his body. She glanced at his face. He continued to sleep. Purely research, she told herself as she carefully raised the cover and moved it downward.
He’d shrunk!
Not fair!
Disappointment filled her.
She eased to her knees and stared at his genitals. He wasn’t small like her companion unit. Still, Sam looked…limp and all shriveled up.
Had she damaged him last night? It would be such a shame if she had.
Maybe there was a button he pushed to make it grow. That’s what she did with her companion unit. One to make it grow and another to make it vibrate. Her unit hadn’t grown nearly as large as Sam had, though.
She lightly touched it, and his penis jerked.
It was alive!
Did it have a brain all its own? Surely it did, otherwise how could it get larger when Sam was clearly still asleep?
She sat back on her heels and stared as Sam’s penis began to get larger.
He groaned and pulled the cover up to his neck, then rolled away from her.
It would seem her research was at an end. She sighed. She had wanted to examine him a little longer, but she didn’t think he’d appreciate her disturbing his sleep.
Another time then. She eased out of bed and went to the bathing room, pulling on another green robe after she’d finished with her daily ablutions.
At least Sam hadn’t been damaged last night by the intensity of their sexual intercourse. Little bumps formed on her arms. She glanc
ed at them. How odd. Was it an anticipatory response? Maybe. She did want to experience sex with Sam again.
For a moment, she leaned against the bathing room door and closed her eyes. Her nipples grew hard as she remembered the way Sam had squeezed them between his fingers, then lightly tugged on them. She grew damp just thinking about his tongue on her sex, his tongue caressing her, sucking her inside his mouth.
When she pushed away from the door and left the bathing room, her body trembled. There were some things about this planet that were good, she admitted. Companion units only performed as they were programmed, and there was no one left from the time when there were members of the male species on Nerak. The Elders who were now in charge could only rely on what was written in the ancient books.
Apparently, there had been nothing written about sex.
What a shame.
She went through the cabin, giving the kitchen a cursory glance as she went out the back door. She stopped on what Sam referred to as a porch. For a moment, she could only stare at the magnificence before her. Earth’s sun was rising above the horizon with a burst of orange and gold.
Her breath caught in her throat as she sat on the top step. She would never admit to anyone that she’d been more than a little nervous as she’d traveled with Sam to his cabin.
Kia had assured her that Sam was a good man. He was still a man, though. She thought she now knew why the Elders had warned her to keep her distance.
But it wasn’t just that she was with a man. The landscape was so different here, and as they had been driving through what Kia had called Dallas, she’d noticed there were so many people moving along the walkways. It would be easy to get lost, to become insignificant.
But as she watched the sun rise in the sky, she knew it might be worth it if you could wake up each day with this magnificent view.
Sam woke up feeling better than he had in a long time. He slowly opened his eyes. He was at the cabin. That was why he felt relaxed. No, there was more than just being here that had him feeling so fantastic.