by Imogene Nix
“Is Gia…” He couldn’t bring himself to say the words as he brushed away the man’s anger.
“She’s alive, no thanks to you bastards.” The man reached out for Gia as he rose from the ground. “You should go back where you came from! You have no business—”
“Police!” A voice cut through the angry mutters that surrounded them. “Move back! Stand aside.”
The crowd parted, and a small man entered the circle.
“You are law enforcement?” Cedun asked.
The man smiled. “Sure am. Someone called us and said a lady had been attacked.” He squatted down beside Gia and checked her pulse. “Well, at least she’s alive. The ambulance has been called. Anyone here know her name?”
“Gia. Gia Montgomery.” The words tumbled from his mouth that felt desiccated.
“And you are…” The policeman turned pale blue eyes in his direction and Cedun scowled.
“Turaa Cedun of Dirustandi.”
The man blinked, no doubt taking in his position before he nodded. “Ahh. Right then, Turaa, we will need to clear the area so the ambulance can pull in.” He scanned the people gathered around. “Folks, thanks for your concern, but we’ll take it from here.” His voice was forceful enough to make them step back. They murmured and moved away in small groups.
“We do not need the ambulance. I will call my healer and her mother.” Cedun spoke carefully, reaching for the communicator.
The policeman sized him up and stopped his movements with a careful hand motion. “Before you do that, tell me why this young woman should be released to you.”
“Because she will be safer with us than you right now. I will take her to the compound. She will be cared for there.” Cedun reined in his temper. Instead of wasting time talking he could have a healer there, attending to Gia. He almost spoke again, but Joruzan transmitted beside him.
Joruzan’s gaze was instantly drawn to Gia, where she remained on the ground, unconscious. “What has—”
“Garret. Get a healer here. We will not move her until they are satisfied.”
Joruzan nodded and moved away.
Within minutes a healer was kneeling beside Gia, murmuring as he applied healing sprays to her. “She will be fine, Turaa.”
The words eased Cedun’s mind, and his grip loosened as the ambulance arrived. Cedun glanced up, noting the policeman was taking the driver’s statement.
The paramedics climbed out of the vehicle as the healer stood up. “Where’s the patient?”
“Oh, there is no need. De’ Gia will be well with a rest. The fright, coupled with the bump on her head, is the reason for her faint. She had a concussion, but I have dealt with that too.”
When the paramedics started to protest, Cedun raised his hand. “My healers have attended to De’ Gia. Now I will transmit her to the Ba’Tua compound.” He turned in the direction of the man clad in blue. “Officer, if you have questions, give our personnel at the gate my name. They will direct you to my home. Joruzan, you will secure De’ Gia’s house?”
He nodded.
Gia opened her eyes as Cedun lifted her to his chest. “Cedun? What…”
He kissed her forehead. “Soon. Now I am taking you home.”
Chapter 4
The last two days had followed the same pattern. Every moment filled until Gia was too tired to think and had no opportunity to run. Gia vacillated. Valerie had already visited for the day, Joruzan was working in the lounge with Cedun, and the healer was due any minute.
She wanted to go home, but was frightened. But if she stayed, she wanted it to be for the right reasons. And Cedun wasn’t going to let her out of his sight.
And the question was, did she really want to stay and if so, then why?
“I shouldn’t stay here.” The words echoed in the empty room.
Even as she spoke though, her mind insidiously suggested that she didn’t have to go home just yet and face the reality of Garret’s actions. She could stay there. Cedun would ensure her safety. The voice of reason remonstrated. That would be to use him, wouldn’t it?
“I refuse to be a coward and user.” She snorted at her own words before the familiar sense of confusion filled her. She didn’t really want to leave, but fear of making the same mistake again held her back.
She scrubbed her hands over her face, exhaustion pulling at her. Wrestling with her feelings left her tired and with more questions than answers. The one thing she couldn’t question though was that every time Cedun was near she felt whole and confident. And aroused, but that could simply be lust.
“For heaven’s sake, Gia! Get a grip!”
“A grip of what, Deandara?” Cedun stood in the doorway, his face a mask of puzzlement. “Tell me what you want, and I will fetch it.”
He was so earnest and caring, and her eyes prickled with tears. Garret had never been like this. In fact, thinking about it, she realized Garret hadn’t really cared if she had what she wanted or not.
“Cedun, has Valerie left yet?” Suddenly she had to ask her a burning question.
He shook his head. “No. Do you need me to find her?”
“Tell me where she is and I’ll go see her.” In a flash she was on her feet. Cedun opened his mouth to order her to lie back down, the concern so clear in his eyes. The love.
“She is on the beach with Joruzan.” His gaze roamed over her, and she knew he was checking that she was all right, not overtaxed or anything untoward.
On impulse she rose to her tiptoes and kissed Cedun on the cheek, her lips tingling as they made contact with his lightly-stubbled skin. Her eyes widened in shock. “I’ll… I’ll be back soon.”
She hurried through the house, her heart pounding out a rapid tattoo. At the rear exit she spied Valerie and Joruzan in deep conversation. She didn’t really want to intrude, but the answer was suddenly too important to wait any longer.
As if he felt her presence, Joruzan turned and waved at her. She waved back and slowly made her way along the sand, which puffed up with every step.
She stopped beside Valerie who pulled her close. “Are you all right, Gia? You should be resting.” Her words were lightly scolding but that paled into insignificance.
“I’m fine, but I need to…umm…” She glanced in Joruzan’s direction then back to Valerie.
“Oh, you need to ask me a question, Gia?” Her mother gazed at her for long seconds before she turned to Joruzan. “Joruzan, would you pour me a tea?” Valerie smiled sweetly at the big man, and his confusion was evident in the way he screwed up his face and leaned in closer. For a moment, Gia felt like a voyeur.
“Valerie? You are all right? I offered you one—”
“And I changed my mind, Deodaru.” Valerie’s soft words and the gentle stroke of her hand over her lover’s, the intimacy in the touch was too much. Gia glanced away.
When she looked back, Joruzan’s eyes blazed with understanding.
“Of course, Deandara. A tea will be ready for you in the kitchen.” He turned and left the two of them on the beach.
“What does Deandara mean, Valerie?”
She looked at Gia, surprise on her glowing face. “Why, it means love or darling. Deodaru is the male version of the word.” Valerie smiled broadly. “Does Cedun…”
Her mother’s words were like a stomach punch. Love. Darling. “I need to ask you… With Daddy, was it…” The words trailed away. How did she ask her own mother about her relationship with her father? How could this untangle her emotional state?
“Oh, so it’s time for those questions. Walk with me, and I’ll see if I can give you the answers you need.”
The two women made their way down to the water’s edge, their toes splashing in the waves as they spoke.
“When I met your father I was only fifteen. Very gullible and very, very young. It was a youthful indiscretion, the type so many girls make. I thought it was love and let him… Well, you know. Then I got pregnant and too late I realized it was an infatuation. Your grandparents were st
ern and told me I’d made my bed. Your father drifted away. I haven’t seen him since your sixth birthday.
“I brought you up by myself. I always tried to do my best, but I was so young. I had no clue. We were happy though, weren’t we? We got by. As you got older, I knew this day would come, but no matter how many times I tried to reach your father, he refused my contact.” She sighed and looked into the horizon, and for the first time, Gia understood exactly what she’d given up.
“You were only a child yourself.”
Valerie smiled at her, raising a hand to her cheek. “But I had a child. One I loved very much. I still do. You are my world, but it’s expanding now.” She grinned and cupped her hand to the small mound of her belly. “Your brother or sister will need me too.”
“I know. But…With Joruzan, how did you know it was…you know, love? Was there like a blinding flash of knowledge or…”
Valerie laughed. “Joruzan sideswiped me. He was there, shadowing me. Doing things for me that I didn’t even realize would make my life easier. He was kind but insistent. He just wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Valerie shook her head. “I couldn’t work it out. It made no sense. Here I am a middle-aged woman and he loves me.” She shrugged. “Then one day I knew. It just… It just happened.” Her voice tapered away and she smiled in an absent fashion, as if remembering things she wasn’t able to share.
“But the confusion? The need to not take advantage. Were they there too?” Gia desperately needed guidance.
“It was, but it was more than that. It was just being together, even in the same room, that made everything seem right. It was the little things that counted the most. It was that feeling deep inside that I wanted to be with him.”
Gia nodded at her mother’s words. She could identify all those things and so much more with Cedun.
“I think I love Cedun.”
Valerie took her hands. “Think or know?”
It crystalized in her mind. “Know. I love him. I want to be with him. I want to share everything with him, but I’m afraid. I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t want him to think it’s because of Garret and the care he’s taking of me.” The words tumbled out, and Valerie slipped Gia’s hand in the crook of her elbow.
“When the time is right, the things that need to be said will be spoken.” Valerie’s eyes searched her face, as if there were more. Gia waited. “If you want one piece of advice?”
Gia nodded. “I could do with any and all advice right now.”
“Fine. Gia, you’re a good girl, but you take a long time to act. You’ve a cautious soul. Cedun is only here for another few months, then he is being recalled. His father wants him to report directly to their senate and take up his position in their society. To do the things a Turaa should be doing. So what I’m trying to say is… Don’t take too long to act, okay?”
Mulling Valerie’s words over, she allowed herself to be turned and they walked back up the beach in the direction of the house.
* * * *
Cedun placed the file in the tray and prepared to log out of the systems for the night. Since Gia had returned, his days had dragged. All he thought of was being home. With Gia.
It was intriguing, he mused. Never before had he felt this sense of well-being. He’d been all about the best decisions for his people. Now that warred with his need to be with Gia.
He rose, unable to contain his smile. It was time to go home. Tonight he planned to woo her. Since her chat with Valerie, she’d seemed different. Changed. More open to any kind of connection between them.
Last night he’d kissed her and she’d welcomed his touch. His groin tightened at the memory. What will tonight bring?
“Garret is searching for Gia.” Joruzan pinned Cedun with a harsh stare, and he controlled the surge of adrenaline. “He is not human, Cedun. He is an AWOL warrior from the Galecian Empire.”
“What?” Cedun turned around swiftly, needing to check that Joruzan wasn’t telling him a joke. But his long years of association reminded him that if Joruzan was saying this, it must be true.
The Galecian Empire was an acquisitive race, looking for both habited and uninhabited planets to annex. Earth would be right up their alley—rich with mineral resources and potential slaves.
“Why would he be seeking Gia in particular? This mess makes no sense.” Cedun pounded the table.
“No, it does not. But what it does do is explain the transmitter. They have their own technology, but I have managed to acquire their frequency waves. I might be able to pinpoint him using the tech-signature.”
Anger built, a raging hot inferno. “Do it. We need to find Garret before he can get to Gia, and I want to know more about his actions. Why a Galecian warrior is here and what their plans are.”
“Valerie and Gia?”
Cedun frowned. “We will need to ensure they are secured.”
Joruzan shoved something into his hand.
“What’s this?” Cedun asked.
“Personal Placement Locators. I have had some of our tech specialists working on this. They are subdermal, but using one of our matter transmitters, I believe they can be embedded with little or no trauma.”
Cedun turned it over in his hands. The tiny transmitters were less than a third of the space of his fingernail. “Excellent. Range?”
“Five thousand kilometers. We also managed to boost the signal so reinforced structures are not an issue.”
“Good. I am heading home. Give me the instructions and I will apply Gia’s tonight. You will do the same with Valerie?”
Joruzan nodded, his face a tight mask of worry. Cedun knew how he felt, his own fears could choke him if he let them. “I will not risk her. Or the child.”
Cedun left the room and transmitted into the kitchen where Gia sat, her laptop on the table. She rose as soon as she saw him, closing the lid of her computer. Her smile was welcoming, and his heart melted. Here was the one woman he wished to spend the rest of his life with. He took a single step in her direction.
A pink blush stole across her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled. “Good evening, Cedun. Won’t you sit down?”
The room was redolent with scents, and she scurried in the direction of the cold box, pulling a bottle from within. “I thought, maybe a glass of wine.” She cleared her throat, and he watched her movements.
“Is all well, Gia?”
She gave a short, nervous laugh. “Oh yes. Everything is dandy. I mean…”
“I know this phrase.” He stepped up behind her as she shoved the bottle back into the cooler. “Gia…” The words he wanted—needed—to say were stuck in his throat.
He settled his hands on her shoulders, felt the tension in them seep away.
She slowly turned in his embrace. “Cedun, I need to talk to you. I’m so nervous… I’m going to make a hash of this.” Her anxiety concerned him.
“Whatever it is, just tell me.” For a moment he feared she would say she was leaving. That whatever it was between them could never be, but when she looked at him, there was a heat in her eyes which scorched his soul.
“Gia…” He couldn’t contain himself any longer. He needed her. Needed to kiss her. He had to make her his. He dipped his head, his lips glancing hers, before she tugged away with a sigh.
“No. Not yet. I have to say my piece, Cedun. Please.” Her eyes glittered, and his heart shattered in his chest. He stepped back, ready to leave her, but she grabbed his hand. “No! Not that.”
She breathed deep and he watched as she settled herself, obviously finding her center.
Her chest rose and fell, and she tugged him to the table. “Please sit. I have to tell you… I…” The blush deepened and her fingers curled as if she were fighting herself. “Iloveyou.” She rushed the words in a single sound, breathing out as she said them. They stunned him.
Joy. A lightness of being. Completion. The emotions hammered at him, and all he could do was look at her. She loves me!
“Okay, I’m a total idiot.” Tears sparkled in
her eyes as she rose, but his grip on her hand refused to let her retreat.
“You are no idiot. You are the woman I love. My Deandara.”
A single tear tracked down her face and confusion welled again.
“What have I said? Deandara? Tell me and I will make it right.”
“That’s just it, Cedun. Even though I’ve been foolish and lost in my own self-absorption, you’ve been there, waiting and making things right. Instead of telling you my feelings, I worried and questioned everything. I’m such an idiot!” She covered her eyes with a shaking hand, and for the first time he smiled.
“You are no idiot. You are a measured and careful woman. I love you for that too.”
She gave a wet snort. “Right.” She breathed deeply again and dropped her hand. “I really don’t deserve you.”
Unable to wait any longer, he advanced and pulled her close against him. “Now, let me show you how much I love you.” Their lips met and clung as raging hunger swept through him.
* * * *
His hands roamed over her body and she wanted them. She burned for him. Cedun. Her clothes melted away as tingles spread through every part of her. He kissed her neck, and she shivered as his breath whispered over sensitized skin.
When his hand cupped her breast, she arched, hungry for more of his exquisite torment.
Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him against her, telling him wordlessly of her own need. She dropped them to his shoulder, glorying in the sensation of hard muscle hidden only by cloth.
He shuddered when she found his buttons and began unfastening his shirt. “Bedroom, Deandara.”
She giggled as they shuffled up the hall, stopping short of the doorway when the need became too much. The kiss was scorching, breath stealing. “More… Don’t… Oh God! Don’t stop!”
Her shirt fluttered in the fragrant evening breeze, and as it whispered over naked flesh, her nipples furled into tight buds of sensual starvation. When his lips closed over them, her body coiled tight, the molten lava in her belly rising to flash point.
She tore what remained of his clothes away, breathing in hard, rapid pants.