“Something’s wrong?” he asked.
“There’s a limo. On my street.”
“Well, I told you I was picking you up this morning.”
“In a limo.” She stared at it. “You couldn’t have borrowed some dented, beat up piece of crap to come here? Or even something like that,” she said pointing to the truck Kwintex had arrived in.
“I wasn’t aware the limo would be a problem.”
“They’re going to think you’re my sugar daddy.”
“Your what?” His brow furrowed.
“You know, a guy I’m sleeping with so he’ll take care of me financially.”
Siril snorted. “Before last night I’d have said that was the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, but I can see where having sex with you would make men want to take care of you. I’ve had my share of females over the years, but none compared to what we shared last night.”
Her cheeks pinked. “You weren’t so bad yourself. In fact, I’ve been looking forward to an encore. Would it be presumptuous to assume that our outing will end back at your hotel?”
He growled softly and pulled her tight against his body. “If you’d like, we can start the day there. I’m sure I could find ways to keep you entertained.”
“As much as I love that idea, you promised me an outing. Do you know how long it’s been since I did anything fun? Dinner and a limo ride last night topped my list of favorite things I’ve ever done, but I was looking forward to what you’d come up with today.”
Siril pressed his lips to hers. “Then we’ll go out.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him harder, deeper, then scurried off to the waiting limo. The driver opened the door for them and Siril slid into the car after Jennifer. She immediately pressed against his side, her hand on his thigh. He had to remind himself that it was one thing to undress her in the limo when it was dark outside and another to do it during the day. He didn’t care if the windows were tinted. Siril wasn’t about to take a chance on someone other than him seeing her without clothes. As far as he was concerned, that treat was reserved solely for him. At least, until she told him she didn’t want to see him again. If she decided to remain here when he returned to Zelthrane-3, it was doubtful they would ever see each other. Not unless he took more trips to Earth between missions.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked.
“Trying to think of ways to keep seeing you even if you don’t agree to leave with me tomorrow. I’m not ready for whatever this is between us to end.”
“I’m not either,” she said, pressing even closer.
“Do you have a preference for what we do today? The driver has instructions for our first stop, which is breakfast. After that, we can do whatever you want.”
“It’s supposed to be sunny and warm today. How do you feel about the zoo?” she asked.
“That’s the place where animals are kept?”
She nodded. “I haven’t been since Lila was little. They have free days once a week and we’d go on the day she didn’t have school. Sometimes I’d get her out an hour early and we’d spend the afternoon there.”
“If you want to see the animals, that’s what we’ll do.”
“You don’t have zoos on your world?” she asked.
“No. We have a… I believe the term is zoologist? Someone who specializes in animals. On the edge of our main city, he has a place where he keeps breeding pairs when they are going extinct. He cares for them and when he feels it’s safe, he releases them back into the wild until another animal needs help. He doctors them too when they are sick.”
“That sounds like an interesting job. I just check out items at the dollar store, or sometimes I stock the shelves. I’ve worked at a few stores over the years, a coffee shop, and a diner. I guess getting to talk to people at the diner was kind of interesting, but I think I’d have much rather worked with animals.”
Siril nodded. “I would imagine it’s a rather calming job, as I’ve noticed animals have that effect on most people.”
“If you hadn’t become a warrior, what do you think you would have done?” she asked.
“I’m not certain. From an early age I showed an aptitude for things like battle strategy. I think I was always destined to be a warrior. I enjoy my work. I always have, but the older I get, I know I’m getting close to the council retiring me. I’ll be stuck on my world training warriors until I’m too old to do even that.”
Her lips turned down a little. “You don’t get retirement there at like age sixty-five where you get to sit home and enjoy time with your family?”
He laughed. “No, nothing like that. We work until we’re unable.”
“What if you’re able to work until you’re eighty but someone else can only work until they’re seventy? That hardly seems fair.”
“It’s the way my planet works.” He shrugged. “It’s all we’ve ever known, so we’re fine with it. A lot of changes have happened since your Earth females have come to my world, and I imagine over the years there will be more changes. If your Earth females are used to having their mates around in their older years, perhaps that is something the council will consider. But if none of the elders are working, how will the younger generation learn anything?”
Her brow furrowed, but she remained quiet.
The limo pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant he had requested. The Terran Station assured Siril they had the best breakfast in the entire town. He helped Jennifer out of the car and her eyes widened when she saw the sign over the café door. Blueberry Hill.
“We can’t eat here,” she said.
He paused, the door midway open. “Why not?”
“It costs too much. It was one thing for you to buy me an expensive meal once, but twice…”
“Jennifer, I have more than enough money to feed you. Now come on. I heard this was the best place for breakfast. We’ll enjoy a nice meal and then go to the zoo.”
“The zoo probably isn’t open this early,” she said.
“Then we’ll improvise.”
She sighed a little and allowed him to urge her into the restaurant. It didn’t look all that fancy to him, but maybe anything out of her price range was considered expensive. If she’d never eaten out very often, it was doubtful she’d ever been to this place. He wanted to spoil her a little, if only she’d let him.
Getting her to order whatever she wanted took a little coaxing, but he pulled out the slip of paper in his wallet he was given when his funds were transferred to the Earth American dollars. He showed her the slip and assured her he’d barely spent any of it. Her eyes went wide and her face paled a little. She swayed in her seat, her eyes turning glassy. He worried she was going to pass out and rushed around the table to kneel beside her and hold her upright.
“Jennifer. What’s wrong? Is it not enough?” he asked, having no idea what the dollar amounts of his money meant here.
“N-Not enough?” she stammered. “You have more money than anyone I’ve ever met. That’s more than I’d make in ten years, possibly longer.”
He smiled faintly. “It’s only a fraction of my money, Jennifer. I transferred some funds so I’d be able to do things while I was here. I had no idea what the conversion rate would be, and I honestly didn’t realize I’d transferred so much until now. I thought it was a common enough amount.”
She laughed, but it was humorless and her eyes still held a glassy sheen, like she was in shock. He squeezed her hand and tried to get her to focus on him. Maybe he shouldn’t have shown her how much money he had, but he didn’t want her to worry that she was going to bankrupt him. He’d been assured he’d transferred enough money to have fun on his trip, but no one had told him he’d transferred too much. Judging by Jennifer’s reaction, he’d overdone it quite a bit.
When she seemed to snap out of it a little, he pressed a kiss to her lips and then returned to his seat. She took several deep breaths, then gulped down her drink. Her hand shook a little as she set the glass d
own and he worried she wasn’t over the shock of how much he’d brought with him. He knew he made good money on his world, but he hadn’t realized until now just how much that was. To someone like Jennifer, who had fought so hard for how very little she had, it must seem like a fortune.
“That’s what you call travel expenses?” she asked, her voice hoarse.
“I didn’t know what I’d be doing while I was here, so I wanted to be prepared. When I leave, I can revert it back to my currency and the money will go back into my account. Or I can leave it in a bank here and draw on it if I make future trips to Earth.” He tipped his head a little. “Or if a rather beautiful, yet stubborn, female refuses to go to Zelthrane-3 with me, I could give the funds to her so she could have a fresh start on life here.”
She reached for her glass and to take another drink, but the ice just clinked in the glass. She set it down and smoothed her hair back from her face.
“I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t want your money, Siril. I might not have much, but I’ve earned everything I have. If we were married, it would still bother me a little to spend your money, but it would be different from you just giving me over two hundred thousand dollars because you can.”
“I understand. Then I’ll just have to convince you to be my mate before I leave tomorrow. The shuttle leaves at nine o’clock. You have until then to decide. After that, I’ll be returning to my world, and I’m not certain when I’ll have time to come back for another visit. But know that if you do decide to remain here, I will come back and see you. Even if it takes months or a year.”
She looked stricken by his words. “You can’t return before that?”
“It’s not likely. I’ll be sent on other missions and have more training sessions with our warriors. I stay pretty busy, but I was allowed time off since I’ve never taken a vacation. I’m sure I could take another one after a while, but if I make it a habit of coming here every few months, my council might become frustrated with me.”
“You said you work a lot on your world. What would I do while you’re off saving the planet?” she asked. “I’m used to working all the time, and I don’t think I’d do well at having nothing to do.”
“There are plenty of other human females on my world you could interact with. I admit that most are younger than you. It isn’t typical for someone your daughter’s age to get approved for the program -- most are in their early twenties. But those who entered the program when it first started are in their thirties now. You could make new friends, if you’d like. There are activities, and I’ve heard that more are coming soon. We have a library. If you have one of those smart phone things, there’s a way to charge them on my planet and you could still access your movies and music.”
Jennifer bit her lip. “I do have a smart phone, but it doesn’t have anything downloaded to it. I never had the funds for games and stuff. I always let Lila get the music and movies she wanted, when I could afford something extra.”
“Then we would load your phone tonight so you’d have plenty to do on my world. There’s a store on Zelthrane-3 that sells solar chargers that will work with your phone, or if you have a tablet or… what’s it called? An e-reader? It will charge those as well.”
“I’ve always wanted something that would allow me to read e-books, but I could never afford one. I suppose if I was going to live my life on another planet, it would be nice to have hundreds of books at my fingertips.”
Siril took a sip of his drink and set it down. Before he could say anything, the waitress arrived with their meals. The food looked and smelled incredible and he couldn’t wait to try it, but even more, he couldn’t wait to see Jennifer’s face when she took her first bite. He loved getting to experience new things with her, and hoped she’d agree to go home with him. Showing her his world would be amazing, as she stared at everything in wide-eyed wonder.
When they were alone again, he watched her for a few minutes and then picked up the conversation where it had left off.
“If you go home with me, become my mate, I will leave instructions with the Terran Station to purchase an e-reader for you and load it with hundreds if not thousands of books. You just leave a list of some you like, and I will have them find more like them.”
“And how would I get the e-reader if we’ve already left this planet?” she asked.
“It would arrive on one of the shuttles flying from here to my world. It might take a week or so before it would arrive, but I promise you would get one. You could use my card they gave me for purchasing things to load movies and music to your phone before we left. As many movies and songs as you’d like. You’ve seen my balance and I’ve barely touched it. We could even go to the Terran Station for a more current printout if it would make you feel better.”
She shook her head. “If you’ve not purchased a house or a car, I doubt you’ve made much of a dent in your balance. I’m honestly not sure how to download stuff to my phone though. Maybe through the provider’s store.”
“There are Terrans at the hotel where I stay who might know how to use it. We could ask them to show us how. Or someone who works at the station might know. They have someone over in communications who I’m certain would be familiar with how Earth phones work.”
Jennifer bit her lip. “I can’t believe I’m seriously thinking about moving to another planet. It just seems too… incredible.”
“Anything I can do to make that a definite yes? I want you with me, Jennifer. I want you as my mate, more than I’ve ever wanted anything. And it’s not just because I’m lonely. I truly enjoy spending time with you.”
She smiled a little and leaned closer. “You could always take me back to your hotel room before the zoo opens and prove that you can make me scream your name.”
Siril chuckled. “I believe I already did that, but I’m open to trying again. And again. As many times as you’d like.”
“Then I guess we’d better finish breakfast.”
He ate another bite and watched her with amusement, as she shoveled in bites of food faster than before. It was good to see that she’d enjoyed their time together last night as much as he had, and while he knew there was more to a relationship than just sex, it couldn’t be denied they had more than just a few sparks between them. When the meal was finished and he’d paid for it, they went back out to the limo and he gave the driver instructions to go to the hotel.
He couldn’t wait to get Jennifer alone in his suite, and preferably without clothes.
Chapter Six
Jennifer stared in awe at everything around her. The hotel was grander than anywhere she’d lived before. The nearly all glass building had been one she’d passed many times, but this was her first time inside. She felt out of place, but gripped Siril’s hand tight and let him lead her through the lobby. They rode the elevator up to his floor and he let her into his suite. The furnishings were white and the floors were made of wood and pale carpet. She’d be worried she’d stain something if she were here any length of time.
The door clicked shut behind them and Siril placed his hands on her waist, then slid around to her stomach and pulled her tight against his body. His lips found the sensitive skin along her neck and a shiver raked over her. She wanted him just as much as she had last night. Turning in his embrace, her lips met his, her tongue slipping inside. He tasted of syrup and berries from his breakfast. The kiss was deep and left her knees shaking, as her hands gripped him tight to stay upright.
He lifted her shirt and they broke apart long enough for the garment to be removed and dropped onto the floor. She pulled off her boots and shimmied out of her jeans. Standing in front of him in her plain bra and panties, she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. He’d seen her naked before, but in the bright light of day, she felt more exposed than before. Her underthings weren’t sexy, but practical, and she hoped he wasn’t disappointed.
Siril’s gaze devoured her, caressing her breasts and lingering on her hips. The passion blazing in the depths of his eyes was eno
ugh to have her reaching for him. She needed him, wanted him. If he didn’t take her soon, she knew she’d end up begging. He removed his clothes slowly, his gaze trained on her the entire time. When he was bare, he stood uncertainly for a moment. It was the first time she’d seen him completely naked, but the metal leg didn’t bother her, if he was waiting for a reaction. When she merely smiled and held out a hand, he reached for her, removing the last of her clothes.
Siril lifted her and pressed her back against the wall, her legs going around his waist. She felt his cock brush against her and she moaned, arching against him. Jennifer wanted him, more than her next breath. The entire ride in the limo, his thigh had brushed against hers, driving her a little crazier with every mile that passed. She’d silently begged for his kiss, but he’d merely smiled at her, as if knowing what she wanted and refusing to give it to her. Siril reached between their bodies and teased her slit with the head of his cock before slowly pressing inside of her. He stretched her wide, filling her better than anyone else ever could. He felt perfect as he slid inside of her.
“So good,” she murmured, her hands going to his hair. She clutched handfuls of it.
“I don’t know that I can go slow,” he said. “I want you too desperately.”
“Then take me. As hard and fast as you want.”
With a groan, he buried his face against her neck and took her with such force, her body bumped against the wall with every thrust. She would doubtless have a few bruises later, but it would be so worth it. The feel of him withdrawing nearly all the way then surging inside of her once more, had her crying out in pleasure. The room started spinning and she realized she’d forgotten to breathe. Jennifer sucked in a breath and then called out Siril’s name again, her eyes sliding shut as she came, harder than ever before. Shockwaves of pleasure rocketed through her as colors burst behind her closed eyelids.
Jennifer and the Alien Badass Page 6