by Melody Dawn
Once she was sure she wouldn’t follow up on her dirty thoughts, she got up to change her ruined panties.
The realization she had to do so because of a bossy beautiful alien instead of her sweet, attentive boyfriend had her shrugging her shoulders in defeat. She was going straight to hell.
Ralen
Since their explosive disagreement, Ralen made sure to give Jessie some breathing room. He knew she would be watching for him and he wanted to give her the illusion of being in charge, a tactic which would make his job much more manageable.
He also wanted to establish her pattern of coming and going by observing her undetected. So, the next day when she went shopping, he made sure to follow, completely undeterred by her command to stay away.
Ralen followed her to an open-air food market, something he was unaware existed on Earth. Looking closer, he noticed it also included flowers and other wares he wasn’t close enough to see.
Jessie pulled two cloth shopping bags from her giant purse, placed them on her shoulder, and started walking. Apparently, she came here often because many of the vendors called out to her, and Ralen watched as she charmed each of them with a smile.
The people in the market weren’t the only ones dazzled by Jessie Lin.
Wanting to know everything about her, Ralen studied the items she was putting in her bag.
From the produce section, she inspected the agave, oranges, and apricots.
He couldn’t look away as she brought the fruit to her nose to check for the right scent or as she squeezed to check for the perfect firmness. Each time she found what she was looking for, a small grin tilted her lips mischievously.
Watching her buy fruit shouldn’t have been so sensual, yet he ranked it as one of the most carnal experiences in his life.
His cock instantly hardened and with each action, he wondered if she knew he was following her, making him pay by tormenting him.
No. It was impossible for Jessie to detect his presence; after all, he was an elite member of the Krinar Guardians.
As she moved on to the produce and performed the same show with an array of vegetables including cauliflower, snap peas, carrots, and cabbage, it made him wonder even more.
Finally, done with her display of what could only be termed as food porn, Ralen kept his eyes on her as she paid for her purchases. Before turning to leave, she reached up and placed a kiss on the old shopkeeper’s cheek, causing Ralen’s eyes to narrow in anger.
The elderly man reached down and gathered her in his arms with Jessie wrapping hers around him in return.
Ralen wanted to roar in frustration at the shopkeeper’s touch. Not only for putting his hands on her, but the comfort displayed between the two. He wanted to be the one she held on to and kissed in public.
Finally, Jessie pulled away, waving as she left. The old man called, “Arrivederci, figlia mia.”
Ralen’s embedded language translator gave him the meaning in seconds. “Goodbye, my daughter.”
Hearing her friend’s farewell, she turned and placed her hand over her heart. Even from the distance where he stood, Ralen could see his words affected her.
Her emotion affected him as well, puzzling him. He didn’t possess deep feelings. He had a strong affection for his parents and Tarek, but he never felt what humans called love, especially for a woman.
For the first time in his life, he wanted to take a woman in his arms for more than just sex. He could imagine holding Jessie, listening as she explained why was she so moved.
Did he want that type of a relationship with a woman? More importantly, a human woman? Ralen didn’t know if he could maintain a relationship anchored on more than just sex.
Still contemplating the issue, he watched Jessie alternately wave and speak to both merchants and shoppers alike. One thing for sure, he wanted...no, he needed the freedom to touch her. In whatever way he decided she was his, Ralen was positive Jessie Lin belonged to him.
Ralen watched for a while longer as Jessie explored a few other shops, one of them focusing mainly on foods from China. Keeping out of sight, he moved in closer, watching her continue to interact with everyone.
No matter who she came across, a smile was always present.
Was she truly as happy as she made herself out to be? Ralen honestly wanted to find out. Surprisingly, he hoped she was.
Jessie stopped one more time to buy an array of fresh flowers. Just like her, they were beautiful and vibrant.
Finished with her shopping, she waved to everyone once more and made her way out of the market.
Ralen followed, looking around to see if there was anyone from the Resistance watching her and seeing no one, he followed closely behind his charge.
Just as he was about to melt into the crowd, he heard her cell ring. She dug around in her tote bag, finally coming up with her phone.
“Edgar,” she exclaimed happily into the receiver.
Ralen’s gut tightened as he remembered her boyfriend. He had forgotten him in the midst of examining his feelings.
Unwilling to back away, Ralen listened as she made plans to see Edgar later that evening.
“Hi, sweetie. How about coming over for some cabbage rolls since our date got canceled last evening?”
Chattering happily into the phone, Jessie made her way through the crowds sounding thrilled her boyfriend was coming over for dinner.
Ralen was incensed at the idea of Edgar being anywhere near Jessie. There was only one solution to his problem. He needed to get rid of him by whatever means necessary.
He also needed to make Jessie understand she was his and his alone. There was one sure way to do it, and that was through sex. No more thinking he wanted a deeper relationship with her. Ralen would bind Jessie to him by making her body crave his. And if that didn’t work, then he would take her away and keep her until he was her everything.
Unknowing, Jessie continued chatting about their upcoming evening, while Ralen followed behind, his resolve hardening as he listened.
She had no idea, her future hung in the balance and with each word she uttered, her fate was sat in stone.
Jessie
Finishing up her phone call, Jessie placed her phone back into her bag. For the first time in a while, a smile graced her lips regarding Edgar.
This was the man she wanted. He was sweet, made her feel wanted, and unlike with Ralen, she wasn’t overcome with lust or unable to control her urges. She was attracted to Edgar although, with him, the desire felt like an afternoon rainstorm, the drops steady and soothing while with Ralen, it was a savage thunderstorm, unpredictable and scary.
Thinking of Edgar one more time, she had her answer. Yes, he was what she wanted, what she needed in her life. Ralen was merely a blip on her radar, someone she would never have known had Korum not taken Mia.
Mia wouldn’t have gone back to him if you hadn’t brought your cousin and his friend, John to the apartment where she was talked into spying for the Resistance.
The guilty thought temporarily stole the smile from her face. Not wanting to contemplate the what-ifs of Mia’s relationship, Jessie sat aside her thoughts and once again concentrated on Edgar, however, unbidden thoughts of Ralen kept popping in.
Determined nt to second guess herself, Jessie turned in the direction of her apartment, contemplating what she would wear for her date.
She had two prospects in mind, depending upon whether she wanted to look sexy or sweet. Jessie had always dressed according to her mood, and so far, Edgar had always gotten the sweet or comfortable look.
Without a doubt, she knew if her date were with Ralen, she would blow him away with a sexy dress or maybe nothing at all.
Stop it! He’s an alien. You have nothing in common. You’re not Mia, and this is no Krinar fairytale. It’s time to get back to Edgar and your real life.
While once again in the process of convincing herself, Edgar was the man for her, Jessie crossed E 17th away from the Union Square Farmer’s market. A feeling of being wa
tched sent a chill down her spine, and she spun around looking for the culprit, most likely a 6’4” alien who didn’t know the meaning of privacy.
Scanning the crowds of passerby and seeing no one, she walked away with a feeling of listlessness. Obviously, Ralen had gotten the message about following her, something she should be thrilled about.
Edgar. Think about him.
Forcing Ralen from her mind, she resumed the trek homeward, checking behind her one last time. She couldn’t believe he had listened, and actually left her alone, which made her crazy. Did she want him around or not?
Jessie made it home with not much time to spare. She still had to cook, shower, get dressed, do her hair, and with only two hours left to make it all happen.
Wanting to surprise him, she stopped at one more shop to get the ingredients she needed for a vegan chocolate cake.
As she unpacked her bags with the ingredients for both the cabbage rolls and the dessert, Jessie acknowledged to herself the meal was most likely born of guilt.
While preparing the water for boiling and tearing apart the cabbage leaves, she decided once, and for all, her fascination with Ralen was over.
How many times have you made this decision already?
“Shut the hell up.” She scolded herself aloud for the negative albeit true thought rolling through her mind.
Still talking aloud, she added bitterly. “Ralen’s obviously over his infatuation since he didn’t follow along on my errands. Resistance, my ass; I’m glad no one decided to grab me off the street.”
“Shit, Jessie, you’re doing it again.”
Shaking her head at her behavior, she turned some music on; music always changed her state of mind.
One of her favorite songs, “Someone Like You” by Adele came on, and as usual, she sang at the top of her lungs. ” Never mind I’ll find someone like you. I wish nothing but the best for you too. Don’t forget me, I beg...”
Ralen’s face appeared in her mind, and she swore viciously. “Great! Now, my favorite fucking song is ruined.”
Grabbing her iPod, she advanced to the next song, not looking to see the title next on the playlist. The words, “And I know that he knows I’m unfaithful, and it kills him inside, to know that I’m happy with some other guy.”
Jessie’s heart twisted in her chest at the lyrics being played. Keeping up her verbal commentary, she muttered, “It’s not like I’ve cheated on Edgar.”
Suddenly, she remembered how she responded the first time Ralen appeared at her door. The hot images replayed themselves while she chopped up the eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and garlic for the cabbage roll mixture. So, maybe she hadn’t cheated physically, but some would say she did emotionally.
Wiping away tears, which she swore were from the onions, she muttered, “Stupid K’s. For once, I would love some meat instead of eggplant or mushrooms, not just the texture of meat.”
Sick to her stomach and no longer excited about her date, she rushed through the rest of the meal preparation, deciding to forego the chocolate cake. The idea of fixing it now seemed tainted as if it were some sort of apology rather than simply a girl making a treat for her boyfriend.
Once the wraps were prepped and, in the oven, Jessie searched through her closet, looking for the right outfit. One that says, “I’m into you, and I’m sorry I’ve been lusting over the extraterrestrial living below me.”
Searching through her closet, she came upon a thrift store find she had been saving for a special occasion. When she saw it buried among the racks, the original price tag still on it, it was as if the heavens opened and the angels sang. A little dramatic? Maybe; however, fashion was her life.
Jessie held her prized dress up, taking in the details. It was a timeless black dress in a pencil silhouette, knee-length with a square neckline held up by sexy straps. Just thinking about wearing it was improving her mood in a big way.
Sexy was definitely the way to go, and if things went as well as she hoped, she was going to ask Edgar to meet her parents next time she went upstate.
Turning on some dance music, she started her shower, dancing around while she waited for the water to heat up, something that always took forever. It wasn’t until steam began rolling out of the small bathroom that she remembered the hot water heater had been fixed.
“Thank you, Mr. Castellano, for finally getting some ethics and making this place livable.”
An hour later, after showering, shaving, slathering on lotion anywhere she might be touched, Jessie pulled the hot rollers from her usually straight hair. Spritzing her hair with product, she created the beachy waves she’d always wanted. Mia had lamented continuously over her curly hair, saying she would do anything to have hair like Jessie. The memory made her sad. Jessie missed her best friend, most of all she missed the life they had together before that horrible Korum had come into the picture.
All right, maybe he wasn’t as terrible as she initially thought. Mia’s phone calls swayed her a little bit into thinking the K might care for her best friend.
Thinking about Mia and Korum inevitably led to wondering what Ralen was doing tonight. Did he have a K female or a human girl over to keep him company? “Company? Really, Jessie? If anyone is with him, they’re having hot sex with him, and you know it.”
Enough!
Having finished her hair, she brushed her teeth an extra time, then slipped into a lacy black thong. She would have to forego a bra due to the straps on her dress. Thankfully, the bodice was tight enough to hug her cleavage and keep everything in place.
Finally, it was time to put on her dress.
Stepping into it, she settled the straps in place, then practically dislocated her shoulders trying to zip it up. Jessie couldn’t help but laugh at herself, thinking of whoever said, “One must suffer to be beautiful.” She had that covered tonight!
Taking one last look in the mirror, she decided to wear no jewelry except a locket she and Mia both owned. Placing it around her neck made her feel closer to her best friend. She had a feeling if Mia knew of her plan to get more intimate with Edgar, she would be thrilled. The thought made Jessie happy and even more convinced she was making the right decision.
In the distance, she heard the timer ring, letting her know the cabbage rolls were ready to be taken out of the oven. Deciding to put her heels on later so as not to kill her feet while cooking and setting the table, she slipped on her fuzzy red slippers.
At least, they didn’t clash with her dress; that’s what was most important.
Jessie giggled at her thoughts and hurried into the kitchen, hoping to get everything ready for Edgar’s arrival.
At 7:00 PM sharp, there was a knock on her door. Jessie ran to open it, then stopped, temporarily shaken it might be Ralen instead of Edgar. What would happen if they both showed up tonight?
There came another knock, shaking Jessie out of her stasis, and she made sure to look through the peephole this time. The view made her smile. Edgar was standing there, holding a bouquet of flowers.
Yanking open the door, she maneuvered around the flowers to hug him.
While standing in his embrace, a movement on the stairs caught her eye. Ralen was standing there glaring at her and Edgar. His gaze was trained on Edgar’s back until he saw her staring at him.
They held each other’s gaze until she felt Edgar move. Not knowing what to do, she greeted him in a shaky voice. “Hello, Ralen, how are you this evening?”
Jessie knew she had made a mistake when Edgar moved out of her embrace to see who she was talking to.
His eyes widened upon seeing Ralen watching them.
Trying to cover up an uncomfortable situation, she introduced them, her voice trembling with anxiety.
“Edgar, this is Ralen. He was sent here to watch over me by Mia’s, um, her boyfriend.”
To his credit, Edgar greeted Ralen courteously although Jessie knew he was remembering Korum nearly choking his friend, Peter, to death.
Ralen gritted out, “Hello,” w
hich sounded like he was chewing glass then turned on his heel and went back down the stairs toward his apartment.
The tension between Edgar and Jessie was palpable. She didn’t know what to say nor did she care to try and explain.
Hoping to get Edgar’s attention off the threatening K, she kissed him on the cheek and invited him in.
“Thank you so much for the flowers, they’re beautiful. Here, take a seat while I get everything ready to eat. How about some music?”
Jessie realized she was rambling, not waiting for him to answer, all to cover up the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Edgar kissed her goodbye on his way out, and not a real kiss; it was a polite kiss on the cheek. Their date had been a disaster.
Jessie had talked too much, laughed too loud, and then the worst of all happened. She tried to make a move on Edgar, and he didn’t respond.
He claimed he wasn’t feeling well and Jessie couldn’t blame him. He was probably scared to death he would be the next one choked by a K.
She hadn’t even brought up the subject of him meeting her parents all because fucking Ralen had to be an asshole. Speaking of the giant douchebag, he was about to get a piece of her mind.
Ralen
Ralen was sitting in his living room, staring out the window at the New York City skyline or what he could see of it. His head was spinning from the transmission he had received from Commander Jakar.
His protection assignment for Jessie was over almost before it had even begun. The Resistance had been quashed, and Jessie was no longer in danger. How could he leave her? His gut tightened at the idea of going back to Krinar, leaving Jessie behind in the arms of that human she seemed to care for.
Yes, she cared for him, but Ralen knew Jessie wanted him as much as he wanted her. Even tonight, when she stood hugging Edgar, her eyes flashed with heat when she saw Ralen on the stairs.
Seeing Jessie in Edgar’s embrace had sent a red haze over his vision. He had barely kept from losing control. Had he given in to his true self, he would have ripped Edgar’s throat out and carted Jessie off to fuck her until they couldn’t move.