by Tasha Black
What most people don’t know is that my Magnum and his brothers, Bond and Rocky are not the only aliens on Earth right now. There were others, and they are being held in a lab, where scientists are trying to make them click without love. It’s not going to work, and I’m afraid of what they will do to these men when they realize it.
* * *
I’m also afraid of what they will do to Magnum and me, and the baby we’re expecting.
* * *
So I’ve sent Kirk, Buck and Solo to you. (Yes, those really are their names. The only Earth culture they’ve ever seen is TV and films from the 80s. It’s a long story. Kirk can explain.) I hope that you can help them find a safe place to stay, and work to keep them busy.
* * *
And I hope you can find them women, kind, decent women to mate with. These men need to find a way to click. The fate of Earth-Aerie relations hangs in the balance.
* * *
I don’t want to impose on you but there is no one else I know with as big a heart. Or as big a housing budget, if Carol is still your agent.
* * *
I will be out to visit you as soon as I can. The boys should arrive at your proverbial doorstep this afternoon. I’m crossing my fingers, eyes and toes that you can help.
* * *
Thank you for being my friend.
* * *
Love,
Rima
* * *
Kate looked up from the letter.
Kirk stood, looking down at her. His expression of ardent interest suddenly made sense. And so did the innocent comments she had chalked up to sarcasm.
It all made sense.
And at the same time it defied all logic and reason.
“So you’re an alien?” she asked him.
He nodded, gray eyes flashing.
“And Rima sent you to me for help?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Okay,” she said. “Okay, I’ll help you.”
“Thank you, Kate Henderson,” he said. “And I will protect you with my life.”
6
Kate
Half an hour later, Kate pressed the elevator button of the condo building and then turned back to Kirk and his brothers.
Though they had all walked back from the Convention Center together, she half-expected to find that they weren’t really there, or at least that they weren’t such unbelievable physical specimens.
But there they were, just as tall, dark and handsome as they had been before.
The one called Buck grinned at her, his eyes dancing.
Solo’s smile was more reserved. He was taller than the other two and quieter.
Kirk wasn’t smiling at all. He was gazing at Kate in a way that made her want to blush down to her toes.
Was it true that these guys were here for the sole purpose of mating? She could believe it from the desire that rolled off Kirk’s body, sizzling in the space between them.
The elevator dinged, interrupting that dangerous train of thought.
Kate marched in and the men followed.
She pressed the button for the penthouse and the car began to ascend.
The men were so massive that the four of them barely fit in the elevator.
“I like this better than the moving staircase,” Solo said.
“But we can’t see out,” Buck retorted.
“It is more efficient,” Solo explained. “It doesn’t take up as much space.”
“Efficiency isn’t everything, brother,” Buck teased.
“Thank you for helping us, Kate,” Kirk said.
“It’s fine,” Kate replied, keeping her eyes forward. She didn’t dare look up at him for fear of getting lost in his eyes.
Get it together, Kate, she scolded herself.
At last, they reached the top floor.
She launched herself out of the elevator and opened the door to her flat, hands shaking.
“Hey guys,” she called out as she stepped inside. “We have company.”
“Hey,” Beatrix said. She sat on the sectional sofa, sketch board and pencil in hand, as usual. Another pencil was tucked behind her ear. A third was threaded through her ponytail. “Cecily’s in the shower.”
“Come on in, everyone,” Kate said over her shoulder to the guys.
She watched Beatrix’s mouth fall open as she took in the new arrivals.
“Beatrix, I want you to meet Kirk, Buck and Solo. They’re going to be staying with us for a short while until they can get on their feet in the city,” Kate explained.
“Have you been reading my letter to Santa?” Beatrix asked, casting a wide-eyed glance at Kate.
“I know, right?” Kate mouthed back.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Buck said, heading right over. “Are you making a drawing?”
“Y-yes,” Beatrix said.
He sat on the arm of the sofa, leaning over her with great interest to study the drawing.
“Are you guys hungry?” Kate asked.
“Yes,” Kirk said, sounding relieved.
“I’ll order us some food,” Kate replied.
“Let me cook for you,” Solo offered.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Kate said. “Besides, I don’t even know what we have in there. Cecily’s the only one of us who cooks and she’s been working too much to do it lately.”
“It would be my pleasure,” Solo said, disappearing into the kitchen.
“Solo enjoys cooking,” Kirk explained. “Back at the lab, Dr. Bhimani allowed him to assist in the meal preparation. He has a talent with food.”
“Rima’s mom,” Kate realized out loud.
“Yes,” Kirk said. “Dr. Bhimani has taken all of us under her wing, with Rima’s help. Do you know her well?”
Kate shook her head.
“Rima took the bus to camp, and I never visited her house, so I haven’t met her mother.”
“I hope that you will visit Stargazer with me one day,” Kirk said. “You can meet her then. When you are able to take time away from your duties, of course.”
“That sounds nice,” Kate agreed.
Kirk smiled down at her and again she felt a delicious shiver down her spine.
She looked away and noticed Buck and Beatrix talking quietly.
Beatrix was Chinese and rocked a goth style, her petite frame inevitably draped in shades of black. But somehow she seemed positively tiny, her features even more delicate than usual, in contrast to Buck’s enormous frame and broad smile.
Buck grinned down at Beatrix and she actually smiled back. She was normally reserved about people looking at her unfinished work. But she was holding her drawing out slightly so that he could see it better, instead of clutching it to her chest, as she often did when Kate came into the room.
“Your friend is kind?” Kirk asked softly.
He was watching them too.
“Yes,” Kate agreed. “She’s no picnic first thing in the morning, but she’s definitely a good person.”
Kirk nodded as if he were satisfied.
“They will be very happy together.”
“Whoa,” Kate said. “Let’s not print up the wedding invitations just yet. You guys are just staying here, until you can get on your feet, nothing more.”
“Nothing more?” Kirk echoed. His deep voice carried a note of sorrow.
“Is this to eat?” Solo asked from the doorway of the kitchen. He was holding a glass jar of bright red dishwasher tablets.
“No,” Kate said quickly, moving toward him to be sure he didn’t try to eat one before she could stop him.
“Oh,” he said. “It looked like a dessert. But it smelled like burning.”
He handed it over to her obligingly.
Kate made a mental note not to leave anything toxic in an unlabeled container while the men stayed with them.
“I guess I never noticed how delicious those things looked,” she said. “Come on, I’ll help you in the kitchen.”
But Solo was no longer p
aying attention to Kate.
He stared past her, his blue eyes fixed on the opening bathroom door.
Cecily stood in the threshold wearing only a towel. Fragrant steam billowed out around her.
For a moment Kate saw her friend through Solo’s eyes - a wanton angel with auburn curls, blinking back at him with droplets of water still clinging to her lips, the scent of her milk and honey shampoo emanating from her curvy figure.
Kate opened her mouth to explain everything to Cecily, but she got tangled up trying to decide which unasked question to answer first. Why were there three giant men in the apartment? Why was Beatrix showing off an unfinished drawing? Why was she clutching the dishwashing detergent like she was afraid someone would try to take it from her?
But Cecily was too busy gazing back at Solo to ask any questions, or notice Kate’s delay.
“We’ve got company, Cecily,” Beatrix yelled from the sofa.
7
Kate
Why don’t I show you guys the room you’ll be staying in?” Kate asked.
“Thank you, Kate,” Kirk said, motioning to his brothers.
Buck stood. Beatrix looked after him a little sadly.
Solo somehow tore his eyes from Cecily.
Kate headed resolutely to the den on the other side of the apartment where the men would stay.
Though the insidious thought had already occurred to her that Buck and Solo might find themselves in her roommates’ bedrooms instead.
The penthouse unit wrapped around the top of the building. The bedrooms were all on the main hall off the entryway. But on the other side of the great room there was a spacious den. It was set up as a TV room but equipped with a set of bunk beds and a pull-out sofa - perfect for their three visitors.
Well, almost perfect.
Kate was crossing her fingers the beds would be big enough to accommodate the hunky giants.
“This building is very tall,” Solo remarked as they reached the far end of the living room and the door to the den. He looked out of the floor to ceiling glass without apparent fear.
“Yes,” Kate said. “Land in the city is expensive, so architects design the buildings to be as high as possible to get as many homes on one site as they can.”
Solo nodded, looking pleased.
“You can see the whole city from up here,” Buck said wonderingly.
“The view is another reason they build high,” Kate said, opening the door to the den.
“There are curtains you guys can close for privacy if you want,” she offered. “And these are bunk beds. Do you know what they are?”
“Yes,” Buck said. “We slept in those at the lab.”
“Another clever use of space,” Solo said approvingly as Buck launched himself heedlessly up the ladder.
“The sofa pulls out,” she told Kirk. “And there are extra pillows and blankets in the closet.”
Solo immediately went to the closet to check out the extras as Buck opened and closed the blinds on the window by his bunk, fascinated.
It was so odd. Their behavior was so innocent, almost childlike, but their massive bodies were anything but. And the way Kirk had looked at her…
No, they were definitely not innocent.
She turned to find him watching her, one arm braced against the wall.
“Thank you for helping us,” he said.
She dared a glance up into those gray eyes.
They smoldered like coals, about to ignite.
“You’re welcome,” she said. “It’s the least I can do.”
“It’s not the least you could do,” Kirk admonished her with a half-smile. “But I will repay you in any way I know how.”
Helplessly, Kate pictured him ripping off her clothes, pressing her against the wall and savaging her mouth with torrid kisses.
“Um, it’s all good,” she murmured. “I’m going to go see about dinner.”
He didn’t stop her when she dashed out of the room.
She reached the living room with a mild sense of relief, only to realize she’d gone from the frying pan into the fire.
“Kate… Kate, holy crap,” Cecily chirped. “Do you know who they are?”
“That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you guys about,” Kate said gamely.
“Where did you meet aliens?” Cecily demanded with sparkling eyes.
“Aliens?” Beatrix hissed.
“How did you know?” Kate asked Cecily.
“Seriously? Aliens?” Beatrix asked again.
Kate sat on the sofa and the other two perched in their usual seats.
“When I was a kid I went to Space Camp,” she began.
“When you were a kid your whole life was Space Camp,” Cecily teased.
“Yeah, yeah, hilarious,” Kate said. “Anyway, most of the kids there were super smart, way smarter than me. But one was super smart and super nice. We made friends and we’ve stayed in touch off and on. Her name is Rima Bhimani—”
“Oh my God, that’s how you know aliens,” Cecily said.
“Wait, what?” Beatrix asked.
“She’s saying that while you were in summer school for drawing comics on your desk, and I was doing nails at my aunt’s salon, Kate was at Space Camp,” Cecily said. “And her best friend there was Rima Bhimani, the woman who has been all over the news for marrying an alien.”
“Sorry, I don’t memorize every aspect of the news,” Beatrix shrugged. “So she’s one of the Stargazer wives?”
“Yes, and she sent Kirk and his brothers here to stay with us, until they get on their feet,” Kate said.
“Why?” Cecily asked.
Kate bit her lip.
“Come on, out with it,” Cecily said in a businesslike way.
“They need to find mates, they have to click with women,” Kate said. “If they don’t, I’m not sure what will happen - to them, to Rima, to the planet.”
“They don’t exactly look like they’re going to have a hard time with the ladies,” Cecily laughed. “Just give them a minute.”
“They’re on the run,” Kate told her. “Rima and her friends busted them out of the lab. The scientists were experimenting on them, trying to get them to click without falling in love.”
“How?” Cecily asked.
“I’m, um, not sure,” Kate admitted, flushing because she had a pretty good idea of how even though Kirk hadn’t explained.
“Kinky,” Beatrix said dreamily.
“Focus, Bea,” Kate said. “I need to know if you’re going to help me.”
“You’re asking us to mate with them?” Beatrix asked.
“What? No. God, no,” Kate replied. “I’m asking you to help me hide them until we figure it out.”
“Of course we’ll help you, tell us what you need,” Cecily said.
Beatrix nodded.
Kate felt tears prickle her eyes.
“Guys, thank you so much,” she said.
“Are you kidding? It’s only because of you that I’m not living in a lab experiment somewhere,” Beatrix said.
Cecily laughed and shoved Beatrix a little.
“Okay, listen,” Kate said. “We need to keep them out of trouble. Maybe give them stuff to do here in the apartment while we’re at the Con.”
“You’re not worried about leaving them alone?” Cecily asked.
“It’s better than taking them out in public,” Kate said.
“I’m not sure about that, Cecily said. “There’s a whole slew of people in and out of the building all day. Who knows what they might say or do if they decide to wander down to the lobby? Who knows if you’re even allowed to have six people staying in this rental? We don’t want to get you busted.”
She had a point.
“You think we should bring them with us?” Kate asked. “They’ll draw a lot of attention, being so… you know…”
“Hot?” Beatrix suggested.
Kate rolled her eyes.
“I think we can hide them better in plain sight,” Cecily
said. “And if you keep them close, you can keep them out of danger.”
“But you saw it yourself,” Kate said. “The moment you laid eyes on them you knew exactly what they were.”
“I knew because I saw all three of them at once,” Cecily pointed out. “And maybe because I spend a little too much time on trashy websites. So we just don’t let them be seen together. We each take one of them with us for the day. All of a sudden, they aren’t a trio of aliens, like everyone’s been seeing in the news. They’re just one hot guy at a time.”
It wasn’t a bad plan.
“Honestly, I could use some help hauling around my supplies,” Cecily added. “And I’m sure Beatrix wouldn’t mind the company.”
Beatrix winked at Cecily.
“Who knows, maybe they’ll find someone to click with after all?”
Kate’s heart sank.
“Listen, you can’t do that,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Beatrix asked.
“You can’t just casually date them,” Kate said. “And you definitely can’t just sleep with them,”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s different for them,” Kate explained. “I read a lot about this when I saw Rima’s story in the news. That click means everything to these men. If it happens it’s forever for them - no going back.”
There was a moment of silence among the women as they thought about this.
“Is that really so bad, Kate?” Cecily asked softly.
Touché.
Kate hadn’t had the best luck with dating. And with Spencer always at her heels, it wasn’t worth the hassle of riling him up. Better to wait until her life was settled far from the spotlight.
“I’m not really at a good place in my life for dating,” Kate admitted. “But even if I were, I wouldn’t be dating an alien.”
“Why not?” Beatrix demanded. “They’re gorgeous and if you’re right about the clicking business they’re loyal as hell. Where else are you going to find that?”
“I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to escape the sci-fi lifestyle,” Kate said firmly. “I’m not about to marry into it.”