by Cora Blu
She received a verifying nod from Captain Holston. The deep complexion lent itself to American Indian with a hint of Italian. The man had a voice that belonged on the radio, profound and inviting. He climbed into the shuttle and towered over her at near 6’5”.
“Remember your training. You’re our eyes and ears on the inside. Don’t engage him thinking you can get more information from him somehow. Listen. Report.” Captain Holston rested his hand on her shoulder. “For the first month, if anybody looks at you funny, find a wall or object to stand behind then tap your com link. You’ll be transported straight to my personal home. After that, we’ll reprogram it and you can decide where you go. Understand?”
She agreed.
He tipped a chin in Aroc’s direction then settled into the captain's chair at the controls. The other people on board drew back when Captain Farkus stepped up the metal strip connecting the shuttle to the archway. Their fingers made one last touch when he removed her bag, setting it on her seat. His spicy scent wafted under her nose, decadently masculine.
While she had him close, she asked a question only they needed to hear the answer to. “After my year of servitude has expired, what happens?”
Captain Farkus slipped his hands into his front pockets in a shy motion she'd never witnessed before.
“Have a safe trip, Detective Ochi. Remember, Edwards is a criminal regardless of his upstanding appearance.”
“Is that all, Captain?” He hadn’t touched her since the shower.
She’d never become accustomed to his size. He leaned in, his mouth touching her ear. “Call Norese and read her a story. She likes to hear your voice.” He paused. “You’ve brought peace to my world. That wasn’t an easy task. Thank you.”
He’d spun hers into a position she wasn’t certain she wanted to unwind out of anytime soon.
“You’re a good father, and a fair captain of a unique race. I’m glad I got to know both you and Norese.”
Some friendships were too important to kill attempting to have a romantic relationship.
“You’ll call her,” he asked again.
“Um. I’d love to call and talk if it helps Norese to sleep. I’ll contact her once everything’s settled down.” She gripped the strap on her shoulder tighter, her hands itching to touch his face, bringing their mouths together.
Aroc moved back enough that she could see his eyes, see the level of sadness behind the stern gaze. Was he going to miss her in his home?
“She’ll like that, Ochi—Detective Alexander…Sadie, friend to the karuntee.”
“When I come back, will you help me set up a home? In case things don’t work out at the Edwards’s and I have to change my address permanently?”
When his face came within inches of hers, her pulse jumped. His mouth brushed the corner of hers as it made contact with her cheek, and he lingered. Moving back to her ear, his warm breath tickled along the tender lobe. “Up here, your home is with me and Norese. That’s a part of our deal.” She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it upon sensing the tips of his teeth on her skin. “There’s things I haven’t shared with you that require time and trust. Do you trust me, Detective?”
Sadie angled her chin enough that their mouths were a breath apart. “So far, Captain,” she replied, voice a shaky metaphor of the way this would completely unhinge her life down on earth.
The mixed signals rolling off him were baffling, adding fuel to her inner fire.
Aroc said, “Friday, 5:05 and you’re learning the mother language.”
She met his gaze. The eyes of an alien that could snap her in two peered at her with respect many humans never received from the captain. “It’s been an experience, Captain. I’ll see you and Norese Friday at 5:05 pm ready to learn.”
“Oh, and another thing, Detective.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Sing more. I like the sound.”
He’d heard her in the tub. “I will.”
As she stepped into the transport bay with other maids on their way to Earth, Sadie gave both captain’s a nod. Six days before she’d see Aroc’s handsome face again and feel Norese’s touch. An ache built in her chest as the doors closed on her alien. She blew out a breath and scrubbed the back of her neck relieving the tension knotting at the base.
The woman at her side leaned over.
“I’m Norma.”
Sadie took her offered hand. “Sadie.”
“I know, everybody does,” she told her, running a hand over her long braids. “I work three blocks from the Edwards. A bunch of us meet once a week at a coffee shop down by the grocery store on third and Devonshire, to compare notes and share information. Drop in when you get a second. The others would get a kick out of meeting the woman that took down Captain Farkus.”
“Thank you. I will.” Sadie angled back to look at her better. She’d glimpsed her before at the pharmacy.
“I thought you looked familiar. You ride Mr. Pete’s bus in the afternoon.” The woman gave a tight smile. “Hey, listen,” Sadie said. “How dangerous is this detective job?”
The woman grinned, conspiratorially placing a hand on Sadie’s elbow as they got into position.
“Honey, you have the attention of Captain Aroc Farkus of the Karuntee clan. Danger’s afraid of you now.”
I’m working for an alien.
*** THE END ***
Domestic Asset © 2015 Cora Blu
“Love is a rhythm, not a color. Ride out the romantic wave.”
Author Cora Blu
Cora Blu Books LLC
Cover background illustrations: Photorack.net
Cover Art: ©Cora Blu Books LLC
Male Cover Model. Former wrestler. Champion body builder: John Quinlan
Editor: Deadra Krieger
Proofreader: Arianne Cruz
Beta Readers: Precious Ladies
Copyright 2015 Cora Blu
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
1961
The treaty between the karuntians on the dark side of the moon on a space station, and the human government down on Earth, had its flaws, but sometimes you made friends with the enemy if it benefited the environment.
Recycling fuel out in space, to use for ocean transportation, was a tightly held secret. But there are those that are tempted by greed, and they would sacrifice their families to have it all.
Chapter 1
1961, Georgia
A hot, steamy Friday evening.
In the semi-cool kitchen, compliments of the metal window fan whirring beside the open back door, Sadie turned off the broiler. The golden brown biscuits, finally done, needed to come out of the oven. The flat tin she normally made cookies on, clacked on the trivet when she removed them to place on the Formica counter to cool.
The tight, toothpaste-white stockings cut off the circulation around her calves, not to mention her thighs. Twentieth century inconveniences were beginning to wear on her nerves, along with the eighteen-hour bra that gave up the fight six hours ago. Sadie searched a hand beneath the maid uniform’s collar, and adjusted the thick straps digging into her shoulder blades. Whew!
A muffled voice from the box radio on top of the Frigidaire filtered through the noise of the fan in the room. What did he just say? On tiptoe, she reached up past the toaster, dialing up the volume on the radio.
“Do you think they’re covering up something, the government?”
Sadie stiffened.
“All the time,
Rick,” the shaky-voiced scientist replied. “It’s inevitable, that soon little green men will be running the senate, then the Oval office. How do you think they’re coming up with all these…space movies? Not on their own. Abductions! Nobody wants to go on camera, but for money they’ll talk to a Hollywood producer.”
Sweat trickled down her spine. After a quick study of the hallway—Mrs. Edwards had a way of sneaking up on her—Sadie bolted out to the front room, worriedly looking from the piano to the front door.
Empty. Her heart resumed its normal, too fast, suspicious rhythm.
In the kitchen, the radio personality chimed in. “Come on Georgia, what do you think? The phone lines are open. Are you a Martian living on planet Earth? 678-555-7623, I’m listening. But first we have a word from our sponsor, Bromo Seltzer.”
Sadie’s rubber-bottomed white uniform shoes squeaked on the linoleum floor when she rushed over and shut off the radio. Unclipping the metal butterfly under her collar, she removed the disguised transmitter and tucked it into her pocket. No one in this house needed to know it was true.
Martians weren’t green, and were far from little.
Karuntee were moon dwellers. Most anyway. Her particular one stood seven feet tall. He wore big black biker boots. His demeanor resembled a Hell’s Angel motorcycle gang member. He personified trouble walking. But when he stared at her with those black eyes shot through with burgundy streaks, and held her tight to his chest in his sleep, he was a giant teddy bear and had no idea she loved him. Sadie rested her hip along the counter as her mind drifted back to when he’d kidnapped her, keeping her captive for a month.
Two hours before the party started and the appetizers needed to be plated. After taking the stepladder from the corner, she steadied it open in front of the counter. Using it, she grabbed the platter from the top shelf. The china thudded on the Formica counter when she set it down.
Safe on the white linoleum floor, she tucked the ladder behind the kitchen door. Donning a pair of oven mitts, she transferred the last batch of her homemade biscuits from the oven to the cooling rack before adding them to the others already cooled under the tea towel.
On the space station, these would’ve come out of the replicator on a tray. Speaking of space station, she needed to check in soon. The captain would be expecting her report on the bankers.
The clank of shoes hitting metal snagged her attention. Her shoes squeaked on the linoleum when she pivoted to see Timothy at the kitchen table swinging his feet against the legs of the chair. She’d almost forgotten about Timothy sitting at the table. She’d miss him once they solved the case. She’d been there from the moment they brought him home from the hospital. Big inquisitive eyes followed her every move around the house. She’d carried him from room to room, cleaning. As he grew, so did his mischief—always filthy by bedtime. Between the snails, frogs, a few lizards, and one snake, Sadie thought he might build a zoo in his room. She knew behind that sweet face sat a rambunctious five-year-old dreaming up his next adventure.
Wrapping a biscuit in a napkin and handing it to the little boy, she stared at her charge. With a smile, she slipped into character, and in her sweetest southern drawl, "Timothy, sweetheart, that’s the last biscuit tonight. You get right upstairs and wash for bed."
"But—"
"Timothy James Edwards, I don't have time for you to try and sweet talk me tonight, young man. This house will be full of hungry guests and your momma is expecting food to be on the table on time… Now get. I’ll be up to check on you soon. You’re a big boy now. You know to wash behind your ears without me standing over you, and brush your teeth.”
"Yes, ma'am." Slow as a snail on crutches, he inched his way up the creaky back stairs, giving her doe eyes over his shoulder.
“Boy, if you don’t get up those stairs….”
The rascal burrowed into her soul as close as any child could. She cared for him with a gentle yet firm hand. Silently, she sent a prayer that she wouldn’t have to turn in the family that had been good to her over the past eight years.
"Sadie dear...how's it coming in here?" Savannah Edwards’ delightful voice sang clear as the ringing of a crystal bell.
Sadie loved Savannah’s elegance and easy style, but that little boy was a handful. "If I can keep that scamp Timothy out of my biscuits, things would move along a lot faster. That boy’s going to be as tall as this house eating the way he does. I think he has a tape worm."
Savannah scrunched her nose. Eyeing the room for her mischievous son, she smoothed a hand over her impeccably groomed hair. "Where is the little minx? He hasn’t tried to sneak another frog in the house, has he?”
"I wouldn’t put it passed him to try.” She tipped her chin up gesturing toward the stairs. “Sent him to get washed up and ready for bed."
“Good...he'll just sweet talk me into allowing him to stay up late. What would we do without you, Sadie?"
"You wouldn't be having this party tonight, that's for certain. How many guests did you invite anyway?"
“Suga, you know as well as I do, Richard can’t resist inviting people over at the last minute. He always gets in over his head and next thing you know, we have a house full of people. I think maybe thirty.” With the cabinet open, Savannah took down the punch bowl and little crystal mugs to hang off the sides. “Sadie, be a dear and wash this for me. I’ll go and bring the alcohol out. A bunch of bankers sitting around talking finance without alcohol is just unheard of in this house.” A warm smile pushed at the smooth skin around her mouth.
Sadie took the offered crystal bowl and eased it into the warm soapy water, then turned to Savannah.
“Hmm, that awful Mr. Cantrell will be here no doubt—no offense to your family,” Sadie begged off.
Oliver’s arrogant personality rubbed her the wrong way. The fact she knew of his secret made him a walking contradiction. Pretending to be a banker, he fit in with the other bankers, with his chiseled features and a body that wore the hell out of a pencil suit. He was gorgeous. However, it’s not time to let him know I know who he truly is.
“You don’t find him to be the most handsome man ever?”
“Of course I do…a dead ringer for Rock Hudson, but his stares start at the floor and by the time they reach my face, I’m sweating. I feel as if my dress was made from cling wrap and he’s cataloged every inch of my body.”
“Oh, Sadie, the way you go on. He’s not one of those derelict stalkers they show on the evening news, going after defenseless women in the parks.”
Sadie shrugged.
“That’s why most women carry a switchblade nowadays,” she added, her accent thick as molasses.
That would make it to her report: ogling her body, in public. He knew better than to flirt with black women in this century on Earth. They’d taken classes on era appropriate behavior. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t known she was undercover. They trained not to give in to the prejudices of the time, just to blend in. Don’t agree with what you know to be wrong because the era is accepting of it. But she’d save that fight for another day.
Sadie felt as if she were spying on the Edwards as well as her colleague, Cantrell, on this mission.
“Sadie, if Oliver bothers you that much, I could ask Richard to talk to him. Although, I’ve only known Oliver less than a year, he is Richard’s cousin. I’m certain he didn’t mean no harm.” She twisted her gold watch, the little chain catching the light. “He moved down here after his wife died in Ohio. By all appearances, he’s a wonderful man.”
Back track before you get him reassigned.
“Oh, don’t do that. Besides, if I’m out of here soon enough he’ll never see me.” Blushing, Sadie scrubbed at the bowl. She couldn’t get him taken off the case, but he had to stop flirting.
“Sadie…you’re blushing. Don’t try to hide it. I saw the way your eyes danced just now. You are smitten by Mr. Cantrell.”
“I would have to be blind not to be.” She fired a quick glance at Savannah. “Sometimes I
wish everyone saw the world through your eyes. We could never be a couple.” After living on the Space Station, where being human made you a minority, Earth’s various prejudices were exhausting.
“But—”
Halting further conversation about Oliver, she nodded toward Savannah’s peach robe. “The party’s less than an hour off.”
Savannah slipped the silk sash out of its loose ribbon and opened her robe. “All I need is for you to fasten my pearls once I put my face on.”
Silver sparkled off the bejeweled cocktail dress. White satin with silver sequins flickered under the kitchen lights. Her boa feathered house slippers even sparkled.
“Whose gonna notice anything I make when you’re in the room,” Sadie drawled.
“Their noses will notice, Suga. Believe me. You’re cooking is legendary in this town, so make certain to put up something for Timothy’s lunch tomorrow.”
The two women rested against one another as their laughter filled the buttery-scented room. Moments like this made her job a pleasure. The comfortable atmosphere scented the house along with the sweet biscuits.
“Sadie, why don’t you stay and at least have some drinks before heading off? I know you have your sister’s party tonight, but honey, I’d hate for you to go through all this trouble and not have one drink with us.”
Baffled by Savannah’s ability to block out reality, Sadie placed an arm around her shoulder. “You are the only one that seems to forget I’m just the hired help.”
“Oh…c'mon now, Sadie, you have never been just anything.” Her country twang drew out the words on a syrupy string of praise. “You keep my home in order and life organized. You’re essentially family, Suga. Timothy practically has two mothers.” She dipped her head in a coquettish flare only Savannah could pull off. “Come on, share a drink…you’ve worked so hard on this.” Warm green eyes held Sadie close. The invitation was sincere.