Alien Attachments

by Sabine Priestley

  Dani willed the tension out of her shoulders and smiled back. “It’s okay. I’m just a little stressed right now. Where are we going?”

  “Como,” Marco replied. “We’ll get some good food. Oh, and we have a new EP. Wait till you meet her.”

  Dani was about to ask where Como was when she looked up and registered two things: first, no one was looking where they were going, and second, they were about to slam into a solid wall. She screamed and threw herself to the floor to brace for impact.

  Chapter 4

  Dani lifted her head, heart pounding, and swept some hair off her face. The heat of Ian’s body registered through the thin fabric of her cover-up, and she buzzed with the crazy energy he caused. He knelt next to her in a protective stance. All three men looked for the cause of her scream. She winced as a fresh drop of blood oozed from the bandage on Ian’s arm.

  “You okay?” he asked, getting back to his seat, but holding her gaze.

  She reached for the med kit and pulled herself up next to him.

  He was inches from her face. His breath smelled of something spicy. She tore her gaze away and pulled some pads from the kit. They were still in the tunnel, but now the solid wall lay behind them. “I thought...” She swung her head around and turned back to face him. He was so close. She folded the gauze into squares. “We were headed for a wall just now. I swear,” she whispered.

  Marco’s laughter echoed off the walls, breaking the spell.

  She added more pads to absorb the fresh blood.

  “Need some help?” Jared asked, handing her the roll of gauze.

  Dani started with surprise. She hadn’t given any conscious thought to what she was doing. Heat rushed to her cheeks. This obviously wasn’t her job. She took the roll from Jared anyway. Might as well finish. Ian’s presence permeated her senses. “Sorry about that,” she said to no one in particular as she rolled the gauze over the pads.

  “It’s all right,” Ian said. “We should have warned you.”

  Every glance into his eyes increased the amazing buzz coursing through her. Her eyes slid to his lips. She wanted to run her fingers across them, to taste them. For crying out loud, get a grip. She sat up straight. “Jared, do you have any—”

  “Here.” He held out scissors.

  She took them, cut the gauze and gave them back. She tucked the end into the top of the bandage and tried to ignore what the touch of his skin was doing to her. “That should hold you.” She moved back to her original seat. Her blood pounded in her ears. She was so turned on, she had to force herself to slow her breathing and not look at him. The hum inside dimmed to a manageable level with the distance between them. Ian leaned back and closed his eyes.

  She paused a second to take in the long lashes resting on his cheeks, before looking at the tunnel fly by. Bandaging Ian’s arm like that was weird, even for her. It had been a completely automatic response.

  Marco plopped down next to her. “The tunnels aren’t directly connected unless it’s a short distance, like from Jared’s bar to Ian’s villa. For longer distances, we install portals to connect the ends. What you saw was the portal, not a solid wall. I can see how that could give you quite a fright. How about a hug to make you feel better?” Marco’s eyebrows bounced.

  Dani patted his arm. “Thanks big guy, but I’m good. I just thought we were going to be bugs on a windshield.”

  Ian opened his eyes at the chirp of his phone. “Ria’s waiting for us,” he said, grunting a little as he slipped the phone back into his shirt pocket. “Marco, call Armond and have him meet us there. We’ll contact my father after we’ve briefed the team. We need to find out why the Torogs have gone rogue.”

  The end of the tunnel appeared, nearly identical to the one on Cat Island. The same kind of metal door opened and the cruiser came to a stop. A petite redheaded woman came out to greet them. She wore the female version of the EP’s attire. Black jeans, black button-up shirt and killer boots.

  They piled out of the cruiser. The redhead stood at attention and seemed to resist the urge to salute.

  “Commander,” she said, grasping her hands behind her back. “Sir, you didn’t mention you were injured.”

  “Must have slipped my mind. I’ll need you to finish the healing.” He turned to Jared. “Ria, this is my SA, Jared.”

  Jared took her hand with enthusiasm. “Heard all about ya. Though, got to say, it’s hard to believe half of it. No insult intended, mind.”

  “None taken,” Ria said. “And don’t worry, you’ll believe it soon enough.”

  Marco let out a laugh. “She’s not kidding. Small packages, man. Small packages.”

  Dani liked the woman instantly and smiled when Ian introduced them next.

  “This is the guest I mentioned. See that she gets clothes and anything else she needs.”

  “Yes, sir.” Ria held out her hand. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

  Dani was impressed by the redhead’s grip. Ria glanced down at Dani’s bare feet. “Size nine? Ten?”

  “Nine,” Dani said.

  “Ian mentioned clothes. I figured you might be needing some shoes as well.”

  Ian rolled his eyes. “Just get her what she needs.”

  The group headed for the door and Ria fell in beside Dani. “Gina, one of my SAs is already in town getting you clothes. I’ll give her a call about the shoes size.”

  “Thank you,” Dani said. “I’ve never wanted to get out of a swim suit so much in my life. So, uh, any chance of getting some boots like yours? Happy to pay. Those are awesome.”

  Ria laughed. “There’s a local guy who makes them. I’ll see if he’s got your size.” Ria hurried up next to Ian. “Your room is ready, sir. I can finish your healing whenever you’d like. I think sooner rather than later would be best.”

  “Agreed,” Ian said. “And stop with the ‘sir.’”

  They filed inside and Marco closed the hefty door behind them with flick of his hand.

  Dani remembered being a kid and trying to move books and bend forks with her mind. Nothing ever happened, but these guys had some magic. She wondered what else they could do as she took in her new surroundings. The entryway stood about the same size as Cat Island, but where the island villa had all white and sophisticated beach decor, this was Mediterranean all the way. Marble floors with rich browns and reds complimented an array of artwork. The floor was cool to her bare feet as they walked the length of the large hall.

  At the base of a wide staircase Ian turned to Ria and said, “Give me five, then meet me in my room to take care of this arm.”

  “Yes, s—um, sure. Five minutes.”

  “Let Ria know if you need anything, okay?” he said to Dani.

  “I will. Thanks.” That familiar buzz caressed her insides as he held her gaze. Just as it was getting really good, he turned away and the sensation disappeared like so much smoke. Ria escorted them into a large sitting room. Glass doors stood opened to a patio that overlooked a lake.

  Dani approached the doors with a growing sense of wonder. Across the lake stood a rustic village nestled at the base of the mountains. A tall church spire to the right and an ancient castle peaked out above the green trees.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. You said Como but”—she turned to Jared—“Lago Como? We’re in Italy?” She couldn’t quite believe her eyes. “That’s Varenna and Castle Vezio over there, isn’t it?”

  Ria stood next to her. “You’ve been here before I take it?”

  “Yes, a number of times for photo shoots. I love this place.”

  Ria put her hands in her back pockets. “It is beautiful from what I’ve seen so far. Don’t know if they told you, but I’m new to the team and this”—Ria made a sweeping gesture with her arm—“is my base on Earth. It’s going to be rough, but I think I can handle the accommodations.”

  “Your base on Earth,” Dani repeated. “That sounds unbelievably bizarre. Just as bizarre as getting from the
Bahamas to Italy in ten minutes, or whatever it was.”

  Jared took up the position to her left. “Closer to eight if you want to be exact. Don’t worry. You’ll get used to the whole alien thing faster than you think.”

  Ria checked her watch. “Gina should be here soon with your clothes. Her husband Battista is around here some place. They’ve been with the villa forever. Wonderful people, you’ll love them. Jared, you probably know your way around here better than I do, so please make yourself comfortable.”

  Ria turned to Marco. “Ian should be ready for me now. I’ll take care of his arm. Can you grab some food and bring it to the library?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll meet you there,” Marco said, heading down a hallway off the main foyer.

  “I’ll see you two later,” Ria said with a wave.

  Dani sat on the arm of an oversized chair and took in the view. “Amazing.”

  “You’re tellin’ me,” Jared said. “I never would have guessed.”

  Dani looked over to find Jared watching Ria leave. “Guessed what?”

  “Ria,” Jared said, pulling a tissue out of his shirt pocket. “Did you see her?”

  “Of course I saw her. She seems nice.” Dani said.

  “Well sure, nice in a little doll kind of way.” Jared crossed his arms and chuckled. “Hard to believe she can hold her own in a fight.”

  “Never underestimate your opponent, my friend.” Dani shrugged and returned to the view. “So, we must be in Bellagio, right?”

  “Correct. We’re on the back side from the port where the ferries come and go. Wait ’till you see it at night. I don’t know how long we’re staying, but stairs over there”—Jared pointed off to the left outside—“lead to the pool and farther down to a private beach complete with boat and dock.”

  “These Cavacents sure like their creature comforts, don’t they?” Dani opened her mouth to comment further when footsteps echoed from the hallway that led to the tunnel.

  “Ah, sounds like Armond is here,” Jared said.

  “He’s the tall blond one, right?”

  “Yep. Technically, he’s an albino. Come on, I’ll introduce you properly before they get started.” Jared led her to the hall they’d come in. “Armond. You remember Dani.”

  The man was striking. Easily the tallest of the three male EPs. His skin was nearly translucent and complimented his eerily pale blue eyes. His long white hair lay in a ponytail at his back. Unlike Ian and Marco, he reeked formality. It wasn’t just his standard EP attire of black jeans and button up shirt, and more amazing boots. Everything about him screamed formal, making Dani feel, once again, seriously underdressed.

  Armond nodded at Jared and gave Dani the once over. He offered Dani a stiff handshake before excusing himself to meet the others in the library.

  “He’s...interesting.”

  “He’s a bit full of himself,” Jared said under his breath, “but he’s wicked smart.”

  “I heard that,” Armond’s voice came from around the corner.

  “I know ya did,” Jared called back. “Great hearing too.” He winked at her.

  “Are all Sandarians so flipping gorgeous? Any one of them could be on the cover of GQ or Cosmo.”

  “I don’t know, to tell ya the truth. I’ve only met the EPs and Ian’s folks a time or two. They’re good looking enough.” Jared scratched his chin. “Good question.”

  Just then a short, stout Italian woman came in from the direction of the kitchen, which smelled heavenly. Dani’s stomach growled. Probably because she hadn’t eaten in hours. The woman rattled on in Italian into her cell phone as she grappled with a large number of bags. Parcels hung looped over her arms and shoulders. Jared rushed over and took the assorted items from her, one by one, trying not to dislodge her phone. She winked at Jared and they managed to get everything on the large dining room table. As soon as she’d finished her call, she erupted in a loud cry. “Jared! Is so good to see you.” She gave Jared a big hug and kissed him on both cheeks.

  “And this must be Ms. Dani, yes? I hope so because it seems to me she is the same size Signor Ian had me get clothes for.” The woman smiled at Dani.

  “Yes, this is Dani Standich. Dani, I’d like you to meet Gina Papallo.”

  Gina gave Dani the same hug and kisses as Jared, as though they were old friends. “Welcome my dear! I have so much for you. Come, let me show you to your room. You can get cleaned up and try on some of the pretty clothes, yes? I got you some sandals. Ms. Ria says you like the boots. I call senior Cali. We’ll see what he has for you.”

  “Thank you so much. I hate to be a pain, but could I grab a bite to eat first? Must be low blood sugar or something, I go from zero to starving in a heartbeat.”

  “Of course.” Gina slapped her forehead. “I am so sorry. I should have asked. Yes, please come with me. I’ll show you the kitchen. I’m making a wonderful Italian stew for dinner. Perhaps you would like some bread and butter for now?” She turned to Jared as they were leaving the room. “Come on Jared, I know you’re always ready for food.”

  “Darn straight. I could eat a horse.”

  “Funny Americans. I’m afraid bread will have to do.”

  The bread was divine. Dani was placing her empty plate in the dishwasher when raised voices came from the great room. The EPs had been in the library for fifteen minutes or so, and something had them riled. She took Jared’s plate and put it next to her own, then followed him out of the kitchen. The EPs were gathered in the entry hall, their voices urgent. Ian had on clean clothes. She lingered a moment on the boots, then up to his arm. He moved like nothing had happened and there didn’t appear to be any bandages under his sleeve. Dani marveled at the implications of such a powerful healing ability.

  The photographer in her couldn’t help but appreciate the good looks of the team. Ria was definitely the odd woman out, but somehow she had a presence all her own. This group would photograph well and she wished again for her camera.

  Marco nodded greetings before jogging off to the tunnel door. Armond ignored them.

  “Call me the second you know anything,” Ian said.

  Ria placed her hands on her hips. “I don’t understand. It worked fine this morning.”

  “Let’s just hope Marco’s is working,” Ian said as he turned to Jared.

  “Armond and Ria’s portals aren’t functioning. Marco’s checking his.”

  “What does that mean, boss?” Jared said.

  Ian ran a hand through his hair. “We’re not entirely sure. Communication with Sandaria is down, which implies the main portal on Cat Island isn’t functioning. It shouldn’t do that unless there’ve been four portal moves within an hour. No one has used it since this morning. Armond, your experience with the Portal Masters makes you the expert. Any idea?”

  “I’m afraid I have nothing further to add at this time.”

  “Right,” Dani said, obviously having nothing to add herself. “I’m going to go get cleaned up and try on some clothes.”

  * * * *

  By the time Dani showered and tried on all the clothes Gina had purchased for her, it was half past six. She settled on jeans and a white button up shirt, with small frills that ran all the way around the neck. She didn’t usually do frills, but decided the effect wasn’t half bad. She put her damp hair in a loose ponytail, slipped on some strappy sandals, and headed downstairs to the great room. Marco and Armond were back and they looked grim. She reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped.

  Marco’s face brightened when he caught sight of her. “Dani! Come and join us.”

  Dani glanced at Ian. “Is that okay? If this is a meeting or something…”

  “You’re fine. Come on in,” Ian said. “You’re looking better.”

  “Better?” Marco said, “Don’t you know beautiful when you see it, boss?” He patted the cushion next to him eagerly.

  Dani sidestepped the couch and selected a chair facing the windows.


  Marco pressed his bear paw sized hand over his heart as though he’d been stabbed.

  “Nothing personal, Marco, I just want to enjoy the view. It’s beautiful.”

  Dani buzzed inside. She threw Ian a sideways glance and found him watching her. She was seriously attracted to the man. He seemed like the type that liked to keep his relationships casual. She liked casual. Casual was safe. Then again, he was an alien. Which left all sorts of questions bouncing around her head. In his swimsuit, everything appeared normal, but the interesting bits in his trunks were still a mystery. The more time she spent with him, the more she wondered. Especially with the crazy chemistry between them. No one had affected her so physically before.

  Gina entered from the kitchen wiping her hands on a dishtowel. “Dinner will be ready at eight o’clock, Signor Ian. Italian stew for us tonight.”

  Murmurs of appreciation spread around the room, and Ian thanked her.

  The Italian woman made her way over to Dani and fingered the ruffle of her collar. “Ah, so lovely. Is good fit, si?”

  “Yes. Thank you.” Dani liked the portly woman. She smelled of bread and pasta. The grandmother Dani never had.

  A moment later, a large burly Italian entered from the kitchen, putting something in his mouth.

  “Oy,” Gina shouted. “That better not be my bread for supper.”

  The man feigned shock. “How could you ask such a thing?” he said around a mouthful, before swallowing.

  Gina wagged a finger at him. “Dani,” she said, “this is my Battista. When he’s not helping to save the world, he’s getting in the way around the villa and eating all the food before dinnertime. Please feel free to ask for anything you need.”

  Battista came around the chair and Dani stood to meet him. He took her hand and kissed the back. His eyes crinkled when he smiled, and as with his wife, she liked him immediately.

  “Ah, bellissima, you are so pretty. And so tall. Anything at all you need, you ask, si?”

  Marco cleared his throat. “She’ll ask you, after she asks me, right darlin’?”

  Dani grinned.