The Dark Path of Romance: Find the aliens. Steal their toys. Save the world. Mostly, steal their toys (Kim and Angel Book 2)

by J. Judkins

Kim risked a look. Angel was wearing a new pair of shoes and socks (black), and now sported a new pair of midnight gloves. But for some inexplicable reason, Angel still had yet to find the time necessary to slip on the shirt.

  Kim resolved to ignore it, determined not to let it distract her.

  She wasn’t successful. “What, did they run out of black bras at the store?”

  “I didn’t ask for one,” Angel said. “They tend to get in the way, I’ve noticed.”

  “And is there something preventing you from putting on the shirt?”

  “Not at all.”

  A moment went past.

  “You are capable of carrying on a conversation and dressing yourself at the same time, aren’t you?”

  “Of course I am,” Angel said.

  “And?”

  Angel picked up on an earlier thread in the conversation. “Regarding Naomi, you and I don’t agree on the risk. You’re still afraid I might remember a better life among the stars, and worry I might choose to embrace that history.”

  “Still waiting . . .”

  “And I’m hoping to convince you otherwise. That’s why I’m doing this. I believe in the power of love. I’m convinced true love will give Naomi the mental strength necessary to take a chance. That could only benefit us.”

  Kim tapped her foot.

  “There’s a reason the aliens favor acting in secret. I believe it’s because they’re in a precarious position that can’t withstand the light of exposure. Having Naomi as an ally will—”

  “For God’s sake, Angel, put the shirt on!”

  Angel slipped the shirt on over her head.

  “You mentioned seeing Naomi,” Kim grumbled. “So, tell me. How did the meeting go?”

  “I believe she’s taken the bait, so to speak.” Angel tucked her long, milky-white hair down the back of her shirt. “There’s been progress. I’m still working on it.”

  “That explains one hour out of your day. Maybe two. What about the rest of it?”

  “That’s what I’m working on. I can’t stay for very long. We have matters to discuss, but I only returned to change my clothes.”

  “Yeah. I’ve been wondering about that,” Kim remarked dryly. “Are you planning on stealing something?”

  Angel studied the ceiling and didn’t answer, apparently hoping to avert suspicion.

  Kim’s suspicions weren’t averted. “Well?”

  “Not . . . exactly,” Angel said.

  “You’re not going to tell me?”

  “I’d rather not. Now that that’s settled, I need to borrow your car.”

  “Are you planning on using my car to commit a crime?”

  The evasive look returned. “I admit, the legality of my actions, or lack thereof, depends upon certain specific, and perhaps liberal, interpretations of lawful activity.”

  “Care to expand on that?”

  “Again, I’d rather not.”

  “Angel . . .”

  “You weren’t overly concerned about the legality of our actions before,” Angel pointed out.

  “Then you weren’t paying attention.” Kim brushed aside a stray lock of hair. “When we broke into that building, it scared the hell out of me. Is that what you’re doing now? Committing a crime, but doing it for the greater good?”

  Angel’s face contorted and twisted. “Yes,” she said finally. “I predict an almost one hundred percent certainty that my actions will be sanctioned by our new employers, should my mission succeed.”

  “And that mission is?”

  Angel sighed. “You’re not letting this go, are you?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Fine. I’ll give in—”

  “Thank you.”

  “To ease your conscience—”

  “Yes. Go ahead.”

  “You should think of my mission in a different way.”

  Kim threw her hands in the air. “How am I supposed to do that? You’re not giving me anything!”

  Angel looked as if she’d bitten into something sour. “Legality and consequences.” She waved a hand. “Both are overrated concepts. Tell me this: what defines criminal activity? Assume for a moment that you’re stopped at a red light at three o’clock in the morning. There’s no other traffic. You’re alone and have assessed the situation. After weighing your options, you decide to proceed as if the light were green. Has a crime been committed if there’s no one to witness it? Similarly, if a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?”

  “Yes, to both.”

  Angel looked away with a scowl. “This is becoming frustrating.”

  “Three times you’ve taken my car and driven off to God knows where to do God knows what. Now you’re all but admitting you’re up to something illegal, but don’t worry, Kim! That’s okay! You don’t have a thing to worry about because I’m Angel, and petty, minor concerns like law and order don’t apply to me! How can I be guilty of a crime, if I don’t intend to get caught?”

  “I won’t deny that true criminals justify their actions to their ultimate sorrow, but my situation is different from that of the average criminal. Criminals aren’t sanctioned by a higher power.”

  “Give me one good reason why I should let you go.”

  “I can give you three.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.” Kim folded her arms. “This I’ve got to hear.”

  “My primary reason has something to do with your greatest fear.”

  Kim thought for a moment. “Spiders?”

  Angel’s left eye twitched. “No.”

  “I’m not fond of snakes, either.”

  “I mentioned this specific fear earlier in this conversation.”

  Kim was still drawing a blank. She remembered Angel stripping off her clothes and taking forever to put on a shirt, but little beyond that.

  Kim’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not thinking about going out naked, are you?”

  “Forget that reason. Why not think of the other reasons I’ve prepared, instead?”

  “Which are?”

  “The second reason is plausible deniability.”

  “That’s not a reason!”

  “Why wouldn’t it be? Plausible deniability adequately explains my reluctance to share information. You’ll be left in the enviable position of being able to honestly say you had no idea what I was up to, should things turn unpleasant.”

  “And your third reason?”

  “Ignorance is bliss.”

  “Ah.” Kim glanced back at the kitchen. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in dinner, before you go?”

  “There’s no time. I could be returning late. I’ll bring back Taco Bell upon my return.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  The sudden plunge into darkness roused Kim from a deep slumber. She reached over to Angel’s side of the bed. It was empty.

  That confirmed it. Her trap had been sprung. Not a physical trap, which Angel might have noticed and avoided, but a psychological one. A trap Kim had designed with her elusive girlfriend in mind. Kim had left all the lights burning brightly from the living room to the hallway, anticipating Angel would switch them off as she approached the bedroom. The darkness told her that her plan had been successful.

  She glanced at the clock on her dresser: 2:15 a.m.

  Perfect.

  A moving shadow caught her attention; Angel stood, undressing on her side of the bed. She pulled the covers aside and slipped in next to her.

  Kim’s breathing quickened. Now was the time. She tried to capture her earlier enthusiasm, but her courage was nowhere to be found. Instead, old fears rose to the forefront. Was this plan the right one? Did she have the strength of will to go through with it?

  This isn’t working. For self-preservation? For science? Those reasons are stupid! What was I thinking?

  Not all of the reasons, Kim realized. Do it because it’s Angel. Do it because this is what you want to do. Focus on that.

  “Hi.” Kim swallowed past her suddenly dry throat. “I’m glad you�
�re home.”

  Angel didn’t reply.

  She freed a hand from the bedcovers and gave Angel’s shoulder a gentle nudge. “Angel? Don’t go to sleep.”

  A hand touched hers. Kim pulled it close, wrapping both hands around it, gathering the shards of her willpower.

  Good for you. Angel’s awake, so spring the trap already.

  “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the other morning. That was kind of a lame proposal, wasn’t it?” Kim forced a laugh. It sounded unconvincing in her ears.

  Angel turned on her side, facing her.

  A demonstration of love Angel can’t deny.

  “You know I’d rather not do anything embarrassing in front of a crowd, but if it’s for you, I’m . . . I’m willing to do it.” Kim took another breath. “Please. I want you to know. The money isn’t important to me. All that matters is you.”

  Angel’s eyes widened, ever so slightly.

  “I think we can make it . . .”

  She shifted closer, and Kim found herself being pressed back into the bed by a very naked Angel. She kissed Kim as if she were the most wonderful, most beautiful person in the entire world.

  Passion gave her the strength to act. In a burst of lust-inspired courage, Kim did a half-roll to invert their positions and went on the offensive. If Angel was surprised by the bold maneuver, Kim was not aware of it. All of her attention was centered on the here and now, on what lay before her.

  She kissed and touched Angel everywhere she could, nuzzling down the nape of her neck to her soft and wondrous breasts, allowing herself to be distracted for only a moment or two before moving on. A little further. The true reward was yet to be reached.

  Through it all, Kim kept her focus. Passion and desire fueled her determination. Her own hands never stilled, never stopped loving Angel. She slipped further down the bed, kissing Angel’s stomach and further still. She didn’t dare slow her progress or stop to think, fearing her courage would abandon her. Her hands touched and caressed Angel’s silky smooth legs while she kissed along the inside of her knee. All the places Kim loved and enjoyed when it was Angel loving and touching her.

  But best of all, most of all, because I never, ever want Angel to leave.

  Kim’s heart beat like a hammer in her chest. She trailed back to kiss Angel’s inner thigh, knowing it personally drove her crazy with anticipation and want when it was Angel doing the same with her. Her final prize was close. So close, she could almost taste it.

  And so she did.

  In that wonderful, shining moment, time stood still. Kim’s senses filled as if she’d overdosed on caffeine. Full of elation, but without all the uncomfortable, twitching side effects. Any and all reservations were now forever laid to rest. The sight before her and the taste upon her tongue was like the sweetest . . .

  No. No comparing Angel to plant life.

  At first, Angel seemed content to simply experience what Kim had to offer, breathing deeply as if savoring each moment. It wasn’t long before she began moving though, writhing under Kim’s loving touch. Each gasp and cry fueled Kim’s own excitement. It made her want to give Angel more and more. She was already looking forward to the next time. And the next. And the one after that!

  Wait, wasn’t I supposed to tell Angel . . . ?

  That’s right! I need to stop what I’m doing and tell her.

  I need to stop.

  Better stop.

  I need to stop.

  Mmm . . . yeah . . . I need to stop.

  I’m stopping . . . now.

  Now.

  And . . . now!

  Anytime.

  This time, for real!

  On the count of three. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Mmmm . . . seven. Eight. Okay, this isn’t working.

  Angel certainly wasn’t being at all helpful. For an alien who didn’t need to breathe, she certainly gave a good impression of a woman who did. Her fingers wound their way through Kim’s hair, which turned out to be necessary as Angel was having difficulty keeping herself still. Kim relished knowing she was the direct cause of it. She felt connected to Angel like never before.

  Then came the moment. Angel trembled, groaned, and writhed against her. Kim held on as best she could until Angel collapsed into the bed, boneless and gasping.

  Kim couldn’t stop smiling. She wanted to jump up and dance about the bed in a victory dance. And she didn’t even dance!

  She had only begun kissing her way back to where she’d started when another thought occurred to her. Wouldn’t it be worth knowing if aliens were multi-orgasmic? Scientifically speaking, of course. Turnabout was fair play, after all.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Kim retrieved her late-morning breakfast from the microwave. Three leftover, formally crunchy tacos. Yum! She scooped them over to a waiting paper plate, doing her best not to burn her fingers from the melted cheese.

  She was in a very good mood. Last night had been a success on all accounts, and not simply for the obvious reason. The inevitable first time was no longer an issue. The pressure was off. Angel wouldn’t want to get married and—

  Kim’s breath caught. She stumbled, but managed to catch herself in time to save her breakfast and her dignity.

  It took a moment before the implications of what she’d just thought began to sink in.

  Kim had taken marriage off the table last night.

  Because of her actions, Angel wouldn’t see a reason to get married anymore.

  This was a good thing, wasn’t it? Hadn’t denying Angel her primary reason to get married been the entire reason she’d gone through with it?

  Okay, admittedly not the entire reason. It had been one of several. But hadn’t it been the very best of the three or four primary reasons for doing so?

  Kim bit into her taco as she considered the question. How many reasons did she have? What were the others again?

  Deny Angel her reason to get married. That had been the primary reason.

  Reason two. Because she flat-out couldn’t stop thinking about it and had really, really wanted to do it. Another good primary reason.

  The “wanting to do it” reason tied into and supported the “inevitability” justification, or the third reason. It was going to happen, eventually.

  Number four. Self-preservation. Perhaps more of a theory, but still good enough to qualify.

  Five. Because each delay increased the moment’s significance, it had needed to happen sooner rather than later.

  Kim finished her meal and scraped up the remaining bits of shell, hamburger, cheese, and lettuce from her plate, devouring them all.

  Six. The pressing need for scientific discovery. This could also be seen as a bonus, as she’d proven Angel wasn’t any sort of android.

  Kim’s brain took a sudden detour into the gutter. Multi-orgasmic makes seven, it reminded her.

  Oh, God. Kim sank lower in her seat, then admonished herself sharply. What’s the matter with you? Stop smiling, you lunatic!

  Angel walked into the kitchen then. She wore a blue button-down shirt, a pair of white panties, and nothing else. The button-down shirt was also notable, as Kim noted that Angel had neglected to fasten any of the buttons.

  “Would it kill you to put some clothes on?”

  Angel glanced down at herself. “I’m wearing a shirt,” she pointed out.

  “An open shirt.”

  Angel grinned. “Why should it matter?” Her voice grew softer, more sensuous. “I have reason to believe you enjoy my naked body.”

  Kim sank even lower. “You’re awfully distracting like that,” she murmured.

  “Thank you.”

  Kim closed her eyes and attempted to recover her train of thought. Hadn’t there been another justification? It had been an important one. Perhaps the most important of all. What was it?

  Angel took Kim’s plate away and set it in the sink, then took a moment to check the refrigerator. “Did you eat all of them?”

  “The tacos? Yes. Why?”

 
; “I was hoping to have one. It doesn’t matter.” Angel poured a glass of orange juice and set it in front of Kim before taking a seat opposite her. She rested her elbows on the table and smiled as though she thought Kim the most fascinating person in the entire world.

  Kim realized then that last night had netted an unforeseen side benefit. If Angel’s romance-oriented goals had been met last night, shouldn’t that mean there would no longer be any secrets between them?

  But instead of being elated, Kim was appalled. Dear God! How many reasons did she have, anyway? Did that make eight? When had her list gotten so extensive?

  “Would you like to know what I discovered when I met with Naomi the other day?” Angel asked.

  “Go ahead.” Kim rubbed at her eyes. She definitely needed the distraction. “But first things first: did you tell her you lost your memory?”

  “I did not.”

  “Did she let on why she’s convinced you’re one of them?”

  “She never offered a reason, but I have no doubt she believes it.”

  “What did you talk about?”

  “A new piece to the puzzle.” Angel folded her hands on the table. “Naomi told me the bodies they inhabit aren’t their own. They use the equivalent of android copies of themselves, which they operate remotely from an undisclosed location. Their superiors tell them this is done to prevent needless danger, but Naomi resents this as another form of control. If any of them become a problem, those in control need only cut the link.”

  “Okay, I’m with you so far. Looks like they’ve got some sort of Avatar or Surrogates setup going for themselves,” Kim said, referring to the movies of the same names. “And Naomi thinks this applies to you?”

  Angel gave a faint nod. “She doesn’t understand how I was able to escape confinement. It doesn’t make sense to her. She wants my secret.”

  “Naomi is right. It doesn’t make sense. You’re not an android anything, Angel. You may not have to eat and breathe like a normal human, but you are most definitely alive. I’m convinced of that.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  Multi-orgasmic, suggested her inner voice.

  Kim stopped blinking. “I’ve . . . because I’ve . . . I’ve seen you go to the bathroom?” she offered instead.