He’d never seen a more beautiful woman on any world, and he’d visited plenty before they’d crashed on Earth. Tight jeans encased her impossibly long legs and caressed her well-rounded ass like a lover. Her wide hips tapered into a waist thick enough to make his breath hitch and his mouth go dry.
“I’m sorry.” She began her descent. “I meant to be ready well before you got here, but I couldn’t resist a shower when I got up to the room.” Birgit stopped in front of him, the longer strands of her hair still damp.
“I just got here.” Reno wasn’t sure he could say much more. His tongue didn’t want to cooperate. Instead, it seemed thick and unwieldy. He drew in another deep breath, his newly heightened sense of smell taking in every nuance of her body’s heady aroma. He swallowed and shook his head, breaking her spell on him. “Are you a witch?”
“A… A what?” She paled, placing her hand on her throat.”
Idiot! She’s been through enough, thanks to your moron of a brother. The beauty doubtless thought he was serious. “You’ve certainly bewitched me.” Managing a smile, he held out his arm. “Ready?”
It seemed as though the witches in Magic were not the norm on Earth. Instead, they and the others in town were the exception. They were lovely exceptions, from what he had seen, but Birgit didn’t know that. She, in all likelihood had grown up with tales of ugly old hags who ate children.
Perhaps he would try a bit of magic of his own. Attempting to bewitch Birgit into staying in Magic with him, would be a wonderful way of passing time over the next pair of days.
“Yes,” she replied, a blush dusting her cheeks as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m starved.”
“We can’t have that.” He grinned as he led her to the door. He’d brought one of the Earth vehicles, instead of the one he and his brothers made for themselves. Upsetting her was the last thing he wanted to do.
Anything out of the ordinary was out of the question during their night out. Though he would never allow it, he wanted nothing more than to have his brother dose her with the zidalpham to speed things along. Reno didn’t know how he would be able to wait for her to choose him. His cock ached with the need to sink balls deep inside her slick heat. He’d only known her for a little over an hour and already his entire being ached to be with her in every possible way.
“Thank you.” She smiled up at him as he helped her into the car and shut the door.
“You’re welcome,” he said through the open window before striding around the back. Pausing in the center of the trunk, he readjusted himself in his jeans, wishing, for the first time in a long time, he’d been wearing a space jumper that adjusted to every change in his physiological size. The denim, the people of this planet loved so much, was too damned tight and restricting.
Reno opted to take her to the Krazy Kettles for dinner. The Witches Brew sold alcohol, as well as food. As tempting as it was to loosen Birgit’s inhibitions, he wanted her sober and well able to make any decisions put to her later. No way would he stoop so low, nor would she have the opportunity to attribute one moment of their night together as an overindulgence of liquor.
The drive took only a few minutes. They could have walked, but after seeing Birgit in her sexy, fuck-me pumps, he knew he’d rather drive than make her walk in them, no matter how damned alluring they were. His cock ached as it pressed against the unforgiving material of his jeans and he opened his door after shifting the car into park.
“Stay there,” he said as he climbed out of the car. “I’ll be right around to help you out.” Good girl. He smiled as he opened her door. “Are you ready?” He held out his hand, hoping she would take it. He wanted to see if her skin was as soft as it appeared.
His stomach clenched as she set her smaller hand in his. Her fingers, soft as rose petals caressed his calloused hand. His cock hardened even more as she stood, her sweet scent wafting up and assaulting his senses.
He tossed his keys to one of the local boys who made extra cash as valets in the evening. “Take good care of her.”
“Yes, sir!” The boy gave him a mock salute.
Placing his hand on the small of Birgit’s back, he guided her from the parking lot and into the building.
“How do they do that?” She looked around, her eyes wide.
Reno saw the diner from her perspective. The light seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. In a new development, the bus carts moved through the restaurant, silent and completely devoid of any human interaction.
After two years, he’d gotten used to the strange goings on in Magic. In fact, he and his brothers had gotten so used to it, they no longer paid attention to things such as the waitresses cleaning their tables and then placing the dirty dishes into automatic bus carts at the Krazy Kettles.
“That’s something you’ll have to ask Dev. He’s the dishwasher here.“ Dev, the town’s resident genie, had using his magic down to an art. “He designed the system.”
“Just the two of you?” Susanna, the proprietor, asked with a smile as she marked a spot on the dry erase board in front of her. From what Reno understood, the woman had been running the diner for years.
“Yes,” he replied, once more placing his hand on the small of Birgit’s back while they followed Susanna through the crowded dining area.
“Would you like something private?” Susanna glanced back with a smile. “I have a nice table for two over by the window.” She gestured toward a small round table nestled against the window, between two large, square planters.
“That looks fine.” Funny how he’d never noticed the interior before. He should have. He and his brothers ate at least one meal a week in the diner. Granted, they had always sat at the bar, but he should have known they had tables with a romantic setting. He had always had the impression the Krazy Kettles was more of a gathering place than a restaurant geared toward romantic liaisons.
He held Birgit’s chair as she settled into her seat, took the menus Susanna had tucked under her arm and handed one to his date.
She took it with a relieved smile. “Thank you.” Her blush deepened. “And thank you for not presuming to order for me.” She rolled her eyes with a groan. “You wouldn’t believe how many men have ordered me salmon or some other kind of seafood.” She wrinkled her nose. “I not only don’t like it, but I’m allergic to most of it.”
What kind of self-important assholes has she been dating?
“I would never do that.” He cleared his throat. “Unless I knew your likes and dislikes, and that you wouldn’t beat me about the head and shoulders for doing so.” He grinned so she would know he was joking.
Chapter Nine
Birgit stared at Reno. His silver-blue eyes sparkled with good humor—or was that interest?
She shifted her gaze to the menu, her cheeks burning at the possibility of him finding her attractive. A girl could dream, right?
What was it about him that made her heart race and her body react with such heat? Her nipples hardened just looking at him and warmth pooled in her middle before moving lower to dampen her panties. She wanted him more that she’d wanted any other man.
It was all she could do to sit across the table from him and keep her hands to herself. Her fingers clenched as she thought of thrusting them through his hair and dragging his mouth to hers. What would his kisses feel like? Would they overwhelm her and leave her melted in a puddle at his feet?
What in the world had come over her? Birgit stared at Reno as he studied his menu. The poor man had no idea he was a part of her innermost fantasies. Long, crystal-white lashes framed his gorgeous blue eyes. Strong-looking fingers held the menu and she wondered how his calloused hands would feel, skimming over her quivering flesh.
“Something wrong?”
Glancing up, Birgit met his gaze, heat blasting her cheeks as he held her trapped with just a stare.
“Um… No.” She glanced back at her menu, wishing it was large enough to hide behind for at least a decade. “I’m just trying to deci
de between the chicken and the mushroom stuffed pork chop. They both sound so good, I can’t choose between them.”
“Those two do sound good,” he agreed with a nod. “But I think I’m going to go for the steak.”
“That looks good, too.” She bit her lip. She was starving, but didn’t want to order too much in front of him and the steak dinner sounded as though it would be a lot of food.
“Well then,” he paused with a grin. “Why don’t I order one of those three for you and it will be a surprise?”
“Why not?” She shrugged. “You know I can’t eat seafood. If you order me the steak, please order it medium.”
“Will do.” He smiled. “Any other instructions?”
“I think that just about covers it other than please don’t order cooked spinach. It’s just yucky.”
Standing, he flagged the waitress down and met her halfway, carrying their menus with him. After a moment, he turned and headed back to the table with a wink and a smile.
“All done.” He sat and leaned back in his seat. “What should we talk about?”
How about we discuss how much I want to stick my tongue in your mouth, or lick your adorable dimples? Better yet, let’s talk about going somewhere private after dinner so we can get naked and sweaty.
Her face burned as he continued to smile at her as though he knew every illicit thought in her head.
“Have you made a decision about your car?”
“Well…” Birgit paused as the waitress set two drinks and a small basket of dinner rolls with butter on the table before hurrying to another group of people at a nearby table who had been trying to get the server’s attention. “How can I ask you to change it, when it has repeatedly begged me not to? She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “What if it’s sentient?”
He didn’t say anything, he just sat and stared at her for a moment.
“You think I’m crazy.” She laughed and then sipped her drink. She sat back with a sigh and wondered why he even indulged her. He should be calling the paramedics to haul her away to the mental hospital by now. “I can’t say I blame you.” Reaching up, she pushed her hair from her face and took a deep breath. In for a penny, she supposed. “Hell, I’d think I was crazy if I hadn’t experienced it for myself.”
“I never said I thought there was anything wrong with you.” Reno reached across the table and covered her hand with his larger one. “In fact,” he said with a smile as he laced his fingers with hers. “You’d be surprised at the things I could believe.”
“I doubt it.” She grinned and winked. “You’re an alien, remember?”
“Well…” He straightened in his seat. “There is that.”
“Oh! Are you saying it’s true?” Birgit’s smile faded and her eyes widened as she stared at his serious expression.
She stared at her companion’s handsome face and large stature. Biting her lip, she wondered if she could believe any of the fantastic stories her car had told her about the town and the people in it. She closed her eyes with a sigh. Just thinking about it made her feel stupid.
“I’m saying what if…” Reno cleared his throat and took a sip of his drink. “What if I really am an alien? What if this town was so filled with different people that a person couldn’t step outside of their room at the B&B without bumping into some sort of magical creature?”
The rattling of dishes drew her attention and she glanced at one of the cloth-covered bus carts that carried the dishes into the kitchen, as if by some unseen force. Long skirts surrounded the legs of the cart. They all moved through the restaurant as though they floated on thin air instead of rolled on the tiny wheels she’d been certain she had seen beneath one when they first arrived.
Leaning over, she grasped the skirt as it drew even with their table and looked beneath it. Her mouth went dry as she noted that the small wheels were about two inches off the floor.
“How…” Birgit’s world tilted on its axis as she shifted her gaze from the cart to Reno. Her vision narrowed, only seeing Reno. Everything else faded from view as the rest of the world grew dark around his face.
“What would you do, Birgit?” Every word he spoke seemed drawn out, as though he spoke in slow motion. “What would you do if you found out I was an alien?” He studied her as though her answer was the most important thing he would hear that day—as though what she thought mattered to him.
Looking down at the table, she fiddled with her napkin, dumping the silverware onto the tablecloth.
“Would it matter to you? Would you still have dinner with me despite the fact I’m not from your world?”
Birgit stared at him for a moment, silent. The corners of her lips crept up in a slow smile as she realized his sincerity. He cared what her answer might be.
“Yes, Reno. I would still have dinner with you.” She met his gaze and held it, so he would know she meant every word she said. “As far as I’m concerned, you are no more alien than a person from Europe or Asia, and I would have dated someone from there without prejudice.”
“I’m glad.” The tension in him eased and he grinned.
What was it about him that turn her insides to mush when he smiled? Why did her skin burn where he touched her, and why did she feel such an attraction to a person she’d just met only a few hours before?
It was as though the man sitting across the table from her was the culmination of every male she’d ever found attractive all rolled into one neat, very large and delicious package.
In fact, he turned her on so much, she found it difficult to breathe. Her heart pounded, her breathing grew shallow and her palms grew damp—along with other parts of her—just looking at him.
The door banged open, hitting the wall behind it with enough violence to knock a painting from the wall. Everyone in the restaurant grew quiet. Heads turned to watch as four men wearing black suits and dark sunglasses headed their way.
“Birgitta Anderson?” The lead man moved to stand beside her. The other three moved to flank Reno as though to subdue him if needed.
“Who’s asking?” Crossing her arms, she leaned back in her chair and raised a brow.
She stared up at the man who loomed over her. It was quite obvious that he attempted to intimidate her with his size and the dark glasses hiding his eyes. She refused to let him rattle her composure in the slightest. Whoever they were, she had done nothing wrong and she determined not to let them frighten her.
Chapter Ten
Reno watched through narrowed eyes as the man striking an intimidating pose over Birgit thinned his lips, pulled a small leather case from his pocket and flipped it open. He shoved the ID in their faces too fast for them to read it before he flipped the case closed and shoved it back into the inside left breast pocket of his suit jacket.
The man had the aura of a government official, but Reno had a feeling that was just a ruse. The man was someone, or something else, entirely. An elusive scent tickled his nose and raised his hackles.
“I’m here to take you in for questioning.”
Inner alarms he hadn’t realized he had began blaring as Reno stared at the man in question and knew, without a doubt, he was lying and he meant to harm Birgit. They all did.
His skin began to itch as his body prepared to defend his mate. The town’s magic burned off him. He did his best to control it, to protect the people of the town, but nothing, no one, would threaten his mate and live to tell the tale.
The scent rolling off the four men triggered the genetic memory shared by the mated of his kind and he breathed in the rancid odor of the Argarians. If he’d ever doubted the possibility of Birgit being his true mate, the telltale sign put those doubts to rest.
“You can question her, here.” Standing, he prepared to fight for his future—for the one woman who could give him children. His body sent strange signals to his brain, every one of them new and confusing. He wanted nothing more than to learn about all the changes taking place within him, but the situation with the Argarians would not giv
e him the luxury of time.
The strange holographic image surrounding the aliens faltered and he got a glimpse of their true form. Others in the diner gasped as their green, reptilian heads appeared for a split second, before the hologram hid them from view once more.
Birgit’s eyes went round before they rolled back and she slumped forward in her seat, unconscious.
“We will take the female and you will do nothing. She is a primitive human.” He glanced around. “As they all are. You would be well rid of her.”
Every male in the diner stood, ready to back him up, should he choose to fight. If he had to guess, the others didn’t like the threat the aliens represented, either. Many of them also had mates. What was to keep the Argarians from taking all the females in town if they managed to steal his mate from him?
As much as he wanted to kill the Argarians for targeting Birgit, he must know why they did so. Why her and why now? Otherwise, all the women of Magic, and of Earth could become targets to the reptilian race and that was unacceptable. This planet had proved it could be a treasure trove of compatible women when his world had so few. Mate or not, he would never allow the Argarians to harm even one of them.
“What do you want with her?” He held his fists clenched at his sides. Never had he been so compelled to kill someone.
“Her employer, Raul Mendez, is missing. He is one of us and we must retrieve him.” It smiled then, the plain face of its humanoid disguise twisting in an evil grin. “Then we will do with her what we do with all human females.”
In other words, the sick bastards would either eat her, enslave her, or violate her until they killed her or she killed herself, seeking the painless oblivion of death.
“Not while I have breath in my body.”
“That is easily remedied, my earthling friend.” The Argarians each depressed a button on their arms. The hologram melted away, leaving their reptilian bodies in view. The Argarian reached toward Birgit and, for an instant, Reno lost control.
Magic, New Mexico: Bewitching Birgit (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 4