“Shall we see who has encroached on our night together? I’ll bet it’s one of my idiot brothers.”
Taking his arm, she let him lead her up the porch steps to the front door. She gasped when the door swung open.
“Raul!” she brought her hand to her throat and stared at her boss. How had he found her? How had any of them found her? “What are you doing here?”
“Yes, Raul, what are you doing in my house?”
Her stomach flipped when she thought about the other aliens and how Raul was supposedly one of them. Though, in the two years she’d worked for him, she’d never seen his disguise slip and seen an alien behind a mask.
It was difficult to believe the man stood right in front of her with a smile on his handsome face after having broken into Reno’s house. He must have some sort of death wish.
“You’re door was unlocked, so I let myself in,” he said to Reno. “I apologize for the breach in protocol. Though, as I recall, Zolonians share everything. I didn’t think you would mind sharing your home with a weary traveler. Perhaps you’ve been on Earth a bit too long. You’re becoming selfish.” He turned back to Birgit. “I’ve lost my computer and I need my list of appointments. I thought perhaps you might have it.”
“Um… no. I left my computer in the office.” She didn’t mention that the reptilian aliens dressed as men in black had taken it to a cave on the mountain where it probably still sat, getting ruined by moisture. She had no idea where it was, at the moment. She’d barely gotten out of that cave without throwing up all over the place. “How did you know where to find me?”
“Well, up until the day before yesterday, you’d been posting about your vacation all over social media. I just took the GEO marker off your last post and decided you were either here, or you were in Roswell. I know your luck and your crappy sense of direction and made an educated guess.” He grinned. “I guess I got lucky, huh?” He made a face. “But not lucky enough to find that damned computer. I was supposed to meet one of my men and now I can’t remember where. The information was in a secure folder on my laptop.”
Raul shoved his fingers through his always perfect hair. The strands fell back into place as though programmed to do so. After a moment’s thought, she figured that was probably the case if he was an alien like the others.
“Did you guys bring the computers down from the mountains or are they still up there?” Birgit rested her hand on Reno’s arm. The least they could do was get the man his computer. He didn’t seem so bad after all. Maybe he acted the way he did to push women away. If that was the case, he was doing a good job. She’d almost hated the man.
“I think my brothers brought them down, but I’m not sure.” He rested his hand on hers with a slight smile. “I’ll call them later.” He turned to Raul. “My brothers might have your computer, but it’s going to have to wait until tomorrow.”
“I could wait until the day after tomorrow, but after that, I’ll have missed my meeting.” Raul’s expression turn to one of measured relief.
“Oh, by the way, some men showed up here looking for you. It was they who took the laptop to the cave.” Reno said as he gently set her behind him, putting his body between hers and Raul. A protective gesture which wasn’t lost on her.
“Sonofabitch!” Raul punched the doorjamb and the house shook. “I should have known those damned Argarians would come looking for me.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“What did the Argarians want with you? I’ve found they care little for the acquisition of wealth.” Reno planted himself firmly in front of Birgit. He was taking no chances with her safety.
Raul paled when he realized what he said and that Reno knew who and what the other man talked about.
“It figures the bastards would track me down. I should have guessed.” He shook his head with a sigh. “They were scouts. They followed me to Earth. They’ve been trying to get me to tell them where to find other worlds with humanoid inhabitants. You know how they are. They want to cull the worlds and take the humans to their worlds as cattle.”
Reno almost turned when Birgit gasped behind him, but he refused to take his attention from the strange man who had let himself into his home.
“They said you were one of them.”
“Of course they did.” Raul shook his head. “I suppose they disguised themselves as humans, as well.” He pulled a small device from his pocket and pressed the small button on its surface before Reno had a chance to react. The man’s appearance changed from an average human male with dark hair and swarthy skin, to a tall, heavily muscled humanoid creature with piercing green eyes, black hair and golden skin. He would have appeared human, if it weren’t for his pointed ears.
“You’re an Appollonian.” Reno almost couldn’t believe his eyes. “You’re supposed to be extinct.”
“Quite.” Raul laughed. “A few hundred of us managed to avoid capture. Unfortunately, we couldn’t save many of our females as the Argarians took most of them before we could finish our ship.”
“I thought they destroyed all the ships when they got to your world because they didn’t want anyone to escape.”
“They did.” Raul pressed his lips together, his eyes narrowing. “Fortunately, they had no idea we had almost finished production on our newest warship, the Appoliania, inside our world’s largest dormant volcano. The thrust from our engines going from a dead stop to light speed woke up the volcano, shooting a pyroclastic cloud over the continent, killing everyone left on the surface.” He bowed his head. “While we mourned the loss of so many innocent lives, we also celebrated the annihilation of hundreds of thousands of Argarians in the process.”
“Have you found a new world to settle upon?” Reno crossed his arms, wondering how many there were and whether the people of magic would have room for so many. It was not an invitation he could extend to the Appollonian.
“Not as yet.” Raul shook his head and then held out his hand. “I am Riekodosota Apollo. It is my honor. Please call me Rik.”
“Apollo? Isn’t that the name of –“
“The ruling house of Appollionia? Yes. I am the third son and, as far as I know, the only surviving member of my family.”
“The Argarians are never going to stop looking for you.” The man was going to have to run for the rest of his life. Either that, or go totally native on whatever planet he finally decided to settle upon.
“They might, eventually. They lose men, every time they get close to me. My most fervent hope is that sooner or later, they’ll decide to cut their losses and leave us alone.”
“We can only hope, Rik.” Reno turned slightly and lifted his arm. An unfamiliar warmth stole through him as Birgit wrapped her arm around his waist and settled herself against him. “I believe you already know my mate.”
“Yes,” Rik said with a nod. “Congratulations Birgitta.” He bowed low. “My most humble apologies for putting you in danger and interrupting your evening.”
“That’s okay Rau—I mean Rik. Do you have a place to stay for the night?”
“Yes.” He glanced up toward the sky. “My ship is cloaked in orbit.” He grinned. “Our new cloaking device is something else the Argarians know nothing about. Try as they might, they will never find our ship, or my people.” Rik disappeared in a pool of shimmering light, leaving them alone, at last.
“Now, where were we?” Reno pulled her into his house and kicked the door shut.
Cupping her face in his hands, he slid his thumbs over her cheeks, and brought his face closer, until their lips almost touched. “Tell me you still want me, lincha.”
“Oh, yes.” Birgit breathed the words against his mouth before sliding her tongue between his teeth. She trembled in his arms as he pulled her tighter, his teeth grazing hers as he sucked her tongue into his mouth.
Sliding her arms around his neck, she held him tight as he gathered her in his arms and carried her up the stairs. She nuzzled his neck, her breath brushing his ear, and he almost stumbled into the bedro
om. His groin tight and his cock throbbing, he glanced at his huge bed and smiled, there wouldn’t be much sleeping there until the wee hours of morning.
Gently, he rested her on the comforter and stared down at her. Never had he ever seen such a beautiful sight. Nothing could have prepared him for the wealth of emotion he would feel at the sight of his mate sprawled across his bed, staring up at him with slumberous eyes. Holding his gaze, she brought her hand up and smiled.
Reno curled his fingers into fists and stood still, reveling in the sight so many of his kind prayed to see. His woman, his mate, urging him to make her his, yet again.
She had no idea how difficult it had been for him to stop at the bed and breakfast. He had wanted nothing more than to take her then and there, for the whole of the town to hear. It wouldn’t take long for the people of Magic to realize she belonged to him and their’s was a passion that would burn hot and bright for many years to come.
Lowering himself to the bed, he covered her body with slow precision. Unbuttoning her blouse, he spread it open, his gaze reverently traveling over her perfect body. From her large breasts spilling over the lacy cups of her bra, to the little indentation in her rounded belly.
Concentrating, he grew one long claw and reached for the center of her chest. Her breath hitched, grew faster, as he slid the curved nail between her breasts with meticulous care and cut the center of her bra with one slow pull.
Large breasts spilled free, the flawless flesh no longer held restrained by the delicate lace. Reno lowered himself over her, his tongue caressing every exposed inch. Taking one hard nipple in his mouth, laving it when she bowed her spine in invitation.
“Yes!” Birgit drew the word out on one long, slow moan.
Reno sucked the tight bud into his mouth, nipping the rigid flesh with his sharp teeth before laving away the sting with his tongue.
Thrusting her fingers through his hair, she pulled him closer, caressing his head and neck before trailing her fingers over his jaw to where his lips met her flesh.
Her lips skimmed over his forehead, a light brush of butterfly wings, just before she yanked his head up, to press a kiss to his lips.
“Clothes off, now.” She pushed him back, far enough to try to tug his shirt over his head. When his clothing didn’t cooperate, she turned her attention to hers, shrugging out of her unbuttoned blouse and the scrap of lace that had once been her bra.
Standing, he yanked his shirt off over his head and reached for her. He pulled her to the edge of the bed, unbuttoned her jeans and watched as she wriggled out of them and then turned her attention to his.
“I’ve been waiting for this,” she said as she pushed his pants down over his hips, took his erection in her hand and licked the tip.
The sensation of her mouth closing over the head of his cock left his balls tight and his body shaking. He threw his head back and sucked in a deep breath as she flicked her tongue over his glans, licking him like an all-day sucker. She was killing him—a slow, sensual death by oral stimulation. Licking her lips, she smiled up at him, her eyes filled with promise as she lowered her head over his hard cock and took him into her hot mouth.
“Shit!” He bucked his hips as she pulled away. The incredible suction almost made him come. Bending, he grasped her by the shoulders and lifted her to her feet.
“Enough,” he said, his breath coming in short pants. “It’s my turn again.” He swung her up in his arms and placed her back on the bed.
No woman had ever appeared so beautiful. No female had ever aroused him to such a point of madness—and never before had he looked at a female and knew he would keep himself only for her, for the rest of his life. He wasn’t sure exactly when she had managed to burrow her way into his heart, but now that she had a place there, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
She watched as he straddled her, closed her eyes as he pressed light kisses to her forehead, eyes and nose. When he got to her mouth, she opened for him. Their tongues met, dueled, lashing each other as scorching heat simmered between them.
Lifting his head, Reno gazed down into her passion-glazed eyes and thanked the gods that he’d found her here on this unlikely world. She stared up at him, her pink lips parted, her breath shallow as he lowered his mouth to her delicate collarbone.
Arching, she moaned as his mouth covered her right breast, drawing on the tight peak, before switching his attention to its perfect twin. He skimmed his hand down her satiny skin, over her hip to dip his fingers between her legs, stroking plump lips.
“Stop torturing me, damn it!” She pressed his hand tight against her mound. “What is it with you and teasing?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Birgit did her best to glare at him. He was driving her crazy!
Reaching up, she traced the dark blue stripes covering his lighter blue skin and smiled. “I love the way you look when you drop the camouflage.”
Thrusting her fingers in his hair, she pulled him to her and closed her eyes. Breathless, she waited. His lips skimmed over her forehead before moving down to her ear, where he laved the outer shell. Then, moving on, he brushed his lips over her cheek, finally reaching the corner of her mouth. Flames seared her skin, everywhere he touched.
Moving lower, to her breast, he laved the hard tip, his mouth drawing on the tight bud. She fisted her hands in his hair as he continued to take his time, driving her closer and closer to the edge of madness with his expert touch.
Hot hands skimmed over her flesh, stroking every inch, his fingertips drawing short gasps and little moans from deep within her. A strangled cry escaped her lips when his fingers stroked her clit, circling the tight bud as she grasped his shoulders, her head thrown back as she finally came undone.
Throwing her head back, she screamed, then screamed again when his fingers sank deep inside her slick body. She bucked her hips as she came, her head thrashing on the bed. Slowly, her body became her own again as he pulled his fingers from her. Her muscles clenched, as though trying to keep his fingers inside her.
“Now, Reno, please.” She wasn’t beyond pleading. She’d beg him if she must. She wanted him more than she ever thought possible.
He settled himself between her legs, his movements slow, deliberate. He rubbed the thick head of his cock against her, spreading the cream sliding from her slick and empty sheath.
She bucked her hips and wrapped her legs around his waist, desperate to feel him buried inside her. When she was certain she couldn’t take anymore of his sensual torture, he finally pressed into her, surging back and forth as he slowly eased his thick length into her waiting flesh.
He moaned when he finally sank deep. His body stilled above her as her muscles clenched and released him, becoming accustomed to his size.
“You’re so tight.” He moaned, as he pulled out. “Your muscles are trying to hold me deep inside you like a clenched fist,” he said between his teeth.
Framing her face with his hands, he brushed the hair from her sweat-soaked face before lowering his head to hers. He pressed his lips to her mouth with gentle precision, his tongue rasping against hers.
He moved over her, every deep stroke stealing her breath, every kiss stealing her heart from her chest. She felt his muscles clench as she tightened her legs and brought him deeper, harder.
“Yes!” She left him no doubt as to what she wanted. She drew her legs tighter, faster, until he finally took the lead and drove into her over and over, his breath coming in harsh pants as he worked his body deeper and deeper into hers.
Birgit screamed as she finally flew over the edge, her body convulsing around his as he continued his powerful thrusts. He moved faster and harder driving inside her again and again. She came once more, her body going up in flames as he finally stiffened above her, threw his head back and groaned.
Liquid warmth filled her as she went limp. Her arms and legs fell to the bed as she lay beneath him. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she tried to catch her breath. Closing her eyes, she inhaled d
eeply, trying to slow the beat of her racing heart.
She smiled when he brushed the damp hair from her forehead and kissed her between the brows.
“I love you, you know,” she said breathlessly.
“I know.”
“You know?” she slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Is that all you can say?”
“I love you too.” Chuckling, he rolled them over until she lay atop him. Cupping her head in his hand, he drew her down until their lips touched. “Now go to sleep, you wanton woman. You’ve worn me out.”
“Same here.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “You’ve worn me out, too.” She smiled, sleepily and drifted off to sleep.
“What do you mean you won’t marry me?” Reno followed her through the grocery store pulling vegetables out of the cart as fast as she threw them into it. “And why do you keep putting plants in the shopping cart? I thought you said you were buying food to fill my empty kitchen.”
“This is food.” She glared at him, grabbed the baby spinach and tossed it back into the cart. “I spent the last week eating in restaurants and I would like a home cooked meal.”
He pulled the spinach back out of the cart and tossed it back into the vicinity from whence it came.
“Will you stop that!” She smacked his hand when he reached for a plastic bag filled with salad mix. “You might be some sort of weird tiger shifter, but you still need to eat vegetables. The human side of you needs greens and fruits.”
“I don’t have a human side.” He grasped her arm when she would have pulled away. “I’m not from here.”
“It doesn’t mean you’re not at least human-like and what could it hurt. It won’t make you sick, will it?”
“No.” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Vegetables won’t make me sick. My mother used to nag my father about broadening his horizons, as well.” He gave her a sidelong glance. “Is that what women do? They ping on their men to eat rabbit food? Will you marry me if I agree to eat it?”
Magic, New Mexico: Bewitching Birgit (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 11