Alexandre

by Shelley Munro

  The strange kiwis with their long sharp beaks and short, stubby fur-like feathers fascinated him. They ran around in their artificially created darkness using their beaks to dig for worms in rotten logs. Then there were the geysers. Pohutu, the largest, erupted high into the air on schedule, spewing large quantities of water and steam. Mud pools, cooking pools. He found the brainpot pool fascinating yet couldn’t imagine cooking the heads of court enemies in such a way.

  Alex snapped photos of them all. He glanced at his timepiece and saw to his horror almost two hours had elapsed. Picking up the steps, almost jogging, he pushed past the tourists throwing coins into the water for young children to retrieve. Alex burst through the exit, catching sight of the bright blue car immediately. Killer bounded over to meet him.

  “You take picture?”

  “I’ll show you in the vehicle,” he promised.

  “What about Lily?” Killer asked, shooting a quick glance behind her to see if Lily was close enough to hear. “She think you crazy.”

  Alex snorted. “I think it’s too late for control damage now.” He paused briefly, frowning, before stepping up the pace. Control damage didn’t sound right, but he’d puzzle out the different meanings of Earth words later when he was alone.

  “True,” Killer conceded. “We go now.”

  Alex jogged over to the car. “Sorry I’m late. Time got away on me.”

  “No problem. I think you’ll be pleased with the info I’ve collected for you. The owners of the hotels I went to have offered some great deals although I’m not sure about parking for the spaceship. Where would you like to go next? There’s the Agrodrome where they have performing sheep. We could take a boat trip out on the lake and visit Mokoia Island where the lovers Hinemoa and Tutanekai defied their parents and met, or there’s the Buried Village—”

  She sounded nervous, her words spilling one over the other while her gaze danced everywhere, never settling. He found her edginess endearing, and he fought the urge to draw her into his arms and kiss her. That would solve her doubts, but get him into a heap of trouble. Alex wished he could get his hands on her ex-husband. The worm. Then a thought hit. Perhaps he wasn’t behaving any differently. Ultimately, he’d leave, and Lily would be alone.

  “You choose the sights to visit,” he said.

  Five minutes later, they drove through city streets, passing advertising signs about places to stay and their facilities. Thermal hot pools, cable television, children’s playgrounds. Something for everyone on any budget. Alex scribbled several notes.

  Lily pointed out the adventure sports available for any daredevil clients he might have. “I don’t mind waiting while you zorb,” she said, slowing as they passed signs depicting a large clear plastic ball rolling down a hill with a person inside. “Or you can bungee jump. I told you about last night. Remember jumping off a bridge with elastic bands attached to your feet? That’s the private spa pools where you can have massages and treatments.” Lily showed him the entrance.

  Alex jotted more notes, feeling truly excited about the range of excursions he’d be able to offer. They had nothing like this on Dalcon.

  Lily drove through the Government Gardens, resplendent with beds of colorful annuals and the mature trees, her mind only half on the job. The rest of her mind was stuck back at their lunch stop. She’d…they’d… Lily pulled up in the parking area near St. Faith’s Church. Alex wanted to see the old church and the jetty from where the boats sailed to Mokoia Island.

  Alex had…they’d…she’d had her first taste of oral sex. A grin puckered her lips. Alex had done the tasting. But whatever, his tongue on her had made her want to fly. And she had. Lily cast a speculative glance at him as he sauntered across the car park with Killer yapping at him nonstop. What would it feel like to taste him, to hold him in her mouth and pleasure him? A funny shivery sensation made her stomach swoop and plunge as if she were on a fairground ride. She wanted to learn—if Alex would let her. The problem was he seemed to switch on and off like a tap, confusing the heck out of her.

  She glanced at him again and saw that two young women had stopped him to chat. Jealousy wiped the pleasant buzz from her system, and she glared at the women through narrowed eyes. Although they had stooped to pat Killer, their attention settled on Alex. The tall, slim one with the midnight-black hair was close enough that her breasts brushed Alex’s arm.

  Lily relaxed when she saw Alex shake his head. Both women glanced at her and then turned back to Alex. Probably wondering what a fat cow was doing with the golden cat. All the happiness and confidence that had built during the day seeped out her shoes. Who was she trying to kid? She and Alex were as different as Dalcon and Earth. They would never have a future together.

  Chapter Eight

  They ended up staying the night in Rotorua and spending most of the day exploring and trying out the many available activities. Lily grimaced. Alex had done the quality testing—she was strictly a two-feet-on-the-ground kinda girl. Her clumsiness challenged her enough and filled her need for adventure. She glanced at Alex’s enthralled face as he stared out at the scenery. The alien’s enthusiasm was contagious, and she’d allowed him to dally until late afternoon before putting her foot down and demanding they leave for their next stop.

  When they arrived in Taupo, the trio of mountains on the far side of the lake was barely visible in the rapidly closing dusk. Acute disappointment bloomed in Lily, but she promised herself she’d get up early in the morning and walk along the edge of Lake Taupo so she could savor her favorite view to her heart’s content.

  “Our hotel is at the end of this block.” Lily slowed to give way to the stream of approaching traffic then turned into the parking lot. She pulled up in the last remaining spot and switched off the ignition.

  “Looks full,” she said. “Lucky I’ve booked.”

  They climbed out, and Alex collected their bags from the back.

  “Do you want your boots?” Lily asked, seeing them still sitting in the rear.

  “No, leave them there. I won’t need them tonight.”

  “Do we have food?” Killer danced around their feet in a four-footed frenzy.

  “Later,” Alex said. “Not now. You’re attracting attention. You’ll get us kicked out.”

  Lily shook her head. The two of them were at their growling again. Weird. Just plain weird. “I’ll go and check in.”

  She left them to their barking contest and pushed open the door to the reception area. It was a plush room with thick carpet. Her shoes sank into it with each step. A grandfather clock ticked off the minutes in a loud, regal manner from the far corner. Almost seven. After the eventful day, she was ready to kick off her shoes and relax.

  Lily joined a queue of four people and let her mind wander. Of course, it didn’t really meander. Like a magnet, her thoughts seized on Alex. Lily feared she was setting herself up for a huge, body-crunching fall and long-lasting heartache. But that didn’t stop her pondering what if.

  “Next, please!”

  Lily jerked from her reverie to find the middle-aged woman behind the reception desk glaring at her. She stepped up to the shiny wooden desk. “Sorry. I have a booking for Morgan.”

  The woman consulted her register then glared over the rim of her glasses. “You’re late.”

  “It’s only just gone seven.” The grandfather clock chimed noisily the instant Lily said the words.

  “We hold the rooms until six unless prior arrangements are made. Next, please.”

  Lily stood firm, and the woman glowered at her anew. “I am sorry we’re late. Do you have other rooms available? Two singles.”

  Behind Lily, the door from outside opened with a well-oiled sigh.

  “No dogs!” the woman shrieked.

  Lily winced and turned to signal Alex to take Killer outside. Luckily, he appeared to understand her eye rolls and gestures.

  “We don’t have any singles left,” the woman said. “All we have is a double.”

  “Can you r
ecommend another hotel?”

  “It’s the middle of school holidays and the mountain-to-lake run is being held this weekend. Rooms are scarce. You won’t get one. Next, please.”

  Still Lily stood her ground. The thought of driving around looking for rooms wasn’t appealing. “I’ll take the double.”

  “Is that your dog?” the woman countered.

  “Yes, but she’s booked into the kennels.” Lily held the woman’s stern gaze, trying hard not to blink. Just as she was about to glance at her shoes, the woman inclined her head.

  “Very well. Fill out this. Credit card, please.”

  Lily took care of formalities and finally received two keycards in return. She turned away and let her breath ease out in a relieved hiss. Thank goodness, dragon lady had believed her about Killer. Now all they had to do was smuggle her into their room. The change of rooms was a bit of a pain since she’d been looking forward to soaking in a hot bath. But on the other hand… A slow grin spread across her lips. Perhaps this was an opportunity to show Alex she was interested in learning alien ways. Specifically, their sex lives and his anatomy.

  * * * * *

  “No! Not going in bag.”

  “You’ll have to,” Alex said. “Dogs aren’t allowed in the rooms.”

  “Undignified,” Killer sniffed, glaring at the large leather bag with a look of pure dislike. Her tail trembled just enough to show her displeasure.

  “Do you want food?”

  “Food?” Killer’s eyes brightened and the wag of her tail increased to a frenzied flick.

  “You can only have food if you get inside the bag.”

  Killer sat and stuck her nose in the air. “No.”

  Lily returned from exploring the room. “It’s a nice room, and fairly big so we won’t trip over each other.”

  The sharp jerk of his tom reminded him that tripping was the least of his problems. But now, Killer rated a little higher than the bonding ties.

  “Killer won’t get in the bag,” he said.

  “If the woman at reception spies her, we’ll lose our room. The hotel management will have us out so quick our heads will spin. Killer will have to get into the bag.”

  Alex backed away from the stubborn dog with an elegant hand gesture. “Be my guest. You tell her.”

  “She won’t understand.” Lily advanced on the dog.

  The bloody dog understood too much for his liking. He folded his arms over his chest and settled against a brick wall to watch the unfolding drama. This oughta be good.

  Killer growled low and mean at Lily, and turned around to present her butt in full-out revolt. Alex smothered his laugh by turning it into a cough.

  “Told you.”

  “I stay in Sam’s car,” Killer barked. “After I have food.”

  Alex watched with amusement as Lily grabbed for Killer, aiming for the scruff of her neck. At the last moment, the dog darted out of reach. Lily tripped and saved herself from a fall by snatching at the rear of the vehicle but still managed to knock her knee on the tow bar.

  A loud thud sounded, and Alex winced in sympathy. That must have hurt. “You okay?”

  “Fine,” Lily gritted out. “What are we going to do about the dog?”

  In the glare of the car park lights, Alex caught the sheen of tears in her eyes and saw the shadows of fatigue. Lily was tired. “Why don’t we leave Killer in the vehicle? I’ll feed her and take her for a walk before we go to bed.”

  “I suppose that will have to do,” Lily said.

  “What number is the room?”

  “Room 206.” Lily handed him a keycard. “I might go and soak in the spa bath, if that’s okay.”

  Alex nodded, not trusting himself to speak. His gaze zapped to her butt, watching the sway of her hips as she walked away. He didn’t want to imagine her naked in a tub of scented water. It was bad enough that they had to share a room. Alex bit off a savage curse and glared at the dark, star-studded sky. If he peered hard enough, he was sure he’d see the Goddess of Dalcon and Tigus wetting herself with laughter. A snort erupted at the thought. The planet of Tigus might appreciate the waterfall. Before he’d left, they’d been complaining of the lack and petitioned the King for a water ceremony.

  After seeing to Killer’s many and varied needs, Alex stopped in at the hotel restaurant and ordered a room service meal for both of them. Wanting to try some of the New Zealand specialties, he picked out roast lamb with tamarillo sauce and a selection of vegetables. Then for after, he chose cheese and crackers along with a selection of homemade chocolates. The maître d’ recommended a bottle of wine and suggested they make coffee or tea up in the room. Lily had looked so exhausted down in the car park, and he had notes to write so the suggestion sounded basuko fine.

  With slight trepidation, he slid the keycard into the door. Perhaps he could use a temporary bed. What did they call them? Oh, yeah—a couch. It was either that or the floor since he dare not risk sharing the bed.

  Lily’s special floral scent hit him as soon as he stepped inside the hotel room. Then the sight of the bed grabbed him by the throat, demanding attention and consideration.

  It was big.

  Soft and luxurious.

  And Lily lay in the middle asleep. With her eyes closed and her face relaxed, she hardly looked older than an undergrown. As he watched, her eyes flickered open. They were a beautiful blue that reminded him of the lakes they’d seen today—sometimes light blue and innocent and at other times, dark, stormy and mysterious.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “That’s all right.” Her voice was low and seductive. “If I nap now, I won’t sleep later tonight.”

  Bloody hell! He didn’t want that. If two people lay awake in the small hours of the morning, chances were their minds would take a sharp turn into trouble. Not that his brain wasn’t in the territory already. He sighed and wished he’d checked in at reception instead of Lily. He’d have intimidated the dragon lady into giving them their booking.

  “I ordered room service. I hope that’s all right with you,” he said, more to ease the rising tension in the hotel room than to impart information.

  “Really?” Lily sat up, treating him to a flash of thigh before she hurriedly smoothed her thin cotton robe.

  Alex frowned. “Yeah, but we can go out if you want.”

  A wide smile stretched her lips, highlighting a cute set of dents beside her mouth that he hadn’t noticed before. “No, dinner in the room is perfect.”

  Her voice strummed along his nerves, playing him like a master court musician. And the way her eyes caressed him… Alex suppressed a violent shudder and concentrated on keeping his hands clenched behind his back.

  A knock on the door was a welcome interruption, and he answered with alacrity. A young man wearing a white uniform wheeled a trolley into the room. He unloaded the covered plates from the trolley along with stemmed glasses and the bottle of wine, and set the table ready for them to eat. Alex watched in silence as he placed the final item on the table—an apricot rose-flower in a glass vase.

  “Thank you.” Alex handed the man a money-note on the way out.

  The door clicked as it closed, while the wheels of the trolley squeaked until the man reached the bank of lifts.

  “That smells wonderful. What did you order?”

  “The man in the restaurant recommended the lamb.” Suddenly Alex wished he’d never had the idea. All he’d wanted was to make things easier for Lily. But right now, he felt as if he waded through knee-deep trouble. The setting was romantic and, dammit, that wasn’t what he’d intended.

  “Let’s eat,” Lily said, still beaming.

  Alex tried not to look directly at her as he gestured for her to sit. He pulled out a chair, seated her then strolled around to sit opposite with a calmness he didn’t feel. Every breath he dragged in overloaded his senses with Lily’s scent, torturing him with reminders of how much he wanted her. The bonding ties tightened like a rope around his neck, slowly sque
ezing his willpower, but he refused to give in to the siren urge. No messy emotional entanglements for him. No, majesty! He intended to remain free to pursue his dreams. No way did he intend to hitch himself to a woman only to discover that she changed when she discovered he was a royal prince. He chanced a glance at Lily. Hard to say if she would be like that or not, but he didn’t intend to take the risk.

  “Is there something wrong with your meal? You’re frowning at your plate as though it’s full of worms.”

  Alex jerked his gaze off the roast lamb to study Lily. A soft glow made her eyes particularly beautiful. He stilled at the emotion he discovered in them—deep and mysterious. Her expression reminded him of the palace consorts when they managed to wear him down and drag him off to bed.

  Please don’t let her chase me. Heck, he had to get a grip on himself. With the spell the old crone had given him, he was as ugly as a newborn undergrown. But Lily was a problem because she seemed desperate to prove her value. And that bloody ex-male of hers. He’d mucked up her self-confidence and now she’d decided to test her wiles on someone safe. Him. Well, comet-flash—she’d picked the wrong male, and he sure as hell wasn’t feeling harmless.

  “What did you think of the sights you saw today?”

  When Alex risked another glance, he saw her normal, cheery expression. An innocent set of blue eyes framed by wisps of brown hair combined with a sprinkling of brown dots on her nose and cheeks and a gentle smile.

  Take her at face value, he decided. He thought of all the sights he’d seen and immediately his enthusiasm bubbled and plans filled his mind with a pleasant buzz. “I want to include Rotorua on my itinerary. There are so many different things to see. We don’t have anything like this on Dalcon or the neighboring planets.”

  “Are you trying to appeal to adventurous travelers?”

  “Not necessarily. I’d like to offer alternative activities in each stop-off point. And I’d like to cater for both male and female clients.”

  The discussion carried Alex past his awkwardness and suspicions, letting him relax and float all his budding ideas past Lily. By the end of dinner and the bottle of wine, they’d mapped out the stops for Rotorua and worked out a list of possibles for Taupo.