“Don’t make me regret this.”
Baruch felt his core energy leap forward at the statement. Makar was no less immune. Despite the prim, ultra-feminine exterior she presented to the world, their Keely had spirit. Neither of them was fooled for a minute that she wouldn’t try to make a break for it at the first opportunity that rolled her way.
Gods, if that doesn’t just make your dick sit up and take notice, nothing will.
Makar’s growl of agreement floated effortlessly through his mind.
* * * *
Keeping her eyes peeled on the long alleyway ahead, Keely fought her instinct to haul ass. From the way the two behemoths walking on each side of her kept glancing her way, she knew that if she even flinched, they’d have her snagged and dangling in the air. She’d sensed their innate strength yesterday, but with both of them decked out in dark muscle shirts, their powerful arms definitely backed up her assessment. Nope, keep your cool, and you’ll find your moment. Eventually, they’re going to let their guard down. It’s inevitable.
Despite her best intentions, she couldn’t help but glance up to them. When she received warm apologetic smiles, she tore her gaze away. Her skin was already buzzing from being so close to them. One look into those hypnotic eyes, and she’d be putty in their hands. Forcing her brain to stay on the logical side, she tried to comprehend how the Greek gods she’d thought she’d never see again were escorting her to whatever fate lay ahead.
It was now obvious that their brief encounter at the hospital wasn’t a coincidence. When revealing they’d read the journal, she’d been unsure if they were referring to the incident in the car or had found it in her office. How in the hell could they have even known to look for it? The only person she’d informed of her suspicions was Webb. No way in hell would he be mixed up with these two, he’d shit himself. Damn, I walked right into this crap.
Despite her growing apprehension, Keely had to admit that she was looking forward to their promised explanation. Vindication appeared more appealing than continued ignorance. Her ruminations came to a screeching halt as soon as a sharp pain radiated through her heel.
Hopping around on one foot and cursing her misfortune, Keely squealed when her world tilted and she found herself firmly entrenched in Makar’s arms. He was holding her like a baby, concern firmly etched on his handsome face. Shocked, she looked away when a hand wrapped around her ankle. Baruch was frowning and studying the bottom of her left foot. He brushed something from her heel and glanced up.
“You’ll live. It was a pebble. You should’ve left your shoes on.”
“Yeah, like I could sprint in those things.” Surprised at her own flippant comment and the immediate lopsided grin he threw her, she pursed her lips and performed a concentrated study of her knees. She felt Baruch caress the injury before he unleashed the sensuous voice that could wreak havoc on bone density.
“It’s okay not to hate us, Keely. You’ll find that we can be quite lovable.”
“Says you.” She grimaced at Makar’s bark of laughter. Damn, I need to keep my mouth shut. He continued to chuckle as they rounded the laundromat. Fighting the instinct to wrap her arms around his neck for leverage, she opted for folding them across her belly to show she was still not on board with her capture. She felt his chest rumble as he spoke to Baruch.
“Drive her vehicle around back. I’ll meet you at the front.”
“Got it.”
Frowning as she watched her car being commandeered, Keely wasn’t prepared for Makar’s soft comment as he strolled casually across the parking lot.
“You’re very light.”
“No, you’re very strong.”
“Silly female.”
“Lying alien.” She bit her lip when his chest-rumbling laughter sounded again. Stop it, Keely. They’re not your friends.
“Ah, gods. I love your quick mind.”
“I’d love it if you’d put me down.”
“Nope.”
“Why not.”
“I like holding you.”
“Suit yourself.”
“I will.”
Refusing to look at him, she focused on her other captor jogging around the corner of the nightclub. He had her purse, journal, and shoes clutched in his arms. Makar waited patiently as Baruch brushed off the bottom of her feet and slipped her heels on. She grimaced when she saw a small run working its way up the side of her stocking. Gently lowered to the ground, she flinched when Baruch clasped her hand, opened the door, and pulled her inside. Makar followed close behind.
Keely was astonished that the interior wasn’t the seedy bar she’d envisioned. Instead, she was greeted with the pleasant smell of lemons, expensive furnishings, a gleaming, curved oak bar, and muted lighting showcasing an impressive stage. Busy trying to figure out why there was sheer, black material draped from the ceiling to the floor in front of sectional couches lining one wall, she startled when two large men moved from out of the shadows behind the bar.
Instinctively, Keely pulled Baruch closer and backed up until she felt Makar’s body pressed against her back. When two big hands landed on her shoulders and Baruch gently squeezed her fingers, she quickly unglued herself from them and pulled her hand away. Trying to reason why she’d sought their protection, she jumped when she felt a light touch against her back and Makar’s deep voice.
Keely, this is Petrus and Ludo. Guys, this is Dr. Keely Anderson. We met her at the hospital yesterday. Their eyes widened. The one that had placed the sign outside—Petrus—spoke up.
“She followed you here?”
Baruch shoved her journal across the shiny bar surface. “Nope. Read the last entry, and you’ll understand.”
Ludo looked over Petrus’s shoulder as he flipped through the pages. She watched their brows draw together as they read more of her notations. Keely was also realizing a pattern. Each man in the room carried a Latin name and spoke with the same accent. How in the hell do aliens acquire an Italian dialect and have the physical characteristics from that region? Are they shape shifters or some type of mimicking species? Hmm, probably shifters. No way could all of them be this gorgeous by accident. Ludo’s deep voice pulled her from her musings.
“I can see why you gave chase. The emperor will definitely need to be informed of this.”
“You have an emperor?”
All heads swiveled in her direction. Screw it. She’d jumped in with both feet, too late now. She watched their heads bob up and down before Makar finally spoke.
“Yes.”
“Did you arrive in Italy first?”
“Italy came to us.”
“What?”
Keely frowned when they all chuckled and started flipping lights off. Makar claimed her hand this time and led her toward an exit door to the left of the main stage. Baruch stayed glued to her side, his hand landing like a hot brand to her lower back. Plunged into pitch-blackness, she tried to reason how they weren’t tripping over every table in the building. When they finally pushed out of the side door, she reached over and snatched her purse from under Baruch’s arm, smirking when he gifted her with his familiar lopsided grin.
“I’ll take that, thank you. Where are we going?”
“To the truck.”
“Whose truck?”
“Ludo’s.”
“Why.”
“We have a festival to attend.”
“A festival?”
“Yes, our emperor’s getting married.”
“Oh. Can I assume this is going to occur on your planet?”
“Yep.”
“We’re going to a wedding, and there’s a party afterward?”
“Exactly.”
“So, am I like your date or something?”
Makar chuckled. “See, I told you she was funny.”
Keely snorted. “That wasn’t supposed to be humorous.”
“Well, it was.”
She gave Makar her best glare and then turned back to Baruch. “Fine, whatever. So, how many are there?
”
“Weddings?”
“No. Your kind.”
“Enough.”
“I thought you were going to be honest and tell me everything.”
“We will, but it’s best if you see it first. It’ll make more sense.”
Keely squashed her next question when Makar released her hand and opened the back door of the truck. Baruch quickly crawled inside, motioning for her to follow him. Eyeballing the tall step that was supposed to help her into the vehicle, Keely cursed her decision to wear a pencil skirt this particular day. It would be the second time she’d have to hike it up to her thighs. Her dilemma was solved as soon as Makar’s big hands latched on to her waist and lifted her into the air as if she weighed nothing. Baruch was helping her to slide to the center of the bench seat before she’d comprehended what happened.
When Makar finally settled in next to her, she realized she was once again sandwiched between a wall of testosterone and muscle. Purse clutched to her chest like a life raft, she tried to ignore the tingling of her skin and the tantalizing smell of their aftershave. It was like being in the corridor with them all over again. When Ludo and Petrus climbed in the front, she suddenly felt tiny and insignificant. Several long excruciating minutes of silent driving ticked by before she got the nerve up to start grilling them again.
“Since you won’t talk about your planet until I get the grand tour, can you explain why you were in the hospital yesterday? Were you already aware of my suspicions and just checking out the silly human that stumbled on to you? Did I speed up my capture by coming here tonight?” She was surprised by how fast Baruch responded.
“No. It was nothing like that. We didn’t have a clue of what you’d written until we saw it while in your car. We only came outside to try and scare you off. Ludo thought you were a squatter.”
Unnerved that she felt immediate relief to learn their attentions in the hospital corridor hadn’t been attached to an ulterior motive, she focused on Baruch’s response.
“A squatter?”
After Petrus explained the shenanigans some of the girls pulled while at the club, she nodded in understanding.
“Ah, yes. Those types of women, hell, even men sometimes, have a deep-seated need to be close to any form of celebrity in the hopes that some of it will rub off on them, make them popular among their peer groups, or confirm that they’re indeed special when specifically chosen by the unattainable superstar. This need is so great, that they sometimes don’t even realize how ridiculous they look to others. Many end up receiving the opposite reaction of what they wanted in the first place.” Keely glanced around the cab when she realized everyone’s eyes were locked onto her. Even Ludo’s crystal-blue orbs were staring at her from the rearview mirror. “What?”
Petrus gave her a brilliant smile. “You’re a doctor of the mind, aren’t you?”
“Uh, yeah, that’s one way of putting it. I’m a psychologist.”
He nodded and settled back against his seat. “Kallon’s going to love her.”
“Who’s Kallon?”
Makar patted her on the leg. “He’s a highly respected doctor on our world. You’ll meet him soon.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Maybe he’ll help me talk some sense into all of you.” She rolled her eyes when they just snorted. Placing Makar’s hand back on his own knee, she glared at him. “You didn’t answer my question. Why were you at the hospital?” Baruch helped to agitate her growing curiosity.
“Blood.”
“Care to elaborate?” She quickly held up her palm. “No, let me guess. You’re vampires, too.” She realized that his gap-toothed smile had probably slain a thousand women. It was definitely messing with her concentration.
“No, silly. Caelius’s mate had a blood donation we needed to retrieve. Kallon requires it for a comparison, so we volunteered to pick it up.”
“Caelius Meron?”
“Yes.”
“Rhia Brennan’s his wife…uh, mate?”
“That’s correct.”
“Ah. No wonder he was so protective of her. They actually had to pop Wharton’s shoulder back into place before I was allowed to make my first visit. I’m shocked that Meron didn’t kill him.”
Keely was perplexed by the change in Baruch’s demeanor. He sat forward and stared at her in wonder, speaking in a low tone, almost reverent.
“You’ve no idea how accurate you are. Despite what you must think of us, Keely, we try our best not to cause harm to the full humans if it can be helped. It probably took everything in his power to keep from snapping that male’s neck. The same can be said for Severus and Cato’s situations. We protect our females to the death, if need be.”
“You said ‘full humans.’ What did you mean by that?” She searched his features, anticipating another tidbit into this fascinating race. His sensuous eyes narrowed, and he leaned a little closer, to the point that his tantalizing smell almost had her forgetting what she’d asked.
“You miss nothing, my brilliant foemina. I believe that is the one quality that has finally shoved me over the edge into total obsession.”
Keely swallowed hard and opened her mouth with every intention of asking him to explain himself. The slight hesitation cost her that opportunity. He’d straightened in the seat and looked up as the truck came to a stop. Makar clasped her hand and gently squeezed.
“We’re here. Come on, sweetness. You’re one step closer to finding out everything you need to know.”
Walking around to the front of the truck, Keely watched as Ludo stuffed several duffel bags into the side compartment of a humongous, dark-blue helicopter. Heart racing, she realized that her opportunities for escape were dwindling by the second. They were on the outskirts of Austin at what seemed to be a private airport. With Baruch and Makar stuck to her side the moment they’d lifted her out of the vehicle, she was no closer to freedom than she’d been in the alleyway.
Resigned to the fact that she’d have to wait for another chance, she didn’t balk as they pulled her forward upon Petrus’s signal. Disoriented and squinting against the rush of wind beating against her face, Keely allowed the guys to lift her into the craft and buckle her into a comfortable seat, immediately thankful that the overwhelming sound muted the second the door snapped shut.
After fussing unsuccessfully with her rapidly deteriorating bun, she finally glanced up, only to be snared by a set of intense sapphire-colored eyes. The blue was so rich and pristine, she got lost in his gaze for a few moments. The quick smile and deep voice snapped her back to reality.
“I wasn’t expecting another passenger. Who’s this?”
Clamping her mouth shut, she glanced to Makar as he introduced her to yet another example of their race’s beauty. Holy crap!
“Sotarios, this is Keely Anderson. She’s a very brilliant doctor with too much curiosity.”
“Nice to meet you, curious Keely.” He threw her a quick wink before swiveling back around to the impressive control panel, his voice taking on an exaggerated serious tone as they lifted from the tarmac.
“Seekers Airline is pleased to welcome our guests aboard tonight. We ask that you buckle your seat belts, and make sure your seats stay in an upright position. Running in the aisle is discouraged, and if you have to pee…well, it’s too late.”
Keely clapped a hand over her mouth, horrified that she’d been unable to stop her laughter from joining the others.
Ludo immediately yelled out, “Where the hell are my peanuts, and when are you going to start serving the beverages?”
Keely heard a muffled snort before his authoritative voice presented again.
“With all due respect…bite me. This is a BYOB flight. You should’ve planned better. Now shut up and look out your window. I know how excited you get from watching all the pretty lights go by.”
Ludo chuckled and shoved him on the shoulder. “Ass.”
“Dickhead. No touching the pilot. I’m special.”
Biting her lip to keep from
getting sucked back into their horseplay, Keely looked down and fussed with her purse straps. She almost cried out for mercy when Petrus and Baruch began a hilarious back and forth about something Baruch had written on the sign she’d watched Petrus attach to a post outside the club.
Disturbed at how ridiculously normal this felt, Keely refused to look up. If she caught sight of either Makar or Baruch’s grins, it’d be her undoing. Rolling her head to the side, she placed her forehead on the window and looked out over the stretch of blackness. Intermittent patches of Ludo’s pretty lights gave the only reminder that there was still a world below her.
Eventually, the guys’ quiet banter mixing with the low hum of the rotor blades lulled her muscles into relaxing. Who you trying to fool, Keely? You’ve been waiting for their guard to drop, but yours just went on sabbatical. Keely found herself hoping that this confusing race of gorgeous aliens really were as sweet as they appeared. Her future depended on it.
Chapter 7
“Any clue what’s going on down there?” Makar watched Sotarios’s shoulders lift into a shrug before he answered.
“No one’s answering the radio. I’ve tried to make a mind call to our usual group, but they’ve probably already gone over. Guess we’ll find out when we land.”
Looking back to the vortex entry site, Makar shook his head as he surveyed the long line of his brethren trailing all the way back to the canyon entrance and a good fifty meters further out.
“I hope no one else flies over. It’s bad enough that we have so many vehicles on the edge of the property. We sure don’t need to point a gods damn arrow at the place.”
Their approach sent the tail end of the line slithering to the side like a snake escaping a giant bird of prey. Upon the light tap to his shoulder, he glanced over to find Baruch pointing to his right. Leaning forward, he discovered Keely curled up in her seat, cheek smashed against the window, mouth slack, and fast asleep. He heard Baruch’s chuckle before he glanced back, a wide grin on his face.
Fueled by Lust: Makar and Baruch (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 6