by KD Jones
“I would like to learn to cook for myself,” she admitted.
“Then I’ll teach you.”
He followed her down the hallway as she inspected the bathroom and then the bedroom directly across from it. He opened the closet for her; she only glanced inside but didn’t go in. He suspected that she would probably sleep in the closet instead of the big bed in the room. He watched as she walked around the bed and touched the sheets, running her hand across the silky sheets.
Images of her lying naked on the bed with her thighs open for him had his dick stiffening again. He couldn’t stop his wayward thoughts.
“This is nice and clean, but it’s really too big for me. Don’t you have anything smaller?”
“Unfortunately, this is the smallest we have for single occupancy on this level.”
“What level are we on?”
“This is the commander’s level. All of our family is up here; no one else is allowed access. The lift will only take those who are authorized..”
“Wow, I don’t know what to say. Is the commander okay with me being here? I mean…I’m nobody.”
“You are not nobody. You are important to all of us. I insisted that you be moved close to me and my family and my uncle agreed.” He felt heat in his cheeks.
“You’re next door to me?”
“Yes.”
She moved to stop in front of him. “Why? Why would you move me close to you?”
He looked into her eyes, which; were so beautiful and so bright. “I need you close because I—want you.”
“Really?”
He stepped closer and caressed her cheek. “Yes.”
“Then why have you been keeping your distance?”
“I wanted you to have time to recover fully. Have you missed me?” He watched as she blushed.
“Maybe a little—okay maybe a lot.”
Quinn wanted to kiss her again. He leaned down and just as his lips were almost on hers, a loud knocking on the outer door interrupted them. “Freejus! He pulled away and stormed out of the bedroom.
Squirrel followed after him. “What’s going on Quinn? Who’s at the door?”
He pressed a button on a panel next to the door that gave him a view of the hallway and sighed heavily. “It’s my family.”
“Which one?”
“All of them.”
Chapter 5
Squirrel watched as Quinn opened the door and frowned at the people on the other side of the door. It was comical in a way. She was convinced that he was about to kiss her in the bedroom and she had wanted him to. That surprised her the most.
She had kept her distance from people in the tunnels but secretly longed for someone of her own to love. No one made her feel the way that Quinn made her feel. Whenever he visited her in mediko there was always an instant attraction. She found herself flirting with him without realizing she was doing it.
To see how disappointed and frustrated he was to be interrupted made her feel good that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Going through weeks of this sexual tension between them was getting too hard for either of them to ignore. She hid her smile and greeted her uninvited guests.
“Hi.”
Maggie barged in first, carrying a crying baby with her. “Can I use your bedroom to breastfeed? Milly is very demanding today.” Maggie was the first to encounter the Drastans when they came to Earth. From what she heard, Maggie captured Liam then had rescued him when her tribe turned on him. They were married now and had a baby, the first mixed species so far.
“Sure. It’s not really my bedroom anyway.” Squirrel motioned toward the hallway. She watched as Maggie started down the hall followed by Liam Estro, her husband, or amahlo as Drastans called them.
Maggie suddenly stopped and turned to glare at Liam. “Where are you going?”
“With you to feed the baby.”
She shook her head. “You may have man boobs but mine are the only ones that can feed the baby. You stay here and talk to Squirrel and the others.”
Squirrel tried not to laugh at the rejected look on Liam’s face. She almost felt sorry for him until Kyle explained why Maggie wanted to breastfeed alone.
“Come on, Liam. You know if you go in there you two would eventually be christening the bed. You can’t keep your hands off your amahala, especially when she is exposed like that.”
Liam chuckled and nodded. “I can’t resist my Maggie or the taste of her milk.”
Quinn’s cheeks turned red as he looked over at his cousin. “That’s way too much information Liam.”
Rachel, Maggie’s younger sister, grunted glaring at her husband Kyle. “Is this what I have to look forward to when our baby comes? You already can’t leave me alone for more than a few hours at a time without taking a ‘break’ and coming home for midday delight.”
Lt. Kyle Estro, wrapped Rachel in his arms and kissed her cheek. “I can’t resist you. Your scent is more intoxicating with the pregnancy.”
Squirrel felt a little uncomfortable. Was everyone here pregnant? What did they put in the water? She looked over at Lily, Jared’s wife.
Lily held up her hands. “We’re not pregnant yet. We want to wait until we’ve had time together as a family.”
Lily had a son, Thomas, from her human husband who had died in the nuclear disaster on Earth. Jared married Lily and treated little Thomas like his own son. Thomas sometimes would come with Lily to visit Squirrel while she was in mediko. He was an adorable, smart and very inquisitive little boy.
Quinn frowned. “Where is Thomas?”
“He’s still in class. Mrs. Gordon is going to pick him up and bring him home in a little bit.” Lily held up a covered dish. “We made you a few dishes so that you can heat them up until you learn how to cook.”
She watched as horror crossed Quinn’s face when Liam handed him a dish. Liam chuckled. “Maggie didn’t make this, Mrs. Gordon did.”
“Thank the heavenly stars,” Quinn said, taking the dish.
“I heard that!” Maggie yelled from the bedroom.
Kyle leaned in and whispered, “Her scent wasn’t the only thing that got stronger from her pregnancy.”
At first Squirrel wasn’t sure if that was an insult but when Liam and the rest broke out into laughter, she realized it was all said in fun and with love. She joined them in laughing. Was this what it was like to have a family? You could tease and laugh with one another and know that they would never intentionally hurt you. Did she have this once but couldn’t remember them? Was there someone out there that grieved her loss?
She watched as Lily and Rachel went to the kitchen and started pulling out plates. They laughed and teased their husbands. Squirrel envied that closeness. She had been alone for a long time, maybe too long.
Quinn was suddenly next to her, placing his hand on the small of her back. “Are you okay? Are you overwhelmed? I asked them to wait until tomorrow to give you time to get used to living here first, but they were excited to welcome you to your new home. I can have them leave if you want?”
She looked up into his face. He was serious; he would send them away for her if she wanted him to. A sense of warmth filled her. “I like your family, you’re lucky to have them.”
“I am lucky but at times it feels like a curse,” he chuckled. Then he gave her a serious look. “You don’t remember anything about your family at all is that right?”
“I don’t even know if I have one. Sometimes I have dreams and see faces of other children, ones I know weren’t there in the tunnels with me and I wonder if they could be my brothers or sisters. I just can’t remember anything. It’s like a blank slate up until the day I woke up in the tunnels.”
“Come and sit down. I’ve got some food out on the table.” Lily motioned for them to join the others.
She walked over to the table and was surprised when all the men pulled out chairs for the women. Even Quinn pulled out her chair for her. “Thank you.”
Maggie came out of the bedroom and laid the b
aby down in her carrier. She was sound asleep. She watched the love on the woman’s face as she gazed at her child. It did something funny to Squirrel’s insides. She prided herself on being tough and a loner, but she was starting to see what she was missing out on by keeping people at a distance. It kept her from getting hurt, but it also kept her from experiencing joy and love. She wanted those things more than she thought.
“Squirrel, how’s the food?” Lily asked.
“Oh.” She quickly picked up a fork, lifted something that looked like a type of green bean, and took a bite. She expected it to be bland but it was very flavorful. “It’s delicious.”
“I can come and teach you how to cook,” Lily offered.
“Quinn said he would teach me.” She took another bite of food and noticed that Quinn blushed when his family looked at him.
“Where’s your uncle?” she asked Quinn, but it was Liam who answered her.
“Father had to meet with another dome leader to discuss how things are going with tracking down the rebels.”
“Have there been any more bombings?” she asked with concern.
“No, but there have been more confrontations. It’s to the point that my father wants to pull many of our warriors out of the tunnels and have the dome leaders send in their own people to keep the peace.”
Rachel spoke up. “I wouldn’t blame your father at all if he decided to pull your people out, maybe take the fleet and even leave.”
Maggie nodded. “Our people haven’t been all that grateful for the Drastans’ assistance. If the Drastans hadn’t come to Earth I probably wouldn’t be alive, I wouldn’t have fallen in love with Liam and we wouldn’t have Milly. So I, for one, am glad you came. Don’t let a bunch of assholes run you off.”
Liam growled. “We’re not running off.”
Maggie rolled her eyes and looked at Squirrel. “He’s so sensitive. I didn’t mean it that way, just that there are a handful of idiots out there that are crazy. They don’t speak on behalf of all of us normal sane humans.”
Squirrel watched fascinated at how the conversation would get heated one minute then the next there would be laughter. Everyone got along with one another and they genuinely cared for each other.
Jared spoke to her directly in a low voice while the others were debating something about fighting techniques. “I would like your permission to run your DNA sample through Earth’s database. It shouldn’t take long and it may give you answers as to who you really are.”
Squirrel thought about it. Could she have family out there looking for her or thinking she was dead? She had told him before she didn’t care to know, but now she was curious. She might have brothers and sisters and cousins out there, maybe who were similar to Quinn’s family. It would be nice to have a name different from the one given to her. “Okay.”
Quinn moved the conversation on to other things, which she was grateful for. This was probably the most time she had spent with more than one person. It was nice but a little awkward for her. She listened more than she talked, which had been her habit in the tunnels. It kept her safe.
“You seem a little dazed,” Jared commented. “Are you feeling well?”
Quinn put his hand on her shoulder. “She gets overwhelmed when she is around a lot of people.”
Lily looked at her with concern. “We should have waited before we pounced on you like this.”
Squirrel smiled. “It’s okay. I do get overwhelmed but that’s not what I am feeling. I’m amazed at how well you all get along. No one is fighting over food or trying to steal what the other has. You could turn your backs and not worry that someone would try to hurt you.”
She shouldn’t have said that. Everyone was looking at her with pitying expressions. She didn’t want that from them. She wanted their acceptance.
Quinn took her hand right there in front of everyone and kissed her knuckles. “I’m sorry for all that you had to endure, but I’m grateful that you were strong enough to survive it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met you.”
She stared into his eyes and felt an electric pull toward him. It was like gravity was drawing them to each other and there was no way you could fight gravity.
“I think we’ll—let ourselves out.” Kyle stood up and helped his wife. Everyone else quickly stood up to leave as well.
Squirrel didn’t notice anyone else; she couldn’t look away from Quinn. He had that heat in his eyes like he was going to kiss her again. Please kiss me.
As she leaned toward him, willing him to do just that, her elbow knocked a fork on the floor. “I guess I need to put the food away. Do you have a refrigerator?” She stood up and took the containers to the kitchen. The tops to the containers were on the counter.
“We have a cooling cabinet here. Just push this button and it comes out of the wall.”
She watched him open it for her. “Cool.” She placed the containers inside. Quinn had brought all the plates and scraped the food into what she assumed was a disposal of some sort but no sound came out as the food disappeared.
“What about the dirty dishes?”
Quinn showed her another button and a tray came out of the wall. They loaded the dishes on the rack. He was right behind her when he pushed the button again and the tray disappeared. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back against his front.
“I want you, little one.” His voice was thick and sexy.
“I—I want you, too.”
He slowly lifted her up in his arms. “I want us in a bed, but if I kiss you right now we won’t make it out of the kitchen.” He carried her out of the kitchen, down the hall and into the bedroom.
He wanted to kiss her. She giggled as she snuggled against his skin. Squirrel couldn’t believe this was finally going to happen, after all this time. She was scared but she was tired of letting fear keep her from what she longed for most. She found a man she trusted enough to let him get close to her, she wasn’t going to walk away from this. She inhaled his scent. God he smelled so good.
“What kind of cologne do you wear?”
“Cologne? What is that?”
“It’s a liquid scent that you put on your body to make it smell good.”
“I use the washing gel. It has a little bit of a scent to it but it is made to blend in to our natural scent.”
She inhaled deeply. “I just love how you smell.”
“I love how you smell as well. I love your smile but it’s not often I get to see it.”
“You haven’t been around much lately to see it,” she told him with narrowed eyes.
“It’s been a battle to keep away from you.” He laid her down on the bed and sat next to her.
She frowned. “Why stay away?”
“I wanted to give you time to heal, and every time I was in the same room with you, I wanted to take you to my quarters and keep you there with me. You weren’t ready for that. I still worry you might not be.”
She was touched that he would think about her comfort first. No one that she could remember had ever put her first. She was falling in love with Quinn. She touched his cheek with tenderness. “I think I’m ready.”
“Are you sure? I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. If you get scared, you just have to talk to me, let me know, and I’ll stop.”
She knew he would. His words made her feel safe and protected. She was scared of what was to come next, but after spending some time with him over the last few weeks and then more today with him and his family, she realized that she wanted more in her life than what she had before. Squirrel was more confident when she spoke. “I want you more than the air I breathe.”
Chapter 6
Quinn swooped down and took her lips with all the passion he felt inside. She responded by opening for him, automatically wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. He felt honored that she would trust him. He wasn’t sure what kind of sexual experiences she’d had before—he didn’t want to know too much— but he couldn’t imagine them being pleasa
nt since she was so shy around males.
No matter her past experiences, he was determined to make this moment special for her. He had to control his own desires to do that, needed to take things slow with her so that he didn’t frighten her. At least, that was what he intended to do. His female had ideas of her own.
She climbed onto his lap and straddled him, putting her arms around his neck. He loved how responsive she was and couldn’t wait to get them skin-to-skin. Quinn kissed her and nibbled on her lower lips while he lifted her shirt. He pulled back so he could get the shirt over her head and tossed the rough material to the floor. The pants were a little more difficult.
“Stand up a minute, honey.” He helped her to her feet. She kicked off her shoes and he knelt before her to slide the pants down her slim legs. He threw them somewhere close to the shirt and sat back on his heels to look at her completely bare her for the first time. The air froze in his lungs.
“By the heavens, you’re so beautiful.”
Squirrel blushed. He reached out with his fingertips to stroke a path from her breasts to her navel. Her skin was so delicate and soft he was almost afraid his touch would be too rough. He glanced up and all his attention was focused on her breasts. They were small and high with the prettiest pale pink tips. Anxious to taste her, he licked his lips. Quinn cupped her breasts and liked the weight of them in his hands.
“I know they’re small. Maybe if I eat more…” She tried to cover herself.
He growled in frustration moving her hands away. “Lihali, don’t ever talk about yourself in that way. You are perfect just like this.” He leaned forward and kissed her pretty tips. “You are so sweet and absolutely beautiful.”
Quinn felt her fingers in his hair pulling him to her. “You call me that sometimes, Lihali. What does it mean?”
He licked the underside of her breast. “Little soul or more like little one.”