Deep Cover

by Moira Reid

  This speech of his, this edict, was obviously an attempt at an interplanetary “right thing” for them both. Did he think he was fooling her? She could read the truth in every nuance of his face and body language. He might believe his stony visage was conviction, the military stance fortitude, but the only being in this room who refused to see the truth was him.

  Boneheaded, hardheaded, being from another planet notwithstanding, she wanted him, and not as a gigolo. The urge to smack that government-sanctioned, protector-alien look off his face simmered deep inside her. Either that, or wrap her naked body around his and make it disappear another way.

  His glare burned through her, but not in the manner he intended. It conjured the memory of his strong limbs and broad shoulders against her skin, awakening every nerve ending. When he was in a room with her, she could barely focus for the wild longings rampaging across her flesh. The urge to touch him practically lifted her off the sofa and drove her into his arms.

  That glare, though, that new sense of purpose in his eyes. Something had happened in her office last night. Something had convinced him to keep his distance.

  She didn’t believe for one moment that this “king thing” was it. As if she would marry somebody she’d never met before because some oracle decided she should? Not on this planet or in this universe, in fact.

  Besides, it didn’t matter what rich, handsome king of the planet came along—she loved Butch. The oddest part was discovering that she was his kind had sealed her resolve. Finding out she was a damn alien had to have some perks.

  So what was the problem?

  He had an intended of his own? Obviously, that meant something to him, but it hadn’t kept him from her arms before. And as far as she could see, said intended was nowhere on this stretch of beach. But I am.

  Maybe he didn’t find her attractive anymore? No, she thought watching him. If the fury in his gaze wasn’t clear enough, the strained sound in his voice last night certainly was. He hadn’t wanted her to stay and talk for one reason—a reason that had nothing to do with wanting to sleep. She’d bet her life on it.

  Whatever the real reason for this new, all-business Butch standing before her didn’t matter. He would be hers, one way or another.

  Jealousy appeared to be as major a factor in relationships on Vivemonde as it was on Earth Between the jealousy of the princess and the jealous rage of Garren, primal green envy drove people past considerable obstacles all over the universe. What if…

  First things first. That gigolo comment had to be dealt with. Her long silence would have already set the tone. Last night was the final time she’d be sent away from his bed.

  “I said watch television, Butch. Not act out porn movies. Besides, that’s over. I have a rich, handsome king waiting for me, remember?” She curved her lips into a sweet smile. “I’m spoken for now. Your virtue is safe with me.”

  She grabbed the remote control and started flipping channels.

  He remained in the kitchen, and Claire noted the clench in his jaw. She’d seen him do that before, last night in her bedroom.

  The pheromones. Damn, she’d forgotten that. How did a person direct their body’s uncontrollable chemical responses? They didn’t. But a little misdirection might work. He would believe what he wanted to believe if she gave him the right reasons.

  “You know, I get a little keyed up just thinking about it. Imagine—me, married to a king. Weird, huh?” She shifted in her seat in her best imitation of too excited to sit still. “Tell me more about what he’s like. You already said he took pity on you when his daughter falsely accused you. He sent you here to protect you from Garren’s anger. He wasn’t punishing you at all, was he? He knew Garren blamed you for what happened, and your life was in danger. He probably even knew his daughter had lied, didn’t he?”

  “Yeah, he knew.”

  “So, he’s smart and kind and understanding. I’ve spent my whole life with my father, who as you know can be a little on the overbearing side. Wouldn’t it be something to live with a man who wasn’t always trying to tell me what to do?”

  She let her gaze drift out the window to the sea. “Yeah, that would be something.”

  Butch hesitated, then slowly entered the room and sat in the nearby recliner.

  “Being with you for these few days has made me see things more clearly. Between my father bossing me around my whole life and you picking right up where he left off… Well, kind and understanding would certainly be a change.”

  She lifted the remote control and pointed it toward the television, calmly flipping channels. She tried to keep a semi-dazed, dreamy look on her face as she stared at the screen.

  “No offense taken.” He turned and looked at the television. “So, you’re seeing things more clearly.”

  “Oh, absolutely. You are a very sexy guy, but we both know I was in a very vulnerable state. Somebody who turned out to be an alien grabs me in a parking lot. Then a big, handsome bodyguard shows up while I’m scared out of my mind…” She let her voice trail off, then shook her head. “You saved my life. Maybe I misplaced gratitude and sex appeal for something else. It’s a wonder I didn’t do something completely irreparable. I’ll be sure to let the king know how you saved me. I’m sure he’ll be very grateful.”

  She placed the remote control on the cushion beside her and wrapped her hands around her feet. “Oh, I love this show. Have you ever seen this? No, of course you haven’t. You’re going to love this. It’s hilarious.”

  “Hmm.” The sound was noncommittal, but she could smell blood in the water. He was buying every bit of it.

  “And you know what? I owe you. I could talk to Err Yedidyah about that daughter of his for you. What she did to you wasn’t right, and I want you to know that I won’t let her get away with that. I’ll get your name cleared, so it doesn’t mess up anything for you and your intended. It’s the least I can do.”

  “You don’t even know him.”

  She cleared her throat. Did sharks feel guilt? The sudden pang in her gut reminded her why she didn’t use people to her own ends. She’d managed to keep to the truth so far, but the spin was as manipulative as any multimedia conglomerate. But she wasn’t doing this only for herself. She was simply turning him to face the truth, letting him see for himself the simple fact—he cared for her. He didn’t want her to marry a king.

  She trained her features to remain passive. “Of course I don’t know him, but that’s how it works, isn’t it? The Auquerel speaks, and once a Viven or kindred or whatever knows who her intended is, then I assume they meet, and the rest goes from there. I’m lucky, though. You can tell me about him before I ever meet him. You said he was handsome.”

  “So.” He cleared his throat and leaned back in the seat. “You’re just going to leave your father and your mother here and go to another planet? You honestly expect me to believe that? What about your work?”

  She forced a laugh that sounded amazingly real in her ears. She turned to look at him. “Work? How rich is he?”

  His eyes bore into hers. “Very.”

  She flipped her hand in the air. “Then why would I need to continue working? I needed that contract to go through on Monday in order to secure the company’s financial future. Is that really my problem anymore? I mean, I wouldn’t just leave or anything. I could hang around long enough to train my replacement. Jerry has had his eye on my office since he started working there. He would be a logical place to start looking for the next president and CEO of the company.”

  “So you’re actually thinking about doing this?”

  She looked at him again and creased her eyebrows together tightly. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  He shook his head and laughed as he stood up. “Good try, Claire. But I’m not buying one word of this. You and I—”

  She looked up at him and kept the same expression on her face. “You and I?” She stood up and walked over to him, then placed her hand on his shoulder. Softening her voice, she smiled gently. “Great sex is
not enough to make a good marriage. A stable home, enough money—it’s like you said last night. He’s a male of worth, and when I marry him I will be a very rich woman in a position of honor. Why would I say no to that?”

  He straightened his shoulders, and once again, his jaw clenched. Blood began to race through her veins. She lowered her hand with effort and turned toward the kitchen.

  “All you have to do is keep me alive long enough to get to him.”

  * * * * *

  Get to him? He ground his teeth together so hard, his jaw began to ache. His mind battled with something deeper, something stronger burning inside him. Wasn’t this what you wanted? What you insisted on? What the hell is wrong with you?

  Everything was going exactly as he’d hoped. She was being completely logical about this, and so should he. Her businesslike mind had assessed the situation and realized this was the only possible outcome.

  She expected nothing else from him now except that he kept her safe.

  And he could expect nothing further from her. No smiles just for him. None of her confidences and trust. No more late-night visits to his bedroom door. No more of her body against his, surrounding his, or part of his. No more of her voice whispering his name.

  She stood with her back to him. The refrigerator door was open, and she was bent at the waist searching the empty drawers. His groin tightened with the memory of standing behind her just so, taking her hips in his hands…

  No. This was for the best, damn it.

  His feet moved toward her as he ignored the logical reasoning of his mind and all her sound arguments. He grabbed her elbow and turned her body to his.

  “Butch?”

  He squeezed her soft flesh in his hands and pulled her against him. “I do have an intended, and damn it to hell, yes! Your intended is the king. He’s rich and powerful and handsome.” He choked on the word. “Your mother can’t stand me. Your biological father is my mortal enemy. All perfectly good reasons for me to leave without ever seeing you again. But Claire, it’s not going to happen like that.”

  He captured her mouth with a bruising kiss to leave no doubt of the sincerity of his words. She would never belong to another as long as he lived. All the logic in the world be damned. He ended the kiss abruptly and held her face in his hands.

  “I’ll keep you alive, but not for anyone else.”

  “What are you saying? You would disregard everything, deny your own king? For what? Just to have sex with me?”

  He wanted to shake her. “This is not about sex, woman. You cannot join with Err Yedidyah!”

  “And why not?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “Because I love you.” He couldn’t believe what he was saying, but he didn’t want to take it back. Now that the truth was finally out, he ignored everything but the emotions burning in his chest. “I don’t want to live the rest of my life without you in it.”

  She sighed deeply, and her lips turned into a soft smile.

  He blinked. “What?”

  “I’m so glad you said that. I didn’t know how much longer I could spout such bullshit.” She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

  He forced himself to disengage from her luscious mouth as her pheromones welled up around them both like the ocean’s rising tide. “You aren’t going to join with Err Yedidyah.”

  “If you weren’t so bullheaded, you’d have realized that long ago.” Her eyes burned into his. “I never wanted a king, Butch Markham. I want the man who jumps out of windows with me in his arms, the man who risks his life to save mine, the one whose hands hold me until I’ve forgotten what it was like to be alone. I want you.”

  Even with her scent thickening the living room air as she’d spoken, with every word to the contrary, she’d wanted him. “Everything you said—instead of fighting with me, you turned a mirror toward me and made me see the truth.” He hadn’t given her nearly enough credit—she was smarter than he’d ever realized. “You said all those things to snap me out of it.”

  “You could have told me to put on my crown and take the next spaceship out of here. It was a risk, but you’ve taken a few for me.”

  “You are one sassy woman.” He brushed a long strand of her hair from her eyes. “You’re going to pay for that one of these days.”

  “I’ve got time now, if you do.”

  He smiled and scooped her body into his arms. “Not nearly enough, but I’ll make good use of what I have.”

  Butch carried her to his bed, avoiding the pheromone aroma still lingering in her room. He would have enough trouble maintaining control as it was. But he had to get a grip on himself—had to talk to her first. The sex they’d had before had been dangerous enough for both of them. Now they’d declared their love for one another, and the next time they lay together would change everything. There’d be no going back.

  They had a lot to discuss, and once he had her clothes off that body, he had no guarantee he would be able to converse about anything.

  Her lips at his throat nipped at the soft flesh below his ear. “Claire, wait.”

  He set her down on the carpeted floor and took her face in his hands. They had decided in one unrestrained moment to throw caution to the wind—ignore the Auquerel’s proclamation, close their eyes to her mother’s feelings about him… The list went on and on.

  She slid her hands over his chest. “Not having second thoughts, are you?”

  He had none; however, he couldn’t let her do this without knowing. “What are you going to do about the king?”

  She blinked, tilting her head to the side as she closely examined his face. “Do about him? I’ve never even met him. There’s no reason to believe I ever will, so there’s nothing to do. I don’t know about your planet, but on this one, we ask. We don’t let some oracle tell us what to do. Besides, the king isn’t my intended.”

  “What?” He laughed. “I know you don’t understand everything about the Auquerel—”

  “That’s kind of the point. I’ve been thinking about this. Remember when you said I hadn’t met him, and I said that’s how it works on your planet. The Auquerel speaks, and once a Viven or kindred or whatever knows who her intended is, they meet. That is how it works, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “You also said you couldn’t join with a kindred because you’re Viven.”

  “That doesn’t matter anymore. I…” He opened his mouth to say more but stopped.

  “Yeah.” She nodded. “I have no idea why they told us that, but the king can’t be my intended, can he? We were both so shocked, we didn’t think it through.”

  “The king is Viven.”

  “Yep.”

  “Your parents lied.”

  “Yep.”

  They stood together for a long moment, unspeaking.

  She broke the silence first. “Or the Auquerel has changed his mind about kindred.”

  He shook his head. “That’s not possible.”

  She shrugged. “Then the only other explanation is they meant for us to end up like this. My father is no dummy. He must have recognized how I feel about you, maybe even how you feel about me. It wouldn’t be the first time parents forbid their children to do something, making the forbidden even more desirable.”

  “They showed us both the mirror.” He shook his head. “The only problem with your theory is that your mother can’t stand me. That’s readily apparent.”

  “She didn’t look that thrilled with the situation either. Remember that warning she gave me? She was in on it, I’m sure of it. On some level, though, she must agree.” She paused and suddenly seemed miles away.

  “Claire? What is it?”

  Tears sprang into her eyes. “Or she really does want me to be happy.” She stroked his jaw with her fingertips until he took hold of her hands and held them tight against his chest. “I want to be with you, but before we take this any further, I need to tell you a couple of things.”

  She smiled. “Any further?
It’s not like we haven’t been here before, Butch. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”

  “I haven’t forgotten, but this time will be different—there are larger consequences than ever before. We’ve declared our love. Anything that happens from this moment on… You’ve got to be sure, Claire.”

  She groaned loudly and rested her forehead on his chest. “Do we have to do that right now?” He could feel her heart hammering in her chest, the sweet fragrance of her skin seeping through the fabric of her clothes and continuing to release into the air around him.

  “There’s no going back. I need to know you understand everything you’re giving up.”

  “Riches, fame, trips to Disney World?”

  He shook his head and released her hands. “I’m serious.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” She dropped down to the edge of the bed and leaned back on her arms. Staring up at him, her features were framed in exasperation. “What?”

  “If you disobey the command of the Auquerel, you can never live on Vivemonde.”

  “What do you mean, never live there? I am a kindred. They won’t stamp my passport?” A quirky smile curled her lips. “I don’t know if you know this, but Vivemonde is not exactly a vacation spot for me. I had no intention of ever going there.”

  “I know you think of Earth as your home, but you are a kindred. Are you certain you want to give up the only chance you have to live there?”

  The look on his face must have convinced her that this was no joking matter. She straightened and placed her hands in her lap. “It’s really beautiful, I guess.”

  “I could spend the rest of my life trying to describe it for you and never be successful. Earth is a shadow compared to the light of Vivemonde.”

  She nodded slowly, then shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve never been to Hawaii either. I understand it’s a beautiful place. I may never see it. But between the choices of not having you and not seeing Hawaii, there’s really no choice to make.”

  He shook his head and sat beside her on the bed. “You could see it. You could go there. We could go there together.”