by Siren Allen
The males, even Epsilon nodded in agreement. That settled, Silver moved on to the next subject he wanted to discuss. “I have decided to change my name. I will no longer be known as Alpha.”
“What the hell?” Beta yelled. “So what do you want us to call you now, his majesty?”
“Not doing it,” Gamma shook his head. “He’s no king. I would remember that. Wouldn’t I? You’re not a king, are you?”
“No, my mate has given me a name. She calls me Silver.”
“Silver,” Beta muttered right before the three males burst out laughing.
What the hell was funny? His mate had given him that name. He liked it. He found nothing humorous about it. “You’re laughing because of what?”
“Silver,” Beta said again. “That’s a color. It’s a currency on some planets. What it’s not, is a name.”
“It is my name.”
“Okay so instead of calling me Beta, I want you all to call me Gold now,” Beta joked.
“Call me Zinc,” Gamma laughed.
“How about I call you stupid,” Silver said. “My name is Silver. End of story.”
“Yes sir, Silver sir,” Beta saluted him.
Ignoring his friend, he moved on to the second subject they needed to discuss. “Epsilon, how long do you think it will take to get the footage of what led to us crashing here?”
“It should take a few more days. This isn’t as easy as lifting things and putting them other places,” he stared over at Gamma and Beta.
“Hey,” Beta groaned. “We’re the muscle, you’re the brain. We’re like a well-oiled machine.”
Silver didn’t comment on that remark. “Good, Ep. Beta, Gamma, how long before you can have our ship up and running?”
Beta was the one who spoke up. “We’ve been scavenging around the Outlands. We’ve found a few parts. However, we need to go Inland to find the others. If we can find the parts we need tomorrow, we should have The Striker ready to soar by the time Ep recovers the recorded ship log. Then all you have to do is have your mate ready to roll and we’ll be on our way. No pressure.”
Silver was feeling the pressure. “We all know our missions and our time frames. Tomorrow, we work towards getting this done. Tonight we rest.”
“Perhaps you’d like some pointers on securing your mate,” Beta offered. “It isn’t very late. We can stay up and give you tips on how to woo her.”
Silver stared over his shoulder as he walked from the room. “Not needed. I already know what I am going to do.”
“What’s that?” Beta called after him. “Ask her a million and one questions about Venus and her life here on Venus?”
That stung. He thought females liked talking about themselves. That was why he asked her so many questions. Plus, his questions had been the way they found out what galaxy they were in.
“Silver,” Ep yelled to him as he walked away from the group. “Interrogating her isn’t going to win her over.”
“I know.” He had a plan.
“So what are you going to do?”
“You’ll see.”
“This effects all of us, captain.”
Shit. Would they laugh at his plan? Did it matter if they did? No. Damn, now he was talking to himself. “My mate works alone. That burden is stressful on her. First thing in the morning I’m going to apply for a job at her diner.”
Silence was his response. At least they weren’t laughing. As he rounded the corner, heading for the nook he’d claimed as his own, he heard Beta whisper to the others, “That just might work. He’ll get the girl and some funds. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you’re an idiot,” Gamma replied. His comment led to more fighting.
Silver shook his head, bedded down on the blanket he had spread out on the floor and proceeded to plot out his plan to secure his mate. As his thoughts drifted to her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the treat she’d given him.
He even remembered to unwrap it. Stars, she must think him a fool. Around her, he was. He wondered if this nervousness he felt when near her would wear off in time? Or would her presence always turn him into a horny idiot?
Silver sniffed the food. His kind didn’t have to eat or drink to survive. When they did so, they only did it to blend in or because they enjoyed certain tastes. Silver couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten.
The act of chewing food seemed like a waste of time. But his mate loved to cook therefore he would learn to enjoy devouring food. He took a bite of the treat she’d given him. His senses were immediately flooded with strange sensations.
Closing his eyes, he savored the taste of the pastry his mate had created. It was sweet and crunchy, though some parts were soft. He liked the way its texture felt on his tongue. When he swallowed, the taste stayed with him, begging him to take another bite. He obeyed.
His mate’s hands had touched this sweet, which sort of meant her hands had now touched his tongue. A need unlike anything he’d ever felt before filled him. He wondered if his mate would taste as sweet as her dessert did.
Only one way to find out.
Chapter Three
Malia had tossed and turned all night.
Her dreams were plagued with images of a male with silver eyes and dirty blond locks. Twice in the night she awakened with her hand between her legs. She’d never done that before. What the hell was wrong with her?
Pad and pencil in hand, Malia moved to the next table to take an order. Her small diner was full. Though her establishment was profitable, she had yet to hire any help. She just hadn’t had the time to make and hang help wanted signs. Neither did she have the time to interview people.
Because of her inability to find the time to hire someone, not only did she have to be the greeter, waitress and cook, she also had to answer the phone and do the dishes. She mentally added hire someone at once to her to do list.
After writing down what the males at table four wanted, she smiled at them one last time and stepped away from the table, not missing the way their eyes followed her as she moved. She could hear them whispering about her when she walked away.
“Damn, Malia got an ass on her?”
“She could get this dick if she wanted it.”
“Man, she’s classy. She wouldn’t fuck a rebel.”
“I heard she likes them pretty boys. For a female like her, I’d take a shower. Do you see those curves?”
“I don’t know about showering, but I’d wear some cologne if she asked me to.”
She should be flattered, instead, she was embarrassed. No matter how hard she tried to not draw attention to herself, her curves weren’t easy to conceal. Even with a large apron draped over her, she still managed to catch a male’s eye. Too bad she always got tongue tied when someone flirted with her.
“Malia, can I get another glass of your fyre rainbow?”
Turning to her right, she glanced at the table in the corner where a group of elderly ladies sat. Mrs. Somerfield had been the one who called to her.
“You sure can,” Malia smiled at the woman who was always trying to hook Malia up with her son. Yuan Somerfield was handsome, but Malia had a feeling he’d rather date someone a little less curvy than herself.
He hadn’t told her that, but she’d seen his arm candy. They were all tall and slim. She was short and voluptuous. Plus, Yuan was too shy for her taste. Two shy people led to a boring relationship. She knew that from experience.
Malia rushed to the back to fill a tumbler with fyre tonic and juice. She closed the lid of the container and shook it until the alcohol and peach juice mixed together. Then she poured some over cubes of purple and red ice.
It was just frozen grape juice and frozen strawberry juice. But the customers loved it. Plus, the drink had a cute name, fyre rainbow. Her cousin Lola had helped her come up with the name.
She’d yet to taste the drink herself, but her friend Farah said it tasted like a drink from the gods, whatever that meant. Malia placed a cute orange umbrel
la in the drink. She still had three orders to prepare and there were more people entering the diner. If she didn’t hurry up she’d be behind before the lunch rush arrived.
Beverage in hand, she headed toward Mrs. Somerfield’s table and almost ran into her dream guy, Silver. Her steps faltered. She gripped the glass tighter, making sure she didn’t drop it or cause the liquid to splash onto her hand.
When had he arrived and what was he doing here? Were there any grease stains on her apron? Was her hair still contained in the clamps she’d wrestled them into this morning or had some strands broken free and frizzed up on her head? These important questions raced through her head as her gaze met his.
He looked just as sexy in person as he did in her dreams. Her mouth hung open as she stared up into his eyes. Geez he was tall. Hair pulled back into a ponytail, he was wearing a gray T-shirt and a pair of black cargo pants.
Normally she admired the suit and tie type of guys, the ones who entered her humble establishment decked out trying to impress those around them. Though she would never fall for their charm, she did like how they dressed and carried themselves.
It was an upgrade from the sometimes shirtless rebels who ventured into her diner, like the guys at table four. So why was this T-shirt wearing male, who looked like he too could be a rebel, making her hot?
“Hi,” he whispered.
Hi.
It took her a moment to realize she’d thought the greeting and hadn’t said it aloud. And her mouth was still hanging open. Malia swallowed, closing her mouth before a bug could fly in. “Um, hi.”
“You look lovely.”
“You too. Uh, I mean, you appear nice also.” No response. They stood there, so close she could smell his cologne. And it was intoxicating. But once again it was his eyes that held her captive.
Surprisingly his eyes were focused on hers and not on her chest, which was where most males stared when they talked to her. But he wasn’t talking, simply staring. And so was she. Wait, she had orders to fill.
What the hell was wrong with her? Her eyes strayed to Mrs. Somerfield’s table. The group of ladies were staring at her. In fact, everyone in the diner was staring at her. The males at table four were staring at Silver. Okay, this could get bad quick.
Embarrassed she mumbled, “I have to get to work.” Then moved to walk past him. He sidestepped and blocked her exit.
“I need to talk to you.”
Of course he did, probably to ask her more ridiculous questions. Well she had a few questions for him. Why the hell was he here? How had he disappeared into thin air last night? When she touched him why did she see some sort of vision? What was he? Yeah, they definitely needed to talk.
“Give me a moment. I have to take Mrs. Somerfield her drink then I need to prepare a few orders.”
“Let me help,” he reached for the glass.
Him, help her? The bell over the entrance chimed as another group of customers entered the diner. She could use the help. But he was a stranger, even worse, she was attracted to him. Her eyes drifted to the glass door as another rover pulled into the parking lot.
Defeated she asked, “Can you cook?”
“No, but I can take Mrs. Somerfield her beverage.” He gifted her with a devilish grin that made her heart do a somersault in her chest.
Malia stared down at the glass in her hand. “Okay,” she shoved it toward him. “Take it to table three. It’s the table in the right corner.” And stop smiling like that.
When he grasped the glass their fingers touched. Unlike last time she’d touch him she didn’t see a vision. However, this time she did feel a spark. Jerking her hand away she turned and strode back to the kitchen.
She couldn’t help but wonder if he was staring at her butt as she walked away. “Pull it together, Malia.” Of course he wasn’t staring at her butt. Why would he do that? It wasn’t like he wanted her that way.
Maybe he returned here because he liked her pie. People always came back for her pie. Malia chopped a loaf of bread into thin slices. After applying a thin layer of tomato spread over four slices of bread she placed them in the oven and proceeded to fry a batch of kimoli legs.
They were a delicacy she’d ordered from Jupiter. The meat was tender and with the right seasoning it tasted better than the chicken she ordered from Earth. Silver entered the kitchen as she turned the kimoli legs over in the fryer.
Whatever scent he was wearing should be sold as air freshener. She would definitely buy it. She inhaled deeply. Would it be weird of her to ask him what the fragrance was called? Yeah, probably.
“Table five, seven and nine has placed orders.”
“Damn it.” Malia flipped the meat again. “I’ll be right out.”
“I can help,” Silver stepped closer to her.
She moved closer to the fryer, praying the oil didn’t splash up on her as she tried to escape her dream guy. “No, no, that is fine.”
“Malia.” He stepped next to her and pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear.
It would escape again. She didn’t tell him that. Instead she enjoyed the sound of his deep voice as he spoke to her.
“I can help. Let me help.”
“I don’t think that would be…”
“I could use the funds and it seems you could use the assistance. More rovers have pulled into the parking lot.”
Lunch rush. She sighed and stared back down at the kimoli. What was the old saying? Kill two fish with one shell. No. Kill two ducks with one stone. She couldn’t remember. But allowing him to help her, would benefit the both of them, plus she would get to ask him questions about his little disappearing act.
“Okay, but I can’t pay you much.”
“Understood.”
“Seriously. It’ll be a lot of walking with very little pay.”
“I don’t need much.”
“There’s a pen and pad over on the counter.”
“Not needed. I have a great memory. I’ll go take the orders while you cook.”
She raised her eyes to meet his. “This is just for today.”
“Understood,” he nodded.
“And we still have a lot to talk about, including your little disappearing act from last night.”
“Understood. We also must discuss why you closed before I arrived last night.”
Must we? “Okay,” she flipped the meat again and waited on him to leave the room. When he didn’t she said, “I guess you should get to work.”
“I guess.” But he didn’t move, just stood there, staring at her. Her hands trembled.
“First rule in working at a diner, don’t make your customers wait too long.” She thought that would kick him into action. It didn’t. Awkward silence followed.
“Thank you, Malia.” His whispered words made her freeze in the middle of flipping the meat.
“You don’t have to thank me. After working one shift you may feel like cursing me.”
“I wasn’t thanking you for the job.” With that said he turned and left the room leaving her wondering what he could possibly be thanking her for.
There would be time to dwell on that later. With him gone she could pay attention to what she was doing. She finished frying the kimoli and had just placed slices of meat on bread when he reentered the kitchen.
“Would you like me to write down their orders for you.”
“Please, you may have a great memory, but I don’t.”
She finished dressing the sandwiches as he scribbled on the paper. Once he was done they made a trade. She gave him four plates with kimoli and tomato sandwiches on them and he gave her a list of orders.
“Thanks. Take these to table two.”
“No drinks?”
“They already have their drinks, but be sure to ask if they’d like a refill. If so, they all were drinking ale. It’s on the first shelf in the cooler.”
“Understood,” with a nod he turned and left the room.
For the next three hours she cooked while he took care of her cu
stomers. Surprisingly, they worked well together. Finally, there was a lull and they were both able to sit down in the kitchen for a bite to eat.
Normally she snacked on a sandwich during her afternoon break. Since she had company she decided to make pasta. The look on Silver’s face after he took one bite of the meal she’d made him was all the thanks she needed.
He closed his eyes and groaned as he slowly chewed the food. She watched, mesmerized by the low throaty sounds he made. Sexy was too tame of a word to describe this creature. He was beyond hot. He was scorching.
He was also an enigma, a puzzle she wanted to piece together. Yet, she couldn’t deny that so far he’d been a great waiter and the perfect eye candy. Her female customers and a few of the males had ordered more than usual, anything to stay in the diner longer and talk to the new waiter.
Malia wasn’t jealous. Why would she be? This male was nothing to her. He was just a guy who’d apparently fallen on hard times and chose her diner as a place to earn funds. That explained why he’d been coming to her diner, night after night.
He’d hid his embarrassment of his situation by asking her random questions, probably trying to work up the nerve to ask her for a job. Poor thing, not him, her. And all this time she’d secretly hoped he’d spotted her somewhere and fallen in love at first sight.
She really needed to stop reading romance novels and watching romantic comedies. Things like that only happened in movies. Well, they happened in real life also, but those situations usually led to the female calling the cops and reporting the male as a stalker.
Life wasn’t nearly as sweet and safe as the movies. Still, a girl could dream. And last night she’d done just that. She’d dreamed of his sexy lips roaming over her body. She’d imagined his tongue sliding into her as she wrapped his locks around her hand and lifted her hips…
“You’re staring at my mouth.”
Malia blinked then tore her gaze from his lips. “I uh…” Damn it.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind. I want you to look at me.”
Say what?
“It means you’re thinking about me. I’m thinking about you also.”
Wow. She tried to think of a funny response to lighten the mood. The atmosphere was suddenly turning into something she wasn’t sure she was ready for. But his next words took the mood all the way into uncharted territories.