“I guess I am. The shade feels good.” His female sighed and sat down.
“You should have something to drink. You don’t want to get dehydrated.” The words were addressed to Emily, but the glare was directed at T’lan.
“Of course.” Shame washed over him. He had allowed his personal feelings to distract him from her care. “I am sorry, my L’chka. Do you have a preference?”
“Hm. Ginger tea would be nice, especially iced.” She shot him a challenging look. After a quick glance at T’chok to confirm that he was on guard, T’lan stepped into the kitchen and used the replicator to produce the iced ginger tea.
“That was fast.” M’lee raised an eyebrow when he presented the glass but took a long drink. “But it’s good. Try it, Gran.”
“Needs more sugar,” she grumbled.
His female gave him a quick amused glance and he relaxed, glad that she no longer appeared angry. The two females rocked gently. M’lee’s hand fell to her stomach and caressed their child. A soft breeze stirred the air and brought the scent of flowers, while insect song thrummed in the background. A sense of contentment filled T’lan. It was not a familiar sensation. Since he had left the Warrior House, indeed since before he had even entered the Warrior House, his life had focused on duty. His existence consisted of training, fighting, planning for the next campaign, and executing those plans. He had risen rapidly through the ranks with little time for distractions. He glanced over at T’chok. The older male was contemplating the garden, ready for action as always, but even he seemed more relaxed than usual.
T’lan shook his head, rejecting the unusual sense of peace. They could not relax. They were in enemy territory and he had a fragile human female, no—two fragile human females to protect.
“T’chok, we will train.”
Emily sat in the shade of the porch and rocked. The passing of time, and a little exercise, had helped. Agonizing over the situation wouldn’t be good for her or her daughter. She looked up at T’lan but he was frowning. He turned to T’chok and issued a harsh command. She shot a startled glance at her grandmother. Gran simply shrugged. Before she could ask what was happening, both males had stepped out on the open lawn beyond the patio and removed their shirts.
“Oh my,” Gran said.
Emily swallowed and nodded. Of course she had seen T’lan without his shirt before, but out here, with the sun accentuating every defined muscle, she was breathless with admiration. T’chok’s additional years didn’t seem to have had a negative effect on his physique, either. Slightly shorter than T’lan, he was perhaps a fraction broader. Both men drew those swords that seemed to appear out of nowhere. This time she was watching closely enough to see that as they grasped the hilts and withdrew them from their belts, they gave a flick of the wrist and the blade appeared. Kind of like a light saber but made from metal.
The two warriors bowed briefly and then engaged. A gasp escaped her lips as the blades clashed. They leapt and circled, moving with impossible speed, in an oddly beautiful dance. She gasped again when a splash of red appeared on T’chok’s arm but both males ignored it. Unfamiliar with sword fighting, she could still tell that T’lan had a slight advantage because he moved so quickly, dancing in and out. T’chok connected once but received several more slashes. The violence was disturbing but she couldn’t help a flash of pride in T’lan’s skill - and a flutter of arousal. With a sudden flurry of lighting fast strikes, T’lan closed in on T’chok. The older male tried to use his bulk to push T’lan back, but his attack never faltered. Both men froze and she saw T’lan’s blade at T’chok’s throat. Her heart pounded but T’chok laughed and nodded, conceding defeat. T’lan stepped back, clapping the other man on his back.
“That’s better than American Ninja Warrior,” Gran said.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm her racing pulse, Emily smiled at her. “Pretty amazing, wasn’t it?”
“I don’t think they’re through.” Gran nodded at the garden. Both warriors had removed their belts and their boots. Bare-handed, they faced each other, bowed, and charged. The sound of the horns clashing rang through the garden. Somewhere along the line, she had simply accepted the horns, but now she saw them in action as the weapons they truly were. They went head to head for several minutes, their arms grappling for position. Breaking apart, they circled and charged again. Snarls erupted as they surged back and forth. Claws emerged from both hands and feet and more blood trails appeared. Unlike the graceful, but deadly, sword match, this was sheer brutality. She knew it was primitive and barbaric, but it didn’t stop her nipples hardening. Her shorts dampened and she fought the urge to shift around to increase the pressure.
This time T’chok had the advantage and twice he pinned T’lan to the ground. Each time, T’lan managed to escape. The third time it happened, T’lan twisted his body in a seemingly impossible way and T’chok finally ended up on the bottom. Once again, T’chok laughed and conceded.
The two jumped to their feet and T’lan immediately turned to her. A fierce joy lit his face and she had the overwhelming impulse to fling herself into his arms. She found herself standing as he stalked toward her. With a triumphant growl, he lifted her up his body, one huge arm under her ass and one enormous hand cupping her face as his head descended. His mouth closed over hers, forcing her lips apart and plunging into her mouth. She sucked frantically on his tongue, lifting her legs to circle his hips. His scent overwhelmed her, and she was about to start grinding against him when her grandmother’s voice penetrated.
“Emily! I said no canoodling.”
Even as embarrassed as she felt, she was reluctant to pull away and T’lan seemed equally as reluctant to let her go, but he lifted his head after a last quick press against her lips.
“My L’chka.”
“My warrior.” The words escaped before she could stop them. He smiled triumphantly, but it was the look of tenderness in his eyes that pinged her heart. Blushing, she pushed against him. “Now let me down.”
As she slid down, she snuck a quick glance at her grandmother. The older woman had her mouth pursed in a disapproving lines, but Emily saw the twinkle in her eyes. T’chok’s expression was remarkably similar. Red to the roots of her hair, Emily looked around desperately for a distraction. The sight of the garden hose curled up beneath the porch gave her a sudden evil impulse.
“My goodness, T’lan. You’re awfully sweaty.” She stepped closer and trailed a finger through the damp curls between his massive pecs and down across his rigidly stacked abs. Ignoring how silky his skin was over all those hard muscles, she gave him her most sultry look. “You really need a bath. Would you like me to bathe you?”
His eyes flared and she glanced down to see the bulge between his legs increase at her words.
“Just follow me,” she said as she urged him down the steps to the patio. “Now stand right here.”
“Here?” For a moment he looked confused, but she trailed her hand back down his chest and teased her fingers along the top of his pants and he forgot his questions. Taking a step back, she turned around and bent over to pick up the hose. She chanced a quick look at her grandmother, and saw her eyes were alive with laughter. Wiggling her bottom back and forth, she made sure the hose cap was closed before she turned on the spigot. Straightening, she checked over her shoulder and saw T’lan’s eyes still fixed on her ass.
“Here you go.” Turning quickly, she opened the valve at the same time. For once T’lan’s reactions weren’t quite fast enough. A blast of cold water sprayed across his chest, immediately soaking him to the bone. Somewhat to her disappointment, he didn’t jump or yell. Instead his face went blank.
Uh oh. Giving him a nervous smile, she started to back away. His fingers shot out and wrapped around her upper arm.
“I’m just trying to get you clean.” She tried another smile.
“Then let me return the favor.”
Before she could move, he snatched the hose from her hand and turned it on her. The cold water
shocked her, and she spluttered.
“Dammit, T’lan. That’s cold.”
“I do not feel cold at all, little one.” His eyes heated as they trailed down her wet body. She was suddenly very conscious of the way that her thin shirt and shorts clung to her body. Her nipples jutted out against the wet fabric. She bit her lip and his eyes dropped to her mouth as he began pulling her closer. The heat of his big body soaked into her as she melted against him and…
“Time for lunch,” Gran announced. “Emily, get out of those wet clothes and set the table, please.”
Chapter Seventeen
After toweling off and slipping into a loose sundress, Emily brought out the table setting—or she would have if T’lan hadn’t insisted on carrying them.
“You know, I can carry a few plates” she grumbled. Part of her annoyance was undoubtedly due to frustrated sexual tension. Between T’lan’s display of physical prowess and the hose encounter, her body was demanding satisfaction.
“You do not need to exert yourself,” T’lan said. He had removed any traces of blood left after his impromptu shower and seemed completely relaxed. She deliberately bent over further than necessary to remove the napkins from the drawer and wiggled her ass against his cock, smiling when it jerked. If she had to suffer, he could suffer right along with her.
“I’m not exerting myself,” she insisted, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle. She retaliated by leaving him to set the table, which he did with military precision. Gran disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a huge platter of cold cuts and an equally enormous bowl of salad which she placed in the center of the table.
“I didn’t think there was any point in bringing bread.” She frowned over her glasses. “Your grandfather insisted on fresh bread with every meal.”
“This looks terrific, Gran. We really don’t need anything else.”
All four ate in silence. Emily still felt twitchy and on edge. Gran stared out over the garden thoughtfully. The warriors simply focused on their food. This was one of the times she was extremely conscious of the Yehrin’s alien nature—they didn’t so much bite into their food as tear into it. She avoided looking at them and concentrated on her own food. Everything tasted delicious, except the cucumber which she normally loved. She noticed T’lan and T’chok avoided it also.
“Any plans for this afternoon?” she asked her grandmother when the plates were empty.
“I’m going over to Hendersonville for groceries. These lugs are eating me out of house and home.”
T’lan started to speak but Emily interrupted.
“Hendersonville? Why are you going there?”
“Oh, just getting kind of tired of the Piggly Wiggly. Their produce looked a little picked over last time, too. Besides, it’s a nice afternoon for a drive.”
Emily frowned at her grandmother’s rapid string of excuses but decided to let it go. The older woman had an on-again off-again feud with Mildred in the produce department and maybe it had flared up again.
“It really is a beautiful afternoon. Why don’t I come with you? We could stop at the antique mall outside of town—you know the one, the Antique Barn.”
“Absolutely not,” T’lan ordered.
“Why not?” She frowned at him. His protective side came out at the oddest moments.
“It’s too dangerous.”
“Why on earth would it be dangerous to go to an antique mall?”
“You saw how people acted here—and these are people that know you.”
“They acted that way because of you.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “If you don’t come with me, they won’t see you. Then I’m just another Southern girl shopping with her grandmother.” Her eyes dropped to her stomach and she sighed. “Another pregnant girl.”
“They would not know that.”
“I’m not so sure. This belly is getting bigger by the day. And I’m definitely sure they would guess once I start looking at baby furniture.”
“Baby furniture?” T’lan repeated slowly. He didn’t seem to understand the concept.
“Yes, baby furniture. A place for the baby to sleep and a dresser to hold her clothes, to put in the nursery.” He still looked blank, so she ignored him and turned to her grandmother. “Gran, I was thinking we should go with yellow and white for the colors. Maybe even do a daisy theme—wouldn’t that be adorable? Even though I know she’s a girl, I think we have enough pink.”
“You do have a lot of it,” Gran agreed before she frowned at the two males. “What is the matter with you two?”
T’lan and T’chok were staring at each other with those blank warrior faces, as if they were communicating telepathically, although she was pretty sure that wasn’t one of their skills. She hoped. T’lan broke the stare down and turned to her. “Why are you creating a room for the child?”
“So she has a nice place to sleep, of course. Of course, she’ll stay in my room to start with—which reminds me, Gran, I want to look for a bassinet—but I still want her to have a place of her own.”
“But you will not remain here,” T’chok said. All eyes turned in his direction.
“What do you mean I won’t remain here?” The fear she had almost forgotten started to return. “T’lan, you promised me you wouldn’t take me anywhere.”
“What I actually said was that I would allow you to remain. For now.”
Her back straightened. “And just when does ‘now’ end?”
T’lan and T’chok exchanged another one of those looks, before T’lan said, “At any time when this place becomes unsafe.”
“Why would it become unsafe? My goodness, I swear you see danger behind every corner.” She noticed her grandmother’s lips were pursed and she was worrying her necklace. “Gran, are you worried?”
“I’m sure you and the baby will be fine.” She fiddled with her napkin. “But the baby is half alien. You may need to have her examined by their doctors.”
Was she ever going to stop feeling a quiver of arousal every time she heard the word examine? Ruthlessly suppressing the flashback, she continued her protest. “So, they can come here if they need to see me.”
After a moment’s thought, she relented. “I suppose that’s kind of demanding to expect someone to visit me at their convenience. We could go to wherever the doctor is—for a visit. You would take me there, wouldn’t you, T’lan?”
“Of course, my L’chka. But the baby might require more extended care.”
A pang of fear struck her. “More extended care? Is there something you’re not telling me? Do you think there’s something wrong with the baby?” The tears welled up.
“Calm yourself, M’lee.” T’lan picked her up and cradled her on his lap. “There is nothing wrong with the child. I was just trying to be cautious. She will be the first hybrid child.” He exchanged a helpless look with T’chok over her head. “If it makes you content to set up this nursery, then do so.”
“It would make me content.” She sniffed and gave him a watery smile. “So, we can go to the Antique Barn?”
“Not without me.” He thought for a moment. “I can be cloaked so that my appearance does not attract attention.”
“Really? You mean you would be invisible?”
“Not exactly, but humans would not see me.”
“That’s so cool. I’m just going to change and then we can go.” She bounced up, more excited about the road trip than she expected.
Fifteen minutes later, they were on the road in her grandmother’s old Cadillac. Emily had changed back into her white dress and sat next to Gran in the front seat. T’lan was sitting somewhat unhappily in the back seat, or at least she assumed he was since she couldn’t actually see him. After an extended discussion, he had conceded that Emily sitting alone in the back seat was more likely to attract attention than if she was seated next to her grandmother. She assured him that she had every confidence that, even from the back seat, he could intercept any danger. Gran shot her a challenging glance once he conce
ded, and Emily barely suppressed her smirk.
Mrs. Stanley looked up and waved as they passed her house but fortunately, they didn’t pass anyone else Emily knew. As they pulled out of town, she rolled down the window since Gran wasn’t a fan of air conditioning and sang along to the country song on the radio. Elmwood was nestled in the fringes of the Blue Ridge, and the Smoky Mountains and rolling foothills drowsed in the summer sun.
Once they reached the Antique Barn, the problem of an invisible body guard became apparent. T’lan, of course, moved ahead of them and opened the door to the old barn that housed the many vendor stalls. Seeing the door opened by invisible hands sent a chill down Emily’s spine and she only hoped no one was looking. She rushed ahead to grab the door before it became obvious, and immediately collided with T’lan’s extremely hard body. Not that she didn’t appreciate all those firm muscles, but she preferred a lower speed of impact.
“Careful, my L’chka.” T’lan’s hands were gentle as he kept her from falling but his voice was definitely amused. Fortunately, his voice was still audible.
“Gee, thanks. Look, I know you insist on going first, but I don’t want to keep running into you. Maybe we should put a bell around your neck?” she suggested, only half-joking.
“Give me your hand.”
Somewhat cautiously, she extended her hand. When his fingers closed around it, it disappeared. That wasn’t creepy at all.
“Pretty sure someone would notice the handless girl.”
“You would be surprised how little people notice, but just hold it against your side.”
Emily huffed, but she enjoyed the warmth of his large hand wrapped around hers. Together, they stepped inside the barn and she sighed happily. She loved this place. At the front of the expansive space, large wooden tables were topped with a vast assortment of smaller items. Behind them, several rows of booths held everything from painted tin fire screens to wind chimes made from old silverware. Architectural salvage filled the back with larger furniture pieces alongside reclaimed doors, windows, and even fireplaces. Bud McCarthy, the owner, sat by an open door at one end of the huge expanse. Dressed in overalls and listening to a baseball game, he looked the epitome of the country farmer; however, she knew he was a retired English professor. She waved and he gave her a casual nod in response.
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