Cosmic Sex (13 page)

She watched as a few minutes later the man and a woman came hurrying out of the building. The woman wore a beige trench coat cinched tight at the waist and a hat pulled low on her forehead. When he said something to her and reached for her hand, she slapped his away.

The guy downed his head, then ran to the passenger side of the car to open the door so she could get in. Definitely her flunky.

Something was up. She’d bet her bottom dollar there was some smuggling going on somewhere.

“Yeah,” she told Slava. “We’re going to be rich. Next time, don’t forget your phone.” She closed hers as the man started up the car and they drove away.

Easy street, here I come!

She kept her distance as she followed them. No use alerting them that they were being tailed.

Her smile was calculating. She’d find out where they lived. It wouldn’t take her long to figure out just what was going down.

She frowned.

There was one thing that bothered her. Why wasn’t the woman wearing any shoes?

Chapter 15

“There are one hundred twenty-six Hanks who work for that trucking company,” Nick said.

Kia’s heart thumped hard inside her chest. Earth didn’t have the advanced technical capabilities of Nerak. One hundred and twenty-six sounded like an incredible number of Hanks. It could take a very long time to find the one who had dropped her off across from the bar.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find Mala.” Nick patted her hand, then went back to perusing the list.

She frowned, not at all sure she liked his calm attitude about her leaving. Was he sorry he’d brought her to his apartment? Was he in a hurry to be rid of her? Did he want to locate Mala so she would go? She did not like this feeling. It created an uncomfortable ache.

“You want me to leave?” she asked.

He didn’t seem upset that she would depart from Earth, never to see him again. Pain rippled through her, stopping in the center of her chest. Not good! She didn’t like this emotion. It hurt and made her feel empty inside.

Nick’s eyebrows drew together. “Of course I don’t want you to go.” He shuffled through the papers, his face taking on a rosy hue. “Not right now.”

“Then you enjoy being with me.”

His shoulders relaxed and he smiled. Her pulse rate increased.

“Yeah, you’re growing on me.”

She shook her head. “Oh, no, I don’t have that capability.”

His hands stilled. “You mean there’s a race who can do that?”

“The Roverts.” A shudder swept over her. “They’re blue and slimy. They attach themselves to you and suck out your personality. They haven’t dared create havoc in years. We have an agreement with our neighboring planets. The Roverts would have to attack all of us if they made war, and they’re not strong enough.”

Nick chuckled. “You’re pulling my leg, right?”

“No, my hands are in my lap.” She raised them. “See, they’re right here. I promise I didn’t pull your leg.”

His smile grew wider. She really liked when his mouth turned upward. It made her warm and tingly all over. She liked even more that he wasn’t trying to get rid of her so that his life would return to the way it was before she arrived.

“That was a figure of speech,” he said. “I was asking if you’d made that up.”

She shook her head. “I told you that I don’t lie.” Maybe someday she would make him a smoothie that would help him to retain information.

“It’s not exactly lying. Just stretching the truth,” he explained.

“I don’t do that, either.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. After a few seconds, he said, “What were we talking about?”

He definitely needed that memory smoothie. If only she’d brought some with her.

Her gaze swept over him. His recall might not be very good, but he did have other qualities that she liked. He was cute and sex with him was very nice—more than nice. Just thinking about it started an ache deep inside her. Maybe it didn’t matter that his intellect and cognitive skills were inferior to hers.

“We were talking about Hank,” she reminded him. “Then you asked about the Roverts, and we also discussed the fact that I never lie.”

“Yeah, right. Then I guess we can say we’ve established the fact that I would like to get to know you better, there are different races out there that boggle the mind, and you don’t lie.”

She nodded.

“But you do want to find your cousin?”

She nodded again, but wore a thoughtful expression. “I think you are growing on me, too.” She glanced down at her hands, but quickly looked up. “In a good way, like you said. I think I’ll miss you when I return to Nerak.”

He cleared his throat and glanced down at the papers again. “Okay, let’s see what we can discover about this Hank guy.” He shuffled through the papers. “At least their phone numbers are listed. We can start calling to find out if any were in Dallas around the time you were dropped off.”

“Phone?”

“A way of communication.” He raised a black object. “Phone.”

The black object was the phone, a device for communication. She understood that, but her attention was drawn to his arms, namely his bulging biceps.

She licked her lips as the heat inside her began to build. He had nice muscles. She liked the way they felt beneath her hands: every texture, every ridge. His whole body was hard, sinewy strength made for passionate sex that lasted for long periods of time.

If she closed her eyes, it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine him naked, his body pressed against hers, his hands caressing her breasts.

Flames licked at her body, flicking over her most sensitive places. Her breasts ached to feel his mouth sucking, his teeth scraping across her tight nipples while his hand slid between her legs and caressed, bringing her to climax.

She drew in a ragged breath. “Can we have sex?” she blurted.

He jumped, dropping the phone. “Can we have... ”

“Sex. S-e-x,” she repeated very slowly.

His forehead furrowed again. “Yeah, I know what it is.”

Garbled noise came from the communicating device. “Your phone is corresponding.”

He mumbled one of the words he’d said was bad and scooped it off the floor, placing it next to his ear. He was silent for a moment.

“No, ma’am, this isn’t an obscene phone call. I have the... television on.”

He paused.

“Yes, that’s probably what you heard. I’m terribly sorry.”

He paused again, his brow furrowing into deep grooves.

“No, ma’am, I’m not lonely and I don’t need a date.” He pushed a button on his communicator and laid it back on the table in front of the lounging sofa.

She sighed. “I guess you don’t want to have sex.”

“It’s not that. I just think we should take it a little slower. I don’t want you to get hurt or anything.”

Hurt? Why would he think she would be hurt? Before she could ask, there was a knock on his door. Was that relief she saw on his face? Did he not enjoy having sex with her? She had certainly enjoyed having sex with him. Earth was becoming more complicated the longer she was here. No wonder there were so many wars.

“The door.” He pointed toward the wooden structure. “Someone’s at it.”

“I assumed as much.” She wondered if it was possible for a man’s brain to grow.

Nick stood and hurried over to the door, looked through the little hole, then opened it.

“Sam, come on in.” Nick opened the door wide.

“Your car keys.” Sam dropped them into Nick’s open hand.

“Thanks, man.”

“Kia.” He nodded toward her, then glanced at the papers on the small table in front of the lounging sofa. “What are you two doing?”

Kia sighed. “We were going to have sex, maybe, but you tapped on the door and Nick let you in. I guess we won’t be having sex now. Nick didn’t want to invite the neighbors, so I guess you’re probably out of the equation, too.” Hmm... Now that she thought about it, she didn’t think she wanted to share Nick. Another strange emotion.

Sam chuckled and turned toward Nick. “You having fun yet? I warned you about being a good Samaritan.”

“Funny.” Nick closed the door.

“Since I interrupted your almost sex, what are you doing?” Sam nodded toward the papers again.

“Looking for Hank,” Kia supplied.

Sam raised his eyebrows. “Hank?”

Apparently, Sam had the same affliction as Nick about retaining information. It must affect the entire male population.

“Hank... is... the... man... who... brought... me... here.”

“Why is she talking so slow?” Sam frowned.

“Because you can’t retain information,” Nick supplied.

She brightened. “You remembered!” It was as she suspected, Nick needed to be around a female so he could learn.

Sam’s forehead puckered. “I can’t what?”

“Don’t worry about it, buddy.” He went in the kitchen and grabbed one of the awful-tasting sodas out of the refrigerator and brought it back to Sam. “Beer?”

“Sure.” He twisted off the cap, then took a long drink.

She reached for her can. Why they would want to have that rather than a strawberry soda was beyond her. After taking a drink, she set the can down and looked at Sam. “Are you going to help us find Hank? My sister will start to worry if I stay on Earth too long.”

Sam gave Nick a funny look.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he thought. “You still don’t believe I’m from Nerak.”

Sam grimaced. “I’m sorry. I think you’re a lovely woman who is a little confused.”

“Would you like to meet my sister?” Maybe that would convince him.

Nick straightened. “You can bring her here? From your planet?”

“Not physically.” She was good, but she wasn’t that good.

“Why are you encouraging her?” Sam asked. “It’ll only make it harder for her when she has to face the truth.”

Kia ignored Sam and reached for her satchel.

“What’s she getting, Nick?” Sam edged toward the door.

Men. They acted strange. No wonder the Elders had manipulated the DNA.

Still, they hadn’t looked at what they’d be giving up. Mala had known there was something missing. Kia couldn’t really blame her now that she’d tasted a bit of what Earth had to offer.

She pulled out a small white box and stood. “This might help you to believe.” She walked to the center of the room and set the box down. Before she straightened, she opened the top, then stepped back.

The room went dark and a bright yellow light began to swirl in the center. This was her little sister’s color. A bright healing yellow, like the person she was inside.

“Nick?”

“Kia?” Nick sounded just as worried as Sam.

“Don’t worry, it can’t hurt you.”

Lara formed from the mist. She sat on a flat plane with her legs tucked beneath her, head bowed, hands together. As the mists swirled around her, then settled, she looked up.

She wore a shimmering green dress that sparkled with every movement of her body. Her pale blond hair reached past her waist as was in keeping with her profession of a healer. She was educated in all the ways that could heal the body, whereas Mala was in tune to a person’s mind. Kia was more adept at the physical side of the body, along with mental strategies.

Lara smiled.

Kia’s heart swelled with pride and a deep longing. This was her baby sister.

“Hello, Kia.”

“Hello, Lara.”

“You can communicate with her?” Nick whispered.

Kia shook her head. “It’s a hologram. We create them as a way of connecting when we’ll be separated for any length of time. It helps with the loneliness.”

“Sure beats the heck out of writing a letter.” Nick sat on the arm of the sofa.

She didn’t know this letter he spoke about, but when she turned to question him, she saw Sam’s face. He seemed mesmerized by Lara. Not that she could blame him. Lara was a strikingly beautiful woman.

“I hope your journey was safe.” Lara came to her feet and walked over to a closed window panel. “You’re missed but I have kept busy so the pain is bearable. I know you’ll return soon and have much to tell.

“The air is quite pleasant today. The Elders have misted it with a new scent. It’s very nice.”

“These Elders spray the air?” Sam asked, then frowned when he apparently realized he’d even asked such a question.

“They create different scents that are put through a filtering system that goes into the population. It’s quite pleasant.”

Sam turned to Nick. “And you’re still buying into her fantasy?”

“I believe her, what can I say?”

“That it’s a crock of bull? That instead of looking for a trucker named Hank, you should be checking the state hospitals? I can think of a number of things you could be doing.” He waved his arm. “This is a terrific show. I’m sure there’s a device around here somewhere that’s creating the 3-D effect. What were you before you took one giant leap over the edge of reason? A photography student?”

Before anyone could answer, Sam turned back to her with a sarcastic smile plastered on his face.

“So tell me about this planet of yours.”

“You won’t trip her up if that’s what you’re planning. Don’t you think I’ve already tried?”

Sam ignored him. “What about plants? What kind do you have on this so-called planet?”

“We don’t have plant life on Nerak.”

“Yet you know about it,” he quickly countered.

“Our planets are similar. Early travelers, my grandmother for one, came to Earth and brought back documentation of your planet. That is why my cousin Mala traveled here even though it’s forbidden. She found the documentary tape.”

Nick raised his eyebrows. “Documentary?”

She nodded. “The one titled Debbie Does the Sheriff. She came in search of Sheriff.”

Sam sputtered and coughed. “Debbie Does... ”

“Watch and you will see where I come from.” She nodded toward her sister. “This is not a trick, I promise.”