Cosmic Sex (6 page)

He came to an abrupt stop. She had his gun. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Put the gun down.”

“Is that what it’s called? What will it do?” She turned the barrel toward him.

His life flashed before his eyes.

“You’re very pale. Are you ill?” she asked.

“Just put the gun down.”

She laid the gun on his pillow. He rushed over and scooped it up, then had to sit on the side of the bed before he collapsed.

“Is something the matter?”

“Guns kill,” he barked before he could rein in his anger. Her games weren’t fun anymore.

“Kill?” She sucked in a breath. “It’s an instrument of destruction. In the forbidden archives they tell of these weapons. That’s what killed the men on my planet.”

“You don’t have men on your planet?” He rolled his eyes. Damn it, he could almost believe her. Almost.

“Men died in the wars they created. The Elders manipulated the DNA so only girl children would be born in the laboratories. Eventually, there were only females populating Nerak.”

“Yet you’re not a virgin.” Ha! Explain that. The truth would win every time. Now she would have to admit who she really was.

“We have companion units to see to our needs.”

“Companion units?” He raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“They are mechanical men. It was the perfect solution. The companion units don’t argue or talk back, unlike what I’ve heard about the male of the species.”

He snorted. “Us not argue or talk back? Your Elders have it all wrong.” Great, he was encouraging her again. He bet she was pretty good at interrogation.

“But haven’t you argued that I’m not from another planet?”

“That’s different.”

He took the gun to the living room and stashed it away in a locked drawer. When he turned around, he noticed the floor lamp was back, minus his clothes.

So maybe he couldn’t explain that, but he knew someone who could. He’d have Weldon look at her so-called phazer. Weldon worked for the police, and the man was a genius when it came to high-tech gadgets. He’d be able to tell Nick quick enough who’d made it.

As he walked toward the bathroom, he wondered if she might have been in an accident—hit her head or something. It was possible. Maybe she wasn’t with the Russian mafia. She could have been a scientist and someone was trying to steal her invention and she’d been running away from them when she hurt herself. Hell, he’d grasp at any straw, but that one was really weak.

But what if that was the correct explanation? If she had some form of amnesia, then she might even be married. Not good. The last time he’d been with a married woman, he’d almost gotten the crap beat out of him. She’d told him she was divorced. The ideal situation. He wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship and she only wanted a good time. When Hubby showed up, she’d smiled and said she’d meant “almost.”

Women. He should wash his hands of the whole lot of them. He snorted. Find a planet with no women. He could have his own companion unit...

He stumbled to a stop in the doorway of his bathroom.

Jesus! What the hell had she done? There were puddles of water everywhere, along with foamy clouds of shaving cream. The lid was off his toothpaste and a runner of minty green stretched from one end of the counter to the other. Did she have some kind of masochistic streak? Was she getting back at him for not believing she was an alien?

At least she’d left him a towel. He laid his clothes on the back of the toilet and jumped in the shower. He didn’t want to leave her alone too long. No telling what she’d do.

When he was once again dressed, he went into the living room. He found Kia looking at his small collection of books. Thankfully, she was dressed in her black pants and top again. He didn’t know how much temptation he could handle. He was only human.

She looked up when he came into the room. “What is this, Where The Red Fern Grows?”

He could feel the heat rise up his face. Okay, so he liked dogs. No big deal. A lot of people liked them. “Just a book I read in school. I liked it.”

She nodded.

“I have to be at the station by nine. If you want to go, you can wait in the car. I shouldn’t be long.” He only had so much butt left the captain hadn’t already chewed. Besides, he had a feeling keeping an eye on her was a good idea and he couldn’t do it if she was alone in his apartment. “I don’t have anything to eat. We can stop at a Micky D’s for breakfast.”

From the confused look on her face, he didn’t think she even knew what a McDonald’s was. His amnesia theory was starting to make a lot more sense. “I just have to get my wallet.”

Nick hurried to the bedroom but there was a pop as he reached the place where his door used to be. His head smacked into a hard surface.

His door was back.

Great timing.

He rubbed his forehead.

“She is not an alien. She is not an alien,” he mumbled as he opened the door and grabbed his wallet off the dresser.

On the way to the fast-food joint, he covertly observed her every move and noticed how she watched him before repeating what he did. He still hadn’t ruled out that she could be from another country.

He parked in front of the fast-food place and they went inside.

“What do you want?” he asked, looking up at the menu.

“I’ve never had food before.”

He glanced around. Good thing everyone was busy and no one had come over to wait on them yet. “You don’t eat... where you’re from?” he asked, keeping his voice down.

“Food capsules. It provides plenty of nourishment and we don’t have to bother with using space to grow anything.”

She turned those dark blue eyes on him and his insides began to melt.

“But I’d like to try your food. The soda was quite refreshing.”

Hell, he’d give her anything she wanted if she kept looking at him like that. Food, sex... state secrets.

He cleared his throat and ordered two pancake breakfasts and two milks, then carried them to a table in the far corner. Keep a low profile, that was the name of the game.

He covertly watched her as she slid into the booth across from him. Man, if she was playing him for a fool and Sam was in on this, he’d kill them both.

She just stared at the white Styrofoam, then pinched off a corner of the lid and put it in her mouth. Before he had a chance to react, she spit it out. “Ugh, your food isn’t good.”

He quickly glanced around to make sure she hadn’t been seen, breathing a sigh of relief. No one was paying them the least bit of attention.

“That’s the box,” he told her, then opened it and poured syrup over the stack. “Like this.” He cut into one, then forked it into his mouth. She followed suit.

Her eyes closed, she moaned. The overhead lights began to flash. A bulb popped.

“Mmm... this is good. Oh, yes... yes!”

Nick’s gaze scanned the room. A busload of geriatrics had just come inside. Their expressions ranged from amusement to reprimanding looks to fear as some noticed the wild light display above their heads.

“This is so wonderful, Nick.” She rolled her shoulders, her back arched, her tight nipples clearly outlined through the material of her top. “I’ve never had anything this good before.”

He realized he was holding his breath when the room began to spin. He exhaled, but continued to stare. She was giving him a major hard-on as her tongue came out to slowly lick the syrup off her lips.

She opened her eyes and forked another bite into her mouth. “I think I love your food, Nick.” Her words were raspy, like a woman ready to smear syrup all over his body and lick off every drop.

He grabbed a paper napkin and wiped the sweat from his forehead. That’s when his attention was drawn to the lights. They were still flickering, but that wasn’t all. A wave of bright blues, yellows, and pinks swirled like the aurora borealis.

Damn, the same thing had happened last night when they’d had sex, but he’d dismissed it as a figment of his imagination. She’d been really hot in the sack and it’d been a while for him so he hadn’t really thought much about them. Only that his eyes had to be playing tricks. It had been a really fantastic orgasm.

Kia squirmed in her seat as she shoved another bite in her already stuffed mouth. Syrup drizzled down her chin. She swallowed.

“More. I want more... thank you.”

She looked like a woman in the throes of passion.

Holy shit, he had a feeling she was telling the truth about being an alien. And people were really gawking at them now. He scooped up the food and grabbed her arm.

“Man, there must be some kind of wild electrical storm blowing in,” he said in a loud voice, then cleared his throat as he tried to keep the cartons in front of him to hide his obvious condition. “Better be careful when you go back outside.”

None of the patrons looked convinced as he dumped the food in the trash bin.

“I heard about this on the news last night,” he added.

They kept staring. Not saying a blasted word. Just looking at them like they were crazy—or from another planet.

Crap, this wasn’t good.

As he opened the door, the elderly people began speaking all at once.

“Pancakes! Give us all your pancakes!”

Chapter 6

Kia gazed longingly over her shoulder as Nick hurried her out of the place he’d called “fast food.” Why couldn’t she have more? She really liked the pancakes.

But when he opened the door of his car, she slid across the seat without complaining. He was a great warrior, so there must be a reason for his behavior. Yes, she was almost certain there was a legitimate explanation for taking her away from the pancakes and that wonderful topping.

She couldn’t stop the sigh of regret that escaped past her lips, though.

After he was seated on his side of the conveyance, he twisted around in his seat until they were looking at each other. “Okay, tell me again where you’re from.”

Earthmen were so forgetful. She wondered if the affliction carried from one male to the next. She would try to explain in words he might understand.

“I’m... from... the... planet... Nerak.” She spoke very slowly so that it might be easier for him to remember. “I’ve already told you this. Don’t you have the capacity to retain information?”

He gripped the navigational wheel until his knuckles turned white. Had she said something wrong?

“I know what you said, but I want to hear it again.” He slapped his hand down on the wheel. “There are no such things as aliens.”

“You still do not believe me?”

“What happened to the lights in there?”

“What lights?”

“The psychedelic ones flashing and... and everything.” He waved his arm around. “For that matter, the lights I thought I saw when we were having sex last night?”

She shrugged. “I suppose my... enthusiasm might have created some kind of electrical energy. I’m not sure. On Nerak we’re rarely exposed to such extreme emotions. Our planet is perfect—calm.”

“Sounds boring if you ask me,” he mumbled.

She bristled. “It’s not boring. We have everything we need. Can you say the same for Earth?” How dare he judge her world when his still had wars. It was as she suspected, men thought everything they did was superior.

Nick closed his eyes and it looked as if he was counting to himself. She could clearly see that earthmen had many problems. She wondered how long he’d suffered from this affliction where he would apparently lose his train of thought.

He opened his eyes and stared at her long and hard. “Okay, okay, let’s just say I might—I might—believe your story. Now, I’m not saying I do or anything. I’m just going to consider the possibility.”

“Would it help if I showed you my third eye?”

His face lost some of its color. “You have a third eye?” He swallowed hard.

Men could be very gullible. “No, but if I grow one you’ll be the first to know.”

His jaw began to twitch, just as Sam’s had when they left the bar.

“Can you at least keep a low profile until we find your cousin?”

She bowed her head slightly. “Of course. I had already planned to do so. I don’t wish to cause a problem. I came to Earth only to find my cousin, then I shall depart your planet. You will not even know I was here.”

He mumbled something beneath his breath. She didn’t think his attitude was conducive to forming an amicable relationship. Sex was probably out of the question too, even though she noticed his pants were rather snug. He was denying himself again—and her.

Maybe she should’ve brought Adam-4. He would have given her some measure of relief. And he vibrated. But he hadn’t made her tremble. No, he’d never made her do that.

As Nick started his conveyance, she leaned against the back of the seat, but she couldn’t stop one last look at the place that served food. She would’ve liked to have more. Food was a good thing. This she would miss.

And probably the sex, even though Nick had only indulged that craving once—once was enough to hook her. Their joining had been very good.

She watched him from the corners of her eyes. He was a very handsome earthman. Too handsome. Her nipples were already straining against her top and a familiar warmth began to build deep inside her. Looking at him only made it worse.

The sooner she found Mala the better, but how hard would it be to convince Mala she needed to leave? Sex and food. They would be difficult for her cousin to give up. Life was getting very complicated.

Nick pulled in front of a tall building and came to a stop.

“Wait here,” he told her as he started to get out, but turned back at the last second. “Don’t leave the car.”

“I’m not lacking in brains, Nick. I do know what you’re asking of me.”

“Okay.” He nodded but he didn’t look too sure of himself. “The black box.”

She raised her eyebrows. “My phazer?”

“I want to show it to someone. Do you mind?”

She paused. Her phazer in the hands of an earth person could get her into a lot of trouble with the Elders.

“He’s trustworthy. I promise you that Weldon will be very discreet.”

She finally reached inside her satchel and brought out the device. “Be careful.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She brightened. “And we can have more food?”

“We’ll stop by the grocery store.”

She supposed that meant yes. She leaned back in the seat when Nick got out of the car, closing his door behind him. The thought of more food made her insides quiver. And perhaps after they ate, she could convince him more sex would be a good thing as well.

Shortly after Nick disappeared inside the building, Sam appeared. He stopped at the car and opened the door on Nick’s side, squatting so they were on eye level.

“Hi. Kia, right?”

“Yes. Can you read minds?” She had a sister who read minds.

Sam chuckled and shook his head. “I spoke with Nick last night. He tells me you’re from another planet.” His smile grew wider and she found she rather liked it.

“And you believed him?”

“No.”

She frowned. “Then why do you seem happy about it?” His green eyes twinkled with merriment.

He chuckled. “Because I think Nick may just learn his lesson this time.”

“But I am from another planet.”

He studied her for a few seconds, his expression turning serious. “No matter where you come from, Nick will help you get home again. He’s like that, you know.”

Her gaze moved to the building. “Yes, I do know. He immediately went into protector mode when that man in the bar was bothering me. Your friend is a very good person.”

“Sometimes too good.” He stood. “If you get cold, come inside, but Nick shouldn’t be too long.”

She nodded, but he was already closing the door. She pulled her cape closer to her body. It was warmer today. Odd that the temperature could change so quickly from what it had been yesterday. On Nerak, the climate was controlled. Her home was perfect.

Conveyances of different sizes moved up and down the street and people walked on the walkway. They were different sizes, too. Some rotund, some short, some tall.

She looked at the building where Nick had gone. Her gaze strayed back to a glass-fronted building with clothes and bright shiny things displayed in the window, tempting her to take a closer look.

A warrior should explore her surroundings, know the territory in case trouble should break out. Especially as fond as these earthmen were of having wars. One could erupt any second. How could she defend herself properly if she didn’t know the terrain?

Decision made, she waved her arm in front of the door. Nothing happened. She reached into her satchel, then remembered Nick had her phazer.

It didn’t matter. She had observed Nick opening his door. This was only an inconvenience. She was quite pleased when she pushed down on the handle and heard a click. A primitive place but she could learn to adapt. How hard could it be to survive on an inferior planet?

She shoved against the door, then jumped back when a vehicle crashed into it and the thing went flying. Conveyances skidded to a stop, barely missing each other. There were loud blasts of noises and angry voices.

If they would make conveyances that could fly, they wouldn’t have these problems. She stepped out of Nick’s vehicle and marched down the walkway to the store that had caught her attention.

Her sister would want details about Kia’s time on Earth. If she could tell Lara it was a very dull planet, then maybe she would lose her fixation with this barbaric place.

“Hey, lady, what are ya goin’ to do about my car? You’re parked on the wrong side of the street!” a male voice called out, but she refused to turn around.

She ignored the stranger who had hit Nick’s door with his conveyance. Better not to be confrontational and thus bring attention to herself. She would let the stranger explain to Nick why he’d ripped off the door. She had a feeling Nick wouldn’t be happy with the man.

The captain looked up from the papers he was shuffling through. His brown hair was liberally streaked with gray, as were his bushy eyebrows, which were lowered in a menacing scowl.

It was an expression Nick had seen many times over the ten-year span of his career. His gut clenched. The look didn’t bode well for him or Sam. He only hoped Sam didn’t go down, too.

Beside him, Sam squared his shoulders. Finally, the captain dropped the papers on his desk and leaned back in his chair.

“Nick, you’re on suspension pending an Internal Affairs investigation. I couldn’t stop it this time.”

“This is crazy and you know it, Cap’n! Suspension, maybe, but what the hell is IA doing butting their noses into it?”

Damn it! He couldn’t say he hadn’t seen some kind of reprimand coming. IA, though? What was he supposed to do when that biker started pawing Kia?

“We need an informant. The Russian mafia is trying to horn in on the drugs coming into the country. They want a piece of the action. When all hell broke loose at the bar, IA found you were the cause—over a woman. What the hell were you thinking, Nick?” He shook his head. “Never mind. I don’t even want to know.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” Sam jumped in.

The captain turned his attention to Sam. “The only reason you’re not on suspension is because I talked Candace out of it.”

“Candy? What the hell is she doing on the case?” Damn it, Nick had known her since she was wet behind the ears. She’d gotten lucky a few times and moved up the ranks. Once she’d made a pass and he’d brushed her off.

Ah, hell, he was in deep shit.

“You’ve had a pretty clean record—up until now.” The captain continued speaking to Sam as if Nick hadn’t said a word. “Despite Nick flagrantly throwing away the rule book.”

“We’re partners,” Sam spoke up. “If Nick goes down, then so do I.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Nick intervened. Damn, he didn’t want his friend on suspension with him. “I screwed up. Me. Not you.”

“I hope she was worth it.” The captain eyed Nick.

“She was in trouble. What was I supposed to do? I thought we were supposed to protect people.”

“Around you, someone’s always in trouble.” He sighed long and deep. “You’re a damn good cop, Nick, but you’ve got to learn to follow the rules. This informant was important to the operation. I’d suggest until the investigation is over you keep a low profile.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Sam, give us a minute.”

Sam hesitated.

“Don’t worry,” the captain said. “I haven’t shot anyone in all my years on the force.”

Sam nodded toward Nick. A silent look that said no matter what, Sam had his back. But he’d always known Sam would. As soon as the door shut, Nick turned to the captain.

“At least I’ve never shot anyone that didn’t need shooting,” the captain finished. His expression said the jury was still out whether Nick was on his hit list or not.

“You’ve got what it takes to be the best cop on the force, Nick. Your gut instinct is better than anyone I’ve ever seen. Being a maverick is all well and good until you start messing with your job. You’ve pushed it to the limit this time. Let’s just hope it wasn’t too damn far. I’ll do what I can. Now get out of here.”

Nick clenched his fist. There wasn’t a damn thing he could do. Not until IA finished their investigation. He turned to leave.

“And don’t forget to keep a low profile. It just might save your hide.”

Nick drew in a deep breath as he left the captain’s office. He couldn’t afford to lose his job. Two more years and he could buy his bar. All he had to do was keep Kia under wraps until he could locate her cousin. He’d lay low. Not draw any attention to himself. At least long enough to find this cousin of hers.

He ran a hand through his hair. An alien. He had an alien living in his apartment. His gut rumbled. Candy would be all over his ass if she found out about Kia. What was left of his career would be sucked right down the toilet.

But what else could he do? Throw Kia out on the streets? Send her to a homeless shelter? Bring her to the station?

He could see it now. “Hey, Cap’n, I don’t have a Russian mafia informant, but will an alien do?”

None of those solutions sat well with him.

Nick couldn’t believe this was happening. Damn, he’d expected a slap on the wrist, not suspension.