9781631053283HeartsLastChanceMichaels (12 page)

He ejaculated inside as she pushed the toy out of his hands,
tears streaming from her eyes.
“Enough, enough.”
She
threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down. “Wow…I had no idea what your
reaction would be to that.”

“I liked it.” He twisted the base, shutting it off. “Where
did you get it?”

“I found a tiny shop filled with wonderful objects.
Reminded me of one of the sex shops back home.
The saleslady
said it was one of her best sellers.” Tricia pushed her hair out of her eyes.
“We should probably get dressed. I didn’t want to just spring it on you after
going to bed tonight, and thought if you saw me playing with it, you’d get
turned on.”

“You’re right.
 
My brother and his mate will be arriving soon.” He swatted her naked ass
as she rolled over.

“
Ooooh
, thank
you, sir.
May I have another?” She waved her butt at him and smiled over
her shoulder.

“You liked that?” He swatted her harder and she squealed.
“That will teach you.”

She walked over to the armoire and pulled out a yellow
dress. “Like it? Your mother made it for me.”

Brock joined her, helped her find the sleeves and adjusted
the bodice over her breasts. “No undergarments?”

“I wanted to dress the way
KiRah
does. It feels downright sensual.” Tricia tied the ribbon which laced the
bodice. “Is it low enough for your tastes, but still modest enough?”

Brock kissed the warm curves,
then
tugged them down to pull a taut nipple out to suck on it. He tucked it back
inside the fabric,
then
straightened up. “Perfect. If
I get the urge to ravish you, I won’t have to fight through layers of
clothing.” He tapped her nose. “Too bad my clothing constricts my options for
you.”

“Behave yourself.” Tricia combed the tangles out of her hair
while Brock dressed. Satisfied with their appearances, they strolled hand in
hand down the stairs to help with any last minute details.

Guests soon arrived and it wasn’t long before
RiKar
made his entrance with
NiKoh
and
BeSai
.
NiKoh
kept his
arm around his small wife whose red and blue hair was wrapped tightly around
her head in several braids. Her silver skin had a dull sheen to it, and she
held a scrap of cloth in one hand to dab at her eyes.
NiKoh
introduced her,
then
led her to one of the chairs by
the fireplace. Another woman who had accompanied
them,
sat near her and kept her company.

“That is
BeSai’s
nurse. She’s been
helping care for her while
NiKoh
was at work and his
subsequent capture,” Brock explained. “The fact
BeSai
even came tonight shows maybe she’s nearly well enough to resume her duties.”

“Her duties as a wife?”
Tricia took
the goblet
KiRah
gave her and sipped.

“That and her gardening duties at the
Council building.
She’s in charge of all floral arrangements and the
landscape. Others have tried to do her job while she’s been indisposed, but
they lack her special touch.” Brock sipped his own drink. “I’ll say this much,
my little sister is doing a remarkable job in keeping her emotions in check.”

“If she and
RiKar
spent the
afternoon in bed, as you said, I’m surprised she’s not chomping at the bit to
be by his side,” Tricia observed. “The way they’re both on opposite sides of
the room and not following each other’s every move is amazing.”

Brock took a chance and lowered his shields. He reached out
to
KiRah
, but was instantly bombarded with a
telepathic conversation with
RiKar
. He winced and
raised his mental shields again. “You notice she’s circulating while he’s with
a group but not saying much?”

“Oh.
Private conversation?”

“Very private.
I’m surprised Mother
hasn’t noticed.”

Tricia moved closer to whisper in his ear. “Is it X-rated?”

“Do we have to discuss this now? Let’s just say it’s about
the same as if I chose to broadcast what I saw when I came out of the shower
about an hour ago.”

He felt Tricia dissolve into laughter. “I’m sorry, love. I
know you don’t find it funny, but since I can’t read minds, it’s humorous to me.”

Brock led her over to where
NiKoh
and
RiKar
stood with other couples. “
NiKoh
, how were you able to convince
BeSai
to leave her dwelling?”

“That was easy,”
NiKoh
replied.
“She was happy to have me safe and home, so when I asked her to join us, she
agreed. She is getting better, brother. She may even return to her duties at
the Council next week.”

RiKar
cleared his throat. “That is
excellent news. I have missed my daily arrangement.
BeSai
has a way about her which brightens up the entire room.”

“I know.” Brock glanced at his sister-in-law. “She is still
not fully recovered, is she?”

“She is better.”
NiKoh
exchanged
his goblet for another. “Part of the problem was mine. I did not acknowledge
her emotional pain. I thought the best way to deal with it was to try to have
another baby, but she refused. So I tried to stay busy instead of listening to
her. Mother took me to task earlier.
BeSai’s
mother
said the same thing, but I didn’t pay attention.”

“Everyone deals with grief in their own way.”
RiKar
tipped his goblet and drained the contents. “Few
people know that I lost my first
Chosen
before
we could be
Bonded
. That was the day I decided I was a
good candidate for Elder, and devoted myself to moving up the ranks.”

Brock choked. “I did not know that.”

RiKar
looked at him from beneath
bushy eyebrows. “You were spending most of your days on Earth at the time. I
did not feel the need to ruin your happiness.”

“It would not have ruined anything. But I should have been
here—”

“There was no need,”
RiKar
cut him
off. “It was an accident and we’ve all moved on since then. Ah, in fact,
there’s
ReNei
. I need to speak to her.
Blessings.”
He inclined his head and moved in
ReNei’s
direction.

NiKoh
lowered his voice. “Did you
feel the warmth between him and
KiRah
?”

“It’s not amusing.”

“Lighten up, brother. Our sister is growing up and will make
a fine companion to him.”

Brock jerked away. “You approve of her actions?”

“Not entirely, but she is happy.
SaLie
was most unhappy at her age, though she hid it well. I have every confidence
KiRah
will not feel the need to be deceitful when she
reaches maturity.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Concentrate on your own delightful mate. I understand
you’ll be returning to her planet after the celebration?”

Brock watched Tricia approach
BeSai
.
“Yes. She needs to return to her business and make sure it is being managed
well in her absence.”

NiKoh
clapped him on the shoulder.
“I understand that. You and I will keep in contact?”

“Of course.
I will speak to
RiKar
or Mother at least once a month.”

“Good.”

The dinner gong sounded.
ReNei
welcomed her guests and spoke about how happy she was to have her son home
again. She motioned to
RiKar
, who escorted her into
the dining room. Brock found his way to Tricia and soon they were seated at the
main table.

“When will I see my surprise?” Brock appreciated the view of
Tricia’s cleavage as she took her seat.

She smiled up at him.
“Patience, love.
All in good time.”

Brock seated himself beside her and made small talk with the
others during the salad and soup courses.
 
NiKoh
exclaimed in delight when he saw the
bo’ro’ste’ne’chei
,
seasoned meat in a special sauce over rice-like pellets. Broiled
sa’mah
followed,
along with seasonal vegetables. When everyone was finished, Cook brought out
several yellow round items.

Tricia’s eyes gleamed. “You’ll like this, Brock.” She
reached for the knife and cut into it. Standing up, she called for attention.
“This is similar to a delicacy on my planet. We call it ‘cheesecake’, and it
can be served with fruit or almost any topping.” She demonstrated how to cut
it, serving
ReNei
before the others. “Enjoy!
 
Try it, Brock.”
 
Tricia returned to her seat.

Dutifully, he placed a piece in his mouth. A creamy texture
hit his tongue and he smiled. “This is delicious!”

“I’m glad you like it. I was helping Cook this afternoon,
and got an urge for cheesecake. I told Cook about what went into making it, and
she helped me round up the ingredients. This has a stronger taste than ours,
but the effect is the same. I wrote down the recipe for her, in case everyone
approves of it.”

Brock looked around. “From the looks of it, no one’s backing
away from it. I think you have a winner here.” He shoveled another bite into
his mouth.

After the meal, the pair said their goodbyes to everyone,
and went upstairs. Tricia changed into her blue suit once more after placing
her beautiful dress in Brock’s armoire. She stretched out on the bed just as
KiRah
rushed in.

“Wait, I want to give you something.” She pressed a tiny
disk into Tricia’s hand. “This is a replica of the necklace you admired
earlier. I want you to have it.”

“Thank you
KiRah
.” Tricia sat up
and hugged the younger woman. “Take care of yourself and I will see you in a
few months.” She kissed the girl’s cheek.

KiRah’s
eyes filled with tears. “I
wish you could stay longer. I have enjoyed your company.” She stepped back as
ReNei
entered.

She took Tricia’s hand in hers.
“Blessings
on you,
TriSha
.
Safe travels.”

“Thank you,
ReNei
.” Tricia wiped
the tears from her own eyes.

Lying down again, she closed her eyes. Brock darkened the
room to aid drowsiness. “Sleep well,
tri’chi’lo’vey
.
You
will awaken in your own bed.”

“Aren’t you going to join me?” Her voice held a slight
panic.

“I will be in shortly. I just want a private word with my
siblings.” Brock kissed her forehead and left the room.

Chapter Seven

Tricia opened her eyes. She was alone in her bed, naked.

Brock,
Brock, Brock…are
you there?

Silence.

Brock?
Tricia sat up and swung her legs over the side.
Damn it, I did
not
dream the
whole thing! Brock!

Pulling on her robe, she padded out to the kitchen and
measured coffee into her coffee maker. She looked at her watch, five in the
morning. As she turned on the little radio she kept on the counter, loud rock
music assaulted her ears, followed by the traffic and weather reports.
Tell me what the date is, you morons!
Normally that’s the first thing out of your mouths. Where is Brock?
Tricia
tapped her foot impatiently.
Duh, you’re
back on Earth now. Where’s your cell phone?
She located it by the bed.
I’ve only been gone one day? How?
She
recalled Brock’s words.
“Time moves
faster on my planet. One of your days equals a week.”
Feeling better,
Tricia answered a few texts and listened to her voice messages. Nothing that
couldn’t wait, and Justin was handling everything at the café.

The coffee had finished brewing when she returned to the
kitchen. Tricia paced the room as she sipped, too anxious to sit still.
I know I didn’t dream it. I traveled to
TriJupe
and met Brock’s family and several of his friends.
But why did I wake up naked, instead of in my suit? My suit!
Putting down
her mug, she ran to the bedroom. Her suit lay on the chair next to the bed.
Necklace.
KiRah
gave me a
necklace. Where is it?
Her last memory had been Brock fastening it around
her neck. Tricia felt her collarbone. Yes, there it was, proof she’d been
there.
But where is Brock?
She tried
again to establish the link by calling his name three times.

Silence.

Surely nothing had happened? Her anxiety rose as she
returned to the kitchen to finish her coffee. She grabbed her phone and opened
her social media sites but soon grew bored. Her email didn’t have anything
pressing either. Tricia took a fresh mug of coffee into the living room to
watch the morning news. Nothing had changed in the past twenty-four hours,
other than a celebrity’s raunchy behavior making headlines.
Where is Brock?
Restless, Tricia debated
between staying in her apartment
or
going to the café.
Work won, she could always work on accounts or even get a head start on the
day’s pastries. After finishing her coffee, she went to her bedroom to slip
into a pair of jeans and a bright red shirt. Tricia tried again to contact
Brock, but finally gave up and exited the condo.

During the twenty minute drive, she enjoyed the antics of
the morning show radio personalities. Tricia parked in her spot behind the
Tiki
Torch Café,
then
inhaled the
familiar aromas of yeast, sugar, and coffee as she entered through the back
door. She turned on the lights and prepared for a busy day, knowing Justin
wouldn’t be in for another hour. The radio personalities kept her company while
she inspected the pastries ready for baking and preheated the two ovens.
Humming along with the radio, she readied the various fillings and made up a
fresh batch of dough. She popped the pastries into the ovens,
then
filled them before placing them into the display case.

Justin and her morning staff arrived, surprised to see her.

“Turns out they only needed me for one day. My mom can
handle things,” she replied, and told them what she’d prepared.
“Mara, if you’ll get the butter ready and make the coffee and tea,
I’ll see what needs to be ordered this week and start the chocolates.”

“Trish, I placed an order yesterday.” Justin accompanied her
to the tiny office to show her the transaction.

“Thank you. It feels like I’ve been gone a week, rather than
a few days.” Tricia scraped her hair back into a makeshift bun.

“That’s okay. You trained me well for a reason.” Justin went
back to the dining area.

Tricia checked the contents of the chocolate case and got
out the appropriate molds and ingredients.

Customers arrived. Tricia assisted her staff in serving
coffee, doughnuts, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches. Late morning, she heated
the two soups and made up fresh sandwiches for the lunch crowd.

Three o’clock arrived. Her morning staff was replaced by the
evening ones. Business was always slow until the dinner hour. Customers would
grab a snack for the drive home or offices would call, requesting a carry-out
order.

Closing time approached as Tricia and Justin made up the
pastries for the next day. All too soon, she closed up the store and headed
home.

Brock hadn’t come into the store, hadn’t contacted her at
all. Feeling blue, she parked her car and unlocked her apartment door.

She stopped short at the unfamiliar scent. Surely a burglar
wouldn’t cook anything?

“Hello?” Tricia pulled out her cell, ready to call 9-1-1.

KiRah
appeared in the doorway.
“Greetings,
TriSha
.”

“
KiRah
?
What are you doing here?” Tricia put away her cell phone and hugged her.

“There was an emergency while you slept.
BaRok
was hoping to return to you before you awakened, but that was not the case.
RiKar
sent me, but when I arrived, you were not here. I
checked your calendar and saw what hours you worked. I made you something to
eat while I waited. I hope you’ll forgive my intrusion.”

Tricia smiled. “I never mind when others cook for me, and it
smells delicious.” She dropped her keys on the table by the door and followed
KiRah
into the kitchen, stopping short when she saw the
mess.
Count to ten…

“I had to experiment with your ingredients, much like you
showed me. I tried to clean up, but I did not understand which product to use.”
Ki’Rah
bowed her head. “Am I supposed to count also?”

Tricia broke off the mental count, trying to control her
frustration. “No, no. That’s fine,
KiRah
. I just had
a busy day and I’m tired.” She turned away from the piles of pans, bowls, and
dishes and looked at the table. “Is that the
bo’ro’ste’ne’chei
?” She surveyed
the chunks of meat swimming in a savory smelling brown sauce. “Sit down. Have
you tried to drink anything?”

KiRah
beamed. “I very much liked
the yellow liquid in the green bottle, which I found beside the door to the
cold box. Do you have any more of it?”

“Cold box?
Oh, you mean
refrigerator. Yes, I’ve got more in my pantry.” Tricia opened up the large
cabinet and pulled out another liter bottle. “Where’s your glass?”

“You did not have any goblets, but I found this.”
Ki’Rah
reached for a wine glass. “I remembered you saying
our goblets were similar to ones you had, so I searched until I found it. You
have others but I did not know if I was supposed to use them.”

Tricia suppressed a smile. “Would you like ice in your
drink?” She took
KiRah’s
wine glass and held it under
the ice dispenser, then filled her own glass. She poured the soda into both
glasses and handed the other to
KiRah
.

“Yours is different. What is Co-co-co-la?”

“It’s a soft drink company, who offered these glasses at a
restaurant. I would normally drink wine out of yours.” Tricia took a drink from
hers. “I think rice would go well with that dish. This will only take a
moment.” She measured out two servings of instant rice and filled a pan with
water. Five minutes later, she scooped out the fluffy rice onto the plates and
the green beans she’d warmed up. Tricia picked up her drink and sat down.

“To your first trip to Earth.
Cheers.” She
clinked
her glass against
KiRah’s
.

“Cheers,”
Ki’Rah
smiled back.

Tricia placed a heaping ladle of the meat over her rice and
tasted. “This is heavenly,
KiRah
. It just needs a
little salt, that’s all.” Reaching for the puppy dog salt shaker, she sprinkled
it over her dish, mixed it up before taking another taste.
“Much
better.”
She glanced up to see
KiRah’s
horrified expression. “What’s wrong?”

“What did that animal do to deserve such treatment?”

“What—oh,
KiRah
, this wasn’t a
real animal, sweetie. It’s ceramic, in the shape of a dog.” Tricia handed it to
her and showed her the special holes. “Your cook puts out tiny bowls of salt
and
spices,
ours are put into these decorative
containers. In this case, I wanted something more whimsical than a traditional
glass set, and when I saw these, I just had to have them.” She picked up the
cat, which contained pepper and sprinkled some of the spice into her hand.
“See?”

KiRah
turned blue with
embarrassment. “I am so sorry.”

“
It’s
okay,
KiRah
.
I had the luxury of having your family around when I visited your planet.
RiKar
dropped you here without a tour guide.” Tricia patted
her hand and ate another bite. “By the way, how can we understand each other? I
thought the universal translator was removed from me.”

KiRah
grinned. “I put one into
your necklace, to save the medics the trouble the next time you returned.” Her
normal silver complexion had returned. “That’s why I told you not to take it
off.”

“Smart girl.
You knew I’d treasure
anything I brought home. Did Brock know what it is?”

KiRah
smiled. “It was his idea.”

Tricia laughed and they chatted while finishing the
meal.
 
KiRah
helped her clean the kitchen, before they relaxed in the living room.
 
Tricia showed the other girl family
photos as they swapped stories about growing up.

While in the middle of a humorous story about a Spring Break
trip, Tricia noticed
KiRah
had stopped laughing and
fumbled in her pocket for a hand-held device. She looked around.

“Are you all right?” Tricia asked.

“I need to point this at your
te
-le-vi-shun,
but I don’t know what that is.”
KiRah
seemed
distressed.

“My television?
Right there,”
Tricia pointed to her flat-screen. “Point what?”

KiRah
stood and aimed it. To
Tricia’s surprise,
RiKar
appeared onscreen and
greeted both.

“Greetings,
RiKar
. Have you news?”
KiRah’s
voice was composed and steady.

“Yes.
BaRok
will arrive soon. The
situation is under control, and
TriSha
, I trust
KiRah
didn’t damage your home too badly?”

“
RiKar
!”
KiRah’s
face turned powder blue.

Tricia bit her lip. “Not too bad. She fixed me a delicious
meal.”

“Good. When we arrived earlier,
KiRah
stumbled and fell against the cabinet behind you, knocking over the pictures. I
was only teasing her.”

Tricia laughed. “She told me and helped me straighten them
up.”

RiKar
smiled. “Do you need me to
come get you, or would you rather wait for
BaRok
?”

“I would like to stay and keep her company until
BaRok
arrives. And I also want to hear the end of the story
she was telling me. Blessings,
RiKar
.”

“Blessings to you both.
As I said,
BaRok
will arrive soon.” His picture faded, and
KiRah
clicked off the handset.

“Now, tell me how you and your brother got lost and drove
the wrong way down the street?”
KiRah
sat back down
on the couch.

An hour later, Brock appeared. He hugged both women,
then
after
KiRah
said a tearful
farewell, he helped teleport her back to the home planet. Tricia watched,
fascinated.

“Why did you have to help her?”

“Space teleportation is a bit tricky.” Brock wound his arms
around her waist and pulled her close. “I didn’t want her to accidentally end
up on
Xaxa
or Mars.” His lips captured hers in a
hungry kiss. “I’ve been away from you too long, my
Chosen
.”
He scooped her up to carry her to the bedroom.

Tricia clung to him, raining kisses down his neck as he
lowered her to the bed and tugged the T-shirt over her head,
then
unfasten her jeans. She kicked off her shoes and assisted him in pulling off
the rest of her clothing.
“Now you.”
She went up on
her knees and tugged up his tunic, kissing the warm skin underneath. Hooking
two fingers in his slacks, she pulled them down to his knees and cupped his
balls as she watched his cock grow erect. “Has someone missed me?” Tricia
stroked his heavy penis with a fingertip. “It’s only been another twenty-four
hours.” She bent her head and licked the purple bulbous tip, hearing the hiss
of his intake of breath.

“You forget, I’ve been gone a week.” His hands guided her to
her back as he covered her. “Oh Tricia, it was my intention to wake up with
you. I am so sorry I was not here.” His lips captured hers again as his cock
probed its way into her warm entrance.

Tricia welcomed his weight, loving the feel of his warm
furry chest against her breasts and his thickness buried deep in her pussy. She
widened her legs and raised her hips to nestle him deeper, then felt him back
out to slide in again. Desire sparked, his next thrust caused her toes to curl
and moans to break from her throat. “
Ooooh
, do that again.”