Alexandre (7 page)

Lily moistened her lips in what he was beginning to recognize as a nervous habit. “I didn’t agree to that.” She curled her hands around his bare shoulders and drew him close enough that his jeans brushed her inner thighs.

Her shyness combined with flashes of aggression fascinated him. Another time he might have drawn out the teasing but desperation gripped him, directing his actions, prompting him to speed. He’d never wanted to touch, to give and receive pleasure so badly in all his life.

Alex glanced at her breasts. The pink nipples appeared distended, silently begging for his touch. The tiny brown spot was like a magnet. His breath hissed out on a sigh. She wanted exactly what he wanted. She just didn’t realize how badly.

Leaning over, Alex blew on one nipple. She shivered, and the hands that clutched at his shoulders drew him closer. Alex smiled, and repeated the puff of air across her nipple. He lifted his hand and reverently traced one full globe, circling the nipple with his finger. Although enthralled by her quiver and breathless gasp, the action wasn’t enough to appease his driving need. Alex bent and licked across a network of blue veins under her skin, never taking his eyes off hers. His tongue slid across the brown dot. When her hands tugged him closer and her eyelids slid to half-mast, he felt a surge of triumph.

Unable to resist, he sucked a pebble-hard nipple into his mouth and drew hard. While he lavished attention on one breast, he stroked and caressed the other. He gloried in the taste of her, of cinnamon and exotic spices, the feel of her flesh and her soft sighs.

Alex glanced up and noted the glazed look in her blue eyes with satisfaction. His heart jumped in a leap of relief. The last time he had bedded his consort all he’d seen was gloating and greediness because she’d known jewels awaited her if she satisfied him in the Earth manner. There was none of that in Lily.

He ran his hand over the softness of one cheek and tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear. He watched her closely, saving the vision to examine later when he was alone.

“More,” Lily murmured.

He grinned before bending to kiss her again. She wound her arms around his neck and clung tight, participating with a greediness and genuine warmth that no longer surprised him.

Part of him registered a series of clicks, but he’d only started kissing Lily. He’d learned there were lots of ways to kiss a woman, and he’d barely got to variation two.

“Wolf!”

Lily shrieked. Alex jerked away from her with a strangled curse.

“What ya doing?” Killer said. “Do ya have any food?”

Alex jumped in front of Lily to screen her nakedness. That bloody dog again.

The dog trotted up to Alex, sniffed at his jeans then peered around his legs to check out Lily. Killer stiffened, the fur along her backbone springing to attention. She growled low and mean then bounded away, staring fixedly at the door that led outside.

“Someone’s out there.” Lily gasped. “Where’s my shirt?”

Killer barked again and scratched urgently at the door. Alex frowned. He hadn’t heard a thing, but he’d been concentrating on Lily.

“Where is it?” Lily demanded, searching frantically around her and sounding as if she was starting to hyperventilate.

Alex spied the pale green shirt over the far side of the kitchen on the floor. He had no idea how the shirt had ended up there but retrieved it for her. She grabbed it from him, struggling to put her arms into the sleeves while Killer continued with her frenzied barking.

“Go on upstairs.” Alex took pity on Lily. Her cheeks matched the color of the red fruits in the bowl on the bench top, and she still fought to match her buttons with the shirt holes. “I’ll deal with the visitor.”

“But—”

“I’ll call you if I need you,” Alex promised.

She needed no further urging and scurried past him, holding the shirt closed. Alex heard her swift footsteps as she climbed the stairs.

Alex strode to the door and wrenched it open. He darted a glare at the dog as she pushed past to peer into the darkness. “Well? Where are they?”

Killer yawned and sat on her haunches. “Gone. I go sleep with Lily,” she said, and disappeared inside.

Alex cursed under his breath. Perhaps he’d take that cold shower after all.

Chapter Five

“Lily say time to get up,” Killer barked in Alex’s ear.

Alex groaned and pulled the blankets over his head to drown out the racket. Unbeknown to Killer, he was already well and truly up, and uncomfortable with the situation. Seemed like another cold shower was in order before they set off on their journey to Taupo, the first stop on Alex’s itinerary.

“Alex, are you awake?” Lily’s voice sounded from the doorway.

Alex knew he shouldn’t look. Lily and a flat surface in the same room spelled disaster but temptation got the better of him. He emerged from under the blankets and squinted against the bright light pouring in the window.

Wisps of hair sprang free from her mane tail, framing her face. Her blue eyes glowed with vitality, and she was dressed in a long black skirt and a red sweater that ended at her hips. Cloth covered every inch of her skin from the neck to her feet. Even concealed with battle armor, he had to admit she looked tempting.

Alex suppressed a snort as memories of last night rolled through him. Obviously, he needed to work on his seduction skills. He’d lain awake throughout the night, his tom stiff enough to poke out an eye while it appeared Lily had slept the rest of the innocent.
That was what you wanted
, he reminded himself. To be judged on his actions rather than his appearance. But her apparent lack of interest when he was in such agony prodded his temper.

“Not a morning person, huh?”

He stared. Was this the same woman? This glowing, confident siren bore little resemblance to the frightened woman of last night, the one who had scurried off to bed. She grinned, making his heart pump out a double beat. By King Vala. Trouble ahead. How would he manage to keep his hands to himself?

Lily felt the urge to sing but resisted. To her everlasting chagrin, her voice sounded like a wounded bullfrog. Actually, worse if she were honest. She definitely didn’t want to show off another weakness. Being clumsy was more than enough, thank you very much.

“I’ve packed a picnic lunch,” she said, stealing a look at his blanket-covered form. Damn, not a single limb in sight. Aw, well. She threw her shoulders back and firmed her mouth to prevent a grin. Probably just as well. This job for Alex would pay off her debts and leave her a little over to put toward the personalized trip she’d always dreamed of taking one day.

“I’ll see you downstairs. Coffee’s on.” Lily heard Alex groan. Not a morning person. The golden man had a flaw. The discovery cheered her. “Don’t be too long. We need to leave soon if we want to make all the stops on your list.”

Alex stomped down the stairs about ten minutes later with Killer close behind. Lily took one look at the stormy face and shunted a cup of black coffee across the table. Killer trotted over to where Lily sat and barked. Smiling, Lily leaned down to scratch the dog behind the ears without taking her gaze off the golden man. Ruffled and grumpy as he was, he still looked good enough to eat. The alien would go well with chocolate. Sort of like a companion food. To hell with the diet, Lily thought with an inner smirk.

“Get out of the wrong side of the bed?” she asked sweetly, unable to resist.

The dog barked, a weird-sounding yap that made Lily gape. Alex merely grunted then picked up his coffee mug. He downed the contents and stood.

“I’m ready to go.”

She picked up her empty mug along with Alex’s. “Do you want to drive?”

“Yeah.”

Lily’s brows rose at his surly tone, but she stood, picked up the keys off the counter and handed them to him. “The bags need to go into the car.” She gestured at the luggage by the door. “Just give me five minutes to give Killer a quick walk.”

“Bloody dog.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.”

Lily rolled her eyes. Oh, joy. The surly routine was rapidly losing her sympathy. Still, if this meant repayment of her debt, she could put up with almost anything.

* * * * *

The gears ground with nerve-shrieking intensity. The SUV shuddered theatrically as though it were a living beast in pain.

“Do you have your license?” Lily cried when the car swerved around a sheep and almost hit an oncoming stock truck. All before they reached the outskirts of Sloan.

“No.” Alex’s hands gripped the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Then why are you driving?” Lily screeched, pretending she didn’t see the one-finger salute from the driver of the stock truck. Frankly, she didn’t blame him and, given the circumstances, he’d been restrained in his reaction. “I want to arrive in one piece.”

Killer barked in fitting punctuation.

They shot across the road. Lily shrieked and grabbed the wheel, pulling with all her might so the vehicle lumbered onto the right side.

That stand of kauri trees looked a bit close for comfort. “Stomp on the brakes!” she yelled.

“Which pedal?”

Which… “The middle one! Stamp on the middle one. Now! Do it!”

Killer yelped and jumped off the seat to cower at Lily’s feet. Lily glanced out the window, saw how close they were to kauri trees, and wanted to join the dog. They were going to die. Now was the perfect time to act like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

“Holy shit.” Lily braced for impact. “The middle pedal. Harder. Now.” She glanced at the tree trunks. They were so close now she could see the individual leaves on the trees and the patterns on the trunks through the windscreen. The dog whimpered at her feet. Lily knew just how she felt, but at least Alex had worked out the brakes. The rest of the road was clear of traffic. That was a good thing.

The car hit the soft road shoulder. The wheels spun for purchase, and the vehicle slid, turning slightly so it approached the trees sideways.

“I think we’re going to hit the tree,” Alex said.

No shit. Now there was a newsflash. “I hope you have insurance on Dalcon,” Lily gritted out. “Because Luke will have a coronary if you harm a speck of paint on his baby.”

“I worry more about Janaya,” Alex muttered, stepping on the brakes with all his strength. The vehicle screamed, the stench of rubber heavy in the air.

Lily stared fixedly at the nearest tree. It got bigger and bigger until all she could see through the driver’s window was tree. The impact threw her toward Alex and then the seat belt jerked her back. Killer yelped twice. Alex cursed. The engine groaned. Metal screeched as it made contact with a branch. A dull pop preceded the crackle of broken glass.

Then at last, they came to a halt.

Lily gingerly tested her limbs. Everything worked. At least they hadn’t hit hard enough to activate the airbags. “Alex, are you all right?”

“Yeah. Will the vehicle still work?”

Lily sure hoped so. “Killer, sweetie. You can come out now. Everything’s okay.”

Killer poked her head out from behind Lily’s legs. She cast a disgruntled look at Alex, and Alex guessed he was in for a tongue-lashing when Killer got him on his own. He checked out Lily. Judging from her set expression, there wouldn’t be much flesh on his bones for Killer to pick over. His stupid pride had landed him right in the middle of a mess. In hindsight, he should have admitted he hadn’t had much experience with Earth vehicles.

“Turn off the engine,” Lily snapped.

Alex noticed she didn’t call him sweetie. He switched the vehicle off and silence throbbed in the cab. Lily jerked open the passenger-side door. Killer sprang out and Lily followed.

Basuko
and double
basuko
. Alex flung himself at the door, intent on inspecting the damage. It didn’t budge. “
Basukoation
.”

He shoved against it with all his strength. Finally, the door opened with a protesting groan far enough for him to squeeze through. Irritated, more with himself than anything, he wriggled out and slammed the door shut. It bounced and almost hit him at knee level. Alex jumped backward and promptly fell over an exposed root. He landed hard enough to smack the air from his lungs. Winded and struggling for breath, Alex lay on the ground and scowled up at the tree canopy and the patches of blue sky between. He should have followed his gut instinct to stay in bed this morning.

A short yap right next to his ear made him start.

“Car hurt. Luke be grumpy.”

“I’ll get it fixed,” Alex snapped, climbing slowly to his feet. That damn dog was getting on his nerves. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she’d purposely interrupted them last night. He pushed past the spotted animal and stepped around to join Lily at the front of the car. Blast, he’d broken the side mirror as well. Alex kicked it out of the way, and it rolled drunkenly underneath the car.

“It doesn’t look too bad,” she conceded. “I think I should be able back it out from under the trees.”

“I’ll pay for the repairs.”

“Damn right you will.” Lily turned to look him in the eye. “Don’t lie to me again.” She advanced on him, her finger pointing and coming dangerously close to poking him in the chest. “Don’t ever try to deceive me again. I don’t like it, and I won’t put up with untruths. I hate people who fib,” she ended on a hard note.