An Alien To Love (9 page)

Galan raised his head off the pillow. His night with Danyka had been everything he’d hoped for and more. She’d welcomed his brother to participate, important if they traveled across space together. He’d expected Volan to settle down once he’d found the right woman. And lucky for them, she had come into their lives last night.

But now, he had to complete a heart-wrenching task. He had to return Danyka to Earth, let her make the decision to return to them. They could never hold her against her will. And regret would leave her miserable. If she wanted to return to them, she would need to do it of her own free will. He hoped they’d made enough of an impression that she’d choose to soar across the universe with them.

He slid off the bed, pulled on a pair of pants, and gathered her clothing, each piece a reminder of their magical night together. He sighed; in a few minutes she’d be gone. He hoped not forever.

Volan stirred. “What are you doing?”

He placed a finger to his lips. “I’m taking her home.”

“No.” The sorrow across his brother’s face matched every ounce of the pain piercing his heart.

“I have to, and you know it.”

He scooped her up in his arms, careful not to wake her, for saying good-bye would be that much harder.

“Will she return to us?”

He removed the transporter remote from his pocket, fingering the apparatus he’d use to bring her back if she decided to rejoin them. “I hope so.” He’d already decided to postpone their departure, not wanting to leave without Danyka. Although he wouldn’t wait forever.

His brother nodded. “Thank you for sharing her with me.”

“Please return to your own room. When I get back, I want to be alone.” He initialized the transporter system—set for the address he’d found on a card in her small bag—before he had the chance to grow selfish. Staring at the bed he’d shared with the beautiful woman in his arms, he dematerialized.

***

Danyka woke in her bed, the scent of jasmine wafting through her open window. She’d had the most amazing dream, two guys fulfilling her every desire in a room lined with satin. But she couldn’t remember getting home from the eighteenth century ball she’d attended with Vanessa and Ellie. They’d both left with the actors she’d introduced them to. She’d turned to leave and then….

No
. The guy, Galan, he couldn’t have been real. She’d concocted the fantasy to save herself from the disappointment of her date failing to show. And yet, the most erotic vision she’d ever had and so realistic with two men taking her to new heights. Her pussy still clenched at the memories. Perhaps she’d fallen at the ball, wound up with a concussion. But, how had she gotten home to bed? She had no clue.

Slipping from underneath the covers, she slid her feet into fuzzy slippers and grabbed her robe from the foot of the bed. A rose atop a piece of paper on the nightstand caught her attention.
Where did that come from
?

She picked up the note and read the distinctive handwriting.

Danyka,

Now you have met someone from another planet.

Last night was just a sample of the life we would like to have with you.

As our
sodalis
, our mate, your every wish, every desire, would be ours to fulfill.

Should you long to return to us, call our names when the night is nigh and the stars shine bright in the sky. Then we will come for you and spend a lifetime worshipping you.

Otherwise, you will soon forget about us, and we shall travel through space mourning the loss of the one we chose.

The choice is now yours.

Galan and Volan

She gasped.
It was real
?

The one night she’d decided to take a chance, to do something spontaneous, arranged by her boss and his wife, had left her more fulfilled than her entire life of meticulous planning. But could she leave her job and her friends behind? They’d been there when no one else had. But she could not deny the emptiness she felt when she returned to her apartment at night. She deserved to be happy, too.
Right
?

Her phone chimed, indicating an incoming text message. She delved into her the clutch she’d had with her last night, for the device.

Tamara.

Great
. How would she explain the turmoil rolling through her to her boss’s wife? Like she’d understand.

How did your date go
?

Excellent, but the decision she had to make left her stomach churning.
Very well
!
Thank you for arranging it
!

So, r u going to c him again
?

She longed to. Saying good-bye to everyone else kept her from saying yes.
I don’t think it’s possible.

Y not
?

He’s not from around here
. Not even close. She couldn’t even hop on a plane to visit him for the weekend.

Her phone remained silent for several minutes. She lay back on her bed, memories of the previous night flooding her mind. She yearned to be filled again. Could she emulate the same intensity with her own toys? She reached into the drawer of her nightstand when her phone beeped again. This time, an email.

Danyka,

I don’t mean to pry, but I’d like to know more about your date. If it went as well as you said, I’m sure you want to see him again. Perhaps you need more time off? Josh will understand. No matter what you decide, we will always be here for you.

Tamara

Would they understand? Time off meant a lifetime, not a week or even a year. She didn’t know if she would ever return. However, she had the opportunity to try something new and different, something out of this world. And she would not pass it up. Forget the toys; she craved the real things. Volan’s words echoed through her mind.
We will love you forever.

And she wanted nothing but forever.

Grabbing her suitcase, she packed an outfit for every possible climate. Who knew where they’d end up? She’d spend the day writing timed emails to her friends and boss to inform them of her extended vacation, all while waiting for the night to come. She’d be gone by the time they received them.

A few more minutes
.

As she spied the first star in the sky, her phone chimed.
Should I even look
?

But her curiosity got the better of her.

Tamara again.

If you happen to visit the Space Service space station, be sure to say hello to Carrie for me. I wish you all the best
.

Space
? How had she known? But a space station? Was that why Tamara’s best friend had been absent from the wedding? She had so much to learn. And the message cleared away any remaining guilt she’d held onto.

Sitting on her bed, she looked to the darkened sky. “Galan and Volan, I choose you.”

A light breezed blew her hair into her face. She sighed as fingertips slid across her shirt, tracing her tender nipples hidden underneath. Kisses trailed across the back of her neck. “Come to us.”

Her limbs numbed and her body transported, leaving everything, including her suitcase, phone, and the clothes she’d been wearing, behind. The only thing she held onto was the handkerchief Tamara had left for her. For it belonged to her new lovers. When she opened her eyes, she lay back on the satin-covered bed, Galan and Volan, in all their naked glory, gazing down at her.

“I’m glad you’ve returned to us,” Galan captured her lips for an intoxicating kiss.

Wrapping her arms around him, she vowed never to plan anything again. Who knew where this new life would take her?

A 1Night Stand Elatia Story

By

Jessica E. Subject

~Dedication~

To First Loves

Ava hit send on her application to the 1Night Stand dating service. No time to wait for a reply. She shoved her tablet computer into her carry-on, slung the bag over her shoulder, and rushed out the door. With the Star Spirit scheduled to leave Earth in two hours, she had to zip through town to clock in before liftoff. She hoped Madame Eve would find her perfect match during her six-month tour.

Sure, she’d met many men in her travels between the Milky Way and the Belvarian System. But most looked down their noses or other appendages at the woman who cleaned their room. Those who showed an interest wanted a quick fuck before sending her away with their trash and dirty sheets.

She longed to find a guy to wine-and-dine her, to share conversation rather than a roll in the hay. Not that she’d complain about having sex with the guy Madame Eve chose for her during their guaranteed one night together. But she wanted to leave the date satisfied, mentally and physically.

Buzzing through the heavy traffic on her hover bike, Ava reached the spaceport in record time. Perfect. She found a parking locker in the cold, dank underground lot to squeeze her bike into then dashed toward security. If she could pick up a faint signal, maybe she would have a chance to check her email one last time before takeoff. Unlike the guests on board her mother traveler, she couldn’t afford to connect her tablet to the wireless system, not since she’d paid for her one-night stand. She used her once-a-week employee video call to speak with her mom and dad.

Raised by middle-class parents she’d had little chance of furthering her education past what the government paid for. When her father had received a pink slip from his employer of twenty star cycles, any hope she’d held of going to college flew out the window. Without an advanced degree, she found nothing but meaningless jobs paying her less than the effort she put into them.

Bags checked, Ava dashed down the plain white corridors of the employee level, pausing for the vacuum seals to release on doors along the way, until she reached her room for the duration of her stay. After thumbing the security pad to open the door, she crashed on the bed to the left, the right one belonging to Michelle, her best friend, who had convinced her to apply to housekeeping aboard Star Spirit. They interviewed together, starting space training the very next day.

Four star cycles later, she enjoyed a quick moment to rest before venturing out on her seventh tour. Though she didn’t have much of a life traveling through space, she received better pay than she would find anywhere on Earth. Providing her basic needs of food and shelter while on-board, the owners of the ship also compensated her well enough to split her earnings between her parents and her savings account when she returned home. She couldn’t let the people who had raised her suffer because she’d found an opportunity they hadn’t.

Yanking her tablet from her bag, she flicked it on, connecting to the Internet. Finding a faint signal, she logged onto her email account, praying her application went through. She scanned her new messages, deleting game requests, jokes from her friends, and e-flyers as she went. There, at the very bottom of the list, sat a message from Madame Eve.

She clicked it open, her heart hammering in her chest as she read.

Bonjour
Ava
,

Thank you for your application to 1Night Stand. I will do my best to find a man who will meet your desires. Your scheduling circumstances have been noted. As soon as your date has been arranged, I will let you know
.

Bon voyage,

Madame Eve.

She blinked at the screen, her stomach in knots. Would the woman find a man for her, or would she be deemed an impossible match? She wasn’t the typical 1Night Stand client, having had to pinch pennies in order to pay for the arrangement. Her parents would be so disappointed if they ever found out she spent so much money on
one
date.

She shut her tablet off as the door slid open.

Michelle tossed her luggage onto her bed with a grunt. “Damn security.” She spun around, staring at Ava. “What are you still doing here? We’re supposed to be up in the concourse for lift-off.”

“Well, hello to you, too.”

Michelle grimaced. “Sorry. The ass in Security searched all my bags, again. He won’t give up. If he didn’t have my job in his hands, I’d thump him right in the balls.”

Ava laughed, tucking her tablet back into her bag. “Now, you won’t see him for another six months.”

“Thank heavens.” Her friend frowned. “But I have him to look forward to when I return. I’ll get another ‘Since you’re back home, baby, why don’t we go to my house for some fun?’”

Ava hoped to have something more exciting to come home to. A date. More than fun. One night of pure pleasure. She grabbed her ID card then headed for the door. “Let’s go before we’re late.”