Cosmic Sex (5 page)

He was losing it, plain and simple. All the more reason to keep adding to his nest egg. As soon as he had enough money, he was heading down to the Bahamas. Sand, surf, and women. Lots of women but no commitments. Love them and leave them, that was his motto.

He’d open a little oceanside bar and grill, then get someone to run the place. A fishing pole in one hand, a beer in the other. That would be the life. Someday his dream would be a reality. He only had to stay focused on the future. He could do that.

A sound from the other room drew his attention. He was going to kill Sam. An alien—yeah, right. He didn’t buy it. Damn, he had a strange feeling his life would get worse before it got better.

The floor lamp was back.

It popped in a second ago.

Kia frowned. Minus the clothes that had draped across it. Odd. She shrugged. Maybe they would appear eventually. She had another problem. Nick didn’t believe her.

She sat on the side of the sofa that he’d made into a bed, then shifted, but it still had lumps. She finally stood and wandered into the next room. Her short nap on the way to Dallas had revived her.

There was another popping noise. She opened her hand and caught the bottle Nick had held and that she’d zapped.

She looked at it, then toward his room. He wouldn’t be wanting it since he’d retired for the night.

She took a drink, then spat the liquid across the room. Had he really been going to drink that awful stuff? She shuddered. Not good at all.

Kia set it on the counter and continued to explore the room. She waved her arm in front of the white box. Nothing happened. She sighed before jerking on the metal handle. A very primitive race.

The inside was cold and almost empty. Green fuzz grew on something in a container. Not at all appealing. Nor were the stacks of dirty dishes on the counter.

Did earthmen not clean?

If Adam-4 were this slovenly, she would have pulled his hard drive. She was thoughtful a moment. She rather liked Nick’s hard drive.

She shut the door to the white box.

Nick had pleased her in other ways. Maybe he was worth staying with for a short time. She would be able to take back many tales of Earth. Her sisters would love to hear stories of a distant planet. But just until she found Mala.

She wandered toward the bathing room he’d mentioned. Nerakians had the same bodily functions as people from Earth and it had been a long trip.

She waved her hand in front of the door. Nothing happened. Did nothing on Earth work properly? She turned the knob and it opened.

The room was deplorable. She eased inside, weaving her way past the piles of clothes. She stopped at a sunken basin on the counter and waved her hand beneath it. No beams of light. How did one remove the bacteria from their body?

Maybe the knobs on either side had something to do with the beams of light appearing. She rotated one. Water emerged. She jumped back, then bent, staring at this marvel. Water was in scarce supply on Nerak. Not that they really needed any. She reached forward and touched it.

Nice.

She put both hands under the stream of water, then splashed it on her face. Laughter bubbled out of her. She quickly stifled it but couldn’t stop the smile from forming. This was very nice. Maybe there were some things on Earth worth exploring. What other wonders were waiting around the corner?

She used the facility, found the towels Nick had mentioned and dried her face, then pulled back a curtain. Interesting. It had shiny knobs like the basin on the counter. She turned and pushed knobs until water flowed from the spout at the top.

Laughing, she stepped under the spray of water, leaving the curtain open. She raised her face, letting the water cascade over her. Had Mala found this pleasure? Probably.

Trepidation filled her. It might not be quite so easy talking her cousin into returning to Nerak. If Mala had found someone like Nick who could please her body, and flowing water, then her task could prove difficult.

And maybe it might not be so easy when it was her time to return. But she would have to leave. She’d made a promise to Lara on the stones. A promise on the stones was sacred. Only the lowest of the low would break their word.

She bit her bottom lip when she remembered how Nick had caressed her body in ways she’d never thought it could be touched. Almost with a mind of their own, her hands retraced the path Nick’s had taken over her body.

Her body trembled as her nipples pebbled. Her hands slid lower, slipping between her legs as she touched the spot he’d awakened earlier tonight.

She opened her eyes and caught her reflection in the mirror: hands caressing, trying to bring a response when she knew an orgasm without Nick would be a poor substitute. Frustration filled her as she stepped from beneath the water’s spray.

This wasn’t good. Finding Mala would be her top priority from now on.

She turned the shiny knobs and stopped the water before reaching for another drying cloth.

There wasn’t much she could do right now. When the sun brightened the sky would be soon enough to look for her cousin. But right now she would enjoy the flowing water, the drink Nick had called a soda, and she would remember everything so she could tell her sisters about these marvelous wonders. Especially the sex she’d experienced with Nick. Not that she’d soon forget.

Earth was certainly different from what she’d expected. It wasn’t so cold after all.

Chapter 5

“Okay, you can end the prank,” Nick whispered into the phone, glancing over his shoulder toward the wall that separated his room from the bathroom.

Only moments ago Kia had been laughing and shouting as if she’d never taken a shower. You’d think she wanted him to join her... A vision formed. Oh, man, was that what she’d wanted and he’d passed on an opportunity to have sex in the shower, soaping her body...

Focus!

He took a deep breath and cleared his mind. Right now, it was eerily quiet on the other side of the wall. He wasn’t sure he liked the silence any better. This had to end.

She’d had him going, and maybe for a second he might’ve believed she was from another planet, but only for a very brief second.

“You can end the prank,” he repeated but with a little more confidence this time.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Sam grumbled, sleep thickening his words.

Nick could hear him moving objects around on his nightstand.

“Crap, it’s three in the morning. What the hell are you doing calling this early?”

Nick glanced at the clock. So it was.

If Sam was pulling a stupid practical joke, then it was his own fault. Sam should’ve known he’d call and wake his ass up. He’d carried the gag a little too far.

How the hell was Nick supposed to resist Kia when she liked taking off her clothes? Man, and she did it very well. He was only human.

And so was she.

“And your reason for calling and waking me up?” Sam prodded.

“You didn’t get me.” Let him chew on that.

“Get you what? Don’t tell me it’s your birthday.”

“Funny. Real damn funny. You know exactly what I mean. Kia.”

“Kia?”

“Yeah, the girl from the bar.”

“Can we please stop playing twenty questions? What’s your point in calling me at this godawful hour? I really need to get some sleep before we have to face the captain tomorrow. By the way, he wants to see us at nine sharp, so don’t be late. He didn’t sound happy. We’ll be lucky if we’re not in the unemployment line by noon.”

Great. The last thing he wanted to do was explain why he’d screwed up the drug bust.

“The girl?”

Nick frowned. Sam was trying to throw him off with talk about the captain. It wouldn’t work. “You set me up, buddy. Couldn’t you have come up with something better than her telling me she was an alien?”

Sam laughed.

Nick moved the phone away from his ear. He didn’t see a damn thing funny about the situation. He quickly brought the phone back to his ear when Sam started talking.

“Is that what she told you? That she’s an alien?” He snickered.

“Like you didn’t already know.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn’t set you up. I told you that you’d better watch out taking strays home. One finally bit you on the ass. Now maybe you’ll learn to be a little more cautious.”

Nick glanced toward his locked bedroom door. Damn, if Sam hadn’t set him up, then who the hell was she?

“Are you sure you didn’t—”

“Positive, but I wish I had thought of it. So what did she do? I mean, did she just blurt out she was from another planet?”

“She disintegrated my floor lamp and a beer,” he mumbled.

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Hey, forget I said anything. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Just don’t be late. Nine sharp. Damn, the captain is going to ream our asses for screwing up the bust. He wanted info on the Russian mafia and we pretty well blew it tonight.” The tone of Sam’s voice changed as he went from taunting to serious. “Hey, you going to be okay? I mean with the girl and all?”

“Yeah, sure, you know me. I’ll be fine. See you at nine.” He hung up the phone before Sam could say anything more. Damn, his life had just gotten a lot more complicated.

Something Sam had said triggered a thought. What if she was connected with the Russian mafia? Sent to the bar to screw up the bust? That would explain her high-tech equipment. Hell, the Russians were always coming up with something.

There was a noise from the other room.

Now what was she doing? He eased over to the bedroom door and knelt in front of the keyhole. Oh, yeah, this was great surveillance. He felt like a frigging peeping Tom.

He caught flashes of her moving around in the living room. She wasn’t getting dressed. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. She wasn’t even wearing the shirt he’d loaned her.

Sweat broke out on his forehead.

There was just the slightest bounce to her breasts when she walked past. He held his breath when she ambled over and stood in front of his door as if she wanted to ask him something. Ah, damn, he was looking right at her mound. Up close and personal. He could count the dark curls, see the fleshy skin.

Would his tongue fit through the keyhole?

This wasn’t right, man. He’d never denied himself a hot woman, especially if she wanted his bod.

Okay, get your head screwed on straight! Observation was his best tactic right now. He’d watch her, see if he could discover what she was after.

She left his range of vision.

Not good. He needed to keep a close eye on her. He slowly turned the lock on the door and eased it open. She was digging through her satchel. Damn! Why hadn’t he thought to get her black box? She could do some serious damage with that thing.

But no, she brought out some pills, not the black box. Drugs. His hunch that she was connected to last night’s bust was starting to look like the correct assumption.

He opened the door a little wider as she went to the kitchen. She was frowning as she glanced around at the dirty dishes on his counter.

So he wasn’t the best housekeeper in the world. He had other things to do than clean his apartment. Like catching bad guys and fending off a woman who thought she was an alien, but might be a plant for the Russian mafia.

He squinted his eyes. Now what was she doing?

She turned the water on, leaned down, and watched it flow for a few seconds. Laughter bubbled out of her. You’d think she’d never seen water before.

Next, she waved her hand in front of the cabinet, then frowned. Finally, she opened the door.

Odd behavior.

Taking a glass out, she filled it with water, then took the capsules.

He forced himself to ease the door shut as she came back into the living room. Damn, she had a killer body. But he didn’t plan on being her next victim. Hell, who was he kidding? He’d already fallen prey to her charms. It was a wonder he was still alive.

He knelt in front of the door again. He had a perfect view of the sofa bed as she lay down. He swallowed past the lump in his throat when she raised her arms above her head and stretched.

Cover up! Pull the cover above your luscious, rosy-tipped breasts and put me out of my misery!

He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, leaning his head against the door.

Don’t think with your dick. Think with your brain.

When he opened his eyes she’d pulled the sheet up, but then she began waving her arm. What the hell was she doing now? Her forehead puckered as she glared at the—overhead light? Finally, she pulled the sheet over her head and flopped to her side.

Why the hell didn’t she just get up and cut the light off?

He continued his vigil, making himself more comfortable in front of the door. Nothing was happening. He even thought he heard light snores coming from beneath the sheet.

Damn, it’d been a long-ass day. Hell, it’d been a long-ass week as they staked out the bar. It became more difficult to keep his eyes open. They were getting heavier and heavier...

His head hit the doorknob. He came awake with a jerk, rubbing his injury. What the hell had happened?

Blinking rapidly, he peered through the keyhole. She’d turned over again. He watched the easy rise and fall of the sheet. She was sound asleep while he was starting to feel like a frigging zombie. He had to get some rest or he wouldn’t be worth crap in the morning.

He slowly turned the lock on the door, then tested the knob. That should keep him safe long enough to get an hour or so of sleep. He’d deal with Kia in the morning.

He crawled beneath the sheets, could smell Kia’s scent. It enveloped him in sensuous memories, reminding him what they’d shared. He got a hard-on just thinking of the way her legs wrapped around his waist, drawing him farther inside the heat of her body.

Ah, crap, it was going to be a long night. He glanced at his bedside clock. No, morning. It was already the next day. And he still had to think about what he was going to tell the captain.

Great. Just great. The captain was going to chew his ass out royally, and he had the sexiest woman in the next room, naked as the day she was born, and he was afraid she was the reason the bust went wrong. A member of the Russian mafia was probably in the next room. Under his covers—undercover.

Like Deep Throat.

Ah, damn, why’d his brain have to go there? He wasn’t even thinking about her ferreting his deep dark secrets. Not that he knew any. Hell, even on a good day he couldn’t remember his driver’s license number.

At least he was safe for now. He was a light sleeper. If she tried anything, he would be instantly alert.

Kia snuggled against Nick’s back. Much better than the lumpy pillow and the equally lumpy bed in the other room and the glaring overhead light that refused to go out. She liked his lumps much better.

Light had started to filter into his room some time ago, but it was softer than the light above where she’d slept.

She pushed the covers down, needing to feel him against her naked skin. He wiggled closer to her warmth. Her sensitive nipples pressed against his back as her hand moved downward, sliding over his hip, her nails brushing through his pubic hair, grazing his sex, which began to grow firm. She sighed, laying her cheek against his back.

They were going to have sex again.

This was good. It had been all she could think about while in the other room. So much that she hadn’t been able to stay by herself any longer. His body heat had beckoned her to draw nearer. How could she resist?

His breathing pattern changed. He inhaled, then slowly exhaled. Nick was awake.

“Uh... how did you get in here?” he asked.

She trailed her lips across his back. “I made your door go away.”

“How... ”

“Phazer.” She rubbed against him, moaning softly.

He groaned and rolled over, raising up on an elbow and looking to where his door used to be. “My door’s gone.”

“An observant earthman.”

He arched an eyebrow and glared down at her. “Not funny. I want to know where you got that black box and who you’re working for.”

“Phazer. It’s a phazer and I’m not working for anyone.” She sighed, snuggling her front to his. This was nice—now if he would just quit talking so they could enjoy sex.

“Stop that.” He scooted away from her.

“Why?”

“Because.” When she raised an eyebrow, he continued, “I don’t even know who you are or where you come from.”

“Earthmen are very forgetful. Remember, I’m Kia, from Nerak.”

“I’m still not buying you’re from another planet. I need more proof than a little black box.” His gaze moved to her breasts, then jerked back up.

Nick really had a problem with her nudity. “How do I prove to you I’m from Nerak?”

He snorted. “You’re supposed to be the alien. You tell me. Do you have antennae that come out of the top of your head?”

“No.” Now he was getting absurd. Her species hadn’t needed antennae for a very long time.

He looked intently into her eyes. She stared back. “Ever heard of the Russian mafia?”

“No, but you can explain about this mafia while we have sex.”

He slid from the bed. “Until I know exactly who you are, there won’t be any... any... ”

She rolled to her back, parting her legs just slightly. “Any what? Sex? Don’t you want to bury yourself deep inside my body? Feel the heat as it closes around you?” She lazily stretched her arms above her head.

Nick couldn’t stop his gaze from sweeping over her one more time. God, she was magnificent with her luscious breasts crying out for him to caress... to...

“Ah... ba... ba... ” Now she had him stuttering and talking as if he was feebleminded. Hell, for all he knew, maybe he was. He cleared his throat. “I’ll be in the bathroom taking a cold shower.” He grabbed a pair of jeans off his dresser and a black T-shirt he was almost certain hadn’t been worn more than once.

He stopped in the doorway. How the hell had she removed his door without him hearing anything? Oh, yeah, the little black box. Her phazer.

Did the United States have anything that even came close to this kind of technology?

With a shake of his head, he continued on toward the bathroom. The next thing he knew she’d be making him disappear. He stumbled, then made a quick U-turn and hurried back into his bedroom.