Hinekiri (2 page)

Richard found his way down the passage by touch, but once he arrived outside the spare room, he flicked on the light. He didn’t want more surprises tonight. He didn’t think his camouflage could take the strain.

Richard checked all four corners of the room. A thick Persian rug in bright jewel colors lay on the floor beside the bed. An antique dresser made from native kauri wood stood against the cream wall and matching bedside cabinets flanked the bed. It was a double bed, covered with an expensive amber spread Felicity had purchased. The room was clear apart from the dog. Oh well. He could cope with that. Richard turned off the light and crossed the carpet to slide between the cotton sheets. It was only a little dog. It wouldn’t take up much room.

Richard found himself thinking about the two women. He wondered where Luke had met the pair. The change in his son was remarkable. He was obviously sleeping with the younger one and she was helping him get past the betrayal of his previous wife. For that, the woman had his approval. A flirtatious older woman and a dog weren’t too high a price to pay in exchange for a happy son.

The little dog—Killer, Hinekiri had called it—cuddled closer, sighing softly in its sleep. Strange name for a dog, but when Richard considered the rest of the night, he figured a dog with an aggressive handle wasn’t so unusual. He fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

Something woke him. His eyes flew open. His heart pounded while he tried to identify the noise. A pained whimper sounded, changing to a low growl that made the tiny hairs on his forearms prickle with forewarning.

Killer.

Richard’s breath eased out in relief. It was the dog barking and growling in its sleep. The dog’s legs starting pumping as if it were running a race and Richard chuckled. He reached out to stroke Killer’s soft fur then turned over and promptly fell out of bed. He hit the wooden floor with a thump that shook the air loose from his lungs. The rug wasn’t as thick as it looked. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing his sore hip and arm.

“Fuck,” he said, immediately feeling guilty because Felicity hadn’t liked him using that word. He reached for the bedside lamp and flicked the on switch. Soft, golden light spilled through the room, highlighting the scenic watercolors Felicity had painted when her heart started to slow her down, and picking up the golden threads in the duvet cover. He shouldn’t have let the dog curl up on top of it but didn’t have the heart to make the creature move. Richard checked his watch and saw it was almost time to get up anyway. He supposed he’d slept, but it sure as hell didn’t feel rested.

A black nose poked over the corner of the bed. Killer gave an enquiring bark, giving his naked chest the once-over before retreating. A sigh indicated the dog had curled up comfortably again and was attempting to sleep. He wished he could do the same.

Groaning, Richard pushed to his feet. He glanced downward. Second problem. Every item of clothing he owned, apart from a pair of boxers and his black socks, was in his bedroom or in his bag, which was still in his vehicle. And he had an erection, dammit. He glared in the direction of his groin but nothing deflated.

“Damn.” Richard strode from the spare bedroom after checking for wandering women. All clear. He sped down the stairs, gripping the banister so he didn’t fall. Given the way his luck was going, it was a sensible safety precaution. The floorboards creaked with a comforting familiarity, soothing his ruffled emotions and the sense of being out of step.

Richard headed for the kitchen and the rear door, intending to collect his bag from his SUV. He opened the door and stepped outside. A bright flash went off in his face, making him blink. He shielded his vision with his hand.

“Who’s there?”

“Marcie Montgomery,” a voice said.

“Come out where I can see you, dammit. What the hell are you doing skulking around my backyard?”

The female reporter from the local rag stepped from behind a waist-high kowhai tree. She smoothed her black jacket and flicked a couple of tiny leaves off her matching skirt. “I’m looking for flying saucers.”

“You won’t find them in my backyard. Can you damn well see one? Can you? Put that camera down. I don’t need my photo on the front page of the
Sloan Gazette
.”

“I’m not sure the camera will work again anyway.” Marcie grinned, her gaze drifting downward to his groin. Sly amusement glinted behind her glasses.

Richard cursed, realizing he was standing in front of her dressed in his underwear. At least the erection had subsided. “Get off my property before I prosecute. And don’t damn well come back. I think I would have noticed if there were aliens and flying saucers in my vicinity. Little green men. Can you see any little green men? Leave now.”

“All right. Don’t get your knickers in a twist. I’m going!” Marcie Montgomery clomped off, incongruous in her black gumboots and city duds.

“Aliens. Humph!” Richard grabbed his red bag from the rear of his vehicle and stomped back inside. After dropping the bag on the floor near the wooden table, he switched on the light and filled the jug to make his morning pot of tea. He poured water in the coffeemaker and dumped some pre-ground coffee beans into a filter before he dressed since Luke preferred coffee when he first woke.

“Morning, Richard.” Hinekiri breezed into the kitchen, followed by the white dog with black spots. The dog barked at him, tilting its head to the side before giving him a doggy grin.

“I’m in my underwear,” he blurted. At a disadvantage yet again. Richard checked his watch. Just past seven. He hadn’t thought she’d wake so early. “Ah, morning.”

“It’s best to check out the merchandize in daylight,” Hinekiri agreed.

Richard realized his mouth was gaping and snapped it shut. His teeth clicked with the force of the move. Dammit, he should feel embarrassed, but instead he was intrigued. And he hadn’t felt so alive for ages. His cock either. The bloody thing was going up and down with the vigor of a water pump. He hadn’t thought about sex so much for months.

“I’ll finish making the tea before I get dressed, since you’ve seen me at my worst.”

The dog barked and Hinekiri snickered.

Richard caught her furtive glance at his cock and could have sworn the dog looked as well.

“Yep, I’ve seen just about everything now. Is there something I can give the dog to eat?”

“Check the fridge.”

The dog let out a sharp, high bark.

Hinekiri rolled her eyes and sashayed over to the fridge, her ass swaying seductively beneath the tight denims she wore. She pulled it open, giving Richard an even better view of her butt when she bent over. The woman might be a little on the scrawny side, but she had all the requisite parts and did sinful things to those jeans. Coupled with her fun-loving personality, he found his interest piqued. If his Army mate George could see him now, he’d be nodding approval. Last night and this morning were firsts. Maybe George was right and it was fun to step outside his comfort zones. Live on the wild side.

“Where are you from?” he asked.

Hinekiri pulled a string of sausages from the fridge and gave it to the dog. “Outside,” she said firmly, and stepped over to open the door. The dog trotted out with the sausages and Hinekiri shut the door.

“Not from here. Janaya and I are just passing through. I’m going to Africa soon.” Hinekiri’s violet eyes glowed brightly as she started to tell him about the wildlife lodge she’d booked and the migration of the wildebeest she’d wanted to see for ages. “Have you been to Africa?”

“I haven’t done much traveling.” Richard thought of how he and Felicity had discussed travel when they were courting, but they’d become pregnant and that had been that. They’d had Luke and Lily then Felicity had become sick. Talk of leaving Sloan had faded into the background. “I’d better get dressed. Make yourself at home.” Where did they live? Richard hoped it wasn’t too far away because he’d enjoy seeing Hinekiri again.

“Thanks.”

Hinekiri stared after the man, a smile on her lips. A sharp bark full of complaints and sly innuendos about leaving Hinekiri alone with the earthman told her Killer had finished eating and wanted in. She opened the door and let the little dog inside.

“Why you smirk?” the dog demanded.

“That man has a nice ass.”

“Working equipment too.”

Hinekiri snorted. “You’re a dog. You’re not meant to notice.” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re definitely not an Earth dog.”

Killer’s eyes wandered and she spoke without looking at Hinekiri. “Told you before. Came in spaceship. Man left behind.”

Hinekiri chuckled. “Did you pester him for food once too often?”

“Horrible man,” Killer snapped. “No talk. Earthman come back.”

“I hear him, but Richard won’t be able to understand what either of us is saying. All he’ll hear is barking. He’ll just think I’m weird for barking at you.”

Killer nodded. “You weird,” she agreed.

“
Thanks
.” Hinekiri found two china mugs inside a white cupboard and pulled them out. She opened the fridge to retrieve the blue milk jug she’d noticed earlier and sat at the small wooden table to pour the tea.

Richard appeared and she saw he’d covered up and was now wearing a light brown long-sleeved shirt along with dark brown trousers. A pity. The man had a rather nice chest, a little hair—not too much—and sturdy legs. Made a woman’s juices run to look at a male in his prime. Richard was tall like his son Luke. And he bore the same worried expression, as if life had kicked him in the teeth. The man still had a full head of dark hair, peppered with gray at the temples, which gave him a distinguished look.

She studied his expression and the lines of experience. His searching dark eyes noted everything. Cop eyes. Hinekiri suppressed a happy sigh. No point being coy—not to herself at any rate. This was the man she’d double date with Luke and Janaya. Looked as if this visit was going to be a memorable one.

“How long are you here for? I could show you around Sloan and maybe farther afield. I have a couple of meetings I need to attend but we can work around them. If you like, we could drive up to the city and explore the sights, maybe go out on the harbor. Auckland is a beautiful city.”

Hinekiri’s heart went pitter-patter. She hadn’t felt such an instant attraction to a male for a long time. Her independence and fame as a galaxy explorer intimidated most. Her mouth quirked upward. She was not your typical Dalconian female. Neither was Janaya—but she was too stubborn to admit the truth. Santana. Bah! The male was
not
good enough for her niece.

“The man talk to you,” Killer barked.

Oops, here she was daydreaming about sex. Yeah, definitely sex. Lots of kissing and touching going on. “That sounds lovely. I’ve visited Auckland briefly but didn’t have time to catch many of the sights.”

“Good. That’s settled.” Richard smiled, instantly appearing a lot younger.

The phone rang and he leapt up to answer.

“Yeah? Came home early. Flying saucers? Mrs. Bates. That figures. Yeah, I’ll tell him.” Richard hung up and came back to join her at the table. His frown had returned.

“Trouble?” Hinekiri asked, although she guessed at the problem—the blasted faulty shield on her spaceship. She hoped she could find parts to fix the problem. It wouldn’t do to flash all the way to Africa.

“Some of the locals are causing problems. They swear they saw a UFO last night.”

“Hmmm.” Hinekiri patted her hair and dealt with an unruly curl. She tucked it behind her ear. “Do you think they were drinking alcohol? That does strange things to people.”

“Tell me about it. Excuse me a moment. I want to see if there’s anything in the local paper this morning. The newspaper should be in the mailbox.”

Hinekiri watched him stride from the kitchen, his whole demeanor one of strength and determination. What would it feel like to have him hold her close, pressed against his muscular chest, his arms wrapped around her as if he’d never let go? Hinekiri felt a smile break free. The books on Earth sexuality she’d purchased during her last quick trip to see the Grand Canyon in America would come in handy. She loved to learn new things. The thought of putting them into practice made her go all squishy inside. Perhaps double-dating wasn’t a good idea after all. She’d get him alone. Maybe Richard would go to Africa with her.

The front door slammed and loud footsteps made Hinekiri straighten in alarm. He didn’t sound too happy.

“I don’t believe it.” Richard shook the newspaper at her, splotches of color highlighting his sexy cheekbones and serious brown eyes.

Hinekiri took a sip of her tea. Nice beverage. She must purchase some for the spaceship. “What’s the problem?” Once again, Hinekiri feared she knew already.

“This…this rubbish on the front page of the
Sloan Gazette
.” Richard flicked the paper in outrage.

The phone rang again. He picked it up and listened for an instant. “No comment.” Richard slammed down the communications instrument. It bounced off its stand and dropped to the floor. “Dammit, I’m on holiday. Luke can deal with this.”

Hinekiri restrained a smile with difficulty. She suspected Luke was already dealing with this. No pain involved.

Richard stomped from the room. Hinekiri discovered she’d finished her tea so she picked up the blue china teapot and poured herself another. Yep, life was sure interesting around here. Anticipation hummed through her as she considered possibilities.

Richard took the stairs two at once, the floorboards protesting the vigor of his ascent. He thumped on Luke’s bedroom door. “Luke, you coming out of there anytime soon?”

He waited, hearing the low murmur of voices and then nothing. “Luke!” He rattled the doorknob to highlight his impatience.

“Coming!” Luke called.

Richard snorted. Yeah, right. “You haven’t got time. Dammit! All hell is breaking loose out here.”

Richard waited a fraction longer. “Luke! Luke, get your butt out here now!” Oh man. He sounded like a stern parent. Luke would move out if he treated him like a child. Richard beat a retreat to the kitchen, hoping his son would arrive soon. He dropped into a chair opposite Hinekiri and offered a weak smile. She shunted a cup of tea in his direction.