Not Quite Terran Part 2 (Scifi Alien Romance Serial) (4 page)

Okay, maybe it wasn’t a pity hand job because those words, the emotion that filled his expression, was anything but pity.

She relaxed into the delicious mattress, cuddling the blankets close as she drifted in and out of consciousness while waiting for Karru to return. It didn’t take long, or it could have taken zentics that she slept away, but he eventually stood beside the bed and stared down at her. He was nearly fully exposed now, a small loincloth hiding his sex from her view but it left his heavily muscled chest and strong thighs open to her gaze. She hummed in appreciation, her body heating and craving him once again.

“You are satisfied with my appearance?”

Was he an idiot? “Of course.”

“And you enjoy my touch?”

She smiled lazily. “Very much.”

He dropped to his knees beside her, bringing his head even to hers. He brushed a tendril of her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “And do you believe I can care for you? I can protect you?”

Memories of the flash and glitter of his swords as he rapidly cut down six massive Duggises rushed forward. “Without a doubt.”

He jerked his head in a quick nod, self-assurance filling him. “I know this.”

She grinned and shook her head.
Cocky
. “No matter the species, men are all the same.”

“I must leave while you sleep.” He grimaced. “I do not wish to, but it cannot be avoided. I must report to my people.”

Right. The women. “What are you going to tell them? Are you going to kidnap women? Of course you are. I couldn’t have you answer that question before I got naked with you, could I? No, that would have made sense. I don’t even know why I let you in my—”

Karru placed a single finger over her lips. “Palia do not steal females. I was sent to evaluate and I have. I will have my people contact your federation. There will be no kidnapping, sweet one. I swear it.” He cupped her cheek and rubbed her lower lip with his thumb. “All will be revealed soon, but we mean no one any harm. Least of all females. You believe this.”

He was right, dammit, she did. “I know.”

“Good.” He jerked his head in a nod. “Now, sleep. I will watch over you for as long as I am able.”

He pushed to his feet and Rebecca reached for his hand, snaring his fingers. “Karru… Lay with me.”

She didn’t care if she sounded needy. She
was
needy.

“I like the sound of my name on your lips, sweet one.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “Stop tempting me to ignore my duty, and sleep.”

“Fine,” she grumbled.

Karru gently ran his fingers down her arm and she shivered with the first tendrils of renewed arousal. “Karru… Stop tease—” she sucked in a quick breath with a sharp sting of pain. “Ouch. What’s that?”

She glanced down her arm and noted a small scrape at the base of her thumb.

He was quick to press a kiss to the small wound. “Apologies. Warrior males easily forget their females are so delicate.”

…their females…

“It’s fine.”

“Good. I did not wish to hurt you.” He was so sweet. “Sleep and dream of me.”

And she did. She closed her eyes and images of Karru filled her mind, teasing her senses through the night. She continued to think of him as the zentics drifted past. It wasn’t until a blaring alarm woke her that he finally slipped from her thoughts.

The rhythmic screaming yanked her from slumber and she bolted upright as she finally jumped to wakefulness. “What the…”

She tossed off the blanket covering her and immediately noted her nudity. Unwilling to investigate while completely naked, she sought out a uniform. She struggled into it, stumbling toward the entry to her rooms. By the time she reached the entryway, her suit was mostly in place even though the zip seal was giving her shit, and she’d managed to stuff her feet into her boots. She stuttered to a stop before the door and realized with dismay two things: Karru had obviously gone since he wasn’t there to assist her and she wasn’t sure how to return her housing to its previous form.

Taking a chance, she placed her hand on the wall above the palm pad and prayed it would make the altered quarters disappear the same way the touch had made them appear to her. She held her breath as she waited and released it with a heavy sigh of relief when the room shimmered and her bland gray accommodations were revealed.

As soon as the wavering image solidified into the form of her station issued room, she lifted her hand and placed it on the palm pad to part the doors.

She was met by a small contingent of station soldiers, four males possessing phasers and their stern gazes solidly on her.

“Rebecca Varda, you are wanted by the stationmaster in connection to the disappearance of the Duggises.”

“Seriously?” Sleep still clouded her mind and she fought to banish the cloud of exhaustion. She thought Karru had taken care of this with his little light show, but she should have known that no attempt at hiding the truth was infallible.

No one answered her question. Instead the lead officer gripped her shoulder and yanked her from her lodgings before pressing her face into the hallway wall. She placed her hands flat on the hard surface, attempting to ease the pressure of her body against the metal, but he shoved his front to her back and kept her pinned.

“Struggle for me.” His moist breath fanned her cheek. “Do it. Struggle.”

Those few words, those few tics, destroyed any hint of joy that lingered from the night’s events. As if her time with Karru had never happened.

When she didn’t react, he pulled away from her and reached for her hands, yanking them behind her back. Restraints. Cuffs. She really would be at their mercy.

“What are you doing, Orem? Stationmaster Poxu wants her unharmed.” One of the officers hissed at the male restraining her.

“She’s fine. I didn’t do a damn thing to the grimy Terran.”

“No? Then what the hell happened to her hand?”

Orem’s reply was immediate and lightning fast. He released her and jumped back. “She’s
diseased
.” Rebecca spun and leaned against the wall, rubbing her wrists. “Attention medical…”

She didn’t listen to the rest of his message, didn’t bother trying to figure out what he demanded of medical. Not when she looked at her hand and noted the swirling raised flesh that seemed to be slowly consuming her palm.

“… Quarantine.”

To be continued in Not Quite Terran Part Three…

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Links for the rest of the series…

Not Quite Terran #1 –
http://scifibit.ly/nqt1

Not Quite Terran #2 –
http://scifibit.ly/nqt2

Not Quite Terran #3 –
http://scifibit.ly/nqt3

Not Quite Terran #4 –
http://scifibit.ly/nqt4

Not Quite Terran #5 –
http://scifibit.ly/nqt5

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Published by Erin Tate. Not Quite Terran. Copyright © 2015 Erin Tate. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.