Odd Coupling (6 page)

Tapa
reminded her of
tapas
, the Spanish word for
appetizers. Bethany refused to think about what kind of snack might
be hidden behind his tapa so she concentrated on his last
statement. At least he’d said his species name.
D’Lyrian.

She nervously cleared her throat and
looked back up at him, confused. “You enjoy looking at the females
or the cloth?”

His smile vanished and his expression
turned serious as if he dissected each word of her question. He
blinked, unnerving her once again. Suddenly, his face
brightened.

“
Both,” he said with a
satisfied grin.

Damn D’Lyrian alien! Bethany crossed
her arms over her chest and stood as tall as her short frame
allowed. It was a struggle, but she somehow managed not to tap her
foot in irritation.

“
I’ll leave so you can
finish your shower.”

She spun around, slid the door open
and quickly stepped out of the stall. She pulled the shower door
closed behind her, determined to not look back at him. She grabbed
the two trash bags off the floor, but before she made it out of the
bathroom, she noticed his tapa draped over the top of the shower
door.

Curiosity killed the cat,
Bethany.
She couldn’t stop her mind from
countering her warning with the part about how satisfaction brought
the dead feline back to life.

She hurried to her closet and then
shoved the bags to the very back, behind all her clothes.
Afterward, Bethany slid on her boots. She needed to park the old
ranch truck in the shed beside the barn. Until she could clean the
blood off the backseat, it was best to keep it hidden. If Caleb or
any of his goons were bold enough to trespass on her property, she
didn’t want them to make any discoveries. Her fear for Vren grew by
the minute, and her attraction to him kept pace.

Chapter Four

The small female became more enticing
with each passing moment, and he couldn’t seem to keep his thoughts
focused on finding a way out of his predicament. There was a good
chance he wouldn’t leave the planet alive. He preferred to
concentrate on her instead. She fascinated him, and her enticing
smell tempted him to consider something forbidden.

After she’d slipped around him in the
bath area, he couldn’t help but track her. He’d used the cut on his
back as an excuse just to lure her closer, to have her touch him.
Even through the wet cloth, her hands were a balm against his skin.
He thought her delicate human features were very pleasing. Her eyes
were a deep shade of blue, much like the color of Earth’s oceans
when seen from space. Her pale gold hair and the soft appearance of
her skin, which was several shades lighter than his own, fascinated
him. She was much shorter than any female who’d ever caught his
attention, but her figure seemed lush from what he could make out
beneath her clothing.

He’d been serious about wanting to
wash her back and any other areas he might talk her into letting
him touch. Her shirt closures were undone at the top and they
parted just enough to give him a peek at the upper swells of her
creamy breasts. They taunted him and made his mouth water. The
second she’d turned and walked away, he could hardly control the
urge to grab her hips and pull her pert little ass tight against
his groin. His cock twitched as it grew inside the confines of his
pouch. He groaned in frustration.

He was out of his mind for
even thinking about coupling with a human. The very idea was
insane. He should just be grateful for the little female’s help. He
also knew she was very concerned about something. He could scent
her fear, but she didn’t seem to be afraid of him anymore. While
she’d stared at him in the shower, he’d smelled her arousal, so
sweet and tempting. He clenched his jaw, aching to discover how her
cream would compare to a female of his own kind. He yearned to
taste her, to lick and kiss her. He’d start with her lips, then her
neck and all down her body until he could bury his mouth in her
sex.
No.

She was too small and frail, he told
himself in an attempt to douse his inappropriate desire. Human
females weren’t as sturdy as D’Lyrian females. They couldn’t
possibly handle a warrior such as himself. He might hurt her if he
penetrated her. His cock jerked in disagreement and pushed against
the seam of his pouch as it swelled larger at the mere thought of
coupling with her.

Vren pressed his forehead against the
shower wall and sucked in deep breaths. The water had washed away
all the smoke smell and stench of animal blood. His head felt much
better, and he was certain his injuries weren’t too severe. Just
clearing his senses had helped. There was only one problem. He
could smell the female much better. Her scent lingered in the
shower. He listened for a moment to check if he could locate her in
the dwelling. He heard her quiet footsteps just beyond the sleeping
area. He wanted to finish, and didn’t know if she’d be shocked by
what he needed to do next. He didn’t wish to break any cultural
taboos. The exterior door to her dwelling opened, then closed.
She’d gone outside.

He decided he had privacy and enough
time. At his bidding, the vise-like muscles along the inner seam of
his pouch relaxed to allow his enlarging penis to emerge. Once
free, it grew to full length, swollen hard with sexual need. He
poured more soap onto his hand and spread the slick liquid over the
shaft and lathered all around the base to wash thoroughly.
Satisfied he was clean, he fisted his aching cock and slowly slid
his palm up and down. In its present state, he’d never be able to
tuck it back into the safety of his pouch. He had to come. It
wouldn’t take long.

He pumped faster and imagined with
each stroke that he thrust deep into the little female. She’d be
perfect for him, so tight and wet. His head dropped back as he
came. Thick white bursts of cum jetted against the wall. Each shot
made his hips jerk. The shower spray removed all traces of his
climax.

Sated for the moment, he rinsed his
body a final time and then took a few moments to revel in the rare
indulgence of an actual water cleansing. He relaxed so much a soft
purr vibrated within chest. The inner muscles of his pelvis
contracted to retract his penis into its secure position within the
pouch. Once inside, the seam closed so tight it seemed to
disappear. Now that he felt more in control of his instincts, he
was anxious to talk to her again. He turned off the water, stepped
out of the shower and dried off.

Earlier, Bethany had been afraid, and
he guessed her fear had something to do with the humans who’d found
the crash site and then tried to track him. Now that he was able to
think more clearly, he realized his presence might put her in
danger. The idea of her being harmed because of him sent a surge of
rage through him. At the same time, he wanted to make sure no one
hurt her, ever. He’d protect her. He’d kill anyone who tried to
harm her.

Overcome by a fierce urge to rush out
of the bathroom and find her, he gripped the doorframe to stop
himself. What was happening to him? Had he lost his mind? He’d
never experienced such strange emotions before, and quite frankly,
he didn’t like them.

He blinked, then snarled in
exasperation. He gave the mirror a sideways look to examine his
image. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He appeared the same as
always, except he was naked. Vren jerked his tapa off the top of
the shower door. He pulled it on before he fastened the waistband
over the base of his tail. No matter if he could escape from the
planet or not, he had to get away from the human female as soon as
possible. She was entirely too distracting.

After the night cycle ended, he’d
leave her dwelling and rely on his personal locator implant to
signal his position. A shuttle anywhere in Earth’s atmosphere would
pick up the weak transmission. Whether his comrades could gain
permission to land on the surface or not might be a problem.
Commandant Tram was bound by a temporary treaty with Earth’s
government—no unauthorized landings. Vren’s chances were bleak, at
best.

Convinced that a course of action even
without a formal plan was progress, he strolled out of the bathroom
and staggered a few steps before he fell flat on the floor. He
managed to cushion his fall with his hands, but there was no hope
of getting up. The room spun and made it impossible for him to find
his balance. A sharp pain stabbed his head. He closed his eyes. It
seemed to help block out the dizzy sensation. He rolled onto his
back and waited for his condition to improve. He hoped it
would.

* * * *

Bethany pulled the shed doors together
and then snapped the combination lock into place. The truck was
hidden for now. With her shotgun clutched in one hand and her sat
phone and flashlight in the other, she took off at a trot back
toward the house. He should be done with his shower by now. If he’d
go to sleep, she’d clean up, then try to call Juan to find out if
her foreman had heard any news about an alien spacecraft crash
landing on Earth.

She hoped the news media hadn’t found
out about Vren’s ship. On second thought, they might be helpful.
She didn’t know if Caleb would report the crash or not. Maybe she
should. Surely, the Pure Earth group wouldn’t dare harm him in
front of a horde of news reporters, and the Alliance could rescue
him. On the other hand, if she recalled the publicized terms of the
negotiations correctly, the Alliance couldn’t land any of their
spacecraft anywhere else on Earth without proper authorization. All
they could do was deliver their ambassadors to the NWG headquarters
or scientists to NASA.

He hadn’t exactly landed, but he
certainly wasn’t authorized to be on the planet right now. She
wondered how much time it’d take his people to negotiate for his
return. If it took too long, Caleb would eventually force his way
onto her property to continue the search. The very thought
threatened to send her into a senseless panic.

Why hadn’t she listened to her brother
and friends when they’d warned her about how dangerous it’d be for
her to live all alone at the ranch? Damn them all for being right,
she grinched. None of that mattered now. Somehow, she had to keep
him safe.

Bethany dashed up the porch steps
before she flung the house door open. She rushed inside, then
closed it and latched the deadbolt. She leaned back against the
sturdy wood and blew out a tense breath before she tossed her phone
and flashlight onto the nearby kitchen counter. Thank god her
parents had been avid hunters, and had taught her how to respect
and shoot most types of firearms. She leaned the shotgun against
the doorjamb. A nine-millimeter Beretta handgun with a full clip
was in the top drawer of her bedside table, and she kept a hunting
rifle under the couch in the living room just in case of an
emergency. She hoped like hell she wouldn’t need any of them. A
loud thud coming from her bedroom caught her attention.

For god’s sakes, what’s
the alien doing now?

Her first thought when she saw him
sprawled on the floor, flat on his back, was that he’d died. She
dropped beside him, clutched his massive shoulders and shook him as
hard as she could.

“
Vren! Open your eyes.
Don’t you dare croak on me,” she whined and then pressed an ear to
his chest, frantic to find a heartbeat. She heard a soft rumbling
laugh, then strong arms circled around her. She lifted her head to
look at him. “You’re not dead,” she accused. His lips curved into a
broad smile as he pulled her closer.

“
You are disappointed?” He
sounded amused and insulted all at the same time.

“
Of course not. Let me
up.”

His hold loosened, but he slid one of
his hands down her back and skimmed over her hip to cup her ass
before he released her. He was persistent. Bethany pushed away and
sat back on her heels.

“
What happened? Why are you
on the floor?”

“
Dizzy. I fell. Did you
know your room spins?”

Bethany rolled her eyes. “Where does
your head hurt?”

He pointed to a spot near a furry
ear.

She tried her best to be gentle as she
parted his hair to search for the injury. She found a small lump
near his left ear and a short laceration just below the swollen
area. It was clotted.

“
You’ve got a bump and a
small cut. It’s not bleeding anymore.”

“
I usually heal
fast.”

“
You need to rest and stay
still for a while, okay?” He nodded, then grimaced in pain. “Try to
sit up before you stand. I’ll help you to the bed.”

By some miracle, she got him to his
feet and over to her bed without stepping on his tail. She guided
him as he eased down to a sitting position. Once there, he slumped
to his side onto the mattress. His legs and long tail dangled over
the edge.

“
Don’t you dare hiss or
growl at me,” she warned before she grabbed his tail and placed it
onto the bed so it wouldn’t get caught under his legs. Strong
muscles worked beneath her palm to assist her efforts.

Surprisingly, he huffed instead of
growling. Bethany interpreted it as laugh since it didn’t sound
threatening in any way. Determined to complete the task, she
grabbed his thick calves and shoved two very brawny legs up onto
the bed.