Alien Tryst (6 page)

He walked toward the Hummer, matching her shorter stride.
“You’re strong, Eshe.” He squeezed her fingers. “Stronger than anyone I’ve ever
met.” He opened the passenger door, placed the bag in the backseat and helped
her climb into the massive vehicle. “You can do this.”

“I’ll try my best.” Eshe summoned a small smile.

“You’ll succeed because you
are
the best.” He smiled
back at her. “You’re worthy, more than worthy, perfect.” Her breath hitched,
the amazement in her eyes telling him he’d said the right thing. Kane shut her
door, rounded the hood and filled the driver’s seat. He slid the key in the
ignition and placed Eshe’s hand on his thigh where it belonged.

“There are drinks in the middle console.” Kane drove fast,
wishing to end Eshe’s agony as quickly as possible, to bond her permanently to
him, to protect his mother.

The rising sun painted the horizon orange and red, his
vision adjusting for the increased light. Kane glanced at Eshe. “You can see in
the dark.” He didn’t have to hide this ability from her. He could be himself.

She rummaged through the custom-made console. “All
Orogones
can see in the dark. We must, as the planets we visit have different
illumination levels.”

She chose fruit punch, his favorite, and opened the can.
Other women fussed over their fingernails, their hair, their makeup. Eshe
didn’t care about her appearance, his woman a gorgeous mess.

“Our eyes are the only part of our exterior shells that
don’t change.” She offered him the first sip.

He tipped the can back, gulping the sweet liquid, his energy
levels low. “I guess the saying was based upon truth. Our eyes
are
the
windows to our souls.” Kane forced himself to add to the conversation, having
experienced how his silence bothered her, how it ate away at her
self-confidence.

“They’re the windows to my two souls.” Eshe laughed, the
sound lightening Kane’s heart. “You must find my eyes strange,” she probed,
taking the can from him. Their fingers brushed, the connection felt down to his
unruly cock.

“Your eyes are beautiful,” Kane said softly, staring at the
empty road. The black pavement stretched out in front of them. In the past he’d
found this part of the route lonely, but he didn’t find it lonely today. Today
his woman sat by his side, her left palm flattened against his thigh. “They’re
the kind of eyes a man could look into for an entire lifetime.”

“Truly?”

Kane felt her gaze on him. She didn’t believe in him,
questioning his attraction, his commitment. His alien woman didn’t know he’d
kill for her, die for her, sacrifice everything he had, everything he was to
keep her safe. Kane covered Eshe’s hand with his, holding her to him, never
wanting to let her go. “Truly.”

He cares for me.
Eshe watched her One, focusing on
him, trying to ignore her pain.
He must.
Kane drove with a grim
determination, his chin square and his face hard.

“We’ll save your mother,” she assured him, patting his
chest. The skin-on-skin contact helped alleviate some but not all of her agony.

His gaze flicked to her and then returned to the road.
“We’re minutes away from my parents’ weekend home.” He turned the Hummer onto a
narrow dirt road.

It would take longer than a few minutes to convince his
mother to be transferred, to leave her world, her job, her mate. Eshe surveyed
the flat land. A barbed-wire fence lined the road and cows, an intriguing Earth
creature, grazed on grass. Their lifespans were much shorter than hers was yet
they appeared contented, having no regrets.

The
Kaws
, a species she lived with for decades, also
had short lifespans and they didn’t feel the anxiety about death, about no
longer existing, that she did. They chirped and trilled happily.

“You’re sprouting feathers,” Kane said quietly.

Eshe glanced down at her hands. Fine orange feathers covered
her skin. “Earth. I’m on Earth.” She folded her fingers into fists, willing her
outer shell to change. When…if she joined with Kane, these shifts wouldn’t
occur. She’d permanently resemble a human.

“When my mother is concentrating on a medical case, she
forgets where she is also.” Kane squeezed her clenched fist, tightening the
connection between them. “The house could collapse and she wouldn’t notice.”

He understands.
Eshe gazed at him with wonder. “I
love you, Kane.” The words whooshed out of her mouth before she could stop
them. The Hummer swerved and rocks sprayed the metal underbelly, the sound
musical, light and happy. “I wanted you to know that,” she added.

“Do you need to stop?” Kane glanced at her, not
acknowledging her confession.

I shouldn’t have said anything.
Eshe nibbled on her
bottom lip.
He doesn’t care for me.
“If we stop now, a warrior will find
us before we transfer your mother. My laser light show, as you call it, will
point him directly here.”

“We’ll take that risk.” Kane slammed on the brakes and she
flew forward. He reached out, catching her before she smacked into the dash.

“Come here.” He pulled her over the middle console and set
her solidly on his lap.

“We have to do this quickly.” Eshe spread her legs eagerly,
needing his touch, wanting him. Kane reached under her shirt and curved his
rough hands around her sensitive breasts. A surge of desire shot through Eshe’s
body.

“Yes.” She arched, pushing her ass into the ridge in his
pants.

“Yes,” he repeated, nuzzling her neck with his lips.

She needed more, more contact, more marvelous skin. Eshe
tugged the T-shirt over her head, tossed the garment into the passenger seat
and moaned with pleasure as she leaned back, her back pressing against his bare
chest. He was muscle and heat and hard male, her One, her only.

“Beautiful.” Kane squeezed and released her curves, his
tight grip spiraling Eshe’s arousal skyward, the contrast of his tanned fingers
against her pale breasts exciting her. They were different—female and male,
Orogone
and mostly human, scientist and warrior—yet he completed her, made her whole.

Eshe wiggled, grinding her ass into his groin, unable to
remain still, the sensations too intense, too right. She craved him as she
craved sweetness, air, life. “I love you.” She’d said the words once. Saying
them again wouldn’t change anything, wouldn’t change their future.

She couldn’t, wouldn’t think about the future now. Eshe unfastened
her loose-fitting pants, her readiness wetting the fabric. She’d enjoy the
moment, perhaps the last encounter she’d have with Kane.

He glided his coarse palm over her stomach, under her
waistband, curling his fingers over her mons. She shuddered, the pressure
exquisite.

“You’re hot for me, love,” Kane murmured into her ear, his
lips vibrating against her skin.

Does he love me?
Eshe rocked into his palm, the heel
of his hand grazing her clit, sending waves of pleasure through her form. “I’m
hot only for you.” A band of emotion tightened around her chest, restricting
her breathing. “You’re my One.”

“I
am
your One.” He pushed his fingers into her
wetness, the fullness sublime. “Only I can give you what you want, what you
need.” Kane pumped her and she panted, the need inside her building, building,
her souls pounding against her skin. “Only I can touch you like this.”

He worked her hard and fast, drawing more moisture from her
core, her musk scenting the air. Eshe moved with him, lifting her hips into his
finger thrusts, her body heating, verging on the edge of combustion.

“When we’ve completed our mission I’ll fill this sweet pussy
with my hard cock.” Kane’s dirty words thrilled her. “I’ll fuck you senseless,
Eshe.” He drove his fingers into her. Her juices splattered over his hand.
“Claim you as mine.”

Stars. He knows what I want to hear.
Eshe’s breathing
grew ragged. “We’ll join.” Her thighs shook and her inner walls constricted
around him, escalating the friction.

“We’ll join,” he confirmed. “We’ll be one.”

Hope intensified Eshe’s desire. Kane was a warrior and
warriors rarely made false promises. He meant what he said. They’d join and
she’d live. They’d have more time and he could grow to love her, to need her as
she loved and needed him. She writhed. “My One,” she pleaded, not knowing what
she desired, only that he could give it to her.

“That’s it, love.” He circled her clit with his thumb,
winding her passion tighter and tighter. She smoldered. She burned, the heat
inside her unbearable. “Come for me.” He thrust hard and she screamed, her
souls bursting from her chest, her pussy clenching his fingers.

Kane held her as she bucked, fighting to escape the flames
of her release, caged between the steering wheel and his unrelenting muscle.
Her souls streamed around them, seeking an entry point, yearning to join with
their One.

Soon.
Tears trickled down Eshe’s cheeks, cooling her
skin.
Soon, my souls will be at peace.
She clasped Kane’s pant-covered
thighs, securing herself to him, riding the wave of bliss.

Gradually the tremors eased and finally stopped. Her souls
returned to her body. Eshe sagged against Kane, sated, weary, disappointment
edging her satisfaction. “Soon.”

“Yes, soon.” He removed his hand. His skin glistened with
her juices. “After we join I plan to do this to your pussy.”

Eshe turned her head and watched him as he extended his
tongue and licked his fingers. Kane’s lips curled upward, satisfaction
softening his harsh countenance. “You’re delicious, Eshe.”

An engine rumbled in the distance. “The warrior is here.”
She scrambled into the passenger seat, fastened her pants and pulled the shirt
over her head, her heart beating quickly. “We shouldn’t have stopped.”

Tires spun and dirt splattered the metal underbelly as their
vehicle shot forward, Kane driving the Hummer at its top speed. The sound of
the engine grew louder and Eshe frowned. “The vehicle isn’t behind us.”

Kane leaned toward the windshield, his gaze fixed on the
horizon. “Would the warrior hunting us know where we were going?”

“He’s hunting me,” Eshe corrected. “And warriors prefer to
chase targets, not trap them. It’s one of their games.” Kane’s lips twisted.
“Long lives spent doing similar tasks result in boredom,” she explained.

“That’s my father’s truck.” He pointed at the vehicle in
front of them. Kane didn’t slow the Hummer, swerving to the side to avoid a
head-on collision. Eshe’s ass smacked the leather seat as the vehicle bounced
over bumps. A gray-haired man sat in the cab of the truck.

“And that’s my father,” Kane noted, grinning.

Tension eased from Eshe’s shoulders. She glanced at the
passenger-side mirror. The truck turned, doing a U-turn, and trailed them.
“He’s following us.” Kane’s father was an older version of him, having the same
square chin, the same cheekbones.

“
Orogones
age very slowly,” she shared. “We live for
a very long time, thousands of Earth years.”

Kane’s lips flattened once more. “I’ll die before you do.”
He decreased the Hummer’s speed.

“You won’t die before me if we join.” Eshe placed her palm
on his thigh and his muscles flexed under her fingertips. “You’ll be
Orogone
then with an
Orogone
’
s
lifespan and an
Orogone
’
s
ability to be transferred. You’ll also share my memories.”

“I already share your memories.” Kane stopped their vehicle
in front of a large white country house.

A plump red hen herded her fluffy yellow chicks to safety,
clucking her disapproval. A black-and-white dog raised his head, gazed at them,
and then resumed his nap. A woman stood on the front steps in front of a screen
door. She shielded her eyes from the sun with one hand. Her hair was as black
as Kane’s, her lips spreading into a wide, welcoming smile.

She doesn’t know about the danger, about the risk she’ll
be taking.
Eshe glanced at Kane. He smiled at his mother, love radiating
from him, and wistfulness filled her.
Will he ever look at me with love,
with caring?

“Are you ready to do this?” Kane asked.

“No,” she answered honestly. “This might not work, my One.”
I
could kill his beloved mother, destroy any feelings he has for me.

“We have no other options.” Kane grabbed the duffle bag from
the backseat, exited the Hummer and slammed the door behind him, metal ringing against
metal, the sound ominous. His father parked his truck behind their vehicle,
preventing any escape.

Not that we can escape.
Eshe pushed on her
sunglasses, pressing them against the bridge of her nose, ensuring her unusual
eyes, the eyes Kane claimed were beautiful, remained concealed.
He’s right.
We have no other options.

Eshe opened the door and jumped to the ground, the heels of
her boots sinking into the soft soil.
Is my science sound?
Her stomach
churned with doubt and her body ached.

“You must be the reason our son is shirtless.” Kane’s mother
smiled at her, her gaze lingering on Eshe’s T-shirt. “And why he made that
emergency stop.”

“I’m sorry.” Her face heated.

Kane’s father chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. His mother
and I have made plenty of emergency stops in our day.” He nudged Kane’s
shoulder. “We thought that gas-guzzling monster vehicle of yours finally broke
down. That’s why I was driving out to give you a ride…and a rough time.”

Kane glanced at her and Eshe saw his dread. She clasped his
free hand, trying to relay her support.
I’m here. You’re not alone.

His mother’s gaze dropped to their linked fingers and her smile
widened. “I’ve been waiting for this day, Son.”

“No, you haven’t,” he replied, his expression deathly
serious. “There’s a situation.” He took a deep breath, his chest rising and
falling. “Grandfather isn’t human.”

Kane waited for the jokes, the disbelief, anything. There
was nothing, silence stretching. “Grandfather is an alien.”

“They prefer to be called off-worlders,” his mother
corrected, exchanging a speaking glance with his father. “More specifically,
Orogone
.”

“You knew.” Kane staggered backward, his legs weak, and
Eshe’s grip on his hand tightened, reminding him he wasn’t alone. “And you
didn’t tell me?” Their betrayal cut him deep. They were his
family
, his
parents
.

“Your grandfather told us everything before he disappeared.”
His mother didn’t meet his gaze. “I wish he hadn’t.” The morning breeze
fluttered her simple print dress, her weekend wear as she called it. “There’s
nothing we can do and the waiting, the wondering if every day might be my last,
your last, is tortuous. I thought it better if you didn’t know. You could
continue to live a normal life.”

“A normal life?” Kane snorted. “I’ve never been normal. You
must have known that.”

His mother’s face paled. “I suspected. Kane.” She reached
out to him.

“No.” He moved closer to Eshe, away from his parents. He
loved them, he’d always love them, but he hurt too much to be comforted. “You
were wrong about there being nothing we can do. Eshe has uncovered a way for
humans to be transferred to
Orogone
.”

“Eshe,” his parents repeated.

“It might or might not work.” She removed her sunglasses,
placing the eyewear in the pocket of her baggy pants.

His parents stared at her. His father sucked in his breath
and his mother placed a hand over her gaping mouth.

“Eshe is an
Orogone
scientist.” Kane placed an arm
around his woman. “She’s my One, my destined mate.” She met his gaze, the
red-and-blue flames in her black eyes burning brightly. “I love, trust and
believe in her.”

“You shouldn’t believe in me.” Her voice was soft. “There
have only been two trials and those were with simulated humans.” She looked at
his mother. “If this experiment doesn’t work you could die in extreme pain.”

“If your experiment works, Kane, our son.” His mother looked
at his father. “Our only child will live.” His parents hugged each other close.
Kane couldn’t remember them ever spending more than a day apart.

“I’ll be your next trial,” his father volunteered.

“Mother should be transferred first.” Kane ignored Eshe’s
gasp. They’d transfer both of them. He wouldn’t leave his father on Earth
alone. “We have to do this quickly. A warrior is hunting us.”

“He’s hunting me.” His woman scowled, her expression
adorably fierce. “I agreed to transfer your mother because death was the other
alternative.” She twisted, trying to escape his clasp. Kane held on to her
waist, not letting her go. “Your father will live.”