Alien Mate (5 page)

“What color are the babies?”

That flummoxed him, apparently, and he knitted his dark brows. “I don’t know. I’ve never held one, and I honestly don’t recall seeing any. I was the youngest of my mother’s brood. Alphie?”

“I already heard the question,” said the computer, and to Diana it sounded like he was suppressing chuckles too. “The babies, depending on the parents, run a gamut of colors, actually, but most often they are a mixture of the parents’ skin hues.”

“I’m going to have a blue baby?” Diana spoke without thinking and then tried to backtrack. “That is, if I decide to—”

But Kor had heard enough, and with a grin, his arms were around her, his lips capturing her mouth and shushing her.
He sure has an interesting way of making me shut up,
she thought, closing her eyes and enjoying what had become a daily occurrence between them. And despite her protests, she looked forward to his daily embraces.

As he deepened the kiss, parting her lips to slide his tongue inside, she grew bolder as well. Her hands touched the hair at his nape, the texture softer than it looked. As the kiss deepened though, she let her fingers drift from the silk of his hair to grip the defined muscles in his shoulders.

His hands performed an exploration of their own, skimming up her rib cage to lightly touch the underside of her breasts. Diana felt her breath hiccup as she waited for his hands to grab her full globes and squeeze them. They felt heavy with longing, her nipples so taut.

But instead his hands came back down to her waist and slid around her to hug her in close.

Diana felt frustrated and mewled against his mouth, arching her body into his.

Kor chuckled. “Sorry, moon flower, but I will not take advantage of you without the bonding ritual. If you are ready, let me know.”

Diana felt like a cold bucket of water had been dumped on her. She jumped up, his unresisting arms falling away.

“I—No,” she managed to say in a voice that wasn’t too breathy. Then she fled from his laughter, the heat from his kisses still branding her lips, her loins wet enough to wring.

However horny as she was, she knew one thing for sure.
I’m not ready yet.

18

I still have so many questions. So many concerns. And lucky me, I only have a horny blue man and a
sarcastic computer to answer them.

The responsible part of her knew she should say no. After all,
they had nothing in common
.

Oh yeah, like me and my ex Rick had so much in common.
Rick had been a lawyer by day, asshole by night. She’d dated Rick the gym enthusiast for three months. They spent most of their dates at either his place or hers. Ostensibly to watch a movie, but usually they ended up in bed.

And while she could not say she had actually loved him, she had liked him and thought he liked her too. Turned out she was his closet fetish, a fact she discovered by accident when she asked him why she hadn’t met any of his friends. Rick had hemmed and hawed and then finally admitted that her size embarrassed him.

“Excuse me? I thought you said you loved my curves.”

“Well, I do in private, but in public, no one wants to be seen with a fat chick.”

Diana had thought she’d been pretty restrained when he’d made that comment. After all, she’d only slapped him once. She’d been more pissed at herself for crying when she got home. Who cared what one asshole thought?
So what if I’m plump? I’m also smart, funny,
considerate . . .

Now that she thought about it, Kor appreciated all her qualities, even her rounded shape.

So what was her problem? Kor had no intention of hiding her away like a shameful secret.

Or would he?

“Alphie, how are the women on Kor’s planet treated?”

“Could you be more specific?” asked Alphie.

“Well, do the women over there have freedom? Are they allowed to go out and do what they want? Do they have to wear veils over their face? Do men decide everything?”

“Yes and no,” came Alphie’s oblique reply. “Before the plague, females had almost as many rights as men. Since the plague, some of those freedoms have been curtailed in order to protect them.”

“Curtailed how?”

“Simply put, females must be married when they come of age, and widowed females must likewise be taken under the care of a male guardian. This is for her own safety, though, as the lack of females makes the males a little more violent in their courting methods.”

Diana kind of found that idea archaic-sounding for a supposedly advanced culture. It did sound, though, like the issues were mostly safety ones. And Kor certainly hadn’t tried to restrain the way she spoke to him. How bad could it be?

“Anything else I should know?” she asked. “Like, can he dump me if it doesn’t work out?”

“Mate bonds are for life. A male mate, especially of the warrior class like Kor, would die before allowing you to come to harm. You will be well taken care of.”

But will I be loved?
she wondered, still confused as she went to sleep in the large bed, alone.

19

“Kor,” said his mother in a firm tone, “what do you mean you have not bonded yet?

You are almost home. What are you waiting for?”

“She hasn’t said yes yet, Mother,” said Kor, restraining an urge to run his hand through his hair, a sign of agitation his mother was sure to recognize.

“What? Who cares if she hasn’t said yes? She was chosen by the Oracle. Now do your duty, and bond with her.”

What did his mother think he’d been trying to do? By all the silvery moons, he thought he’d had her the last time they’d kissed. She’d been ripe for him. He could sense it, smell it.

His body still twitched in remembrance. Yet, she still hesitated. He’d never understand females.

“I’m trying,” grumbled Kor under his breath.

But his mother, of keen ears, heard him.

“Well try harder, son. Have you not explained the plight of our world?”

“Of course I have. But she insists that we date.” Dating, an unfamiliar term that Kor had researched and found to mean on her planet some kind of extended courtship.

“Date? Oh my, I haven’t heard that term in a long time,” said his mother with a chuckle.

“They found you an Earth girl. How marvelous. But that changes nothing. Give her what she wants, and be done with it.”

“I’m not even sure what she means by a date. I’ve been courting as best I can on board.”

“Then take her somewhere off ship. Somewhere romantic.”

Romantic, another term Kor didn’t quite comprehend. Did he not lavish attention on her already? What more did Diana need?

Kor chatted with his mother a few moments more before saying good-bye and switching off the communication console. He leaned back in his seat, thinking.

According to Alphie’s research and his mother, he should take her somewhere pretty and flatter her, make her feel attractive—didn’t his kissing and touching her every chance he could count? He needed to make her feel comfortable in his presence. By the power of the moons, this dating business seemed complicated. No wonder the bonding ritual had been invented. A pity his mate couldn’t see the beauty of it.

Kor pulled up on-screen a map of the system they were currently flying through and grinned when Alphie circled one particular planet in red.

“Thanks, Alphie,” he said, jumping out of his chair. He’d found the perfect spot to make Diana his.

* * * *

“Come with me,” Kor said mysteriously, interrupting her virtual game of chess with Alphie.

Diana barely glanced at him, intent on her next move. But her body sure knew he was there.
Treacherous body
. She’d barely slept the night before for thinking about him. At least she’d come to a decision. She’d bond with him before they got to his planet, but only when the time seemed right, which, judging by her reaction to his presence, would probably be the next time he kissed her. However, she had no intention of telling him that. A lady should always play hard to get if she wanted her man to appreciate her.

Kor leaned into her line of sight with a pleased look on his face like a little boy who had a surprise and couldn’t wait to reveal it.

20

“Come with me,” he repeated.

“Where?”

Kor shook his head with a smile and didn’t answer. Diana found herself intrigued at his mysterious, almost playful air and rose from her seat. Tugging her hand, Kor led her to a bland room she had never seen before.

“Close your eyes.”

“Why?” Diana asked suspiciously.
Is he going to kiss me again? Yay!
Diana frowned at her subconscious glee at this thought.
Just because I’m going to marry him doesn’t mean I have to be so
eager,
she thought.
Remember, make him work for it.
But even with that admonishment to herself, her body tingled in anticipation. The man, alien, whatever you wanted to call him kissed like a god, and she couldn’t wait to taste him again.

But he didn’t kiss her. Instead he spoke. “You asked for a date. I think that was the term you used. So I had Alphie find a place for us to go on a picnic. According to your Earth histories, that is considered romantic.”

Diana smiled.
He’s been doing research? For me? Maybe I’ll kiss him first this time.

“Now close your eyes, no peeking,” he said, standing close behind her, his hands on her waist, that simple touch enough to set her pulse racing. Diana shut her eyes tight and waited.

Nothing happened.

“Open your eyes,” he said, his breath teasing the lobe of her ear.

Thinking something had backfired, Diana opened them, expecting to see the bland beige room again, but instead a colorful vista appeared, to her shock.

“Oh my freaking God,” she exclaimed, trying to take it all in.

Kor, pleased at her reaction, smiled before tucking her hand into his arm and leading her down a pink grassy hill—although she’d never imagined a grass that would tickle like silk on her ankles.

Bet making love on this would feel . . .
Diana almost gasped at the direction of her thoughts.

She seemed to be inundated with naughty thoughts that kept multiplying and centered around her blue suitor.
Remember, make him work for it. This is just part of his diabolical plan to
make you succumb to his delicious body. I can’t give in too easily.
But God, he was making it hard.

“Where are we?” she asked,
crouching down to stroke the pink tendrils at her feet that she could swear sighed in the wind with pleasure.

“Ambresia. A planet that has no resources, no sentient life, no real value other than it’s pretty and gentle.”

“I’d think a planet like this would be mobbed with folks. Or are there, like, ferocious alien-eating monsters or something?”

“There are those who’ve tried to build here, but the planet overtakes the structures overnight. It’s like the planet itself is sentient and prefers to remain untouched. As for monsters, unless you count cute, cuddly creatures who mob you for petting, then no, nothing to worry about.”

Diana sat down on the pink lawn and looked up at Kor with a smile. She had to admit he’d found the perfect spot, not to mention he looked so yummy standing there, loose white shirt rippling lightly in the gentle breeze, his snug breeches ending midcalf, his feet bare like her own. Her eyes caught his, and she stared, transfixed, at his violet orbs, aware that once again they were glowing, something that happened, she noticed, when he became aroused.

And what do you know, it happens every time he gets close to me,
she thought gleefully.

Blushing—and feeling heat coursing through her body—she dropped her gaze. So of course he chuckled. Alien jerk, he knew how he affected her.

21

Hearing him moving around, she watched as he spread out a blanket, a checkered red-and-white thing reminiscent of home—Alphie, she supposed. Then he unpacked a type of cooler filled with food—little bite-sized pastries, fruit both familiar and not, a bottle of something that sweated, along with crystal glasses. He’d come prepared.

Diana moved onto the blanket and sat lotus-style before helping herself to tidbits. Then, curious, she asked him more questions about the planet as they ate, the atmosphere—not to mention the company—relaxing her completely. She wanted to blame the fresh air and sunshine for the way her body came alive, but she knew better.
Oh, why lie? I love being with
Kor. For an alien, he sure knows how to make me feel good.

Diana, stomach happy, lay on her back, her head pillowed by one arm. Kor moved to lie on his side beside her, head propped on one hand, watching her. Diana could see his eyes glowing again, and her body tingled, aching for him to touch it.
Wanton
, she chided herself.

But who was here to care?
And to be honest, it’s not like I miss my old, boring life. In fact, I’ve been
happier and more alive these last couple of days than I’ve ever been.
So why fight it?

Diana made the first move and lifted up her free hand to lightly run a finger down the side of his face. Kor closed his eyes, and she could have sworn she felt him tremble. She rolled onto her side to face him and this time gently touched his lips with her finger. He parted them for her, and the edge of his tongue wet her fingertip before his lips closed around her digit and sucked it.

A jolt of longing shot through her body and she let out a surprised cry. His eyes opened, blazing now with arousal. He reach up a hand and touch her face like she’d touched his. He mimicked her action, and when his finger parted her lips, she nipped it and then sucked it.

“Oh, Diana,” she heard him whisper, his hand sliding to the back of her head to twine itself in her hair and draw her face toward his. Diana’s eyes fluttered shut, and she held her breath at the feel of his lips, featherlight, sliding across hers. Diana trembled at this delicate touch, her whole body awake and taut with erotic tension. He rolled her onto her back and lay partially on her, his heavy weight so welcome. The hand in her hair had traveled down her body, touching her neck briefly before tracing a path between her heaving breasts. When his hand cupped one round globe, Diana arched and moaned, a moan that quickly turned into a cry of pleasure as his lips, which had been softly teasing hers, moved to wetly embrace the tip of her breast.