Domestic Duet: Domestic Alliance & Asset (3 page)

“Sadie, I need you more.”

Chapter 3

Captain Aroc Farkus of the karuntee clan of moon dwellers, stationed on Sector Seven, studied the human female huddled in the corner of his gray sofa. Asleep, she appeared fragile and small, but he knew different. She’d struggled in his arms to free herself, hitting and scratching his face and chest. He’d have bruises on his legs for weeks.

She fought like an animal trapped in a cage once they were up here, before she passed out on the sofa. Impressed by her fight, he couldn’t take his eyes off her now. The last thing he wanted was to find her attractive or worse alluring. Dammit if she didn’t heat the blood rushing through his body headed for his cocks. He stepped out wide, letting the larger cock fall to the side.

Aroc raised his eyes to the sound of the doctor running the scanner over her forehead, taking her temperature to make certain she hadn’t run a fever when she passed out.

“Captain, don’t hesitate to contact me if anything changes. From her numbers—I’m basing them on my knowledge of your late wife, Katherine’s, annual physical—this young lady will be okay. Her blood pressure’s a little high, but I suspect it would be under the circumstances.”

“I can handle it from here, Doctor.” His gaze settled on her flat belly under the T-shirt, a hint of her brown skin peeking out from the raised hem. He shot a look at the doctor. “And you’re certain she’s not pregnant?”

“No. The scanner would’ve picked up a second heartbeat. I’ll prescribe human vitamins and a birth control injection. I’ll perform a bio-scan; adjust the active ingredients so I don’t over dose her system.”

Katherine believed she couldn’t have children, the reason they never used protection. He’d ask Sadie once she came around if she needed any medicine.

The Doctor continued. “She may be on a prescription now. Humans are fragile. This one’s particularly attractive. You could find yourself mated again. No reason for you to remain alone, Captain.”

“She’s not my mate, Doctor. I won’t be having more children. She’s Norese’s caregiver,” he urged with the wave of his hand. “Write her out the prescription you had Katherine take and have them sent over immediately. We’ll leave soon and be away for a month.”

The doctor blinked rapidly, his mouth opening and closing before he focused his attention on Sadie. “I’ll leave you with your guest while I return to the medical bay. I don’t keep Katherine’s files on my device any longer.” The doctor gave Sadie’s shoulder a light squeeze then stepped away. “She’ll be cautious of her surroundings when she wakes; possibly combative. Be patient, Captain. She'll need your understanding.” The doctor patted a hand to the side of his medical bag. “I’ll send her vitamins shortly and pain killers. Humans are susceptible to headaches when they’re stressed.”

The doctor left, leaving behind a list of human ailments Sadie may experience. He scanned the list…constipation. He shuddered, setting the paper on the table The exam reminded him of the time Katherine suffered a common illness among her people, a cold. Hot, clammy, achy, and mucus ran from her nose constantly. It pained him to see her ill.

In front of the replicator panel, Aroc stole furtive glances at his guest, while making himself a hot cup of coffee and a new selection of snacks for Sadie to eat. The ones Katherine preferred. The tray of replicated items he’d thought she might eat remained untouched on the table. Condensation ran down the sides of the chilled, unopened bottle of the ale he added to the fresh meal.

Being seven feet tall, with wine-tinged skin, and retractable spikes down the length of his spine made humans edgy. The carpeted floors masked his footsteps across the room. At the wall, he peered out the window into the vast expanse of space. Down on Earth, he’d watched her for weeks.

One of his males spying on one of the men they suspected of transporting tainted fuel informed him of the maid that worked for Edwards. She visited his office at the bank several times a week running errands. They placed her under surveillance. Every day the reports came back clean. Sadie Ochi Alexander had worked for this family for seven years, helping raise the son. The family didn’t deserve Sadie.

He needed a female—not a wife—to help him raise his half-karuntee, half-human daughter. He’d keep Sadie indefinitely and see if she could help with his other problem, insomnia.

Up close, Sadie held a fierce elegance appealing to him in a way he thought long buried after his life mate died two years ago. Aroc Farkus took whatever he wanted. A family that stole from their government, in turn, from him, when he allowed their fuel to recycle on his bay would pay for their treachery.

The treaty between them allowed for the fuel exchange. Karuntee filtered it then sent back metal to use for their train cars. Edwards sent contaminated fuel to a rogue clan of karuntee living on the fringe of civility. That fuel, once recycled, they sold to the underwater world. Cutting off the treaty with the humans would slam the lid on all the work he’d put in with the marine king.

Becoming allies to the humans—he’d wrestled with the notions for months when they presented it to him. He’d put the benefits to his species before his dislike for the humans. However, making himself an enemy to the underwater species would kill all future endeavors. Many nights he went without sleep to establish a relationship with their king to share their fuel. He couldn’t chance severing that alliance.

“What are you? And what do you want from me?” Sadie’s strained voice roused him from thought.

“Your help. My name is Captain Aroc Farkus of the karuntian clan from the moon. You’re in my home in Sector Seven in outer space.”

He waited for her response to his words. She gasped, staring up at him. “Outer space… I don’t believe you.” Sadie cocked her head to the side. “What are you? Some weird magician with a picture of outer space taped to the outside of this window.” She rubbed her hands over her thighs left bare by the shorts she wore. “Your skin’s pink and,” she stuttered, “and you have a patch of hair growing on one shoulder, and I’m supposed to accept everything you say as gospel.”

“Gospel?” he repeated, confused.

“Truth, fact,” she told him with a wave of her hand, her fingers spread wide. “You know… undisputable information.”

He tipped his head back understanding her meaning. “Sadie, again I tell you, I’m a moon dweller. A karuntee. Most of my species live on space stations, adapting to more human comforts.” He gestured to the table and her tray of food. “I made you something to eat.”

She leaned forward, tentatively eyeing the platter of assorted goods. “What’s that on the left? I don’t recognize the meat.” She shot him a confused look, her eyes wide with fear. “Please tell me you're not into cannibalism?”

“Relax,” he spoke in a hushed tone, getting to his knees on the opposite side of the table and placing them at the same eye level. “I don’t eat humans, Sadie.” He moved the platter closer to the edge of the table facing her. “This, over here, is charnok and this is glacier protein; two favorites among my people.” Her mouth twisted into a grimace. Obviously she’d never tasted glacier protein, or she’d have devoured it by now. “Charnok’s a grain, similar to human wheat. Simmered in a salted broth, we eat it as a warm breakfast cereal. Norese likes it mixed with chopped moon peaches.”

Sadie tucked hair behind her ear, the motion raising the hem of her top, exposing a slice of light brown skin above her shorts. Both his cocks twitched. He hadn’t been attracted to a female since Katherine’s death two years ago. And he wouldn’t be now.

“Who’s Norese?” Sadie asked.

His reason for continuing after Katherine died. “My little female, ah, daughter.” Light filled her eyes at the mention of him having a child. When she said nothing, he continued. “And this, glacier protein, dried fish from Earth. Our beaches only sustain plant life.”

Sadie shot a glance toward the window then back to him. “I’m not hungry.” She untucked her warm brown legs, curvy and smooth. Aroc found the color alluring and wondered if he stroked a hand down her skin, would she moan or purr low in her throat. He shoved back the arousal growing within him. She wasn’t here for him, but Norese.

Their females were all the same visually, not much variation in their tone. Sadie’s brown skin he wanted to see under the flow of water in his shower. Play in her dark hair plastered around her oval shaped face. Taste the now fragrant water as it ran between her thighs, trickling in rivulets to her delicate feet, to catch it on the tip of his tongue. His pulse raced. Illuminated shades of reds, pinks, and fiery orange burst through his mind at the mere image created from his imagination.

Aroc blinked back the feral need riding his body with each inhale of Sadie’s uniquely human feminine, warm, and inviting scent. The surge of lust hit him hard and unexpected. The safest thing for both of them was for him to get to his feet. As strong as he was, it crippled him to tear his gaze away from perfection. He pushed up at the sound of tiny footsteps padding down the hallway.

Sadie heard it too and made a gasping noise, then drew up tight on the sofa tucking her feet beneath her hips. Her eyes widened. She leaned out, a hand gripped tight on the edge of the sofa.

Reddish burgundy curls bounced on the head of his daughter as she sprinted into the living room. She bounded into his arms, wrapping herself around his neck. She pointed manically in Sadie’s direction. “Daddy…”

He smoothed curls from her face to tuck behind her ears. “Norese, this is Ms. Sadie Alexander. A human female. She’s visiting from Earth to live with us for a while. She’ll help you learn to read, write, and other things little girls do.”

The pulse that thudded in the crook of Sadie’s neck a moment ago now lay quiet under her even warm brown skin as he introduced Norese.

“This is my daughter, Norese Farkus.”

Seconds passed as he watched his daughter and Sadie size one another up, their eyes searching the other’s face. Something eased in the midst of their showdown, and Sadie’s face grew soft, her tense shoulders unhinging from her ears. Aroc’s gut flipped when Sadie’s large brown eyes found his.

“Captain, she’s beautiful and a head full of thick burgundy curls.” Flashing him a bright white smile, Sadie appeared happier somehow. “Is she an only child?”

He nodded once, feeling bewitched by the glow on her face.

“How old is she? Where’s her mother?”

The mention of his deceased wife twisted a knot in his gut. He pushed back the sad thought, not wanting to relive the agony. “Two—she’s why I invited you into my home.”

“Kidnaped,” she blurted out, then slapped a hand over her mouth. “I mean,”Sadie stuttered “not exactly an invitation, Captain. You never introduced yourself to me until you had me in your home.”

Her words rang true. He hadn’t given her a chance to refuse his offer, by never making one. Well, he’d introduce her to his daughter. He skirted the table to come around and sit beside her on the sofa.

“My daughter is half human and half karuntee. As you can see, raising her without the aid of a human female would be unfair.” He released his hold on Norese, allowing her to sit between them on the cushions. “Stay and help me raise my daughter, Sadie.”

She blinked so fast Aroc thought her eyes would dry out. “You want me to leave my life on Earth to stay here in outer space with aliens?”

Aroc scowled, dropping his gaze down his chest to take in his color. Did she see him as an alien? “Are we inferior to you, Sadie?”

“Captain, if you give me a few days to think this over, I can decide if—”

“You misunderstand me,” he corrected her immediately. “Your acceptance of my offer isn’t an option. You
will
help me raise Norese.”

He dropped his attention to Norese, working her way over to touch the tips of Sadie’s fingers. At the first connection, she scampered back onto his lap burying her face in his chest.

Sadie made a sound with her mouth he took as irritation with him as she cut him a side-glance, then worked Norese from his arms. “Who taught you how to hold a little girl? Come here, sweetie. Daddy’s got your dress all wrinkled holding you like that.” Norese uncurled her arms from around his neck. Aroc sat in awe at the two, now sitting comfortably together as if mother and daughter. The picture of the two of them hand in hand smoothing out the hem of the dress trapped him in the moment. That’s when he caught those brown eyes focused on his hand on the sofa inches from her leg. Sadie dropped her gaze to Norese now smiling up at her. Had she realized she wasn’t afraid of Norese? Sadie’s voice brought him out of his fog. “How do I know any of this exists, Captain?”

He scrubbed a hand over his clean-shaven head, massaging the tattoo of a moon over his right ear. How could he convince her this was real?

He caught her eyeing his black boots, and something lit up within her face. Aroc noticed she appreciated his attire, staring at his vest and cargo pants when she thought he wasn’t looking.

He crossed the room to the window extending his hand out to her. With his other hand, he pressed the button on the sill, raising the shade and revealing the beauty of the galaxy. Outside the window, the space station’s landing dock bustled with shuttles leaving and arriving. Through a second window, he gestured to the floor below them on the station. Shops run by merchants, the canteen where karuntee went to have a drink after work—a small world supporting the space stations inhabitants.