Jessica E. Subject BUNDLE (Intergalactic Heat) (13 page)

“Ah, Flavia, I’m glad you’re here.” Instead of inviting her to sit, he got up from his chair to stand beside her, his tail dragging behind him. Worry lines showed all over his red face.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her fear about being reprimanded evaporated.

“There’s a situation on Earth. Terrorists have learned of our technology to travel through space.” He raked a hand across the spines on top of his head. “The portal is going to be destroyed to prevent anyone else from coming across. At least for now.”

She drew in a quick breath. “What about Jewel?” Would she be forced to stay?

“We sent her through already. The portal hadn’t warmed up, but she made it through.”

She exhaled.
At least she’s safe.
“And why am I here?” How did this affect her? She couldn’t return to Earth.

“We’re giving you the chance to go home.”

Her heart leaped from her chest. She’d never wanted anything more, yet she knew there would be a catch. “Under what conditions?”

The director chuckled, a bit of smoke escaping from his mouth. “You will still work for us. As you were recruited, you will recruit others, preparing for another passage between Earth and the space station.” He handed her a new communicator. “The time has come for Earth to know about us. I will contact you soon. Right now you need to go. The portal will close in five minutes.”

If he said anything else, she missed his words. She ran out of the office then slammed the tube button. When she landed, she set her sights on the passage to Earth, its mass quickly shrinking.

“Wait,” she yelled at the Phantie standing by the controls. He held a large bar of steel, ready to destroy the system.

V took off running then dove when she reached the platform, hoping the portal didn’t close before she traveled through.

Chapter Ten

Jewel opened her eyes, a soft hand brushing across her cheek.

“Hi, sweetie.”

She gasped. “V?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“But…I thought….” She reached out then pulled V down against her. “I’m so glad you’re here.” But had she made it back to Earth or was she still on the space station? She didn’t care because she had V in her arms.

***

She let Jewel hold her for as long as she wanted, for she wanted to be there just as much.

“Where are we?” Jewel asked once she let her go.

“Back on Earth. At the lab where the portal
was
.” Although the section they stayed in remained quiet, the rest of the lab raced to tear apart the equipment before the technology could be used to harm rather than help.

“Are you here for good?” Hope filled her voice. “Or do you have to go back?”

She ran a hand across Jewel’s forehead, stroking away a few strands of hair. “I’m here for now. Eventually I may have to go back, but not until they rebuild the portal.” Returning to the space station held no appeal anyway, unless they went together. So long as they could build something from the night they’d spent together.

The door to the room opened to admit a man in camo fatigues toting an automatic weapon. “Ladies, your ride is here. You need to move, now.”

“Jewel, are you okay to walk?” She’d wanted to say more, discuss their future, but they’d run out of time.

“I…I don’t know.”

She scooped her off the cot and into her arms. Following their escort, she rushed through the halls then outside, Jewel clinging to her.

When they reached the limousine, V set her on the seat then climbed in beside her.

“The director will be in touch.” Their escort closed the door then tapped on the trunk.

V should have been worried with all of the extra security around the lab compound, but her stomach churned as a result of the woman beside her. Their future together, unknown.

“Where are we going?” Jewel, buckled in beside her, leaned on her shoulder.

“You’re going home.”

“And you?”

Only one destination came to mind. Wherever Jewel went. “I assume the Space Service will find me accommodations.”

Jewel sat up and took her hand. “You’re welcome to stay with me. I don’t have an extra bedroom or anything, but I do have room in my bed.”

Smiling, V squeezed her hand. Exactly what she’d hoped for.

“That is, if you want to be seen with the town monster.”

She leaned over and captured Jewel’s mouth with her own for a tantalizing kiss. Never again would she let her woman think of herself as a monster. Pulling away, she stroked the side of her face. “I do want to be with you, but perhaps we could find a two bedroom place in Ottawa?”

“Two bedroom?”

“Well, for now.” She smiled. “You know, one for us and the other one we’ll use as an office. And in the future—”

Her communicator beeped. A message came in from the director.

I’m glad to hear you’re safely back on Earth. Frey and Carrie would like you to house sit for them while they remain at the space station. Do you accept?

Yes,
she replied. Much better than an apartment.

She watched Jewel reading a message on her phone, her lips spreading into a huge smile. Then she let V read the message.

Darling Jewel,

I’m very sorry your time on the space station was cut short. And yet you still managed to meet with your one-night stand.

Yes, Flavia was the woman you were sent to meet. The director and I believed you would complement each other well. And we are overjoyed you are together now.

All the best in the future,

Madame Evangeline

With a heavy chest, V vowed not to cry. Now was a time to be happy. Someone named Madame Evangeline, along with the director had made all of her dreams come true. But who was that mysterious woman? She sighed. Right now, she had other things to concentrate on. She’d returned to Earth and had a beautiful woman in her life. Her future became a little less unknown.

She wrapped an arm around Jewel, pulling her closer then kissed her. “Let’s go home.” And perhaps on the way, she’d remind her lover of the beauty she saw when she looked at her.

Satin Sheets in Space

Chapter One

Danyka’s eyes flew open. The phone danced around on her nightstand. The numbers on her alarm clock blurred and came into focus. Seven o’clock.
Shit!
She’d meant to nap for an hour, but had slept for three. She fumbled for the device, but it stopped before she could reach it.

Eighties pop music jived from her Android again, sending it into another jig. Grabbing the phone, she pressed it against her head. “Hello?”

“Dany, where are you?” Her friend, Ellie, squealed on the other end.

Danyka yanked the phone from her ear and rubbed, before listening again.

“We’re waiting outside—in the limo.”

Double shit.
She needed a shower and time to dress in her eighteenth-century inspired designer gown. Closing her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose and fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to gain some control over her body. “Give me half an hour to get ready. Can you come back?”

Ellie sighed. “Fine, it’s your dollar. See you in a bit.”

No, it wasn’t her dollar, but her boss’s. Personal assistant to Josh Summers, film producer, she’d intended to enjoy her two weeks off—while he traveled across Europe on his honeymoon—and her sizable bonus. She’d picked up the envelope that had held the extra cash and three tickets to the Kartha Studio’s charity ball and pulled out a note.

Danyka,

Take two friends and have fun! Connie from Connie’s Couture, will take care of all of your gowns, and a limo will provide transportation there and home (if you need it then). Enjoy yourself while I’m gone, because we’ll be working crazy hours when Tamara and I get back.

Thanks for your dedication these last two years!

Josh

She’d fist-pumped the air before spinning in circles around her apartment when she’d read it. The ball would be A-list celebrities and industry giants from wall-to-wall. She’d phoned her friends, Ellie and Vanessa, right away, barely able to contain her excitement. But when they’d visited Connie’s to find dresses, she’d been filled with a sense of dread, reminded again of her freakish size. While she’d been granted womanly curves and a considerable bust, she towered over most men. She even had a couple of inches on Josh.

He’d never seemed to care, but when it came to finding a boyfriend, or even a date, her options were limited. Any guy she’d met taller than herself seemed to prefer women half her size. Those shorter than her gawked from a distance, but their eyes bulged out of their sockets when she approached them. On occasion, a short slimeball would come on to her, wondering what it would be like to
do
a giant. There would be civilized, respectable men at the ball. At least, she hoped so. In the end though, she expected to spend the night alone.

Her friends had found their dream gowns after trying on what seemed like hundreds of dresses, but she hadn’t had a single choice. There had been one she’d admired. Connie took her measurements and promised to search for a similar one in her size. Instead, on the day she went to pick it up, the woman had surprised her with a custom-made dress.

Sliding off the bed, she groaned. Her knees were already sore from the impending precipitation. Her joints were as good a gauge as any other high-tech gadget to measure the barometric pressure. Plus, she planned to wear heels the entire night, making it a double-whammy.
There had better be someplace to sit down, because it’s not as if anyone is going to ask me to dance anyway.

After a quick shower, she pinned her hair up, sprinkled glitter all over, and slipped on a black thong. Then she carefully placed her pasties.
Okay, time for the gown.

Unzipping the polyester bag, she gasped. The magnificence of the dress still shocked her every time she saw it. She brushed her hand across the pleated red silk of the skirt. But she didn’t have time to bask in its elegance. At least not until she had it on. She stepped into her red net petticoat, sliding it up to her waist, and spun in a circle. Oh, how she missed her childhood ballet classes. Even then, she’d towered over the rest of the students. Though classes hadn’t made her any less clumsy, as her parents had hoped, the friends she’d made there never let her believe she was anything less than a prima ballerina. As they pirouetted in front of the mirrors, in leotards and tutus, she’d forget her size.

With her stature and blazing auburn hair, she always attracted unfavorable attention. Tonight, though, she wanted people to stare, and maybe, just maybe, her knight in shining armor would arrive to sweep her off her feet.

She wiggled the skirt on and brushed her hands down the material to smooth it out.
Almost ready.

Deciding to forgo the detachable straps, Danyka wrapped the red silk corset around her torso, buttoning it up in the front. With a squeal of delight, she raced to the mirror.

She couldn’t help but twirl like a little girl. Before this moment, nothing in her life had resembled a fairy tale, except landing the position as Josh’s assistant. At the age of sixteen, she’d been orphaned when her parents died in a horrific car accident. Her aunt had agreed to take her in, rather than sending her to a group home, but the woman had spent as little time with her as possible, always busy planning some
important
event.

With her back toward the mirror, Danyka caught sight of the ink on her right shoulder. The Milky Way—a tribute to her and her dad’s shared love for space and science fiction. The day she’d come home with her first tattoo, her aunt had decided she should find an apartment of her own. Lucky for her, Ellie and Vanessa, classmates from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, had needed a roommate. They’d since graduated and found their own places, but remained close as they made their way in the
real world
.

She suspected her interests made her a perfect fit for Josh, a former sci-fi television star, now producing his own space flick. The tattoo had never bothered him, but would it be inappropriate at a charity ball? Why hadn’t she thought of that earlier? She didn’t have time to have her mark covered up. No, the ink would be just another way for her to stand out in the crowd.

Once she’d applied her make-up, she fished in her closet and pulled out her brand new black slingbacks—matching the lacing on the back of her dress—still in their box. They’d probably be off again in a couple of hours. She and heels never got along. When she opened the box, a small brown paper package lay on top.
Where did that come from?

The bag felt weightless in her palm. She removed a small piece of tape, letting a handkerchief and note fall to the floor. The red silk material could have been made from the same fabric as her dress, her initials DAR embroidered in the corner with black thread. Combined with the gown, shoes, and her awaiting carriage, the silk accessory completed her transformation into a princess. All she needed was a Prince Charming.