Boarded: Alien Romance Page 4

  “True.” His chuckle followed her out of the bathroom, where she pulled out a camisole and underwear set with the red one-piece suit from under the cot and dressed.

  He came from behind and caressed the other scar that went through her left shoulder. “This is from a blaster. Seems you need to learn to duck faster as well.” His hands stopped her from tugging on the suit any further. “Lay down on the cot. I’ll work out the rest of the knots in your back.”

  She pivoted to face him, grasping the half-done suit to her breasts. If only he knew he caused most of those knots.

  “Did I offend?” His brow knitted together.

  “No.” He just scrambled all her internal circuits. She needed to gather her wits. “Even though I’m part computer, I am still a person and can’t control all my primal instincts. I’m attracted to you, and the physical contact makes me uncomfortable when I’m not sure of the meaning behind it.” There she’d said it, bluntly, but there wasn’t any way for him to misinterpret her meaning.

  He nodded slowly. “I understand.” His skin paled to a lighter shade of blue and he sat on the edge of the bunk, his hands trembling.

  “Are you ill?”

  “The nutrient packs were not enough. How long were we in Jump?”

  “Two days. What do you need?”

  “Days?” He rested his head in his hands. The dull hue of his skin made his freckles appear darker. She should have noticed this earlier in the shower. “Can you get me to my storage bin? The one we were going to check on before Jump.”

  She knelt next to him to gaze up at his face. A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead. “I think we should have Kaille take a look at you. She’s the ship medic.”

  “What I need is in the bin.”

  “Okay, maybe I can bring your stuff here instead of making you move. You look like hell, Nual.”

  “No, I have to go there. I have to feed, Liaison.” He stared at her and gave a soft smile. “Please.”

  Chapter Five

  Nual leaned on Sadie as they sped down on the lift to the cargo area. She fit perfect under his arm, just the right height to support his heavy frame. At any other time, she would have enjoyed the closeness but not under these circumstances.

  Poor Nual hung his head and tried to bear most of his weight. The weakness came over him fast after the shower, something about heat exacerbating his condition.

  She touched his chin and brought his gaze to meet hers. “I wish you would stop playing games and give me the data chip. This is serious, you’re having trouble walking.”

  The lift stopped and his knees buckled, taking them both to the floor.

  “Sun on a beach!” The doors had opened as soon as the lift stopped. They lay across the threshold. Sadie untangled her limbs from his with Glitch hovering in her face. “Get out of the way. I can’t see. No, don’t call for assistance. The crew needs to concentrate on the ship and themselves. We’re okay for the moment. Right?” She turned Nual’s face toward her. The cool temperature of his skin concerned her.

  “We are.” He gave a weak smile. “No crew.”

  A ding informed them someone else wanted to use the elevator.

  “Come on, big boy. Not far to go.” She jammed her shoulder under his arm and lifted with her legs. “If you can’t walk, I’ll sling you over my back like a Kenish bride.”

  He found his feet and took most of the weight from her. A defiant, exhausted glare met her approving one. “My name is Nual, not big boy.”

  “And mine’s not bing-ta.”

  They weaved like a couple of drunks in the row between bins. Maol would have placed Nual’s belongings within easy access, so they wouldn’t have to move anything to get to the door.

  “Your name implies I’m not a grown man.”

  “And I’m not the sort of woman your nickname implies.”

  “With a little effort you could be.”

  She barked a laugh. “Do you want to crawl the rest of the way?”

  “No…” The lack of nickname hung in the silence.

  It made her growl, and she pulled him along while he chuckled under his breath. His laugh echoed. Even crammed with storage bins the cargo bay still gave the impression of emptiness. The hairs on her arms stood. She almost felt lost among the metal, rectangular boxes. They all looked the same. If not for Glitch leading them, she’d already be disoriented.

  Her POD highlighted the serial number they were looking for on one of the dented black bins.

  She leaned Nual up against the cold metal wall while Glitch tried to access the panel to open the door.

  “It’s locked. Glitch won’t be able to decipher the code.” He reached past her and entered an extensive series of numbers, which released a scanner, he pressed his hand to it and the door slid open. A light flicked on inside. “Your POD cannot observe the interior.”

  She didn’t know how to react. Glitch was a part of her in a cybernetic kind of way. “Why?”

  “No scans. But I’d like you to come in. I’m aware of the Liaison’s sworn oath of confidentiality.”

  “Don’t quote my oath to me. Glitch, stay out please.” The silver sphere remained by the storage bin door as it shut. She settled Nual on the floor.

  He pointed to the one small single crate in the middle of the sixteen by eighteen-foot area. “Open it and bring the content here.”

  “This box could have fit in our closet. There’s no need for this bin.”

  The wooden box felt smooth under her touch as she examined how to open it. A flip of a latch, and it swung open on a hinge. Inside sat a cylindrical, black metallic contraption. She dragged it out and tried to carry it only to stagger from the solid weight.

  “Can I roll it to you?” she said.

  “No. It’s too valuable. I can’t afford to break it.” On hands and knees, he trekked across the floor.

  Once within reach, he applied his thumb to a small screen. Yellow lights flickered, and the sides popped open into four sections exposing the interior.

  It startled her, and she almost knocked it over. “Sorry.”

  The panels sticking out started to glow red, illuminating the room in a pale shade of pink.

  Nual sighed and lay on the floor next to the machine.

  She knelt beside him and wiped some sweat from his eyes. “How will this help you?”

  “Our people have something in common.” He gazed at her and brought her fingers to his lips.

  “What?” The tender brush of a kiss cleared any annoyance she may have harbored.

  “Humans produce a certain vitamin via their skin when exposed to your sun.”

  “Vitamin D? We don’t get sick without it though.”

  “Not true. Humans develop brittle bones when deprived of the Sol sunlight.”

  “Or we take supplements.” She tilted her head and couldn’t help her brow from furrowing. The light grew to a brighter red inside the small machine.

  “The Cyngi absorb the light from the distant red dwarf star which is binary to our main yellow G class sun. Two hours each day it rises over the horizon. Unlike your race, our bodies use it as an energy source, and we haven’t found a way to synthesize a solution for our needs.” He touched the cylinder. “Until now. Two days in jump without exposure has weakened me. I need to feed.”

  The panels pulsed with light, and a theory dawned on her. This was the reason for the Cyngi isolation. The red dwarf sunlight kept them prisoners on their own planet.

  If this technology worked well, his people would have a more visible presence in the Central Worlds’ market. No wonder the politicians were scrambling when she left on this assignment. Word must have leaked.

  Crimson light filled the room. It turned his skin a pale shade of violet. Eyes closed, his lips parted slightly, Nual arched his back with a moan.

  She stepped away from him, entranced by the sensuality. It would be so easy to lean down and taste his lips.

  As he basked in the light, the feathers on his head moved. They
shifted and shuddered. Each one bloomed forming a crown on his head. Small dark veins lined the centers and pulsed to the heat. He rose to his knees and faced the light source.

  It looked…impossible.

  She shook her head, stepping closer.

  Oblivious, he remained still as the temperature climbed in the bin.

  Beads of sweat formed between her breasts and trickled into her cotton camisole. The cylindrical contraption poured out energy. Her skin tingled from its heat.

  Nual tucked his chin in to allow maximum exposure to his crown.

  She brushed the edges of one feather with her fingertips. No, not a feather, but a petal.

  He shivered at her touch and his eyelids sprung open. Desire lived in his stare.

  It made her gasp.

  In a fluid motion, he stood and ran his hands up her arms pulling her close.

  Sunlight worship, the petals, the odd skin tone; it all meant something. Years of discipline tried to crumble while in his arms, but her mind finally pulled things together into an idea. “Are your people evolved from plants?”

  His gentle smile was her answer.

  “You’re a flower?” Awe filled her voice.

  He pressed his hard muscled body against hers. “Does it bother you?”

  “Never.” The word came out more breathy than she cared for and she cleared her throat. “Do you have any idea how wonderful and rare that is? There have been many theories of how sentience can develop, but I’ve never encountered—”

  A kiss stopped her. His lips felt as soft as they appeared.

  With an expert slide of his tongue, he explored her mouth. Delicate and slow, he treated her like porcelain.

  When he pulled away, she experienced a sense of loss. They’d only known each other for a few conscious hours, yet they’d built a connection. She needed to be careful. He didn’t think like a human and was probably capable of stealing her heart without effort. Such tragedies were common when mixing species. On Central Station most ended poorly.

  “Why the sadness, bing-ta? What cultural atrocity have I committed now?”

  “I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know it myself.” She sighed, the weight of responsibility heavy on her shoulders. “Maybe you should tell me what promise a kiss means to the Cyngi.”

  Smile fading at the edges, he glanced away and then cupped her face in his hands. “Can’t you step away from being Liaison for a moment?” Nual trailed his fingers down her cheeks, then along her jaw. The heat from his touch made her burn. Not with pain but with passion. “You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever met,” he said.

  She blinked and was stunned by his declaration. Try as she might, she couldn’t fathom what he saw when he looked at her. “I think you might be getting too much light.” When he wrapped her in his solid thick arms she stopped his advancement. “This is a terrible idea.”

  “How can something that feels so right be terrible?” He whispered the words against her lips. It sent chills down her spine.

  Oh hell’s bells, it’s not like this would be her first bad decision. She met him the rest of the way to a kiss. Warm and lazy, it melted any of her doubts of being together. His body pressed against hers.

  It didn’t take long for him to unzip her suit and slip it from her shoulders to fall around her ankles. His large confident hands splayed on the small of her back and lifted her to tippy toes as he rained kisses down her neck.

  One at a time, each tender brush of his lips on her skin added more kindling to the flames of her desires.

  It did feel right.

  He reached the blaster scar above her heart and ran his tongue in a languid circle around it. The embrace made her groan. How could such a simple act cause her to react this way? No one had ever caressed her blemishes. They avoided touching them, pretending they didn’t exist. Poised on her toes, she clung to him while he balanced her weight in his hands cupping her ass.

  Liquid heat blazed between her thighs. She wanted more, needed it. “Nual.” The whisper carried all her salacious yearning.

  He scooped her in his arms and laid her on the floor. The one-piece suit tangled around her feet. He tugged it off and folded it as a pillow under her head. Only her grey cotton camisole and panties covered her, but she wanted them off and him close.

  The red glow flowed over them. Sheen of sweat covered her exposed skin. It made sliding their bodies together easier. Smooth, firm muscles met her hands as she massaged his broad back. The crown of petals shifted slightly to catch more light. Most would find him too odd, but she found him beautiful.

  Whatever control she had dissolved. She kissed him and fed the ferocious hunger he’d unleashed. He tasted of things wild and fresh, alien and unknown, all the things she craved.

  She encircled his hips with her legs, aware of his arousal as he moved against her core. The wrap he wore barred her from touching him further. She snatched it and tried to tug it higher.

  He laughed while returning her kiss before rolling off. “You’re in a hurry. Is there a time limit I’m unaware of?”

  Frustrated by his retreat she crawled onto his lap. “Damn right there is. I’m about to spontaneously combust, and you’re the only one who can stop it. Touch me, Nual.”

  The plea surprised her, but not as much as when he pushed her back down and pinned her to the floor.

  “I plan to, bing-ta, but at my own pace.”

  Once more, he explored her skin with his mouth but aimed lower.

  She arched her back, unable to move anything else.

  “Tell me where you want me to kiss you.”

  “Lower.” He took her breath away with each brush of his lips and tongue.

  He sucked on the edges of her belly button.

  “No…no…lower.” If only he would do that where she throbbed. “Let me go so I can show you.” She tried to lift her head and sit up, but his iron grip kept her in place.

  “No, I like this game.”

  She cried out and stomped her heels to the floor. He made her nuts. Each lick, nip, and kiss moved achingly closer to what she wanted.

  Glitch mentally signaled her. “Not now!”

  Nual lifted his head.

  “I’m not talking to you. Don’t stop, please don’t stop.”

  He controlled her stare as he got to the edges of her panties. His hands held her down, so he used his teeth to pull them off a few centimeters at a time.

  She lifted her hips to help. Little desperate noises escaped her.

  “You’re so anxious.” He rubbed his cheek on her inner thigh. “I love this.”

  “Is this what your people do? Torture one another?”

  His chuckle vibrated up her leg to her groin. “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

  Glitch signaled her again with an emergency tag connected to it.

  “Oh my cotton joy, what do you want Glitch?”

  It sent her the ship’s sensor readings.

  “Shit.” All her sexual tension disappeared with a wave of terror. She tried to twist herself out of Nual’s grip but couldn’t budge. “Nual, get off me. We’ve got trouble.”

  Chapter Six

  Nual released her and rolled onto his feet.

  With less grace, Sadie scrambled to join him and dressed in a hurry. “I need to get to the bridge. How much longer do you have to stay here?”

  “I’m done feeding.” He flipped a switch and the array closed down. “A few minutes a day is all I require. This light source is much more concentrated than our distant red dwarf.”

  She had so many questions for him. Did he think this unique solar relationship was the seed of his people’s evolution? She could spend a lifetime writing papers about his race.

  The petals folded to make a small cap over his head again. The data chip he’d hidden in it nowhere to be seen. He opened the bin’s door and Glitch raced in, glyphs flared off its reflective surface.

  “We’re going as fast as we can.” She shooed it out the way and followed. “S
o two days without the red sunlight and you weaken. How many before you get serious symptoms?”

  She strode to the lift, not waiting for his answer, and hit the button to call it.

  “Why?” Wariness apparent on his face.

  “I need to know how long of a Jump we can make.” The lift doors opened and they entered. She pressed the bridge button.

  “Three, four would be pushing it and I wouldn’t do it often. Why are you frightened? You spoke of trouble.”

  Her gut clenched. The sweat on her skin cooled and she shivered. With trembling hands, she smoothed her hair. If she concentrated on Nual’s needs, then maybe she could keep the fear at bay. A panicked-screaming-like-a-lunatic Liaison wasn’t useful. She went over the ship’s sensor readings one more time.

  “The ship is detecting Zair in the system,” she said.

  He stood straighter. Even the isolated Cyngi had heard stories of the Zair. The elevator door opened to the bridge. Maol stood behind the pilot’s chair that Len occupied. She continued to observe her console as Maol glanced over his shoulder at their arrival. “We have a problem.”

  At his words Sadie’s heart sank. “I know. Does the Traveler have any weapons?” She weaved through the consoles and approached them.

  He stared hard at her, then shot a wary look at Nual. “Nothing legal,” he whispered.

  “Thank the Dark Void.” She let out a breath, surprised she’d been holding it. “Show me. Maybe we can hook it up to Glitch. The control and aim would be better.”

  “It’s a rail gun. I purchased it secondhand from a Nafaru mercenary.”

  A palm full of hope returned. “It might be enough to deter a small ship.”

  Len swiveled her chair around. “It’s a Warship.”

  The weapon forgotten, Maol turned his attention back to Len’s console.

  She didn’t need to look. Glitch sent everything via her CHIP where she could manipulate the data input. The warship became completely visible. Mauvrin Point, the neutron star, shielded their size until now.