Lawked Flame (19 page)

Toes tingling, she leaned into him, allowing him to
take everything she had to give. It was a liberating time of taste
and gentle touches. When they broke apart, she exhaled. “You’re so
good at that, I can’t believe you learned it from a book or video.”
Her thumb wiped the moisture from his top lip.

He nipped her fingertips and sucked her finger into
the warmth of his mouth, before releasing it with a loud pop. “I
learned kissing from you. Never doubt that.”

“
Let’s make a deal. You be you and
if you do anything that bothers me during our courtship, I’ll
correct you. Get you on the right path. How about that?” The way
his whole face screwed up in comical proportions was outrageous.
Relief, so thick she could bottle it, poured off him in
waves.

Knocking over the small pile of books, he grabbed
her face between his large palms and covered her cheeks and lips
with kisses. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was going mad
trying to remember all the rules. Not to mention, those gorshed
books contradict each other. How can a man know what is right?”

Smiling indulgently, she stroked his smooth unlined
face, earning another quick kiss. “Knowing how to woo a woman
correctly is truly the problem of the ages,” she deadpanned.

He tapped her nose and stood, reaching for her.
“There were some things I would like your opinion on. Do you like
what is deemed dirty talk? One of the books said women liked men to
take control in bed, is that true? Another said I should use sex
toys to bring you to ultimate fulfillment what do you think?”

With each question, her breath
hitched. For a moment she pictured him employing all three and
sizzling heat zipped through her.
Placing
her hand in his, she allowed him to pull her up. Ignoring his
naughty grin, she cleared her throat. “Yes, that’s correct.” This
man was going to be the life of her if he kept looking at her like
she was a chocolate pop that he planned to eat up. She needed to
refocus.

“
How long have I been here?” Her
brother should be returning home soon and would send up an alarm if
he couldn’t find her. The pealing sound of her cell split the
air.

Khayden moved to the bar to grab another drink.
“Today is day five.”

Whipping around, covering the phone, she stared at
him, forgetting he claimed he couldn’t lie to her. “What?” How did
she lose five days? What kind of poison was that? “Hello?” Her
heart leapt in her throat when she heard her mom on the other end.
Silently, she counted to ten, forcing her heart into a slower
rhythm.

“
Hi mom, good to hear from you,
too.” She turned her back on Khayden, who seemed too interested in
the conversation.

“
I’m sorry, Mom. What did you
say?” Releasing a whoosh of air, she pivoted and pinned him to the
spot. “He told you what?” Jaw clenched, eyes narrowing, she glared
at Khayden who stood blithely nearby returning her
stare.

“
Yes, but I’ve
only know him for a few days. Who knows what he has planned for—”
She closed her eyes.
Could it get any
worse
? “He did?” Her eyes flew open as she
ground her teeth. “I don’t think that’s a good idea to bring him
with me. I’ll have to talk to him about it. How’s dad?” She balled
a fist and shook it at Khayden. He frowned. The man had no idea how
many rules he had broken.

“
Good. I’ll call you back and let
you know what we decide… I know what he said, but we haven’t
discussed it. You know how careful I am these days.” Alluding to
her ex always worked, her mother immediately became solicitous and
less aggressive, allowing her to cut the conversation
short.

Needing a few minutes to bring her temper under
control, she took her time replacing her phone on the table. “You
answered my phone? Talked to my mother?” she growled, then sighed.
Obviously, she needed more time to calm her anger.

If the grin slowly leaving his face was any
indication, he thought he had done the right thing. He met her
glare head on. “Yes I did. I knew how important it was for you to
keep your parents from worry. After listening to the voice mail
from your mom, the next time she called I answered and assured her
you were well.”

Bad boyfriend
. Flustered, she looked around, refusing to meet his stare.
“You can’t…I mean I don’t want you to answer my phone. Those are
personal and private for me. Now my mom thinks I’m dating again,
that…that I’m involved with someone. She’s invited us to my
cousin’s baptism. What a mess,” she muttered.

“
I apologize for answering your
phone. Your mother seemed very nice and we had a nice chat. She
mentioned coming to visit her son, I assumed that was normal and
told her I hoped to meet her.”

Alayna dropped her face into her hands and groaned.
“That’s what I’m talking about. She’s probably planning my wedding
even as we speak.” She glowered at him, ignoring his shocked
expression. “I hope you’re satisfied. Now that you’ve gotten on
Tina’s radar, she won’t allow a big fish like you escape. You had
better run before she gets here, otherwise your life as you know it
is over.”

After a short period of silence, his brow furrowed
and nostrils pinched. “What are you saying? You think I should run
from your mother? Why?”

“
She hated my first husband,
Ricardo. Blamed him for everything wrong in the universe. And when
she discovered he'd cheated on me, he had to call the police to
stop her from hurting him.”

His eyes widened a bit before he
spoke.
“You are kidding. She sounded very
nice on the phone.”

Now that she had made her point, Alayna returned to
her chair. “She is, as long as you don’t mess with her kids. My mom
takes mothering to another level.”

“
What about your father? Is he the
same?”

A loud snort slipped out at the
thought of her laid-back dad breaking wild like her mom. “I’m going
to give you the highly edited quick version about my family. My mom
is white, dad is black. Seriously mixed-marriage. They met in
college and went through a lot to be together. Even within our
family. My mom’s parents didn’t like my dad. My dad’s family didn’t
like my mom. After I was born, mom cussed everybody out and left
both families alone. By the time I reached middle school, the
family had all forgiven one another and was speaking again. But my
mom still won’t take any shit. Every once and a while, she goes off
to remind everybody of her low bullshit tolerance. Besides, I’m the
only girl and the youngest. A double ass-whooping in her
book.”

“
But she will never need to be
concerned about us.”

Her eyes widened at his naiveté. “Serious? You’re
from another planet. You got me handling colored fire. Plus, you
claim I’m the only person in the world who can complete you and she
shouldn’t be concerned? Try again. My mom would be all over that
and then some. I’m still not clear what you expect from me.” She
closed her eyes, in hopes the drumming in her head would cease.

“
This is… how can I explain?” he
murmured. “Have you forgotten our conversation?”

She opened one eye, looked at him and then closed
it. “That was a dream. Dream conversations don’t count.”

“
Really?”

She ignored the laughter in his voice. “That’s
right. You invaded my dream and said a bunch of crazy things, so I
don’t have to recognize them in the real world.”

“
That does not make anything I
told you less true.” He waved away her snicker. “You need to eat to
rebuild your strength. What do you want?”

“
You’re changing the subject, but
that’s cool. I’m hungry for another cheeseburger and fries. I had
some the other day in Woolworth’s and it was really good. Can I
have another one with a chocolate shake?” She laughed as her
stomach growled its agreement. “I think I should get that as soon
as possible.”

He continued watching her. “It will be here
shortly.”

“
When are you going to order
it?”she snapped, feeling uncomfortable under his constant
vigil.

He tapped his forehead with his finger. “I ordered
it the moment you requested it. We are all joined and speak to each
other telepathically. This way, if I am needed, I am always
available.”

Forcing back a groan, she bit down on the corner of
her lip. He was going to push the issue of his otherness. “You
speak mind to mind with people?” Why was she surprised? Any man who
could generate blue fire, which destroyed his enemies but was
harmless to those he chose, could probably do a lot of alien
things.

The fire had been cool, but she suspected she was
reaching her maximum exposure limit for one day. Internally, her
mind still waged a war on the reality of everything she had seen,
done and heard. Once she had a quiet moment, she would pull out the
evidence again to solidify in her mind what these new realities
meant.

He shook his head as he leaned forward. The green in
his eyes shined brighter, drowning the blue. For a brief moment,
she lost herself in the shimmering emerald of his gaze.

“
I cannot speak mind to mind to
people. However, I can communicate with every Lawkmerian
telepathically.” A knock sounded at the door. “Would you mind if I
allowed Clotho, my head Gramier, to assist me in explaining what is
happening? She is better with your language and will help answer
all your questions.”

The door opened, revealing a short man who bowed as
he entered pushing a small table with cover plates and tall
glasses. Tantalizing aromas wafted through the air, stealing her
breath and train of thought.

“
Alayna?”

She shrugged as she made her way
to the table. “That’s okay with me.” As she sat, a flickering gold
light solidified into a beautiful woman in the opposite corner.
“You have need of me, Master Khayden?”

Alayna’s jaw snapped shut as Clotho solidified. “Oh
shit.”

Chapter 15

Irritation ripped through Khayden at
Clotho’s manner of entry. The Gramier was his ambassador to
Nature’s Mother and knew protocol better than he. Seeing the
astonishment on Alayna’s face, his frustration turned to anger.

“Clotho,” he growled
low
and dangerous
. His Kee had been through much in the past
seven days, her life and body had been irreparably altered.

Head bowed, the Gramier remained still.
“Master Khayden.”

Her tone held an apologetic quality that
calmed him slightly. His tension
eased somewhat,
but his shoulders were still squared. An awkward silence fell as
they all waited for someone to do or say something.

He spoke to Clotho
telepathically.
“I have need of you.
Remain where you are.
”

Alayna lifted her burger in slow motion and
took a bite, never taking her eyes off Clotho. He watched questions
chase across Alayna’s face and wondered how long her silence would
hold. H
is chest swelled with pride as he
continued to eye her, remembering her handling of the flame.
Gratitude for her strength flowed over him. She would need it in
the coming days.

“
Is the Mistress well?
” Clotho asked
after a period of silence. He debated whether to answer her or not.
For the most part he was unsure what the correct answer was. His
Kee seemed to have recuperated, physically at least, but they had
not really discussed the present situation and what was necessary
to make up the time lost.

For five days Alayna had lain supine as her
body fought the toxicity of the virus. Even now the torrid taste of
fear that had ratcheted through him when he realized the Geleet had
poisoned the air held him in its grip. Death, an alien ideal for
someone at his level, had hovered over her, his salvation. None of
his resources or knowledge had changed her condition. Impotent, he
remained next to her side, their future intertwined even more than
his people. Once the unlocking process began, a Lawke could not
survive without his Kee.

The moment Alayna had collapsed from the
virus, as one, his people had fallen to their knees, suffering with
her, feeling her pain. An overload of inquiries filled his mind
until he'd shut them down, refusing to answer their questions or
take their well-wishes. The sense of failure was too fresh, too
real, and too painful for him to remain politically correct and
function in his office. Instead, he rerouted all information of her
progress to the Gramiers.

Anger boiled at the memory of the attack
against his Kee. The heat of his rage had incinerated the remaining
spies that day, but that did not negate the damage inflicted on
her. His enemies had almost destroyed his precious gift.

Taking care of her alone filled him with a
sense of purpose and, in his mind, meant she received the best
treatment available. The virus had not been kind to her. Even with
the antidote there were side effects, which made him bleed inside.
Each time her body bucked in pain, it lacerated his heart. When she
gasped to breathe and required a mask, his breath locked in his
chest. Every night he attempted to woo her into the dream state to
offer comfort. She had only come once.

Without releasing his gaze on his Kee, he
answered the older woman, understanding her concern for Alayna’s
well-being . No doubt all of his people waited anxiously to hear
news of her condition. “
I believe her body is well
.”

His throat tightened all
of a sudden as
he watched Alayna take another bite of her
burger. For five days, he had waited for her to fully return to
him. Her lips embraced the straw and she pulled hard. His heart
slammed into his chest as a different hunger blazed. The chaste
kiss and touches in the dream state were not enough to sate his
ever-present hunger. Her tongue licked the red sauce from her soft
lips. The low, deep growl rumbled from his chest, a manifestation
of his desperate need for her.