Hinekiri Read online

  “Morning, Richard.” Hinekiri breezed into the kitchen, followed by the white dog with black spots. The dog barked at him, tilting its head to the side before giving him a doggy grin.

  “I’m in my underwear,” he blurted. At a disadvantage yet again. Richard checked his watch. Just past seven. He hadn’t thought she’d wake so early. “Ah, morning.”

  “It’s best to check out the merchandize in daylight,” Hinekiri agreed.

  Richard realized his mouth was gaping and snapped it shut. His teeth clicked with the force of the move. Dammit, he should feel embarrassed, but instead he was intrigued. And he hadn’t felt so alive for ages. His cock either. The bloody thing was going up and down with the vigor of a water pump. He hadn’t thought about sex so much for months.

  “I’ll finish making the tea before I get dressed, since you’ve seen me at my worst.”

  The dog barked and Hinekiri snickered.

  Richard caught her furtive glance at his cock and could have sworn the dog looked as well.

  “Yep, I’ve seen just about everything now. Is there something I can give the dog to eat?”

  “Check the fridge.”

  The dog let out a sharp, high bark.

  Hinekiri rolled her eyes and sashayed over to the fridge, her ass swaying seductively beneath the tight denims she wore. She pulled it open, giving Richard an even better view of her butt when she bent over. The woman might be a little on the scrawny side, but she had all the requisite parts and did sinful things to those jeans. Coupled with her fun-loving personality, he found his interest piqued. If his Army mate George could see him now, he’d be nodding approval. Last night and this morning were firsts. Maybe George was right and it was fun to step outside his comfort zones. Live on the wild side.

  “Where are you from?” he asked.

  Hinekiri pulled a string of sausages from the fridge and gave it to the dog. “Outside,” she said firmly, and stepped over to open the door. The dog trotted out with the sausages and Hinekiri shut the door.

  “Not from here. Janaya and I are just passing through. I’m going to Africa soon.” Hinekiri’s violet eyes glowed brightly as she started to tell him about the wildlife lodge she’d booked and the migration of the wildebeest she’d wanted to see for ages. “Have you been to Africa?”

  “I haven’t done much traveling.” Richard thought of how he and Felicity had discussed travel when they were courting, but they’d become pregnant and that had been that. They’d had Luke and Lily then Felicity had become sick. Talk of leaving Sloan had faded into the background. “I’d better get dressed. Make yourself at home.” Where did they live? Richard hoped it wasn’t too far away because he’d enjoy seeing Hinekiri again.

  “Thanks.”

  Hinekiri stared after the man, a smile on her lips. A sharp bark full of complaints and sly innuendos about leaving Hinekiri alone with the earthman told her Killer had finished eating and wanted in. She opened the door and let the little dog inside.

  “Why you smirk?” the dog demanded.

  “That man has a nice ass.”

  “Working equipment too.”

  Hinekiri snorted. “You’re a dog. You’re not meant to notice.” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re definitely not an Earth dog.”

  Killer’s eyes wandered and she spoke without looking at Hinekiri. “Told you before. Came in spaceship. Man left behind.”

  Hinekiri chuckled. “Did you pester him for food once too often?”

  “Horrible man,” Killer snapped. “No talk. Earthman come back.”

  “I hear him, but Richard won’t be able to understand what either of us is saying. All he’ll hear is barking. He’ll just think I’m weird for barking at you.”

  Killer nodded. “You weird,” she agreed.

  “Thanks.” Hinekiri found two china mugs inside a white cupboard and pulled them out. She opened the fridge to retrieve the blue milk jug she’d noticed earlier and sat at the small wooden table to pour the tea.

  Richard appeared and she saw he’d covered up and was now wearing a light brown long-sleeved shirt along with dark brown trousers. A pity. The man had a rather nice chest, a little hair—not too much—and sturdy legs. Made a woman’s juices run to look at a male in his prime. Richard was tall like his son Luke. And he bore the same worried expression, as if life had kicked him in the teeth. The man still had a full head of dark hair, peppered with gray at the temples, which gave him a distinguished look.

  She studied his expression and the lines of experience. His searching dark eyes noted everything. Cop eyes. Hinekiri suppressed a happy sigh. No point being coy—not to herself at any rate. This was the man she’d double date with Luke and Janaya. Looked as if this visit was going to be a memorable one.

  “How long are you here for? I could show you around Sloan and maybe farther afield. I have a couple of meetings I need to attend but we can work around them. If you like, we could drive up to the city and explore the sights, maybe go out on the harbor. Auckland is a beautiful city.”

  Hinekiri’s heart went pitter-patter. She hadn’t felt such an instant attraction to a male for a long time. Her independence and fame as a galaxy explorer intimidated most. Her mouth quirked upward. She was not your typical Dalconian female. Neither was Janaya—but she was too stubborn to admit the truth. Santana. Bah! The male was not good enough for her niece.

  “The man talk to you,” Killer barked.

  Oops, here she was daydreaming about sex. Yeah, definitely sex. Lots of kissing and touching going on. “That sounds lovely. I’ve visited Auckland briefly but didn’t have time to catch many of the sights.”

  “Good. That’s settled.” Richard smiled, instantly appearing a lot younger.

  The phone rang and he leapt up to answer.

  “Yeah? Came home early. Flying saucers? Mrs. Bates. That figures. Yeah, I’ll tell him.” Richard hung up and came back to join her at the table. His frown had returned.

  “Trouble?” Hinekiri asked, although she guessed at the problem—the blasted faulty shield on her spaceship. She hoped she could find parts to fix the problem. It wouldn’t do to flash all the way to Africa.

  “Some of the locals are causing problems. They swear they saw a UFO last night.”

  “Hmmm.” Hinekiri patted her hair and dealt with an unruly curl. She tucked it behind her ear. “Do you think they were drinking alcohol? That does strange things to people.”

  “Tell me about it. Excuse me a moment. I want to see if there’s anything in the local paper this morning. The newspaper should be in the mailbox.”

  Hinekiri watched him stride from the kitchen, his whole demeanor one of strength and determination. What would it feel like to have him hold her close, pressed against his muscular chest, his arms wrapped around her as if he’d never let go? Hinekiri felt a smile break free. The books on Earth sexuality she’d purchased during her last quick trip to see the Grand Canyon in America would come in handy. She loved to learn new things. The thought of putting them into practice made her go all squishy inside. Perhaps double-dating wasn’t a good idea after all. She’d get him alone. Maybe Richard would go to Africa with her.

  The front door slammed and loud footsteps made Hinekiri straighten in alarm. He didn’t sound too happy.

  “I don’t believe it.” Richard shook the newspaper at her, splotches of color highlighting his sexy cheekbones and serious brown eyes.

  Hinekiri took a sip of her tea. Nice beverage. She must purchase some for the spaceship. “What’s the problem?” Once again, Hinekiri feared she knew already.

  “This…this rubbish on the front page of the Sloan Gazette.” Richard flicked the paper in outrage.

  The phone rang again. He picked it up and listened for an instant. “No comment.” Richard slammed down the communications instrument. It bounced off its stand and dropped to the floor. “Dammit, I’m on holiday. Luke can deal with this.”

  Hinekiri restrained a smile with difficulty. She suspected Luke was already dealing with this.
No pain involved.

  Richard stomped from the room. Hinekiri discovered she’d finished her tea so she picked up the blue china teapot and poured herself another. Yep, life was sure interesting around here. Anticipation hummed through her as she considered possibilities.

  Richard took the stairs two at once, the floorboards protesting the vigor of his ascent. He thumped on Luke’s bedroom door. “Luke, you coming out of there anytime soon?”

  He waited, hearing the low murmur of voices and then nothing. “Luke!” He rattled the doorknob to highlight his impatience.

  “Coming!” Luke called.

  Richard snorted. Yeah, right. “You haven’t got time. Dammit! All hell is breaking loose out here.”

  Richard waited a fraction longer. “Luke! Luke, get your butt out here now!” Oh man. He sounded like a stern parent. Luke would move out if he treated him like a child. Richard beat a retreat to the kitchen, hoping his son would arrive soon. He dropped into a chair opposite Hinekiri and offered a weak smile. She shunted a cup of tea in his direction.

  “I guess the arrival of aliens is big news in Sloan,” she said, her violet eyes flickering with humor. She didn’t seem too upset about the idea of aliens wandering around, but then again, she appeared very capable.

  Instantly the worry dropped away, replaced by another sort of edginess. Invisible frissons passed between them when their gazes met. A cheerful whistle broke the spell. Richard shook himself mentally and turned to his son. Luke looked as if he’d dressed hurriedly since the last two buttons on his uniform shirt were misbuttoned. “Good of you to join us.”

  Luke didn’t seem too concerned with his appearance so Richard ignored it. He was more interested in the young woman standing behind his son.

  Hinekiri pushed her mug away and stood. “I’m off to look for parts.”

  “Parts for what? Maybe I could help.”

  Luke’s whistle cut off mid bar. “I don’t think that’s necessary. I know exactly what Hinekiri needs.”

  Richard shrugged and gestured at the newspaper sitting on the kitchen counter. “You have enough to do without running around after vehicle parts.”

  “What—?” The insistent ring of the phone cut into Luke’s reply. He snatched up the receiver, giving Richard a strong, steady glare at the same time, a look that demanded an explanation. Richard held up the newspaper with the headline clearly displayed for his son to read. “I’ll be there in ten,” Luke snapped, hanging up before reaching for the paper. Richard watched his son scan the story.

  Luke glanced up, his brow furrowed with irritation. “We’re going to have every nut in the neighborhood out in those wheat fields.”

  Uh, newsflash! “They’re already there. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Look lively. You’re in urgent need of damage control.”

  Luke stormed off, heading for his bedroom, Richard presumed. He called after him, “The mayor’s rung. And that reporter was loitering in our garden.”

  Minutes later Luke returned. Luke studied him closely and Richard manfully restrained a smirk. His son wanted to get rid of him, he thought in enlightenment. His cop instincts had never failed him before. Something else was happening here, but what? Maybe he’d embarrassed Luke by discovering his son with women in the house. Maybe he thought his father would disapprove of him sleeping with the younger one. Richard cast a surreptitious glance in the direction of Janaya. She was as different from Luke’s ex-wife as night varied from day. It was obvious in the confident stance, the direct eye contact when she noticed him watching her. This woman wouldn’t expect pampering. She originated from the same mold as Hinekiri.

  “You coming back to work or are you heading off again?” Luke filled two mugs with coffee and passed one to Janaya.

  “Might hang around for a bit.” Richard wandered nonchalantly around the table and pulled out the seat next to Hinekiri. “I promised to show Hinekiri some of the sights and I have a couple of meetings I put off before I went on holiday. I can attend them now that I’m back.”

  Luke coughed without warning, spewing his mouthful of coffee over Hinekiri, the table and the last of Richard’s clean shirts.

  Richard leapt to his feet, scrubbing at the hot liquid. It made things worse. “What the hell’s wrong with you today?”

  “Sorry.” Luke grabbed a towel and offered it to Hinekiri.

  Richard caught the mischievous look that flashed through her violet eyes. “I think Luke is a little shook up about the aliens in town.”

  “Load of hogwash,” Richard snapped. “Probably some fool kids egging each other on to do pranks. It is almost the end of the school year.”

  “Okay,” Luke said. “How about going off to investigate the crop circles before your meetings and I’ll go and sort things out at the station? I can drop off Hinekiri and Janaya on my way to work so they can search for parts.”

  Richard frowned. “But what about our sightseeing?”

  “Maybe later? I really need to sort out…some things first,” Hinekiri said.

  Richard’s scowl intensified. What things? Judging by the silence, none of them intended to enlighten him or appease his curiosity.

  “Right.” Luke placed his coffee mug on the marbled counter. “Let’s go.”

  Luke and the two women left before Richard had a chance to voice his protest. The fine hairs at the back of his neck prickled uncomfortably. Something was up. Damn, he wished he knew what the hell was going on in Sloan.

  Chapter Two

  Richard sighed, loud enough to draw the dog’s attention and make it bark. “I guess I’ll clean up in here and head out to Ted Morrison’s wheat fields.” He stacked the dirty mugs in the dishwasher and left the house via the kitchen door. The dog followed.

  “You’d better stay here,” Richard said.

  “Woof.” The dog sat on its haunches and cocked its head.

  Richard stooped to scratch the little dog behind the ears. “Good boy.”

  “Woof!”

  Was it his imagination or did that bark sound indignant? Seemed as if his mind was still in holiday mode. Next thing he’d be hearing the dog talking back. Richard strode to his SUV and opened the driver’s door.

  “Damn, I forgot the keys.” Richard jogged back inside to grab them off the counter. When he returned he found the dog sitting in the passenger seat ready to leave. “Okay, I give up. You can come with me but you’d better behave.”

  “Woof,” the dog barked as if it agreed.

  Chuckling, Richard fired up his vehicle and backed away from the gnarled pohutukawa tree. “Crop circles. Whatever next?”

  “Woof. Woof. Woof.”

  “So, we’re in agreement. Smart dog.” He accelerated down the gravel road, sending a cloud of dust sailing in their wake. Richard wound down the window to enjoy the fresh country air as he followed the road that snaked through green countryside and stands of native trees. He slowed for a herd of steers and waited until they turned into a set of cattle yards, dogs barking at their heels.

  “Woof.” The dog craned its neck as though it wanted to get a good look at the other dogs.

  Richard grinned and waved to Scott, the owner of the animals as he passed and picked up speed again. They rounded a corner, drove under a huge pine tree and around another corner. Without warning, Richard slowed.

  “That’s Luke’s vehicle.” He spotted Hinekiri and his mind stalled. That was one fine-looking woman. His gaze dipped fractionally, speculation rife as his eyes assessed her form. Not much body fat, but she looked healthy and more than good to him. Soft, blonde hair. Those beautiful eyes and a sexy grin. Confidence. It practically oozed from her pores.

  Not exactly what he was used to, but the concept of a self-assured woman was interesting—a woman who liked to take control of her life. In that moment, he decided he’d ask her out for dinner. If she and her niece weren’t staying for long, there was not a moment to waste. He’d take her out to dinner at the Red Fox Inn. They did a fine meal there, but the atmosphere
was casual and friendly. No uppity waiters with their noses stuck so far up in the air they were in danger of getting frostbite. No snobby clientele—just a good mix of locals and business people. Yep, the perfect place for a first date. Richard’s palms moistened and he removed them from the steering wheel one at a time to wipe them on his brown trousers. He sucked in a deep breath, his mind made up on the subject. Today, he’d step outside his comfort zone and ask the woman if she’d consider dinner. At worst, she could say no, and that wouldn’t kill him.

  Richard wound the driver’s window down. “Is there a problem?”

  “No problem,” Luke said.

  Richard scowled. If everything were all right, why was his son looking as if he’d just faced the enemy. His face was pale and if Richard wasn’t mistaken, he was sweating.

  The dog jumped from the passenger seat onto Richard’s lap and stuck its head out the window.

  “Woof. Woof. Woof.”

  Richard ran his hand over its soft white fur. “I hope you don’t mind me taking out your dog. He jumped in while I wasn’t looking and I didn’t have the heart to leave him at home.”

  “Killer is a female.” Janaya stepped closer to scratch the dog behind the ears. She growled and yipped at the dog. The dog seemed to adore the attention because it swiped its pink tongue across Janaya’s face and barked.

  “It’s a deal,” Janaya said.

  Richard shook his head. Weird the way she barked at the dog, but if Luke liked her, that was okay. “I don’t know why you’re talking to Killer as though she can understand.”

  “She’s very intelligent.” Janaya’s smile made Richard appreciate his son’s interest.

  “Woof,” Killer barked.

  “Well, if you’re sure you don’t need me, I’ll carry on to the wheat fields.”

  “Good idea,” Luke said. “Let me know how you get on.”

  Frowning, Richard drove on toward Ted Morrison’s farm. Something was fishy. He knew his son. Guilt and worry hovered in his body language.