Hinekiri Read online

  Janaya pulled Luke’s gun from where she’d stashed it under the waistband of her jeans. “I don’t think so,” Janaya said, and she pulled the trigger.

  The nearest pansy exploded in a mass of purple. An extravaganza of bright color dazzled his eyes and made him blink with disbelief. “Holy shit,” he breathed.

  Hinekiri grabbed his forearm and dug in her heels, trying to halt his intention to explore at closer quarters. “Stay back, Richard. Let Janaya handle this.”

  Richard was about to argue when Janaya kicked one of the remaining pansies in the ribs and calmly fired at the other. A third shot finished off the last and before he could utter a word or exert control on the situation, piles of steaming purple goo were all that remained. The young woman had moved so fast they hadn’t had a chance to return fire.

  “It’s safe now,” Janaya said after a brief scan of the vicinity. “That seems to be the lot of them.”

  Richard stared. “How did…? Did you…? Does Luke know about you? Who were they?” Questions. Yeah, he had questions. His gaze speared from Janaya to Hinekiri as he waited for answers.

  Janaya put her weapon away and turned to Hinekiri. “What else do we need in the way of parts? I want to leave so I can take my captain’s exams. Once we leave, everything will return to normal.”

  “Not so fast, missy.” Richard’s mouth was grim as he surveyed the steaming purple puddles. “You haven’t answered my questions.”

  Janaya’s chin jerked upward and a fierce scowl formed. “That—”

  Hinekiri dug Janaya in the ribs with her elbow. “Shush, I’ll do the talking.”

  Richard felt his eyebrows rise. His gaze ran over the remains of the purple pansies again. His mind told him he’d been seeing things but his eyes weren’t that bad. Not yet.

  Richard folded his arms across his chest, prepared to wait out the women. This was gonna be good and he didn’t want to miss a thing.

  Chapter Three

  Where to start? Sudden nerves jumped in Hinekiri’s stomach. She had taken a real liking to Luke’s father. He made her go squishy inside—the first male to do that for a long time. Of course, there had been that male on Mekenous, but he had turned out to be a bit of a mummy’s boy. If she were going to become involved with a male, she wanted one capable of making his own decisions. She wasn’t prepared to shoulder the burden of thinking for both of them. Even though being dependent on a mate might be part of her Dalconian heritage, she wasn’t about to turn her back on everything she’d gained. She wouldn’t make concessions at this stage in life and give up control just because she was lonely.

  “Hinekiri, you going to tell me today?”

  Oops. Now he was getting testy, but at least he didn’t appear frightened. Good. Some of the creatures she’d met during her travels had taken one peek at her face and pleaded for mercy or run for their lives. Frankly, she didn’t think she merited that reaction. Richard obviously liked to look at her. Hinekiri took a deep breath. Maybe there was hope. It would be nice to make love again with a male who bore compatible parts. The mind machines that simulated the sexual process weren’t the same. They left a female feeling empty.

  “Janaya and I come from the planet Dalcon.” She swallowed the sudden lump of nerves that threatened to choke her, trying desperately to read him. Nothing. He looked just like his son with his cop’s face. Still, he hadn’t run. That was a good start. Hinekiri was cautiously jubilant. “Yes, we’re aliens. We arrived in a spaceship. It’s broken down, which is why we need parts.” Not that he had the appearance of a screamer. Hinekiri would bet her set of charts for the Northern galaxy sector that Richard was a go-getter, a male who liked to be in control.

  “A spaceship.” Richard finally displayed something in his expression other than blank and enigmatic. “Where is it parked? When can I see it? How fast does it go? How many miles to the gallon?” He paused to inhale. “Did you make those crop circles?” The man sounded accusing this time.

  Hinekiri smirked with relief. “I’d have to plead the Fifth on that last one.”

  Alarm colored Janaya’s face. “I don’t think—”

  “That’s right, missy. Don’t think.” He grinned at Hinekiri. “Kids these days are all the same. Luke and my daughter Lily are always trying to tell me what to do.”

  “I don’t feel well,” Janaya said suddenly.

  Concern shot through Hinekiri. She placed the palm of her hand on her niece’s brow. It was cool. Too cool. “Sit in Richard’s vehicle while we grab a few parts. We won’t be long.” It was a hormone surge caused by the mating bonds. Janaya would be okay after a few hours’ sleep. The sooner she accepted her fate, the better. Her niece had bonded with Luke. Hinekiri wanted to cheer but this wasn’t the time or place. Luke was ten times better for Janaya than the wimpy bully Santana.

  Hinekiri opened the door of the SUV for Janaya and settled her in the rear.

  “Is she okay?” Richard stepped up behind Hinekiri to peer over her shoulder.

  Hinekiri felt the heat from his larger frame. It burned all the way to her female parts, making her body tingle in a peculiar fashion. Hinekiri knew her inoculations were up to date. That meant no problems with an unwanted mating, so it had to be something else causing her reaction. She’d puzzle out the problem later. Right now Janaya was more important. “She’s just tired. She’ll be fine.”

  Richard studied her so closely she found herself stepping from foot to foot. “You don’t look like an alien. You’re pulling my leg.”

  “I assure you, you’d know if I was pulling your leg. You’d feel it. Right here.” Hinekiri placed her hand on his chest and jerked it away just as quickly with a startled intake of breath. Wiping her palm on her jeans, she scanned the sky with a frown, searching for dark cloud formations. There must be a storm coming to cause all the electrical currents surging through her body.

  But no. Nothing.

  The sky was a clear blue with a few delicate white clouds. Not a storm cloud in sight. Hinekiri frowned. Very strange. His enquiring expression forced her back to his alien doubts. She’d have to convince him so they could proceed. She’d miss her holiday if she didn’t find parts soon. There wasn’t much wriggle time before she had to commence work on her next exploration contract.

  “Give me a description of an alien.” Did he want her to jump under a magnifying glass? Strip off and show him everything she had? Hinekiri shivered at the thought. She might be older and supposedly wiser, but somehow, she quite liked the idea.

  “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” Hinekiri waggled her eyebrows and let her gaze stroll downward to his manly equipment. “What do you say?”

  Richard spluttered and turned red in the face. “Ah, no. That’s not necessary.”

  Hinekiri thought he looked intrigued beneath the bluster, and that weird tingling sprang to life again. She had a strange compulsion to touch his naked skin—his face with the Earth stubble, his chest, his belly, his masculine attributes. A sensual sigh escaped. Oh yes. Especially his cock. “Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

  “You tell man,” Killer said, from behind them.

  “Do I scare you?” Hinekiri ignored the dog and walked toward Richard. A flicker of alarm showed in his dark eyes, increasing when she kept coming, closing the distance between them. Her breasts brushed his chest. Her breath puffed across his cheek as she leaned closer and stood on tiptoe. Hinekiri moistened her lips then puckered them. “Boo.”

  Richard’s eyes widened. They were so close, Hinekiri saw his pupils contract, saw the variations of color in his brown eyes. Their gazes held and Hinekiri found herself leaning into him. Their lips bumped together. Slightly awkward. Surprising. They both froze. Hinekiri felt her heart knock in her chest. She wondered what Richard would do. Would he reject her daring move? She’d been so lonely, so hungry for male company on her long voyages through uncharted territories. Had she misread the signs? From her observations, they were opposites, yet he called to her feminine instincts.
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br />   Richard made a sound deep in his throat. His arms came around her, jerking her firmly against his chest. Relief flooded Hinekiri. It was going to be all right. Rejection wasn’t imminent. His lips slammed down on hers as if he’d been thinking about kissing and the use of masculine equipment. Their teeth collided in an audible click before they managed to tilt heads enough to get a proper fit. Then it all came together. A perfect match. Lips clung. Nibbled. Tasted.

  Hinekiri forgot about worrying. About being alone. About never finding a male to share in her life. She just went with the moment and enjoyed the sensation of being close to another being. Her hands crept up behind his neck. She nipped his bottom lip and traced the curve of his top with her tongue. Richard took over and explored the moist interior of her mouth. The surge of lust that bolted the length of her body was exciting and welcome. It made her feel alive. The warmth of his body and his competent enthusiasm hinted at more to come. Shutting her eyes, she pulled away to take a breath, holding the wonderful feelings to her heart.

  “I’m sorry. Am I out of line?” Chagrin swept across Richard’s face and he presented his cheek, standing in front of her like an Imperial Guard snapped to attention. “You can slap me.”

  “Why would I want to? You rang my bell.” Hinekiri sighed deeply. “Ding-a-ling-ling.”

  A glint lightened the worry in Richard’s eyes. “Lady, you do have a great turn of phrase. I take it I’m allowed to kiss you again.”

  “Yes, please.” She sidled closer, ready to repeat the kiss now that she’d stocked up on air.

  “Hinekiri, you’re on a promise. I’m a little old-fashioned. How about we wait until we have some privacy?”

  “Good idea.” She was thinking horizontal in her private cell on board the spaceship. Her eyes narrowed when a thought occurred. Maybe Richard would help her take the ship on a test run. Her transport wasn’t as badly crippled as she’d made out to Janaya. She frowned before a smile cut into her cheeks. She’d ask Richard to go to Africa with her. It would give Janaya and Luke time alone while she could determine Richard’s character. A romantic interlude in Africa. “I guess we’d better find the parts I need.”

  A vehicle heralded Robbie’s arrival. Twenty minutes later, with an assortment of vehicle parts and electrical components loaded in the back of the vehicle, they pulled up outside Richard’s house.

  Hinekiri turned to peer into the backseat. “Janaya, we’re home.” Her niece opened her eyes but appeared confused. “Come on, let’s get you inside. You need more sleep.” Hinekiri climbed out of the vehicle and opened the rear door to help Janaya out but Richard nudged her aside.

  “You get the door. I’ll carry Janaya. Poor thing. She looks exhausted.”

  They settled Janaya in Luke’s room and went back downstairs for a cup of tea.

  “Do ya have any food?” the dog barked from where she sat beside the fridge. Her hopeful glance flitted across Richard and ended on Hinekiri. Hinekiri stooped to pat the dog on the head before moving over to stand near Richard.

  He emptied the teapot and set it down on the stainless steel sink surround before glancing at her. “Are you sure she’s okay? Should she see a doctor?”

  “I’m trained in medicine.” Hinekiri patted Richard on the shoulder. Her hand lingered and she squeezed his biceps. “Besides, a doctor might notice the differences in our genetic makeup. I can’t wait to see you without clothes.” She couldn’t seem to stop herself from being outrageous when it came to Richard. And she could hardly use the same excuse as Janaya—not having the correct inoculations before she landed on Earth. She’d received immunizations for every known risk. Hinekiri tipped her head up to study his reaction.

  He shook his head, amusement clear to see. “You trying to shock me? You don’t think kissing an alien is bad enough? I have to get naked as well.”

  “I want to see if you’re young at heart. Adventurous enough to go on a test flight once I’ve done the repairs on the spaceship?”

  Richard fumbled with the container that housed the teabags before dumping two into the china pot. He turned to Hinekiri, eagerness jumping in his brown eyes. “You’ll give me a ride in the spaceship? Really?”

  “Yeah. If you have time.” Hope unfurled in Hinekiri. It would be fun seeing Africa with him. She dithered about saying the words. Dare she ask? She’d been alone so long, she wondered if she would be able to cope with someone else on board for weeks at a time. The journey with Janaya had been different. Janaya was family, like the daughter she’d never had. But a male…

  “When can we go?”

  “As soon as we’ve finished our tea.”

  “Great. I’ll make some sandwiches.”

  They worked together preparing the food. Killer grumbled at the back of her throat the entire time, complaining about how hungry she was and how she’d fade away to nothing. Then they’d be sorry. Hinekiri hesitated, procrastinating, unsure of whether to ask Richard to go to Africa or not. She cut the squares of filled bread Richard handed her in half and placed them on a plate. If she went to Africa alone, she wouldn’t have anyone to share the experience with later on, and regrets—she’d have a few.

  Nope, she’d do it her way.

  “I’ve decided to go to Africa tonight. I can make the repairs with the parts we purchased today. If you come with me…” Hinekiri met his gaze straight on, her heart pounding with apprehension. “Would you enjoy spending time with me in Africa?”

  Richard stared, making sure he had things straight before he let the excitement build. Unbelievably, his conservative side had taken a hike and he wasn’t even thinking of aliens, kinky experiments or other weird stuff. His standout thought was that he was going to get some. Sex that is. Maybe. If he played his cards right. “Do I want to go to Africa? With you? In the spaceship?”

  Hinekiri nodded, her usual smile absent for once. “I thought I would leave Janaya here with Luke since she’s not feeling well. Why don’t you think about it? We’ll need to take a test run first, no matter what we decide. I don’t want to get halfway to Africa and find I have to ditch over the water.”

  “A test run… Just so we’re on the same page—are we friends?” Richard reached over the table to cup her cheek with his hand. “Or would we share living quarters if I decided I’d like to see Africa?”

  “That’s up to you, sailor. No matter what you decide, it’s okay with me.”

  The need to smirk took him by surprise. He wasn’t exactly a love ’em and leave ’em kinda guy, not into one-night stands or free love. Normally, he liked to do things slowly, think everything over a bit before he acted. But right now, he sure as hell wanted to jump Hinekiri in the middle of the kitchen. Instead, he kissed her. He slid his mouth across hers and took the kiss deep, sliding his tongue into her mouth. The dog barked a couple of times but he ignored the creature. It seemed to bark all the time for no reason.

  Richard slipped one hand across her collarbone and slid it beneath the cotton material of her light green shirt to stroke the soft skin beneath. His fingers trembled and nerves attacked without warning. Sex reared its ugly head. Dammit, she was an alien. What if their parts didn’t fit? What if she had extra parts? His fingers burned where they connected with her skin. Okay, now his conservatism stood up and protested. Right when things were getting interesting.

  “Having second thoughts?” Hinekiri murmured.

  “Luke is involved with your niece.” Richard couldn’t help passing his fingers across the soft skin beneath her shirt again. She smelled of his soap. It was weird. Arousing. An alien had slept in his bed, used his shower.

  Hinekiri was an alien.

  “Luke and Janaya are destined mates. You’ve seen the way they look at each other.”

  “Yeah.” Richard cleared his throat. Luke and Janaya studied each other in an intense way that made him feel like a voyeur. That made him uncomfortable. Envious. Yeah, envy. He felt that all right. Richard thought about Hinekiri, aliens, and Africa for a fraction longer before he deci
ded. “I would love to go to Africa. I’d better go and pack a few things. Will I need my passport?”

  Hinekiri wrinkled her brow. “I don’t intend to pass any ports, but if it’s important to you, bring it along. We’ll write a note for Janaya and Luke rather than waking Janaya or ringing Luke. If you don’t mind, I’m going to stretch the truth and tell them it was a spur-of-the-moment thing rather than informing them we planned to go to Africa all along. Otherwise Janaya will want to come.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Richard paused and made a derisive sound. “I don’t suppose the normal documents are necessary when you’re traveling via spaceship.”

  * * * * *

  “I can’t believe this. It’s like a dream,” Richard muttered. His face bore the expression of an excited undergrown.

  “What if I’m luring you into my lair to conduct experiments?” Hinekiri asked, wondering how much she could tease before his face turned pale. It probably wasn’t a nice thing to do but she was having so much fun.

  “Which way?” he asked.

  “Follow the road past the wheat fields and keep driving up toward the hills.”

  Richard was silent while he negotiated the heavy traffic on the road leading to Ted Morrison’s farm. “If the experimentation involves kissing,” he said finally, “that’s okay with me. But I’d like to point out that you’re one itty-bitty lady. I’m much bigger and could restrain you without much trouble.”

  “Ohh,” Hinekiri cooed, fluttered her lashes. “That sounds like fun. I presume you have your own handcuffs. It’s BYO.” Her brows rose and she took great delight in the color that pooled in his cheeks when she suggested he bring his own cuffs.

  “Yes, I have a set of handcuffs.” Richard’s voice was gruff. “But I left them at home.” He glanced across at her, his eyes full of arousal and a hint of humor. “You should have mentioned it earlier. I might have to improvise.”

  “Don’t talk sex!” Killer barked from the backseat. “Hurt ears. Not good for lady dog.”