Alexandre (5 page)

The phone went dead.

“Damn!” Alex peered at the dog as he handed the phone back to Lily. Funny, he could have sworn the spotted creature smirked.

“It’s getting cold. And late,” Lily said.

Alex bit back a curse and wrenched his gaze off her plump, kissable lips. But even so, the notion slipped into his head. The area was also private. A vision popped fully formed into his mind. Unfortunately, Lily starred in his dream image. No clothes. Limbs entwined.

A shrill bark jerked him to the present. The dog pushed between him and Lily, forcing Alex to step back. He speared a glare at the furry creature. Perhaps he could sell it to a passing Dalcon trader. Yeah, a solution to ponder.

“I’m not very good in the dark,” Lily said. “My night vision is terrible.”

Killer trotted along the track. “Follow me. I be good in dark.”

“She can’t understand you,” Alex snapped.

“Why do you do that?” Lily asked her voice shaded with puzzlement. “Luke and Janaya growl back at her all the time, too. She seems to enjoy it.”

“You tell her or me?” Killer yapped, coming to an abrupt halt in the middle of the track.

“I’m not touching that one,” Alex muttered.

“I have no idea what you mean.” Lily shook her head, kept walking and ploughed straight into Killer.

Alex snapped his hand out to grasp her upper arm, but the clumsiness was catchy. He staggered on the uneven ground and clutched a handful of luscious breast instead of his target. Startled and off balance, Lily fell, taking Alex with her. Alex twisted at the last moment. Lily landed on top, draped across his body like a satin sheet, and his libido went from casual interest to fiery hot in secs flat. Instead of pushing her away as a male with any sense would, Alex compounded his error by aligning their bodies. Breast to chest. Thigh to thigh. His erection pulsing against her belly.

A heartbeat later, that wasn’t close enough. Too many clothes separated their straining bodies. Alex slid his lips over Lily’s in an openmouthed kiss that exploded on his senses, sucking him into the magical spell she cast. Time seemed to slow. His hearing intensified. Each tiny gasp from Lily tugged at his groin, tightening his tom until all he could think of was plunging into her warm, tight pussy. Alex traced around her lips with his tongue and then giving in to temptation, sucked her bottom lip into his mouth.

Lily gasped at the streak of pleasure that shot to her clit. The golden man was kissing her.

Her! Lily Morgan.

And it sure as hell didn’t feel like a pity kiss. Laughter bubbled up inside her until Alex nipped her lip. She winced then moaned at the soothing yet erotic swathe of his tongue over her stinging mouth. Her eyelids lowered until a world of pure sensation enveloped her.

His hard body warmed her, seduced her, and she gave in to the temptation, exploring, gliding her hands over smooth muscles. She’d missed the closeness of a man holding her, loving her. Lord, she hoped she wasn’t acting too desperate. Perhaps she should ease back a little, take things at a more decorous pace. It wouldn’t do to look needy.

A wet tongue swiped across her cheek.

Lily’s hands stilled.
Okaaay
. That was a bit weird. Maybe it was an alien thing. Her hands journeyed across broad shoulders.

“Cut that out,” Alex snapped.

Shock sliced deep at his tone, along with hurt. Lily’s eyes shot open to see a face full of fur and a pink tongue getting ready to lick her again.

“Good game,” Killer yapped. “Play more.”

Lily pushed Killer away and attempted to scramble up before the dog barked in her ear again. Her knee connected with Alex’s belly, ricocheted and skimmed close to his groin. He grunted and grabbed her forearms, holding her off and away from vulnerable parts.

They stared at each other. Lily wanted another kiss so badly she shook. She extended her hand and reached for him, but he leaned away. Before she had time to react, Killer darted between them to fill the gap he’d left. Lily groaned when she realized Alex intended to halt the kissing. All right. If she were honest, it was a bit difficult with Killer pushed between their lips. But try telling her body that. Her nipples were budded tight and pressing against her lacy bra while dampness had pooled at the juncture of her thighs. She felt empty. Her body wanted action and her mind wasn’t that far behind with the concept.

“Killer, will you get off.” Exasperation along with a frown marched across Alex’s face as he pushed at the furry body.

Killer barked.

Alex growled.

Lily started giggling. It was as if they were carrying out a conversation and that was plain stupid. Lily sobered at the thought. Ambrose had always lectured about her flights of fancy. He’d said they contributed to her clumsiness since her head never concentrated on her feet. He’d always harped on about her weight and the need for a diet.

Lily shook the painful memories away and let her gaze sweep across Alex’s face. An alien. Such a pretty one. He was nothing like the science fiction characters on the telly with tentacles popping out in weird places. At least she hoped not. She cast a speculative look at Alex’s groin and then hurriedly glanced away. Things certainly appeared normal down there. They could… But wait! Here she was all excited, and they were on a dirt track in the middle of nowhere. If she ever got the chance to rip off Alex’s clothes, she’d prefer good lighting so she could see every inch of golden skin and hard muscles uncovered. That was assuming his body parts were compatible with hers.

Alex and Killer started growling at each other again.

Lily huffed out an impatient breath and rubbed her bare arms briskly. It was getting cold. “If the two of you are finished, I’d like to go home.”

The growling stopped mid-chorus. Alex clambered to his feet and held out a hand for her. Instinctively, she took it. He tugged. Lily flew off the ground and smacked into his chest. He grunted while Lily’s cheeks heated in embarrassment. She was such a klutz. Ambrose would have said it was all the extra flesh making her topple off balance.

“Are you all right?” Lily ran her hands across the cotton fabric of his shirt. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Alex winced, and she froze, her hand curving into his pectoral muscle. Then Lily realized she was stroking him like a pet cat. Domesticated, he wasn’t. She jerked her hand away as if she’d grasped a fist full of flames. Mortified at her behavior, Lily couldn’t look him in the eye. What was wrong with her? Well, okay. She had a fairly good idea. It was the wine. She shouldn’t have drank the third glass that Luke had foisted on her, but alcohol had never had this effect on her before.

“Lily, please take my arm.”

Lily peered through the darkness, trying to read his expression. “Why?”

“We have an early start tomorrow morning.”

What sort of answer was that? If he was hinting at clumsiness, then he should try telling her something new. Lily stalked past him, heading for the SUV. “I don’t need help.”

Before she’d taken three steps, she heard him sigh. That pissed her off. He was as bad as her ex. Lily increased the pace, but Alex caught up with her and slid an arm around her waist.

“Humor me,” he said. “Please. Besides, I promised Luke and Janaya I’d look after you.”

“I’m not a parcel to be handed from person to person,” Lily said, not in the least mollified. Her family was smothering her via remote control. She might be the baby of the family but she was fully grown—and capable of making her own mistakes. The Ambrose calamity popped into her head. Oh, yeah—mistakes big time.

“I promised to look after Killer as well. If it makes you feel any better, it’s in my interests to look after you. You’re my tour guide. I need you.”

Humph.
Lily wondered if he had visited Ireland on the way to New Zealand and stopped to kiss the blarney stone. He certainly had a silver tongue.

They managed to negotiate the rest of the winding track without mishap, but it was a close run thing. Aware of the warmth of his arm curved around her waist and the spicy masculine smell of him, Lily shivered with the desire tingling through her body. Blood rushed to places that had no business paying attention to Alex’s proximity. He was her boss. She was his employee. The reminder struck her like a violent blow. No matter how much she was tempted, she must keep things on a business-like footing.

Remember your empty bank account.

Besides, look at the man. He’s gorgeous. He wouldn’t lack for feminine company. Why would he pick a heavyweight like her?

Alex pulled away from Lily before he succumbed to the need to throw her on the ground and blanket her curvy body with his. After he’d ripped off her clothes, of course. He shoved his hands in his jean pockets with difficulty. “Do you want me to drive?” At least that would take his mind off sex. Maybe.
Probably not
, he conceded, but it would keep his hands busy.

“Do you know how?”

“Of course I can drive,” Alex said. Lots of Earth people did it. Besides, he was experienced with the latest in spaceships. Driving a car couldn’t be that difficult.

“I know the roads. You can drive tomorrow.”

Alex nodded, annoyed with the surge of need that wouldn’t quit. He stepped around the vehicle to the passenger side and opened the door. Killer pushed past without ceremony and jumped inside. Alex barred his teeth, but the dog just smirked and calmly sat on her haunches in the middle of the seat. It was like having a palace chaperon on an outing.

Lily climbed behind the wheel and started the engine. She glanced past Killer to smile at him. “Did you want to walk?”

“Not particularly.” Alex leapt into the vehicle and shut the door. The dimly lit cab seemed too private—and full of Lily’s flowery scent. The bonding ties pulled tight, jerking his tom painfully. Alex gritted his teeth and prayed for a speedy trip back to the house. Then he’d hit the shower—a cold shower. He couldn’t have Lily, so manual relief would have to serve instead.

He peered past Killer to study the way Lily pushed pedals with her feet and used her hand to operate the levers. It didn’t look difficult. Maybe if he concentrated on the way Lily operated the vehicle, he’d forget about acting like a Tigus male in heat.

Chapter Four

The privacy of the vehicle abraded Alex’s self-control, grinding it away and splintering it piece by stubborn piece. Hormones hopped and his pulse hummed, sending the bonding spell writhing through his bloodstream like a malevolent virus. Huh! It was exactly like a disease without a cure. He was taking pills—lots of them. Hell, he was crunching through them as if they were a pack of Earth sweets.

For all the good it was doing.

Even the damn dog sitting between them didn’t dampen the driving need that surged through his veins. He barely managed the short drive back to the house without attacking Lily. Then came the test—trying to act as though nothing untoward was happening while he made the safety of his room.

Standing, walking, hell—moving was bloody painful. A pained hiss squeezed from deep in his gut. Luckily, he walked behind Lily, because he staggered like a geriatric courtier forced into retirement, each step creating friction between his tight Earth garments and his hungry, rampant tom. The palace females teased the males about one-eyed warriors having a mind of their own. Now Alex knew it for fact.

By the time he made it indoors, sweat beaded on his forehead and ran into his eyes. A fine tremor passed through his clenched muscles.

“Are you all right?” Lily asked as he halted beside her on the doorstep that led to the kitchen. She opened the door and reached around the corner of the doorjamb with the ease of familiarity to flick on a light switch. Concern shaded her voice, and for one heart-stopping moment, Alex thought she’d touch him.

He jerked away, jumped into the kitchen and scrunched his eyes to slits at the burst of light. “Headache,” he gasped out, edging away from her obvious worry. “Don’t touch me.”

Lily ignored him, stepping inside and kicking off her shoes, but one look told Alex he’d offended her. He started to explain but her colored toenails distracted him. Pink. The exact shade of a sunrise on a clear Dalcon morning. The sight was unexpected. Sexy.

Devil’s teeth, what was he going to do? Inside the house wasn’t much better than the vehicle. In fact, it was worse. The place smelled of flowers, of woman, of her. He couldn’t avoid her presence if he tried.

Alex watched the dog trot from the kitchen and turn up the stairs, leaving him alone with Lily. The air thickened, the mood turning sultry and hot.

Man, he hungered for a woman.

This woman.

He’d thought he could control the pounding lust that streaked through his body. But every touch made it worse, and for a man who’d decided on a no-contact rule, he was doing a bloody lot of rule breaking. The urgent need to grab her made him want to howl like a caged tigoth.

Breathing rapidly, Alex’s gaze ran from her bare feet and painted nails, up her denim-clad legs, and skipped across the juncture of her thighs to savor the curvy hips. He visualized holding tight and rocking against her, with her, soaring high to mutual pleasure exactly as he’d practiced with his favored consort back on Dalcon. With a sigh, his gaze traveled higher still to linger on lush breasts. Alex imagined tracing the shadowed cleavage with his tongue, molding the luscious curves with his hands and drawing a tight, aroused nipple into his mouth. He couldn’t contain his groan, and it burst forth echoing through the kitchen.