Sex, Love, and Aliens, Volume 1 (3 page)

She wandered up the hall, studying each picture she’d chosen to display since moving into the house six months ago. Valerie had helped her to purchase it, and for a time, Gia had thought she’d be sharing it with Garret and later a family of children. “I was so sure he was the one.” Until she caught him with Floss.

She sent a thankful prayer that she’d not yet invited him to live full time with her.

Gia stopped and reached for a picture frame, tracing it with a shaking finger. There she was with Valerie when she was three, and on her mother’s face was pride and love. Moving on she saw another from her high school graduation.
Just the two of us.
Gia studied the image behind the glass. “Always was just the two of us, wasn’t it? We didn’t need anyone else back then.”

The day she’d met Cedun was the third image that stopped her. Three smiling faces locked in a memory looked back at her. It was also the day Valerie had received her first order from
Dirustandi
. It was the day Gia had come to the conclusion that Valerie and Cedun were lovers. She’d been so wrong and hadn’t really questioned it.

“I was wrong about so many things.” Her head ached and she longed to shower and settle in her bed. So she gave in and opened the door to her bedroom, stripping off her clothes as she moved to the bathroom. It might be 2024 but the human brain still welcomed the feel of water on the body, she mused.

She stepped under the spray, the needle fine points beating on her body. In her mind’s eye, she conjured up a vision of Cedun with his hard, flat planes nestled up against her.

Her sex quivered as need jumped to life. God, she needed to either go to sleep or come up with some way of wiping him from her memory. Sleep would likely just bring on the highly erotic dreams that plagued her regularly. The arousing ones in Technicolor featuring the two of them.

On that thought, came the realization Garret had known about her dreams. All the times he’d teased her about waking up hot, or talking in her sleep... Gia winced. That was probably why Garret had accused her of having sex with Cedun, and she accepted that part of his anger as her due for being unfaithful in her mind.

God, how she wanted to feel Cedun touch her. Her nipples puckered like tight buds of need and she let her hands rise to cover them. The feel of the distended peaks enticed her to pluck at them. A moan escaped, and her head moved back against the wall as she undulated. The water slid over her body, each and every nerve singing out for more.

“Oh, Cedun…if only you were here.” Arching up, she let her hand trail down over her abdomen until it reached her center.

It felt both right and wrong, and she stilled. Arousal wound deep in her gut, her body tightly strung, but she didn’t want her hand. She wanted a man. She hungered for Cedun. But he wasn’t there.

She clenched her fingers into a ball. A sound alerted her and she swung around.

There was Cedun. “I… I beg your pardon.”

He started to back away, his hungry gaze traveling over her body as if he too were caught in the intolerable burn of desire. She didn’t question why he was there. He was, and she hungered.

“Cedun?” She stepped forward, reaching out to him.

“I should go.” But he didn’t move, though his gaze traversed her body, resting on each curve, the heat in his eyes melting her.

It’s a dream. It has to be. Otherwise, why would he be here?
Another step put him within touching distance. “I want you, Cedun. I need to feel you.”

He swallowed and she watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down. “You… I should…”

Her hand found his and tugged him against her. “Forget everything right now. It’s just you and me. No tomorrows. No regrets.” She lifted her mouth to his, and he was there, matching her taste-for-taste and touch-for-touch. Plundering. Hard. Fast.
Hungry.

Tonight anything is okay. After all, it’s a dream.

Gia tore at his clothing, stripping him, and the feel of his naked torso against hers was electric. When his arms encircled her she felt glorious ecstasy stealing through her bones, her mind hazing over as the mist of desire descended.

They stumbled backward into the water, hands groping and caressing, legs entwining until his hands found her backside and hoisted her up. His erection was hard and ready, and she was hot, so damned ready for him.

The sound of the thudding water masked their panting breaths and cries of passion. Linking her feet behind his back, she urged him closer, into the most intimate embrace.

His cock was tight against her entrance, and she arched a little further, the friction battering her senses. Then he was within her. Filling her so full she could hardly breathe. They moved faster now, their bodies starving and hungry for the orgasm that roared closer each second.

His chest, bare and hard, rubbed her nipples, causing tingles of lightning to shoot through her body. Up and down she moved, flexing muscles, while he groaned and met her move for move.

Heart pounding, the feel of cold tiles at her back, he urged her on and she gave him everything right then and there. When she couldn’t fight it any longer she gave into the cataclysmic explosion. Cedun joined her, the feel of his jetting completion leaving her a quivering mass of sensations.

His hold is tight, was her first coherent thought. She unwound her legs and let herself drop down to the tiled floor. She could hardly stay upright as the muscles of her legs wobbled like jelly.

“Wow. That’s quite… Geez.”
What else can I say?
She’d just used the man of her dreams for mindless sex. And it wasn’t a dream.

“Come. Let us leave here. We should talk.” He gathered her up like a child, holding her in his arms. Her body felt heavy and replete in a way she’d never experienced before.

“Water off.” The auto shutdown responded to her demand and left them in silence except for the sound of their breathing, still rapid with the post-sex high.

He carried her to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. She almost reminded him of the bath towels but he looked so grave and concerned that she couldn’t bring herself to mention them.

“Cedun, is something wrong?” Gia knew she should probably cover up, but he’d seen and touched just about every inch of her body. Modesty now would be misplaced.

“This morning…” His violet eyes were troubled.

Gia reached out. “I was a bitch this morning…”

“Not that.” For the first time he grinned, but it didn’t dispel the concern in his eyes. “The glass. I think it was Garret.”

“Oh, Cedun, why would he do something like that? I mean, I know we didn’t exactly part on good terms, but he’s not a man to hold on to anger.”

“He will hurt you. He is a jealous man,
Deandara
. He will hurt you if he gets close again.” His hand rose and cupped her cheek. “I cannot—I will not allow that.”

* * * *

Holding her close against him was heaven and hell for him. For so long he’d dreamed, but she’d kept her distance. Now there she was. It felt so right that all his good intentions fled. He lay beside her in the bed, her body almost as close as possible without the joining they’d already experienced.

“How did you get in?” Her cat green eyes shone with interest, and he wanted to close his eyes as recriminations slowly stole away the feeling of well-being that had suffused him.

“De’ Valerie was concerned about you. She sent me back. I used a matter transmitter so I could assure myself of your safety.” And what had he done? Thrown himself upon her with a shameless lack of restraint.

“Well, I guess you know I’m okay now.” She grinned for a moment, her features shining in the near darkness, and his love for her welled deep. But had his precipitous actions jeopardized the long-term relationship he longed to enjoy with her?

“De’… Ah, Gia. Might I call you that?”

She blinked at his careful request. Then she laughed out loud, the echo of mirth reaching his soul. Filling the empty corners with light.

“Given what we’ve just done, I think that would be fine.”

He reached out a hand and pushed a fine, almost-dry curl from her face. It sprang back, winding around his finger. He took it as an omen for the future.

“Now that you understand about De’ Valerie, would you consent to…” He was lost for words. He wanted to woo her, but didn’t have the words. He could speak his native tongue but she wouldn’t know what he was asking. It was one more frustration after cycles of the physical restraint.

“What, Cedun?” Her eyes scanned his face, then understanding flared. “If you’re asking about this—” She indicated to their bodies lying naked against each other. “I’m not sure if I’m really ready for another relationship.”

He closed his eyes, pain crashing through him, and self-doubt, his constant companion, poked him.
I have failed. She does not want me, only this physical union. It is not enough!

“It’s not you, Cedun. It’s me. I think I need time to understand what happened with Garret. I mean, I expected more than just a roll in the sack. I wanted marriage and kids. Like Valerie and Joruzan appear to have. I was so ready, but I missed the signs. Was I self-absorbed? Did I imagine what was there? I’m not sure. But I won’t do that again. I’m… I don’t like making mistakes, and that one was a massive mistake on my part. I’m not sure I quite trust myself at the moment.”

In her eyes he could see the entreaty of an uncertain woman, and though he didn’t want to, he examined her words, weighed them carefully. If he pushed her now, he might keep her for a short while. He’d have to let her go.
For now.

“Then I will not push you, Gia. But I will be ready for you. Just…” As difficult as it was to agree, to say the words, he pushed them out. “I will wait for you to be ready and to trust. Now I must go.”

Convulsive hands clutched at him. “Already? You can’t… Could you stay a little longer?”

Carefully, he removed her hands. “I must go now. I have a role that I must fulfill. Should you require me, I will come.” In the pockets of his human clothes was a tiny communicator. He’d give her that and requisition another for himself. He pulled away and she blushed, her cheekbones taking on a rosy tinge.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you in a difficult position.” She tugged the bed covers that were shoved down the end of the bed over her body.

He sighed. Her body messages were horribly mixed, but he could only be honest with her. “I want to stay, but you are not ready, so I will abide by your wish for space. I have a small communicator I will leave with you.”

She nodded and he backtracked to the bathroom, hunting through the wet clothes on the floor before finding the device about the size of a credit card. “I have preset it to my code. You just need to press this button.” He showed her the tiny depression before he shoved it into her hand and dressed.

“Cedun? Will you join me for dinner tomorrow night?” Her words were hesitant, but he couldn’t repress the grin that rose over his face.

“It would be my pleasure, Gia.” Now fully dressed, he leaned forward and dropped a light kiss on her lips. “Until tomorrow.”

Then he left.

* * * *

Gia dropped into a heavy sleep, exhausted but happy to have finally been able to admit to the attraction she felt for Cedun. Privately, she conceded that was a mild term to use to describe her fascination for him, but it was at least a level she was ready to admit to.

What woke her hours later, she couldn’t exactly say. But jolting from a deep, heavy sleep to instant alertness left her heart thudding wildly.

“Who’s there?”

The sound of ragged breathing caught her ears. To her sensitive hearing it sounded excited, as if someone were preparing for something very special. Horror and fear choked her as she scurried back on the sheets, her hand gripping the small communicator. She pressed the spot Cedun had shown her, hoping he would hear and understand her simple and soundless signal.

A harsh hand caught her close, against a soft chest. The scream that wanted to erupt was broken off by something stuffed in her mouth. Her fingers cramped, pressed again hard on the tiny depression, and she worked at pushing the cloth from her mouth.

“You slut! You push me aside because of Floss, then you roll in the sack with him.”

Garret!
The words were thick and slurred, and she knew he’d been drinking.

Cruel hands sank into the soft flesh of her arms. “Did you learn any new tricks then, baby doll?”

He tugged the sheet away, and bile rose in her chest.
No!
The sound was little more than a muffled ‘
oof
’ as she fought against him. It seemed to go on forever as he attempted to hold her still, but his state of inebriation meant his grip was ineffective.

She couldn’t quantify the length of time she fought him, but suddenly the sound of a crash echoed through the house and his grip loosed and his fetid breath moved away. “I’ll be back.” The words were low then the sound was gone.

The light flicked on, nearly blinding her.

“
Deandara
! Gia!” This time it was soft, shaking hands, soothing her, pulling the material from her mouth. “Gia!
Quiot dest vun garr
?” His words broke through the icy block that filled her mind.

Her senses swam as she nestled into the embrace. Cedun was there, and she was safe. Tears streamed as her chest heaved. “Cedun… Oh God! I thought you were going to be too late.” She clutched at his clothing, needing him near to reassure her.

“Never, my Gia. Never.” Soft kisses touched her cheeks. “You are… You are…intact?”

His odd syntax stood out, and a hiccupping laugh erupted. “Intact?” Another laugh followed.

“Unhurt, my
Deandara
? Gia, answer me. He did not… You are not defiled?” There was anguish and pain in his voice, and it sobered her.

“No. He was going to, I think, but you saved me.” With the crying jag over, she was sure she must look frightful.

As if he could read her mind, Cedun cupped her chin. “You are beautiful, my Gia. Let us get you out of here though, in case he comes back.” With careful touches, Cedun helped her out of the bed, noting the red marks on her body and kissing each tenderly. “Never again will he touch you,
Deandara
Gia.”