The King and I: Celestial Soul-Mates, Book 1

Dedication

To Mark,

my
tanash’ae.

Chapter One

Aria stepped into the large ballroom where the welcoming party to the luxury resort was in full swing. As she glanced around at the women in glittering evening gowns and the men in well-tailored tuxes, she felt vastly out of place. She’d worn her favorite power suit, tailored and smart, but not glamorous. She tugged at the hem of her trim jacket, then adjusted the waist. Why had she even bothered to come?

A tall, tuxedo-clad man brushed past her, and she almost gasped at the thrill of anticipation that rushed through her.

Oh, yeah. That’s why.

Ever since the phone call informing her she’d won this all-inclusive vacation at the Bonavista Resort, all her thoughts had been on the gorgeous, available men she would meet, which was unlike her. With her project deadline looming at the end of next month, she should have turned down the trip.

A black-haired giant of a man, whose broad smile revealed glistening white teeth, nodded as he passed her, a glint in his eye. Her insides quivered and her breasts felt strangled inside the confines of her black linen jacket. Good heavens, she’d never felt so…needy. She’d been waking up every morning from steamy, passion-filled dreams, her body slick with sweat, wanting…needing a real, live man.

A young woman carrying a clipboard approached Aria, a welcoming smile on her face.

“Hello. Are you Aria Jenkins?”

“Yes, I am.”

The woman consulted her list. She returned her gaze to Aria and smiled. “Follow me, please.”

A passing waitress stopped to offer Aria a red drink in a tall-stemmed, crystal glass from the dozen she carried on a round tray.

Aria accepted it, nodding her thanks, then followed the hostess across the room to a table with four women and one empty chair.

“This is where you’ll be sitting this evening. Please help yourself to drinks and appetizers, and someone will come and get you for the orientation in about twenty minutes.”

Aria nodded her thanks and sank into the empty chair.

“Hi. My name’s Eva.” The brunette on her left offered her hand. Aria shook it, aware that her own hand was cold in comparison. Eva wore the typical little black dress, the wrap-around style accentuating her full breasts and trim waist. A simple string of pearls adorned her neck.

“Hi. I’m Aria.”

“This is Jenna, Kate and Crystal.” Eva introduced the women clockwise around the table.

They all smiled and nodded. Each wore an evening gown.

“I feel a little out of place.” Aria fiddled with the clip holding her dark blonde hair in a twist at the back of her head. “I should have worn something else.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Eva said. “You look great.”

“Thanks.”

“This is so exciting!” Kate, the young woman across the table from Aria, pushed her long, auburn hair behind her ear, her green eyes glittering with enthusiasm. “I wonder what they have planned for us?”

Aria sipped the drink she still held in her hand. Sweet and fruity. She sipped again.

“I don’t know, but I hope there are men involved.” Crystal, the tall blonde on Aria’s right, settled a lascivious gaze on the hard, muscular butts of three guys, gorgeous and in their early twenties, as they passed by.

Aria’s gaze followed and she felt the heat creep through her again. She took another sip of her drink, then realized she’d already finished half of it and set it firmly on the table. It would be far too easy to consume too much of the sweet, alcoholic beverage.

“There certainly are a lot of good-looking men here,” said Kate.

“And women.” Jenna, a woman with a sweet smile and short feathery black hair, glanced up as a pair of blonde women in low-cut gowns passed by. Their generous, round breasts practically bounced out of their dresses.

“Don’t worry about those two, honey. They’ve got lots out here…” Crystal indicated her chest, then waved her hand by her head. “But not much up here. Not like you.” She laid her hand on Jenna’s. “You’ve got brains and looks. In fact, you’re way better looking than most of the women here.”

Jenna smiled at her, but tucked her hand under the table as soon as Crystal drew hers away. Aria certainly agreed with Crystal. Jenna, with her wide eyes, high cheekbones and flawless complexion, was a stunner. In fact, all the women at the table were beautiful. Aria tugged at her jacket self-consciously. Why the heck had she been seated here?

Crystal locked gazes with a man two tables over and sent him a seductive smile. “With all these sexy hunks to choose from, I plan to get laid every night by a different man.” She winked. “Or two.”

A waitress stopped beside the table. “More drinks, ladies?”

Aria realized her fingers had curled around the stem of the glass again and she’d emptied it. She released it so the waitress could take it away, then tried to ignore the new drink placed in front of her.

“And here comes contestant number one,” Crystal purred.

Aria glanced in the direction of the other woman’s gaze. The man Crystal had been making eyes with approached the table. He leaned over Crystal and murmured something in her ear. She chuckled, a deep throaty sound, and her lips curled up in a wicked smile. He took her hand and led her to the dance floor where he drew her into a close embrace. Her red strapless dress, with a light sprinkling of sequins, glittered in the low light. Aria quickly lost sight of them among the crowd of dancers.

Kate giggled. “Do you think she really means it? I mean, that she’d go to bed with two guys?”

“I’m sure it was just talk.” Eva’s gaze followed the couple across the dance floor as they came into view, wove past several couples, then disappeared into the crowd again.

“I don’t know. I think she’s up for anything,” Jenna piped in. “And more power to her.”

Crystal’s comment disturbed Aria, not because its bluntness had shocked her, but because she’d been thinking the same thing. Not about two men—she’d never do that—but the part about getting laid, as Crystal had put it. Over the past week the dreams had intensified and a yearning had been building within her. She wanted a man. Or rather, she wanted sex. Her insides were aching with need.

She had never experienced such a powerful hunger. To be in a man’s arms. To be possessed. To be cherished.

Maybe grabbing the first guy to show interest would be a good idea. Get laid, as Crystal had put it, and get past it. But something told her not just any guy would satisfy this need.

The song changed and, a moment later, Crystal returned to the table.

She wrapped her hands around her glass and stared into it.

“He was nice, but not exactly what I’m looking for.”

“And what are you looking for?” Kate asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ll know it when I find it.” Crystal stabbed the cherry in her glass with the sharp end of the swizzle stick and brought it to her lips. She gently tugged it off with her teeth, then drew it into her mouth, closing her lips around it.

Jenna watched her with fascination, then nervously glanced down at her hands when she realized Aria had noticed. Did Jenna admire Crystal’s easy sensuality? Aria found herself wishing she could be as open as Crystal and ooze sexuality with such comfort.

“You know, I won this vacation in a contest.” Jenna twirled the tip of her finger around the rim of her glass

“Really? I did too,” Eva responded.

Kate’s eyes widened. “Me too.”

Crystal pointed a finger trimmed with a long, well-manicured red fingernail at Aria. “And you?”

Aria nodded.

“Same here.” Crystal sipped her drink.

“Omigod.” Kate giggled. “What a coincidence.”

“Not a coincidence, sweetie. They probably want to get a photo of all of us. You know, for marketing, yada yada yada.” Crystal rested her chin on her hands. “And we’ll probably have to sit through some long, boring pitch to buy a timeshare.”

“I don’t think so,” Aria chimed in. “We’re not exactly the demographic they’re looking for and—”

“Ladies, my name is Terrien. It’s time for the orientation.”

Aria turned her head to see a stunningly handsome man smiling at them with dazzling white teeth. Her breath caught in her lungs.

“Would you all come with me, please?” He drew back Kate’s chair.

Kate sent him a glowing smile and stood. “Lead on.”

Crystal leaned toward Aria and murmured, “I would absolutely
come
with him. Anywhere. Anytime.”

Aria giggled. She couldn’t help it. She’d had only two drinks, but they’d left her lightheaded. She and the others stood and followed Terrien. He led them out of the ballroom, then turned left.

“Aren’t the elevators the other way?” Jenna asked.

“The normal ones, yes,” Terrien answered, “but we’re taking the VIP elevator.”

“Mmm, VIP. That’s my kind of action,” Crystal purred to Aria and Jenna.

Kate walked beside Terrien up front, Eva walked a couple feet behind them, and Jenna, Crystal and Aria followed. Terrien led them down a narrow corridor, then pushed open a door labeled “Authorized Personnel Only”. At the end of another narrow corridor, they came to an elevator. Terrien pushed a key into a lock on the control panel and the doors opened. They crowded into the small space and the doors closed.

“This doesn’t look very VIP to me,” Crystal grumbled.

The elevator seemed to speed up. It jostled a little from side to side. An uneasy quiver started in Aria’s stomach. Her head started to spin and she grabbed on to Crystal’s arm. Crystal placed her hand over Aria’s.

“You okay, honey? You look a little green.”

Eva clasped Aria’s other hand. “You don’t look well, Aria.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine in a minute,” Terrien said.

The doors opened and Kate, Terrien and Jenna stepped out. Aria took a step or two and then her knees started to buckle. Crystal and Eva grabbed her arms and steadied her. Whew, she must have had more to drink than she’d thought.

They entered a moderate-sized room with upholstered armchairs set out facing one wall. The décor had changed dramatically from the coral and green they’d seen everywhere else in the hotel. Also missing were the wooden details. This room was cool blue with very minimalist, clean lines.

Eva led Aria to a chair.

“I don’t know what came over me.” Embarrassment blazed through Aria.

“The transporter has that effect on some people.”

“The what?” Aria turned at the unfamiliar female voice.

A woman stood beside Terrien, who was taking off his suit jacket. The woman handed him a dark green jacket just like the one she wore. It looked like a military uniform of some sort.

“The transporter,” she repeated.

She pushed a button on a small console on the wall beside her, triggering a loud humming. The wall started to slide upward, revealing windows beyond. Aria gasped, echoed by several of the others, as a stunning vista of stars was revealed.

“It transported you to our starship.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Crystal stepped up to the glass and peered outside.

“I don’t know, Crystal.” Kate’s voice sounded on the edge of panic. “Look!” She pointed upward.

Aria followed her gaze. The wall panels continued to retreat over the ceiling, revealing a beautiful, but quite disturbing, view of Earth.

“Oh, my God.” Eva sank into a chair. “We’ve just been abducted by aliens.”

Chapter Two

“You.” The uniformed woman pointed at Aria. “Come with me.”

“We stay together,” Eva insisted as she stepped toward Aria protectively.

“No, actually you don’t,” the woman responded.

As the stranger grabbed Aria’s arm and dragged her to her feet, Terrien stepped in front of Eva, preventing her from rushing to Aria’s side. The uniformed woman led Aria to a door, which slid open as they approached. Aria glanced back to see her bewildered companions led out another door by Terrien and a couple of other uniformed men. Eva mouthed some words to Aria that she didn’t understand, then the door closed behind her.

“Where are you taking me?” Aria couldn’t hide the quaver in her voice.

“To meet the captain.” The woman’s heels clicked sharply on the floor as they marched along. “You should be honored.”

Maybe she should be, but she wasn’t. In truth, she was frightened and confused.

Despite that, thoughts of her steamy, nighttime adventures stirred within her and a sexual buzz quivered through her entire body. A part of her hoped this captain was a tall, dark, sinister hunk who wanted to have his way with her. She trembled in anticipation.

Good God, where is my brain? This is real, not some sexual fantasy.
Yet she felt heat flush through her, hotter and hotter, as they progressed.

They stopped in front of a door and her captor pushed a button beside it. A bleep sounded.

“Send her in, Casey,” a deep voice said.

The door slid open.

“You heard the captain. Go on in.”

Fear cooled her blood a little as Aria stepped through the doorway, peering ahead of her to see a sitting room but no captain. The door swooshed closed behind her. She stepped farther into the softly lit room, which looked like private quarters. A big, comfy-looking armchair and couch occupied most of the room. Not exactly how she’d pictured a spaceship.