Awaken: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (3 page)

Josie held her breath, waiting for him to touch her, praying for him to touch her. How easy it would be to touch him. To turn over and let her hands explore his hard flesh. Then let his hands do the same to hers. Then his mouth. She wanted to taste him and feel him and
have
him. Heavy and demanding, arousal settled between her legs.

This was a bad idea
, she thought again. And she thought it some more, over and over until finally she dozed off to sleep.

Chapter Four

"What the hell is this?"

Slapping a magazine down on the table, Angela jabbed at the cover. On it was a picture of Josie and Torgan in front of a crowd. Whereas Torgan's face looked handsome and amused, Josie's mouth was partially opened, her teeth bared, her eyes wider than normal.
FLINT AND THE FREAK
read the headline.

"Oh my god, no." Josie plopped into her seat and grabbed up the magazine. When the waiter came by enquiring whether she'd like a drink she ignored him. "What the hell is
this
?"

"That's what I'm asking you," said Angela. "I can't believe you've been hiding something like this from me. When were you going to tell me you're fucking Ryan Flint?"

Josie dropped the magazine on the table, her tone indignant. "I'm not fucking Ryan Flint." She pointed at Torgan in the picture. "He's not Ryan Flint. You don't know how often I've been saying that."

"Oh, yeah?" said Angela. "Then why does he look exactly like him?"

"That's because he's an—"
alien who shape-shifted into Ryan Flint by touching a magazine.
Josie cleared her throat. That was close. In any case, if she'd said it out loud Angela wouldn't believe her. Even now, Angela's sharp blue eyes regarded with her scepticism. "Angela, seriously, he's not Ryan Flint. He's just a guy I met who looks a lot like him." Josie laughed nervously. "I was pretty amazed myself when I first saw him."

"Where did you meet him?"

"I...err…outside." Averting her gaze, Josie hailed the waiter and asked for a glass of water.

"Doy. Outside where?"

"At a convenience store."

"Huh, that's new. So what's his name? What does he do? How long have you been seeing this guy?"

"Angela, would you please take off the lawyer hat and let's just talk?" Josie picked up her menu. "I'm so hungry right now. I walked here."

Angela laughed. "Sorry. I guess I'm just…I mean, it's been a while since you've mentioned a man in your life. Greg fucked you up when it came to men so I can't help the shock you've finally got a new one."

"Greg was an asshole." Josie fiddled with the edge of her menu, keeping the unpleasant memories at bay. "Anyway, he's not, y'know,
mine
. We're friends. Just friends."

"With benefits?"

"No!" Josie ignored the quiet thrill at the thought. "Just friends."

"You've got to be joking." They placed their order when the waiter returned to their table. When the waiter disappeared with their choices, Angela picked up the magazine and stared at the cover with an obvious hunger in her eyes. "How can you just be friends with a man like that? He is climbable, Josie.
Climbable
." Then she laughed. "Oh god. This picture is not doing you any favours, babe. Look at your face. And your hair!"

Josie groaned. "I look like a Chihuahua."

They laughed together and Josie managed to steer the conversation towards Angela's life and current relationship with one of the senior partners at her law firm. Midway during their meal, Angela received a call on her mobile phone. With an apologetic kiss on Josie's cheek and a quick hug, Angela hurried off to attend to whatever new crisis had arisen at her job. Josie remained and finished her meal alone.

What a life,
Josie thought. To be constantly at the beck and call of a high-stress job and demanding superiors didn't appeal to Josie. Not for the first time, Josie was thankful she'd not pursued a career in law. Some might say she had no ambition. In the dark period at the start of her cleaning business when she could barely find enough work to pay for the essentials, she had believed she had no ambition too.

Why would any sensible person forgo a prestigious career like law to clean someone's house? Her parents had asked this question often. She'd asked herself that question too. Not anymore. She found pride in her job. What she did was worthwhile to her clients and to herself. Besides, if she didn't have ambition, would she have started her own business? Furthermore, would she have worked so hard over the past few years that she no longer suffered in poverty and could now cherry-pick her clients?

Josie cleared her mind of those thoughts. Maybe someday her parents would accept the path she'd chosen in her life. For now she was content. Somewhat. An emptiness still existed within her, but she could always fill that with more work. In the meantime, she would enjoy the strange and new experience of being a guide to an alien who had saved the world.

The mall beckoned and Josie answered its siren call. A few hours later, she lugged bags of new clothes and various knick-knacks on her walk home. She'd spent more money than she should, and most of the items weren't even for her.

On the street parallel to her apartment building sat a police cruiser. A common sight in her sketchy neighbourhood, Josie didn't pay any attention to the car until one of the officers waved at her.

"Having a good day, ma'am?"

"I guess." She peered at the man, recognizing him and his partner behind the wheel. They were the officers who answered her emergency call over a week ago. For a short moment she felt disturbed by their presence. Why were they here? Why did they seem like they were scoping out things? Ridiculous. They were police officers. A major part of their job description was stopping crime before it even occurred.

"Stay safe. No more emergency calls." His grin unsettled Josie. With a weak smile, she hurried into the building.

On the ride up the newly fixed elevator, she thought about Torgan and how he'd fared in her absence. Today was the first day she'd left him alone and Josie hoped she wouldn't find something weird like a giant hole in her bathtub or Sir Glauber transformed into a frog. Her worrying was in vain. She found Torgan doing push-ups.

Shirtless.

Josie couldn't look away. His corded muscles aroused her faster than any sexual fantasy she imagined. She envisioned herself beneath him, gripping his arms as he pushed into her with the same power he used to push his body up off the floor. He looked up, meeting her gaze and Josie's face reddened. He got to his feet and Josie was helpless to the lust raging inside her. Her eyes dragged over his sculpted front and her hands ached to do the same.

"You have returned." He watched her with curiosity, as if he knew what she thought about him, what she wanted. Josie hoped he didn't.

She nodded. "Here, I got you something." She shoved a few of the shopping bags towards him, thankful for a distraction from her lustful thoughts.

"You have been kind and generous since my arrival." He took the bags but maintained his gaze. "I will repay you."

"No, Torgan, you don't need to." She softened her voice. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here. You are the reason why Earth exists. You are the reason why I exist."

Torgan stepped closer. "Nevertheless, I want to show you my gratitude."

His hands reached out, encircling her waist and pulling her body up against his. The remaining bags fell to the floor and Josie raised her hands to Torgan's naked chest. She gazed up at him, her heart beating faster with excitement. One hand pressed against the small of her back, Torgan raised the other to caress her face. He bent his head, claiming her mouth in a tender kiss.

Josie's eyes widened with disbelief, but as his tongue licked along the seam of her closed lips, her eyes drifted shut. She parted her lips, granting him access to deepen the kiss. Tender became hot, demanding and explosive. All of her senses were heightened. The softness of his stubble against her face, the sweetness of the strawberries he'd had on his lips and tongue. His mouth dominated hers and he gripped her to him with a possessiveness that thrilled her. She rose up on her toes, curving her hands around his neck to be as close to him as humanly possible. His hands caressing her waist was not enough. His tongue curling against hers was not enough. She wanted to feel more of him. All of him.

Too fast! This is going too fast!

Josie broke the kiss and pulled away. When Torgan stepped closer, she shook her head. She didn't want to listen to logic but she had to. There was this deep sense that the moment she gave herself to Torgan, she would be giving him much more than her body. She didn't think she was ready for that.

So Josie fled to her bedroom.

Chapter Five

Time passed. Days became weeks. And yet Josie still could not forget about the kiss. Perhaps it was the way Torgan looked at her sometimes. Unabashed
want.
It simultaneously scared and excited her that such a powerful being wanted her. But no matter how much she wanted him just the same, she would not give in.

Much to Josie's annoyance, Thanksgiving Day rolled around. Reluctant to endure the family gathering where she'd be judged on her career choices and lack of a love life, she decided to forgo the yearly visit. Her sister, Abigail, disliked this plan.

"No way are you letting me face those vultures alone," said Abigail, referring to their parents. "I fucked up and told Mom that I was starting to second guess my career and she freaked out about it. Now she thinks I'm going to 'pull a Josie'." She paused. "Err…no offence, sis."

Josie laughed. "None taken, Josie two point oh."

"Whatever." Abigail laughed too. "So you'll come? I haven't seen you in a while and I miss your stupid face."

"Abi—"

"Please, Josie. I even got Eric to drive you up and you know how much of a pain in the ass he is about doing favours." Abigail deepened her voice, affecting a pretentious tone. "'Abigail, I'm far too busy. Abigail, as a big-wig doctor, my schedule will not allow me to commit to such a request.'"

Josie chuckled at the exaggerated impression of their brother. "I dare you to do that impression at dinner tomorrow."

The excitement was clear in Abigail's voice. "So you're coming then?"

"Fine."

The ride to her parents' house only took an hour and a half, but between Eric's wife's infatuation with Torgan and Eric's jealousy about this fact, the journey felt interminable. She told herself she would have achieved a greater peace of mind had she taken public transportation, but Torgan's recognizable face would have prohibited that.

"All of Earth's methods of transportation are painfully slow," said Torgan as they walked up the driveway to her parents' light-grey bungalow. Eric had parked on the street in preparation for leaving immediately after dinner.

"Not true," said Josie. "Planes and trains are pretty fast."

"Still slow in comparison to the speeds I can achieve during flight."

Josie gawked at him. "You can fly?"

"Of course," he said in matter-of-fact tones. "Every Davalon warrior must master the skill of flight during infancy."

"No wonder you caught me that night before I got anywhere."

"Yes." They stood at the door now, facing each other. The familiar look of desire in his eyes, his voice became low and sensual. "Something I wanted sought to escape my grasp. I refused to let it go."

Josie's skin felt too warm in her winter jacket. Blushing, she opened her mouth to say something but no words came to her.

"Stop drooling over your boyfriend and open the damn door, Josie," said Eric behind them.

"Shut up, Eric." Scowling, Josie pushed open the door.

She introduced Torgan as a foreign friend from Europe who only came for a short visit. While the lie prevented her family from asking Torgan questions where he might reveal his true origins, it did not protect her from her mother's penchant for embarrassing her.

"So he's staying with you during his visit?"

"Yes," said Josie, absent-mindedly peeling the potatoes. Every so often, she peered into the living room where her father was showing off the new sword he'd bought to Eric and Torgan. A retired judge, her father had ample spare time on his hands which he filled with his new sword fighting hobby.

"You lucky duck," said Abigail as she tapped away on her mobile phone. "He's one hot dude. Looks a lot like that Flint guy in
Kiss Me Against The Wall
."

"He does!" piped up Eric's wife, Melissa. "I almost fainted when he followed you out of your apartment building."

Her mother nodded. "He is very handsome. You would make beautiful children, dear."

Josie rolled her eyes while Abigail snickered. "Mom, no. It's not like that."

"I'm not foolish, Joselyn." Her mother turned away from the turkey, a mischievous shine in her brown eyes. "You're a young woman in her twenties sharing your tiny apartment with a handsome man. I wouldn't blame you if you satisfied your needs."

Abigail laughed while Josie made a horrified sound. "What? Mom…that's just…
satisfied my needs
?"

Abigail laughed even harder as she forced out the words. "She means you have her blessing to bang him because he's hot."

Face burning red, Josie looked out into the living room to make sure Torgan couldn't hear. Thankfully, he seemed engrossed with her father, showing him how to properly hold the sword and maintain a stronger fighting stance. Eric watched them with a mix of apathy and jealousy.

To Josie's surprise, Thanksgiving dinner was not a terrible affair. Mainly because of Torgan. Everyone vied for his attention, especially her parents. Josie ate her meal quietly, intervening at times when the questions got too close to Torgan revealing his true identity as an alien. Displeased he was not the center of attention for once, Eric made occasional sarcastic remarks which were largely ignored.

If only they knew
, Josie thought as they chattered around the table.
If only they knew who he was…what he'd done.
She felt special for being the only one aware of Torgan's significance. All her life she'd felt unimportant and purposeless. Her brother saved humans. Her sister wanted to save animals. Torgan…he had saved
everyone
. Every single being alive right now owed their lives to the alien man seated across from her. He had abilities beyond any human's comprehension. He could crush this same planet he'd sacrificed so much to save.

She caught his gaze across the table as she sipped on her wine.

And this powerful alien man wanted her.

A sudden winter storm thwarted Josie and Eric's plan to leave immediately after dinner. One moment the snow fell lightly, the next it flew at the windows with a vengeance while the violent wind shook anything that could be shaken.

"We converted your and Abi's room into an office," said her mother. "Since Eric and Melissa will stay in the guest room, you'll have to spend the night in Eric's old room."

Josie nodded. "OK. But where would Torgan sleep?"

Her mother gave her a strange look. "With you."

"Oh, well, he can have Eric's room," Josie said hastily. "I can crash on the couch in the living room."

"Abigail already claimed the couch." Her mother pressed a quick kiss on her cheek. "Sleep well, dear."

Eric's old bedroom looked the same all these years, except cleaner. Though he'd put up 'KEEP OUT' signs on his door, she and Abigail used to sneak inside and snoop around. Posters of bands and slim girls in too-short shorts still adorned the walls. His once white CRT computer monitor sat yellowing atop his desk.

As kids, Eric's room used to seem so huge. As an adult, the room was not large at all, especially the bed. Josie breathed slowly. She and Torgan would have to sleep close tonight.

Even though the lights were off, she scrambled beneath the sheets as soon as she took off her jeans. She could hear him moving around, removing clothing. The post Thanksgiving meal sleepiness fled, leaving her acutely aware of his movements. Finally, he slid into bed beside her and Josie's body jerked when one of his bare legs grazed hers.

The muffled sound of the wind's howl underscored the silence between them. Conscious of the side of his body pressed against hers, she tried to fill the quiet with conversation to distract her from his touch.

"This is a really small bed."

"Yes. Befitting a child."

"It used to be my brother's room. My sister and I would whine to our parents that it was unfair he had a room to himself and we had to share ours."

He chuckled. "A just complaint."

"One that fell on deaf ears."

The sound of the storm filled the quiet once more. Turning onto her side, Josie hugged herself and rubbed her feet together. The sheet was too thin. Any spare comforters would be stocked in the closet beneath the stairs and Josie was reluctant to leave the bed to get one. Then Torgan's hand came over her waist, pulling her body against his. Surprised, she remained still as the awareness returned tenfold. She knew he was spooning her so they could both stay warm, but Josie's body thought differently on the matter.

Arousal flared to life, building slowly in the pit of her stomach. His bare thighs grazed hers, his crotch pressed against her ass. She should pull away. She should shout at him for being so forward. But she did none of those things. Instead, she fell to temptation.

Her heart pounding, she turned to face him. His skin was warm, almost hot, when she touched his face. Would it be so bad if she gave herself to him? Would it be so bad if she allowed herself to feel more for a man than fear and mistrust? His presence in her life had awakened something in her and try as she might to quiet it, the merest sight of him strengthened it. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, so why did she deny them both?

She eased closer and gave him a tentative kiss. His response was immediate. He moved his mouth against hers as his hands caressed the curve of her hip. Soon, the kiss deepened, their tongues touching and tasting each other. Her greedy hands explored his naked chest, then rose to touch his face. Her hand delved into his hair, sifting through the silken strands as he cupped her ass and squeezed her possessively. She could feel his hard length through the thin material of his boxers pressing against her stomach, and everything within Josie yearned to have him.

"I want to be inside you," he growled.

"Yes…yes," she moaned softly. "I can't wait."

His kiss intoxicated her as though the sweetness of the wine still on his tongue affected her. When she reached a hand down to grip him, he groaned and rolled her onto her back. His mouth abandoned hers to trail kisses along her jaw, down her neck. Josie whimpered when his questing hands came up to fondle her breasts through her shirt. Once chilly, now her skin was too hot. He helped her remove her shirt. Her bra disappeared soon after. All that was left between them were their underwear.

"So beautiful," he said in reverential tones as his hands roved over her naked breasts, her stomach, along the indentation of her waist. "The most beautiful thing on this planet."