“I'm not keeping you out, damn it!” She hadn't meant to snarl at him, but her vaginal muscles were clenching at nothing and her entire body ached with need.
Morgan swept his fingertip across her clit and she bucked against him, her hips lifting of their own volition. “Damn you.” She thought she'd laughed. She meant to laugh . . . so why did it sound more like a growl?
He kept it up, touching and teasing her, drawing her body tighter and then tighter still until she thought she might fly apart, all bits and pieces of her going in every direction, but when she reached a point where she knew she couldn't take any more, knew she was going to scream her frustration to the heavens, Morgan lifted her hips in his big, warm hands, held her up to him as he knelt between her thighs, and drove in, deep. Hard. So hard that his balls slapped against her butt and his coarse, dark pubic hair scratched across her mound.
She was ripe and so ready, but Morgan was more than she expected. Bigger, harder, filling her beyond her ability to take, but take him she did.
And the pain was sweet, the climax sweeter still.
He was there, deep in her mind. Every bit as much a part of her thoughts as he was of her body, and he was showing her a place in her brain that she'd never guessed existed. And while she wouldn't exactly call it a switch, it was definitely something she could physically change.
And change it she did.
Â
Rodie? Are you okay? Can you hear me?
Ohmygawd. Yes! Yes, I can hear you, but all I can see is a spinning swirl of little lights. Is that you?
Yes! You did it, Rodie. Wow. Can you move around?
I don't know. How?
Think of a place, but let me know so I can go with you.
The lodge. I want to see if anyone's over there.
He almost lost her, because the thought had no more than entered her mind than she was headed that way, right through the bedroom wall and then through the front door, with Morgan hot on her heels.
So to speak.
They reached the lodge in a fraction of a second.
How come they're not moving?
Weird, isn't it? It's because we're moving so much faster that they seem to be sitting still.
Mac, Cam, and Dink were huddled in one corner with a bunch of papers spread out on the table. Liz and the two Nyrian women she'd brought to Earth had gone, probably resting in Liz's cabin.
Let's see if we can rematerialize in front of Mac and the others.
You're sure?
Yeah, but remember, we were naked when we disassembled. Think clothes.
Just think them?
That's what Bolt said. Something simple, but be specific.
Okay. If this doesn't work, you know I'm going to kill you, Morgan. No doubt about it.
Morgan heard what had to be a giggle. And then both of them were standing beside the table. A quick glance showed him Rodie in a short tunic that barely covered her ass, and he'd managed a pair of jogging shorts, but Mac cursed, Dink knocked over his iced tea, and Cameron scooted his chair back so fast he almost toppled.
It was probably a good thing they hadn't appeared naked.
“Holy shit.” Mac lurched to his feet. “Rodie? When did you learn to . . . ? Where's Finn?”
Rodie shot a quick look at Mac. “He didn't tell you? I thought he was on his way over here.”
“Tell us what?” Mac glanced at Cam and Dink. “We just got here a couple of minutes ago and the lodge was empty. We were checking out the gunfire but couldn't figure out what they were shooting at.”
“Idiots,” Dink muttered. “At least I've got some good film of them firing at our guys.”
“They were firing at Finn.” Morgan glanced at Rodie. “They shot him.”
“He's okay,” Rodie said, interrupting. “Bolt healed him.” She glanced at Dink. “Bolt changed to his energy form, went inside Finn, and got the bullet out of his leg and patched up a deep graze across his shoulders, just the way Zianne healed you, Dink.”
Mac threw his hands in the air. “Whoa! Wait. Wait a minute. How the hell did Finn end up getting shot?”
“We were trying to learn how to move around when we were just molecules. It's not easy to figure it out, moving without a corporeal body.” He glanced at Rodie and shook his head. “Well, it was easy for Rodie, but not for Finn and me. Finn suddenly got it and disappeared. Turns out, he decided to check out the guys on the other side of the fence line, but he forgot that when we're disassembled, we move so fast that we can't understand human speech. He shifted back so he could hear what they were planning.”
“Are you saying he took his form back while he was down there on the back side of the plateau? In the middle of those idiots? What the fuck was he thinking?”
Mac was pulling his alpha shit, and for some reason it really pissed Morgan off, but before he could reply, Rodie beat him to it.
“Damn it, Mac! He was thinking he could get us some information. There's a big group waiting down there, all of them heavily armed. He didn't expect anyone to come up behind him, and he got shot.” Rodie's indignant reply had Mac spinning her way.
A slow grin spread across his face. “Okay, so Finn got shot, Bolt healed him, but you're now flying around all disassembled. Why do I see a connection here?”
Morgan sighed as he shot a glance at Rodie. “Because Rodie's ready to go in Finn's place if he's not feeling strong enough when it's time to head for the Gar ship. And, no, it was most definitely not my idea.”
Rodie's smile lit up the room. “Tara suggested it. Even if Finn's better and he goes, I'll still go with them. It's dangerous for the Nyrians to fight against the Gar because the Gar have weapons that totally immobilize them. They need us.”
“She's deadly with a Taser, boss.” Morgan caught Mac's eye and shrugged. “I think I want her on my side.”
Mac merely shook his head. “This is certainly not something I was planning on, but if you guys are comfortable with the arrangement, I'm fine with it.”
Morgan wrapped his fingers around Rodie's. “I'm not particularly comfortable with anything that puts Rodie in danger, but she's right when she says she has skills we might need. If nothing else, she's always got a different perspective on things. We're going into a totally alien situation, no pun intended, and I think the more minds working toward the same end, the better.”
“I agree.” Mac glanced at Dink and Cam. “That's why we're putting together everything we know about the Nyrians that we can share during the broadcast. We're going to want to show you guys leaving, if we can.”
“You're planning to broadcast before we know if we'll succeed? Crap, Mac. What if we fail? What if the Gar win?” Morgan felt Rodie's fingers tighten around his.
Dink shuffled the papers on the table in front of him. “I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Mac, that failure's not an option.” He glanced at his watch and shoved the hair out of his eyes. “It's almost four. I'd suggest you get something to eat and kick back for a bit. You've got about an hour before you go. I want you looking your best for the evening news.” He grinned at both of them, that professional smile they'd all seen on the nightly news, and added, “You wouldn't dare screw up the biggest story of my life. Would you?”
Rodie snorted, and glanced at her short tunic. “I need to think more clothes next time. The whole world will be watching.”
“But you've got such a cute ass, sweetheart.”
“I'm bringing my Taser with me, darling.” She smiled sweetly.
Morgan was suddenly all business. “Yeah. Okay. Let's get something to eat. Looks like Meg's putting out fried chicken.”
7
L
izzie quietly crawled out of bed and opened the bedroom door without waking either Reiah or Seri. The two Nyrians slept soundly, curled up like a pair of puppies in the middle of the big bed. She'd helped them strengthen their corporeal bodies during a most amazing all-girls orgy just the night before. It was fascinating how they drew energy from not only sexual fantasy, but from the act itself.
Or acts. Damn. What a night!
Lizzie felt a pleasant ache this afternoon, but Reiah and Seri were flat-out exhausted, in spite of the sexual energy. Exhausted both emotionally and physically, the two of them still scared to death of the sudden changes in their lives, the unexpected rush to escape the Gar ship this morning, and the fear that some of their fellow Nyrians might not survive.
Lizzie couldn't imagine coping with all the trauma the Nyrians had to deal withâtrauma that went well beyond the actual escape. Even though they could download everything they needed to know from those human minds around them, the information was totally out of context in so many ways. Not only were they having to learn a new language but an entirely new way of thinking.
The adjustment to dealing with corporeal bodies alone was mind-boggling. Reiah had tried to explain that while sleep wasn't necessary to them in their energy form, they'd quickly learned that these human bodies required it, just as they required food and water and air to survive.
Taking food in, the mechanics of bodily functionsâtears, sweat, elimination of wasteâall were new to them. All something they knew how to deal with through mental osmosis and the natural instincts inherent in their human bodies, but still had to adjust to on an emotional and mental level.
It was a huge learning curve. Liz wondered what it would be like if or when the women experienced something as basic as a menstrual cycle. Crap. Had anyone discussed birth control with the Nyrians? Would that become an issue? She had no idea if they were fertile in their human bodies, or were they still essentially Nyrian? If they were fertile as humans, what would happen when they switched to their energy forms if any of them got pregnant?
The human women of project DEO-MAP all had birth control implants. The human men were as fertile as always. And sexually active. Very sexually active, and the Nyrian women loved that activity. Needed it to keep them strong.
But would that change if they stayed in their human forms? Would they still need sexual energy when they were complete with their soulstones and corporeal forms? Damn, but there were so many more questions than answers. Lizzie figured she'd better start a list. That was something she was good atâorganizing thoughts, figuring out what needed to be dealt with first. Sort of a mental triage of issues.
After the rescue. After they got through tonight. There was only so much her mind could handle, no matter how brilliant she was supposed to be. Opening the front door and then staring across the vast plateau, Liz stopped dead in her tracks and sighed.
Pregnant Nyrians?
Holy shit.
Hopefully that wouldn't be an issue, at least not right away. Nattoch had cautioned all of his people that once they had their human bodies and their soulstones, they must remember to sleep, that it was during sleep that the human subconscious could effectively integrate their new knowledge with their Nyrian minds.
Unfortunately, Lizzie doubted birth control was tops on anyone's list of issues. Besides, could the subconscious handle everything? When this crisis was over, when life returned to normal, they really did have to sit down and talk. For now, they just needed to get the basics.
Basic number oneâshe really needed to let Reiah and Seri get some sleep. Maybe by the time they woke up, they'd be more comfortable with all the changes in their lives. “With luck,” she whispered, taking a quick glance over her shoulder at the bedroom door, “you'll sleep until this nightmare ends and everyone's safe. Then we can work on the details.” There was nothing else they could do. Not now.
Quietly, Lizzie closed the door and stepped outside.
She stood there on her front porch for a moment, taking slow, deep breaths and searching for some calm. The minute she started thinking of details, she felt herself going into automatic overload. What she needed was some quiet time on the beach, maybe even a Zen moment, but that wasn't going to happen.
She wasn't sure where she was going, but her feet seemed determined to take her to the lodge by way of Finn's cabin next door. She definitely had an overdeveloped worry gene. Not only was she freaking out about the Nyrians, she couldn't get Finnegan O'Toole off her mind. Morgan had Rodie but Finn had only Tara and Duran. She knew they were really close and that he cared deeply for them, but had any human ever really cared for Finn?
He'd changed so much over the past few days and she'd seen a totally different side of the man. He was a good person, not nearly the jerk they'd all pegged him for in the beginning, and in a few more hours he'd be risking his life, going on board the alien Gar ship to rescue even more aliens. Pretty amazing, when she thought about it. How many men would be so brave? So selfless.
She stood on rocky ground in front of his cabin for a moment, wondering why she felt this need to at least wish him well, to let him know she cared that he come back safely. It wasn't like they had anything going between them, or even that they ever would, but she wanted Finn to know he mattered. That she cared about him. That his safety was important to her, that his bravery honored all of them.
That was all. No big deal in the scheme of things, but she hoped it mattered to Finn, because it sure felt important to her. Slowly, she walked up the steps and peeked in the open window. The front room was empty, so she knocked quietly. A moment later, Tara opened the door. Duran stood just behind her.
“Lizzie. Hello. Were you coming to check on Finn?”
She felt small and awkward, staring up at the gorgeous Nyrian woman. Being the youngest and the shortest of the entire dream team had its drawbacks, like now, when she felt about eight years old. She glanced beyond the two Nyrians, but there was no sign of Finn, so she merely smiled and said, “I just wanted to wish him luck.”
Duran reached around Tara and opened the door wider. “Please, Lizzie. Come in. That's very kind of you, but we still don't know if he'll be able to go.”
She'd just stepped inside, but Duran's comment brought all forward momentum to a halt. Spinning around, her gaze flew from Duran to Tara and back to Duran. “What? Why not? What happened?”
“You did not hear the gunshots? He was injured.” Tara's voice cracked on the last word.
Injured?
For the first time, Lizzie noticed dried tears streaking the Nyrian woman's cheeks. “Finn? Shot? But when? How is he?”
Tara took one of Lizzie's hands in both of hers. “One of those men down by the fence, the ones with guns. Finn said it was a bullet that tore into his leg and another that cut across his back. Bolt has repaired the damage, but Finn is still very weak.”
Finn? She couldn't imagine him hurt. Couldn't picture him as anything but the strong, cocky guy she knew. “Will he be okay? Does he need anything?”
Duran shrugged. “I imagine your concern would help. I think sometimes that Finn is too much alone.”
What an odd thing for the man to say. Wasn't he Finn's lover? Both he and Tara? She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost four, which meant only about an hour until the rescue team was scheduled to leave. She gripped Tara's hands with both of hers. “But what of the rescue? If Finn can't go, who will? Don't you need more people to help?”
Duran glanced toward Finn's bedroom, then returned his attention to Lizzie. “Rodie will go with Morgan, Bolt, and me. If Finn is able, he will go with us as well.” He took Tara's arm and looked once again toward Finn's bedroom, but it was hard to process what she'd just heard. Rodie going instead of Finn? That didn't make any sense, but Duran was still talking and edging his way toward the front door with Tara.
“Do you mind staying here while Tara and I go over to the lodge to get something to eat? We keep forgetting that these bodies need food, but we didn't want to leave Finn alone. Bolt took him to the lodge earlier, so he's eaten, and he's resting now.” Duran paused to brush a hand over Lizzie's hair, then cupped her chin in his palm. “Go to him. I think your concern will help strengthen the man.”
Liz wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, but she stood there quietly as Tara and Duran left. That was probably the oddest conversation she'd had in a while. Rodie going to the Gar ship? Now that was bizarre. But, Finn hurt? She hadn't heard anything.
Not gunshots. Not a mental warning, nothing.
She went to his bedroom door and peeked inside. Finn lay in the middle of the big bed, one arm flung over his eyes, sheets tangled around his legs and barely covering his groin. At least he was almost decent. Liz stood there, staring at him for what felt like the longest time, but she'd never really had a chance to look at Finn without him looking back and making some smartass comment.
Except last night, when they'd talked, when he'd told her that being with Tara and Duran was the first time he'd ever experienced intimacy that mattered. She'd felt so sad when he told her that, to think he'd never known love until he'd made love with them, something so far beyond just plain old sex that he'd said he didn't think he could ever go back.
That simple conversation had changed everything Liz thought about him. She'd suddenly seen Finn as someone who was thoughtful and kind, a man who had been very much alone in spite of all the women he'd bedded. It made her wonder how much of his personality and predatory ways were born of a need to protect himself.
And, with her new understanding of Finnegan O'Toole, Lizzie realized she cared more than she thought she had. She wasn't in love with Finn, but she loved him as a friend. She cared what happened to him and she wanted him to be safe. More important, she needed for him to know that before he left tonight.
Standing there, watching him sleep, she had no doubt he'd go. He was too hardheaded to let an injury hold him back. He shifted his position in the bed and then slowly, as if he'd just become aware of her steady perusal, Finn turned his head, blinked owlishly, and then focused on her. “Lizzie? What are you doing here?”
“Are you okay?” She took a step closer. “I didn't know you'd been hurt. I just came by to wish you luck tonight.” Another step. “When I got here, Tara and Duran wanted to go have dinner, but they didn't want to leave you alone. Sorry, bud, you got me.”
She stood beside the bed, gazing down at him.
His smile spread slowly, and damn but he was one gorgeous guy. Even lying relaxed in his bed, his belly rippled with a perfect six-pack and his pecs were so perfectly defined she clasped her hands together to keep from touching. She was not going there. This was Finn.
Damn. This was definitely Finn. He scooted up against the headboard and patted the mattress beside him. “So, you're the babysitter, eh?” He winked. “Stay and talk to me. Please?”
She flopped down on the bed closer to the foot, next to his legs. No reason to get closer. Sleep-rumpled and sexy, he was way too much temptation. More temptation than she would have expected, considering she was only now changing her opinion of him from jerk to more of a friend. “How are you feeling? I didn't realize you'd gotten hurt.”
He glanced at the spot he'd patted, directly beside him, then cocked one eyebrow in her direction before nodding his head. “Yeah, leave it to me to screw things up. But, Lizzie, disassembling was so damned cool. Duran was rightâit's like this little switch in your brain and you can flip it and just disappear! I figured out how to move, and believe me, it's not easy at first, but when I did, I headed down to the plateau to check out the idiots along the fence. Only thing is, in that form I realized I couldn't understand them, so I switched back to my regular self and hid behind a rock.”
She'd covered her lips with her fingers without even realizing it. “They saw you?”
“Not the ones I was spying on. A new group I hadn't seen coming up the side of the hill spotted me and started shooting. I was so rattled, I couldn't remember how to shift back to molecules. Caught a bullet in my calf and another one grazed my shoulders before I was able to disappear. I'm just damned lucky they're such crappy shots, or I'd be dead.” He laughed, leaned forward, and grabbed her hand. “Lizzie, my biggest regret is that I didn't get to see their faces when I disappeared. They're probably still scratching their heads, but I knew I'd been hit and wanted to get the hell out of Dodge. Next thing I know, I'm back here and Bolt's climbing around inside me, fixing my leg and patching up my back.”
He turned and patted his shoulder. “Do you see anything?”
She leaned forward and traced a long, pink slash that ran across his shoulders, running her fingers from right to left, over muscle and bone and new, pink skin. “This must have been awful. It's about two feet across and half an inch wide of new skin. Does it hurt?”