Katieran Prime 4 - Kiljorn Prime (10 page)

“Won’t Prime Commander KydEL be going as well?” She glanced over to Kyd who was on his comm link.

“No, my mother wants him to stay a little longer. His near death experience really shook our entire family.”

“I understand. When my father was going through the worst of his chemotherapy treatment, I used my paid time off that I earned and spent as much time with him as possible. I felt that I could always earn back the time for work that I used , but I couldn’t get back that precious time with my father.” Lindsey gave him a sympathetic look.

RendEL nodded his head. “We feel that way now too. In truth, my brothers and I want to spend time with my mother. We have been so caught up in our own lives that we haven’t paid much attention to her, as we should. We are worried about her. She spends a great deal of time alone in her suite. She has turned down Cassie’s offer of dinner a lot lately, which isn’t like her.”

Lindsey looked down at her hands. She knew why his mother was spending so much time in her own suite. She was spending it with Lindsey’s father. It wasn’t her place to tell RendEL. She worried about what RendEL and his brothers would do once they found out. She didn’t think they would handle the news very well. Her father was no match for one Katieran man, much less three angry overprotective Katieran men.

“I will do my best to help finish up the details of the alliance. Just let me know what you want.” Lindsey picked up her digital tablet and made some notes.

“Sir, what news do you have of an alliance with the Colonists?” she had spoken with KydEL and RendEL about it since she first arrived back on Katiera.

“I have requested that Prime Leader KadEN include you in the meetings he has scheduled with the Colonist leader LarIS. I will send my notes to your correspondence to look over.”

“I am looking forward to meeting the Leader LarIS. I am very curious about the Colony. I met Commander TylOR’s brother, AshOR, briefly. He seems to be a … handful.”

“Who’s a handful?” Prime Commander KydEL asked as he turned off his comm link and came to sit down next to Lindsey.

RendEL laughed. “AshOR, Commander TylOR’s brother.”

KydEL growled. “I don’t like him. He flirted with my Jaxon.”

Lindsey smiled; the young man was definitely spry when it came to women. “What did you do?”

“Nothing, Jaxon threatened to cut off his male parts if he came anywhere near her,” KydEL said with pride.

“On that note, I think I will take my leave,” Lindsey said. She would have to have a talk with both SandELa and her father. If they were serious about one another, they needed to let SandELa’s sons know. If not, they needed to end it. Pissing off the Primes would not be a good idea.

Chapter Eleven

Nothing was as sweet as seeing your home for the first time after you have been gone for a while. Lindsey couldn’t understand why she felt an overwhelming sense of homecoming when she spied Kiljor in the distance. Her heartbeat sped up. She was anxious to feel the sweet warm air on her skin and to walk barefoot on the soft white sand. She glanced at AriELa and noticed the other woman slept.

Prime Commander TylOR and his brother AshOR were flying the shuttle down to the planet. It was an interesting trip to say the least. Whatever TylOR said, his brother would say the opposite. The young male antagonized his older brother on purpose.

They were good-looking men. Kiljorn Commander TylOR was at least seven feet tall. His brother was slightly shorter at about six feet eight inches tall. Both men had baldheads, which was very unusual among the alien men. Kat had told her that their hairless state was a side effect from the virus the Morins had introduced. Lindsey was curious about what other side effects the colonists had. She hoped that when she met their Leader, she would have her questions answered.

“We will be landing shortly.” Commander TylOR called out.

Lindsey reached over to shake AriELa gently waking her up. “We are about to land,” she told her.

“Thank you.” AriELa glanced quickly at the viewing screen but didn’t seem to react any differently. She glanced behind her where TarAK sat with the Earth female Second Lieutenant Lucinda Daniels. Jaxon had convinced Prime Commander KydEL to send Second Lieutenant Daniels so that she had an opportunity to expand her training experience. She would be assisting TarAK in protecting AriELa.

On board the Kiljorn Transport ship, Second Lieutenant Daniels shared stories of her and Jaxon’s military mishaps. The Kiljorn men weren’t sure whether to laugh or yell at the two women for all the times they nearly got killed. It made the trip go by much faster.

AriELa was fascinated with the female warrior. She was worried that maybe she had asked the other woman too many questions, but the Second Lieutenant was always helpful and answered each and every question asked of her. The three women had shared sleeping quarters on the Transport ship, so she told AriELa and Lindsey to call her Lucy.

She was tall, close to AriELa’s height. Slim in her hips but voluptuous on her top and backside. Her dark mocha skin and ebony hair was so exotic, the men could not help but to stare at her.

AshOR jumped up from his seat to help the three women off the shuttle. When he held onto AriEla’s hand a little longer than necessary, TarAK growled at him threateningly. Commander TylOR had to say something to him to get him to help with the luggage.

Lindsey looked around the landing platform but did not see Prime Leader KadEN. Several members of the Kiljorn High Council were present to welcome AriELa back. But KadEN was not there.

They were shown to the same suite that they used the last time. Lindsey started to unpack. An hour later, the buzzer to the suite went off. AriELa answered it.

“Welcome back, Prima AriELa.” KadEN bent to kiss her hand.

Lindsey felt an overwhelming surge of jealousy. He looked her way and her breath caught in her throat. Oh how she missed his beautiful eyes.

“Miss Carreli, a pleasure to have you back.”

“Thank you.” She was grateful that her voice didn’t crack.

He turned his attention back to AriELa. “I apologize for not being there to greet you when you arrived. I was making arrangements for when the Colony leader arrives.”

“It was no problem. I understand.” She gave him a sweet smile.

Lindsey wondered why was she watching them? It hurt to see how easy KadEN and AriELa related to one another. They had so much in common. They were both Primes. They both had responsibilities to their Nations. What could Lindsey offer him?

“Well, I would like to make it up to you. How about I take you on a special tour tomorrow after Morning Meal?”

“Lindsey and I would enjoy that.”

What? How did she get roped into going on their
special
tour? Fuck! Lindsey smiled a sideways smile. “That would be great.”

KadEN said that he had a few more meetings to attend to and said his goodbyes. Lindsey, AriELa, Lucy, and TarAK shared the Evening Meal together. It was a bit awkward because AriELa and TarAK didn’t really talk to one another. They kept giving each other looks when they thought the other one wasn’t looking. She would have to ask AriELa about that later when they were alone.

TarAK showed Lucy how to ensure the suite was secure before he went to his own suite. Once Lucy headed to her own bedroom, Lindsey decided to question AriEla. “What’s going on with the two of you?”

AriELa looked at her in surprise. “The two of who?”

“You and TarAK.”

AriELa looked away but not before Lindsey saw shadows enter her eyes. “Nothing.”

“Okay, I didn’t mean to pry.” Lindsey started for her bedroom but AriELa’s words stopped her.

“Please don’t say anything,” AriELa whispered.

“I won’t, but know that you can talk to me about anything. I am your friend.”

AriELa nodded her head. “When I’m ready, I’ll tell you.”

“Good enough. Good night.” Lindsey gave her a smile.

“Good night.”

*****

Lindsey went to Morning Meal alone. AriELa didn’t want anything to eat and said that she would meet up with her later for the tour, but she never did. When she showed up on the landing pad, there was no AriELa, no Lucy, and no TarAK in sight.

Lindsey felt uncomfortable being alone with the Prime Leader of Kiljor. The man was too gorgeous for his own good, and he was fully aware of it. He knew that women drooled over him, falling over their feet to just serve him. It really pissed her off. She was determined not to let him know that, though.

“My apologies, Ms. Carreli. Prima AriELa is not feeling up for the shuttle tour today. I am more than happy to take you alone, if that is what you want. Or would you prefer to cancel until she is able to come with us at a later date?” KadEN was baiting the female. She was stubborn and prideful. He knew he would get a reaction.

“Of course I am feeling up for the tour! But I will understand completely if perhaps your delicate sense of propriety demands that
you
postpone until a later date.” She recognized the challenge for what it was and threw it back in his face.

“Then it seems that we will have that shuttle tour after all. Go ahead onto the shuttle while I notify our pilot and security liaison.” He smiled arrogantly at her as he walked away.

Fuck me!
What did I just agree to?
Oh, yeah
, a shuttle tour with only a pilot and a security liaison to act as chaperone. She had always been able to keep a low profile when AriELa was around by letting the other woman do most of the talking, but now Lindsey was going to have to actually hold a conversation with the irritating Prime Leader. Would he bring up their kiss? Would he talk about what a mistake it had been? The Prima had better be on her deathbed for putting her in this awkward position.

Lindsey watched as KadEN boarded the shuttle. Her heartbeat sped up the moment her eyes met his. Why did he have to be so damn attractive? His dark brown hair, those eyes with the gold pupils, and his kissable lips were hard to ignore. She tried to make herself breathe in and out, in and out.
Get yourself together, Carreli.
He’s just another man with a big ego.
No big deal.
Right?

“You look beautiful as always, Miss Carreli,” KadEN told her. She had the best pair of legs he had ever seen. Even though she wasn’t as tall as the Katieran females, only about five feet seven inches tall, her legs just seemed to go on and on.

She was showing them off to great advantage by wearing a dark navy blue skirt that swished a couple of inches above her knees. She had a silky, ivory button-up shirt with short sleeves. It seemed to shimmer against her skin. Her long, golden brown hair hung down her back in a thick braid. He had been hoping she would have her hair hanging loose. She often wore it pulled back. He longed to spread her hair out and have it drape across his naked body. That was all he could think about since their kiss. He shook his head. This kind of thinking was dangerous.

“Thank you, Prime Leader,” Lindsey replied. She was proud that her nerves didn’t show in her voice.

The man seemed to tower over her. His dark brown hair was loose around his shoulders. The closer she got to him, the better looking he was. His magnetic eyes always left her feeling a little light headed. She had thought RendEL was a beautiful man, but he was nothing compared to the one who stood before her now. She was in deep trouble.

“Come, I think you will like the tour I have planned for you,” he said in a deep, sexy voice.

It wasn’t until she got inside the shuttle and sat down that she noticed the pilot and security liaison weren’t there yet. She froze in place as she helplessly watched KadEN seat himself in the pilot’s seat and fire up the engine. She managed to get her voice to work.

“Um … KadEN? Where is everyone else?”

He gave her a devious smile. “It’s just you and me, beautiful.”

“What?”

KadEN maneuvered the shuttle up off the landing pad. He pushed his controller forward shooting the small shuttle toward their destination on the far side of Kiljor. As soon as he realized he would have Lindsey all to himself, he changed the flight plans and released the pilot and Liaison. He changed everything so that he could take Lindsey to his private secluded home on the inlet of Kiljor.

It would take them at least an hour to reach his home. He hoped they could talk during their flight. Fifteen minutes passed and neither of them had said anything to the other. While KadEN sat in the pilot’s seat, Lindsey chose to sit in one of the back passenger seats, as far from him as she could get.

“Miss Carreli, there is a seat next to me available that will give you a better view.”

Lindsey sighed as she got up and moved to the co-pilot’s seat. She glanced quickly at him and her breath caught. He hadn’t shaved and some of his hair was filling in on his face. It made him look rugged and sexy. Her stomach fluttered.
Crap!

She sat down but did not say anything to him. She watched the larger viewing screen in front showing everything they were passing. They were heading over the blue waters in the direction away from the City of Kiljor. “Where are we going?”

“To my private home on the inlet. I only get to visit a few times a year. I thought you might like to see it.”

There was another long pause where no one said anything. Thirty minutes had been long enough to go without talking. KadEN realized he was going to have to be the first to break the silence. “How was your family on Katiera? You have your father and a sister there?”

“Yes. They are both doing really well. My dad’s doing a little too well,” she grumbled the last bit under her breath.

“What was that about your father?”

She thought about it and decided that she needed someone to talk to about her father’s situation. KadEN was as neutral as it came. Maybe talking about it will help her come to terms with it.