Lawked Flame (9 page)

A jolt of recognition hit her as she pulled her feet
from the water and backed away. Her survival instincts blared,
demanding she leave before he noticed her. Panicked, she turned to
run and fell over a fallen log.

“
Ow,” she yelped as her outer
thigh hit the hard ground. The throbbing in her leg pushed all
other thoughts from her mind. Touching the fast-forming bruise, she
released a breath, glad there was no blood. Hands pushing against
the ground, she rose, placing most of her weight on the other leg
and stood. Gingerly she tested her sore leg, hoping she could put
some weight on it.

“
Does it hurt badly?”

She screamed and pitched forward,
her fast moving descent interrupted by a strong pair of hands
beneath her arms. His scent, reminiscent of the forest, enveloped
her, stirring and resonating in places she refused to name. It
teased and tortured, her heartbeat slowed as she caught hold of the
strong beat coming from his chest pressed against her
back.

“
Answer me, does your leg hurt
you?”

“
No.” Goosebumps raced across her
skin at the dark cadence of his voice. How could a man sound so
delicious? He made her hungry. Hungry for something she had deemed
dead and buried. She straightened and moved away as her senses
returned.

“
Thanks, I wasn’t looking where I
was going. I need to go. Thanks again.” She was babbling and knew
it. But she absolutely refused to look at him. If she did, she
would know who had caused her insides to quiver and melt with a few
words. Although it pleased her to know she still had the capacity
to feel more than anger and disappointment when it came to the
opposite sex, she refused to act upon those feelings. That case had
closed and she was moving on.

“
Alayna?”

She whirled at the sound of her name on his lips and
stared at him. His turquoise eyes shook her. The thick
goldish-brown mane on his head reminded her of a Lion, except for
the two long beaded braids alongside his face. Recognition kicked
in. Good Lord, it was the hottie from the store. “How do you know
my name?” Of all the things she could ask, that was the safest.

“
I was told your name by Lorenzo.”
He stared at her face and then looked at her leg. “There is a
bruise.”

Alayna looked down. Like Adam in the garden after
his taste of the fruit, she gasped at her nudity. She was naked,
just as when she went to bed, but not how she’d be wandering around
a forest. She ran toward the trees and hid.

“
That was stupid,” she murmured,
closing her eyes tight against the pain in her leg. “Now he’s seen
your ass bouncing everywhere. Might as well have stayed
put.”

“
I agree.”

Alayna opened one eye and then the
other. The Lion of a man stood in front of her, arms resting at his
sides, staring curiously at her. She had the feeling he saw
everything she tried to hide, and that roused her anger.

Tipping her chin upward, she asked, “And you are?”
Proud she kept the waiver from her voice as she ate him up with her
eyes. Even though she was on sabbatical from relationships, she
still appreciated works of art and this man was in the top-of-the
line category. Definitely not in her emotional category, which
consisted of quickies.

“
Khayden.” He spoke the word with
such finality, she wasn’t sure if it carried authority or
arrogance.

“
Why are you here, Khayden?” The
moment she said his name, his eyes blazed like blue fire. She
blinked, uncertain if her eyes were playing tricks on her or not.
His eyes were different, more royal blue than before. His nostrils
pinched as he inhaled deeply, yet he never released her from his
stare. She shivered under the blue storm brewing in front of
her.

His eyes narrowed a bit before he spoke. “I am here
because you are here...Alayna.”

The way he said her name sent a shaft of pleasure
running through her. The heat from his voice coated and curled
around the rough edges of her mind. Her woman’s core throbbed in
anticipation of...no! Stop. Back this up.

She stepped away. Her eyes slid to
the copse of trees behind them and then to the calm waters of the
pond. Think. Think of other things. Think of your brother. Not
going there. Think of your ex, Ricardo. Men cannot be
trusted.
Who needs trust? This is just
sexual hunger and relief,
her body
reminded her.

He stepped closer. His fingertip touched her chin
and tipped her face up to him. The warmth of his breath brushed
against her cheek. His eyes had darkened to an incredible purplish
blue. “What are you thinking?”

Mouth dry, she swallowed to speak. “I don’t know
you.” Her voice cracked under the weight of this fierce attraction.
For some reason her body ached to touch him. Moisture pooled
between her legs in preparation for his taking.

“
Yes. You. Do.” He punctuated each
word with a kiss on her face, touching every place except where she
wanted it, her lips.

“
I don’t.”

“
You know me where it matters.
There is a connection, do you feel it?”

“
I’m not sneezing. It must mean
something.”

He smiled—a real one that reached his eyes. A surge
of warmth suffused her with the knowledge that she brought him real
pleasure.

“
You are right. I was concerned
about that.” His large hand cupped her cheek.

As though it was the most natural thing in the world
to stand naked in a forest, she rubbed her face against the
calloused palm. Additional warmth spread through her body, coaxing
a tingly response. “Khayden, that’s a different name. Does it mean
anything?”

“
It means everything, it is who I
am.” The arrogance returned to his voice, but somehow it fit him.
“I like to hear you say my name,” he said. As his fingertips
stroked her bare stomach, it quivered and clenched beneath his
rough pads.

Her mind shrieked, sending
intruder alert warnings.
He’s a stranger,
an unknown. No more men. Remember Ricardo.

She stiffened at the reminder, struggling to
resurface through the haze of lustful desire that held her tight
within its grip. “I don’t think we should be doing this.” She
grabbed his hand that now rested on her lower waist, the tip of his
finger swirling light strokes. A shiver ran through her. She bit
her lips to restrain the moan threatening to break loose.

“
I think we should.” He caressed
between her folds, adding pressure to her throbbing heat. She lost
the fight as a moan escaped her lips. “I smell your need. You are
wet and I cannot leave you in such a state.” He paused and inserted
his finger into her tight opening. Without thinking, she widened
her stance, granting permission for deeper exploration. With his
other hand, he rubbed his fingertips across her bottom lip. Her
eyes fluttered shut. The sensations were too much. It had been so
long since she’d been touched. Her body craved his
attention.

Soft lips touched hers. His tongue licked the seam
of her lips and then bit down on her lower lip. She gasped. He took
the opportunity to slide in his tongue, tasting and teasing her.
His fingers mimicked his tongue, thrusting in and out of her heated
core. Her body ignored her shrieking mind and enjoyed the spiraling
sensations he set off in her.

The combination of his decadent scent, his mouth,
and his talented fingers sent her over the edge. Her body shook as
waves of pleasure washed over her. Her mouth opened on a
scream.

Smiling down at her, he licked his fingers clean of
her essence.

She shot upright in her bed, sweating and shaking as
the final spasms of her orgasm subsided. Heart racing, she hugged
herself and looked around in the darkness, searching for the golden
man with the juicy lips. Her toes curled as she remembered the look
on his face as he'd sucked his fingers clean.

Shaking off the seductive sight, she stared ahead.
The room, the day, the strange town, it all came back to her in
slow degrees. Falling back onto the bed, she waited until her
heartbeat normalized and she could breathe easily.

Nightmare or dream?

She could still smell him, feel
him, and even taste him. She rolled over to shut out the memory. In
all her life, she couldn’t remember ever coming that hard.
And that was just his hand,
her mind added wickedly.

Dazed and sated, she murmured. “What’d they put in
that tea?”

Chapter 8

Khayden’s eyes flew open, casting the room in shades
of blue. His heart raced as he replayed what had just happened.

Swallowing hard, he groaned as remnants of her taste
sent pinpricks of awareness through his system. His cock stiffened
to the point of pain. Sweat slid from his brow as he tried to think
down his erection, or at least get comfortable enough to think.

Inhaling was a mistake. Her vanilla and spicy scent
filled him, returning him to the brink of orgasm. He took small
sips of air and thought of Lawkmeria, his home planet, and the
vengeance he planned to wreak on the Geleets for their foul
deeds.

Time crawled.

Hot and heavy desire buffeted him, threatening to
consume him.

Fighting back, he plotted the
demise of his enemies and reminisced on the beauty of his home
until he regained command of his body. He had lost control over a
human.
Unbelievable
. Perhaps he needed to rethink his position. She was
strong-willed and not as malleable as he'd believed humans to be.
Perhaps it was the other that the Nature’s Mother added, he did not
know. But Alayna would be a challenge. His body still hummed with
need in spite of his demands it do otherwise.

Concern eased its way to the surface. What had the
good Mother created? Did she intend to enslave his people through
this unnatural connection? Because as much as he despised the loss
of control, he knew he would seek Alayna out and he was no longer
sure if it was just to save his people.

First he needed to study human
females. She had surprised him when she’d seen and interacted with
him in the dream state. Few of his people had that ability and
she'd handled it effortlessly, as though it was the most natural
thing in the world.

Once again he wondered how much power had been
imbued within the human Kees. Lawkmerian culture and biology
braided the life forces of Lawke and Kee. How would he and Alayna
complete such a feat? He needed the answer and fast. For there was
no question in his mind, this female was indeed his Kee.

His primitive instincts had been
aroused when she fell and bruised her thigh, his heart had froze.
All air locked in his chest and for a second he could not move. A
primal scream rose from a place within him that shook his core.
Within the next breath, he'd been at her side.

Every part of him grew heated in her presence,
recognizing and claiming her as his Kee. After centuries of being
locked, his Kee finally stood before him. Albeit in a dream, it was
none the less real. For seconds he could only stare, fearful she
would disappear and leave him alone again.

Then she ran, covering her chest.

He smiled at the memory of her
high rounded cheeks bouncing when she took off and stood behind
another tree. Gut-churning desire ripped through him at the sight
of her smooth, uncovered skin.
That was as
it should be,
he thought as pleasure and
passion warred for supremacy again. His body ignored his mind’s
yell for caution and demanded he follow her.

The need to touch, to offer
comfort and protection overruled his mind. His palm had grazed her
cheek. The vanilla scent wafting from her skin enslaved him. Her
sweet mixture of desire and fear had twisted his stomach into knots
of pleasure, to the point that for a brief moment he had not been
able to see clearly. He did not like his vulnerability with an
alien, but she was his Kee and could not be denied. Nature’s Mother
had him by the gonads.

Standing, he walked around the room, his mind in a
quandary. How could he help his people with this debilitating
weakness? He needed Alayna. She was his Kee. But she had no idea
who or what he was.

From what he was told, she planned to leave once the
sun rose. He could slow her down. Alter her reality of time. But
the idea of doing so tasted like ash on his tongue. A Lawke could
not lie to his Kee or vice versa.

For the first time in a long time he was stumped.
His limited knowledge on both subjects, Kees and humans, stymied
his decisions.

What a disaster.

“
Clotho, I have need of you.” He
pulled on a pair of pants and waited for his head Gramier. For
years she had preached that all he needed was his Kee. Well, his
Kee was here and he had no idea how to proceed. He had hoped the
unlocking process would not take long.

Now he was unsure.

The stubborn woman had denied him a taste of her
essence even though he smelled her desire.

“
Yes?”

He turned to see Clotho step into the dimmed blue
light. Nodding, he closed his eyes and forced himself to calm.
Counting to ten, he reopened them, pleased that Clotho had turned
on a table lamp and sat in a nearby chair.

“
Alayna is my Kee.” He waited for
her sedate expression to change to one of sublime joy or awe. It
remained passive. He frowned, confused. “Aren’t you
happy?”