The Krinar Eclipse, page 11
part #0 of Krinar World Series
She reached up and their hands met, hers wet to his dry, and he laced their fingers together.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know you’d lose so much just to be with me.”
“It isn’t your fault. It was my choice.” He paused, squeezing her hand. “And I would do it again and again.”
She shifted in the water and suddenly smiled.
“What?” he asked, enjoying her amusement even though he didn’t know the source.
“I was thinking about sea otters. Have you ever seen one?”
“I think, perhaps once. Sea mammals. Mustelidae family. Chubby, furry, black noses, adorable, right?”
“Yes,” she laughed. “They also happen to be my favorite animal. They are one of the reasons I want to work at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They have an amazing view of an underwater kelp forest.”
She closed her eyes, as if picturing it right now. Soren waited for her to continue.
“Sea otters do something no other species does. You know what it is?”
“I’m afraid I don’t.” Soren continued to hold her hand, marveling at the sense of peace that filled him. Touching Bianca like this, connecting his soul to hers by only their hands, was powerful enough to banish the memories that haunted him of his time as a prisoner on Zaruth.
“Sea otters hold on to each other when they sleep. Their little paws curl around each other like they’re holding hands. It stops them from drifting away on the sea, but it also bonds them. Can you imagine? A species so small, not as emotionally complex as humans or dolphins, yet they experience the importance of bonding to one another, of never letting go.”
He understood what she was telling him, and his hold on her hand tightened. “I will never drift away from you, little one.”
“But I will grow old. What happens when I’m no longer young and beautiful like you?” She looked away, but not before he saw the bright shine of tears in her eyes.
He released her hand so he could kneel down beside the tub and turn her face to his.
“You mustn’t worry about that.”
She stared at him, her bottom lip quivering. “But it won’t make sense for you to want me then.”
“My little scientist.” He sighed, smiled a little, and traced her lips with his thumb. “I shouldn’t tell you anything, but you make me shatter the rules.” She waited, curiosity blending with trepidation in her gaze. “As my charl, you could be injected with nanocytes. They actively repair your body, right down to your DNA, indefinitely.” He paused, wondering if she would understand what he was saying.
“Nanotechnology? Like…repairing cells to maintain peak health?”
“And even reverse age damage,” he added.
She stared at him, her lips slightly parted. “That’s how the Krinar stay young?”
“Yes. And as my charl, the right of that technology would be extended to you.”
Bianca still held his hand, but her eyes turned distant in a way that worried him. “Do you understand time, Soren?”
“Time? Yes, the measuring of minutes, hours, days, and years.” He brushed her hair again, wishing he could erase the sorrow reflected in her eyes.
“You understand it as a theory, something you can calculate and measure. But humans see it differently. It’s something we face in a way you can’t. Time is an enemy, sure, but it’s also an old friend. It makes you feel alive and blessed, and then one morning, cursed as you enter the twilight years of your life. It’s a sense of being, a sense of feeling oneself in a bigger way. You’d be handing me immortality and taking away the journey of life. Everyone I love would die. My father, my friends…”
Soren couldn’t bear the sorrow in his sweet, brave, beautiful charl. He scooped her up, not caring that she was soaking wet. Bianca gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her to the bed and set her down, still holding her close as he leaned back against the headboard. Her green eyes reminded him of the deep forest outside his parents’ home on Krina. It was the color of life, the color of intensity. Here on Earth, it could be the color of jealousy, and a dozen more emotions could be reflected in a dozen shades of green. To him, Bianca’s green eyes were that of life unending.
“I understand time, little one, just as you described. In a way, it weighs upon me more than it could any human. I have borne witness to eight millennia of changes. I’ve watched empires rise and fall. I’ve seen great civilizations turn into rain forests and witnessed the last warriors of ancient races seclude themselves deep in the hills as the languages of their old ways faded into obscurity. I’ve seen devastation and creation obliterate and blossom on this planet. I have watched and waited alone, until I saw you.” How could he put into words what she meant to him? How important it was for her to remain by his side, now and forever?
Soren pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes as he inhaled her feminine aroma with a lingering hint of lemon from the hotel soap.
“You… You are a change in my unchanging life. Do you understand?” He dared to open his eyes, afraid of what he would see, but Bianca’s eyes were full of tears, and she sniffed and shifted closer to him.
“Okay,” she whispered, the single word spoken with determination.
“Okay?” He had to be sure of what she was telling him. That she agreed to be his, knowing what the future held.
“Okay,” she echoed. Then she kissed him, her tongue lashing against his lips, and his blood sang with desire and longing. She would someday know the gift she was to him—he would find a way to show her. But for now, he would start with this.
He rolled atop her gloriously naked body, shedding his clothes. Her eyes swept over his skin, and he marveled at the gold tan of his flesh against her creamy pale skin. She parted her legs and was still biting her lip shyly as he gently entered her. This joining between them was not one born of the madness to mate. This was a deeper connection that showed what lay between them went beyond physical desire.
Soren worshiped Bianca’s body with kisses and caresses. He stroked her tender folds and the sensitive nub of her clit, nibbling her earlobes and the curves of her hips. Then he entered her again, teasing her with slow, deep thrusts. She called out his name over and over, her nails digging into his back as they came hard, their shared climax bursting with a swell of passion. She shivered beneath him, and he could feel her flutter around his shaft. He groaned softly, burying his face against her neck.
At that moment, he was utterly captivated by her heart, her mind, and her body. He pressed little kisses to her face, wanting to cover every inch of her, and she let him. Her hands roved over his muscles, stroking, kneading, exploring, though with no sense of urgency.
As their uneven breathing slowed to a calm, measured pace, he rolled off her and pulled her back to spoon against him. His cock twitched and she wriggled her bottom, but he knew she didn’t mean to tease him. She drifted to sleep soon after, and Soren lay there, holding her in his arms, lost in his own thoughts.
He didn’t want to steal her from her life here or her friends or family, nor did he wish to hide from the world forever, leading double lives. But she was his. There was no going back now. There had to be a way to convince her father, Arus, and the Council to accept them as they were.
He trailed his fingers along her skin, watching her sleep and thanking the universe for finding her. The trick now was how to keep her.
10
“You’ve got it bad for him, girl,” Claudia said as she watched Bianca prepare for another night out with Soren.
“I do,” Bianca admitted. She chose a pair of gold earrings that were in the shape of leaves and slipped them on.
She brushed her hair back and watched the dangling gold leaves dance. Finals were almost over, and the last few weeks had been an amazing whirlwind of studying followed by passionate outings with Soren where he enchanted her mind and heart with some amazing activity, and then he’d seduce her body in bed. She’d stopped caring long ago that she’d become his personal sex toy. She knew what she meant to him now, that what was growing between them was so much more than she ever could have dreamed with any other man, let alone an alien.
“So what’s the plan tonight?” Claudia had been keeping a running list of Bianca’s nights out and had been more or less living vicariously through her.
“I think we’re going to the aquarium in Monterey Bay.”
“Your favorite place? He’s one smart alien.” Claudia watched her pull on a navy-blue sundress. “You don’t usually wear dresses. What’s that about?”
Bianca flushed, too embarrassed to admit Claudia was right. She didn’t really like dresses, but they had one huge positive. They gave Soren easier access to her. She had quickly come to like how he pinned her up against a wall and ripped her panties off and fucked her until she screamed out his name. He was a god in bed and out, and part of her wanted the world to know it.
“I’m going to assume by the color of your face it’s because of something to do with Soren and accessibility?” Claudia raised her eyebrows, and Bianca stifled a laugh as she nodded.
“Boy, you guys didn’t waste any time on that front, huh?”
Claudia collected a set of highlighters scattered like rainbow lollipops on her bed and set them in a pencil cup on her nightstand.
“There really isn’t a slow speed for these guys. They just kiss you and you’re done for.” It was true. Having a Krinar lover made a person forget things like rationality. It was all wild lust, raw sex, and mind-blowing pleasure with them. And in Soren’s case, it was all wrapped up in an expensive, adventurous package.
Since their secret rendezvous had begun, they had gone to a ballet, a gala celebrating a new masters painting exhibit in Paris, and a cherry blossom festival in China. He was showing her the beauty of Earth and the beauty of humanity. She’d been convinced for years that the Krinar viewed humans as an inferior race, unable to take care of themselves or their planet. But now she was starting to see a difference. Soren didn’t see her as infantile. He saw her as an equal.
“You’re being careful, right?” Claudia asked.
“Careful?”
“Yeah, you know, condoms, birth control…”
“Um, well, here’s the thing—according to Soren, Krinar and humans can’t get pregnant together. And we don’t share any diseases. The Krinar can’t catch them from us, and they don’t have any of their own to give us.” She had known that even before she started sleeping with Soren.
As the president’s daughter, she had heard a lot of things, including scientific briefings from the US government branch that was partnered with the Krinar. The Krinar gave the United States and other countries limited but useful information about their biology—like the fact that Krinar couldn’t get or spread STDs—but nothing that could possibly be used against them. Knowing that, the panic level had been drastically reduced once the fear of an alien plague was off the table.
“Seriously?” Claudia’s eyes widened. “We don’t need to use protection? Score!” She punched the air in a goofy way.
Bianca laughed. “It’s not something you can share, okay? That’s private info, protected by the government.”
Claudia mimed zipping her lips. “Mum’s the word.”
“Thanks.” Bianca retrieved a pair of navy-blue wedges with cork bottoms to match her dress and slipped them on. Finally, she grabbed a thin white cardigan button-up sweater to complete the look.
“Be back by midnight, young lady,” Claudia warned in a mother hen voice. They both burst out laughing.
“Yes, Mom,” she giggled. She pressed the groove in her cuff and vanished from sight. She left the dorm, waved to the poor agents—who still hadn’t caught on—with a giggle, and ran to meet Soren’s ship. He was waiting for her, and he caught her in his arms, kissing her hard. Then they both climbed into his ship and headed for the West Coast.
Once at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, she saw that the parking lot was empty.
“Soren, it looks like it’s closed.” She couldn’t deny the sting of disappointment. “I should have checked the hours before we left.”
Soren chuckled. “It’s closed, but not for us. Come.” He gestured for her to turn off her stealth cuff, and he did the same. He grasped her hand in his, and they walked up to the entrance. An aquarium employee greeted them.
“Ambassador Soren, we are honored by your visit. We’re also pleased to welcome your anonymous guest.” The young woman in the polo shirt and khaki shorts winked at Bianca before she motioned for them to follow her. She led them through an eerily quiet maze of exhibits. It was beautiful. Fish swam in tanks on either side and then overhead as they walked through an underwater glass tunnel. Bianca gasped as they reached the kelp forest room. A table with a crisp white linen cloth had been set for two, candles were already lit, and a vase of wildflowers sat in the center, filling the room with a floral scent.
“We will have dinner served soon, but please help yourself to the champagne.” The aquarium employee waved toward a drink cart that had been set up by the table.
“Thank you, Candace,” Soren said. The woman nodded and then left them alone.
Bianca stared at Soren, then at the table.
“How on earth did you arrange all this?” she asked, her heart racing as he stepped closer, curling one arm around her waist. Their bodies fit so perfectly together, even though he was a foot taller than her.
“I might have provided extra funding for several species reintroduction programs and coastline preservation campaigns.”
“Really?” Her heart swelled as she gazed up at him.
“Of course. This planet is beautiful. I want to protect it. But I also know how much it means to you. Lucky for me, your interests and mine are one and the same.”
“So logical—how like a K,” she teased, poking him in the chest with a finger.
“Logical? I suppose I haven’t done a good enough job reminding you how much of an animal I can be.” His eyes heated as he let his gaze rove over her body, but he didn’t move to kiss her. Instead, he released her waist and nodded toward the kelp forest windows.
Then her eyes moved to the tall twenty-foot-high windows. The setting sun illuminated the water’s surface, which turned the tops of the tall kelp stalks a reddish gold. The coloring tapered back into a deep rich green down toward the roots at the base of the aquarium. She moved closer and pressed her hands to the thick glass, her eyes devouring the beautiful sight. The kelp swayed slightly as the water moved in a rhythm designed to mimic the ocean waves.
A large school of fish billowed out near her against the glass before banking sharply to the right. The silver flash they gave off was almost blinding in its beauty. Small nurse sharks, babies no longer than her arm, swam lazily around the winding tendrils of the kelp. Far above, Bianca could make out the otters, floating above her on the surface. Occasionally, one would dive below and swirl through the kelp, chasing small fish before heading back up to the surface.
Soren stood behind her, one arm wound tenderly around her waist again.
“You sure know how to woo a girl.” She laughed, but her heart suddenly sank into doubt. Had he done this with other women? Not here or even on this planet, of course, but out there over the span of centuries. He’d certainly had the time.
“I’ve not had much practice until you,” he admitted.
Bianca wasn’t sure she could believe him. He was too gorgeous, too sweet, too available for too long. How had the women of Krina not been fighting over him?
“In all those years, there had to have been many women. I mean, the Krinar don’t exactly have the sexual hang-ups humans have.”
His hand around her waist rubbed her belly. “Of course. There have been a few over the years, but they have been encounters meant only to satisfy lust.” He set their champagne flutes down and turned her in his arms.
She had a moment to admire him in the undulating glow of the lights from the tall windows. There was no hint of deception lurking there, no hint of superiority or any other negative emotion. She saw only passion and tenderness.
“I wish you could see things the way I do, how long I’ve lived, so that you can understand me when I say you are it for me, Bianca. There will be no other after you. We will be together always.” He slowly closed the distance between them, and his lips touched hers. He played with her tongue, soft but erotic, showing her that wicked gift he offered as a lover.
Her heart throbbed in excitement as she met his kisses, her arms twining around his neck. It was a pure and sensual experience, kissing Soren in the rich green glowing light of the kelp forest viewing room. The world around them was bathed in soft emerald and deep blue, and the sound of water rocking against the glass calmed her as much as his mouth excited her.
They would make love in this room soon, she knew, and it would feel as though they were in a dream within a dream. Her body quickened in the way it always did with the promise of the word soon. How silly she’d been to fear this man. Soon was not a word to fear, but to embrace. Soren pulled her deeper into him, but a moment later they broke apart as a man brought in a tray of food.
“I’m so sorry,” the man whispered, his face beet red. He set out two salads and a pair of vegetarian dishes on the table, then quickly made his exit. Bianca covered her face, shoulders shaking in silent laughter.
“Why don’t we eat?”
Bianca agreed, and Soren pulled her chair out for her. She accepted the chivalrous gesture and raised her champagne glass toward him.
“A toast,” she proposed. He responded by raising his own glass. “To peaceful relations between our peoples.”
He touched the rim of his glass to hers, and with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he added, “And to passionate relations as well.”
She was still smiling as she sipped her champagne. The bubbles made her want to giggle. He knew just how to get her relaxed but keep her on the edge of her seat at the same time.
