Rachel sat on the edge of the bed, gazing through the window. Space. She still could not believe she was in outer space! With aliens!
She'd kind of slept during the night. She might have caught a few hours sleep, peering up at the ceiling, looking towards the door, staring out through the window.
She'd been alone all night. Where was that Miktar? If he wanted to "bond", why was he staying away? Rachel licked her lips. It would be so damned easy—and damn fun too! She'd been thinking about it all night—what she would do when he finally reappeared. She'd thought of numerous different scenarios. Each one more dramatic and erotic than the last.
At the sound of a thump, Rachel looked over. She stood in surprise as lights lit up in the little kitchenette. Then all the lights turned on and she looked over her shoulder towards the door. Her heart started to speed up. Rachel wiped her mouth. Even despite her eagerness, she was wary.
She jumped as a flap opened up in the wall and a tray slid onto the bench. She went over and lifted up a cloche. It looked like egg. It smelled like egg. She jumped again as a second meal slid out. She was about to lift the second cloche when the door slid open.
'Oh!' The cloche clattered to the floor. 'Sorry.' She bent over to pick it up, the heat rushing to her cheeks. In all the scenarios she'd imagined, she'd been in much more control than this. It was his looks. It was his size. It was his entire mystery. It all took her aback. He wants to make love to you and have your babies.
Jesus.
He walked inside, a pleasant smile pulling back his soft lips. Rachel watched them as he spoke. 'Can I join you?'
Rachel nodded numbly. His voice was even more beautiful now that she could understand him. She pressed her hand to the side of her head in dismay. Aisha had told her she'd learn their alien language quickly. But this was ridiculous.
'Here, let me take that.' She jerked as his fingers brushed against hers. He took the cloche and placed it back.
He took both trays and placed them on the little table. He sat down. Rachel sat opposite him.
'Did you have a restful night?' He spoke slowly, his big hands lying flat upon the table on either side of his tray. He was smiling at her. His long dark hair spilled down his right shoulder in a ponytail. His yellow eyes were like gold.
Rachel cleared her throat. She nodded. Say something! But when she opened her mouth nothing came out.
'Let's eat. I hope you like it.'
Miktar pulled the cloche away from his meal and Rachel did the same. Miktar. She even liked his name. Rachel ate without really tasting it. Her ears were filled with the thudding of her heartbeat. Every now and then she would raise her eyes to study him. But every time she did, he'd meet her gaze and she would drop her eyes again. They didn't really speak but the air around them crackled with sexual energy.
At the end of the meal she put down her napkin and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
'How was it?' he asked.
Say something! 'Honestly, I didn't really taste it.'
'You didn't like it?' There was a groove between his eyes as he frowned.
'I'm not sure. I'm not really thinking straight.'
'Of course. It's overwhelming, I know.'
Rachel stared at his lips. 'Yeah. You could say that.'
'I kept away last night. I wanted to make you feel comfortable.'
Bearing down on her uncharacteristic shyness, she forced herself to look back into his amazing yellow eyes. 'Did you bring me here to have sex with me?'
He blinked. Rachel felt an insane urge to laugh.
He cleared his throat. 'It's more than that.'
Rachel felt herself relax a little. Awkward questions. Keep asking awkward questions. Make him feel awkward. 'Why do you want to have sex with me?'
His hands jerked and he folded them into his lap. 'I want to bond with you. I want to—I want to love you.'
'You're lonely.'
His eyes darted to hers.
'But what about your women?'
He explained.
'So you're using us to fill the void,' Rachel said once he was finished.
'I suppose you could put it that way.'
Rachel stared at his fingers as he rested them back upon the table. He had really long fingers. Really massive hands. These aliens were huge. Slowly, she slid her hand across the table until their fingertips touched.
'I've been lonely too,' she said. 'I was—I was waiting for you last night.'
'You were?'
'Were you thinking about me?'
'I didn't sleep. I've been thinking about you even before I met you. I've been thinking of you since I became a man. I just didn't know who you were.'
'So, what do we do now?'
'That'll be up to you.'
He stared at her, as though waiting.
Rachel felt the heat burn her cheeks. She stood. 'I need to use the bathroom.'
Rachel leaned her shoulder against the bathroom wall, trying to catch her breath. She liked him, that was for sure, but she'd never been the kind of girl who just jumped in bed with someone because they were nice and attractive. The bonding. It was permanent. What if she fell pregnant?
So what if she fell pregnant? So what if it was permanent? The last thing she wanted was to go back home. If it hadn't been for Miktar, in only a few hours she would be back at work at a job she hated, to repeat over and over again. Later that night she would then gorge herself on alcohol and chocolate, something to fill her loneliness and emptiness and the entire pointlessness of her life.
She didn't have to do that anymore.
Rachel felt her chest lift. A smile spread across her face. A new beginning. A real adventure! What did she have to lose?
She turned to look at the door, thinking of Aisha, who was bonded and was having the time of her life. The time of her life. Rachel had never been able to say that about her own life.
She stepped back through the door.
*
Miktar looked over as she came back into the room. She was looking a little flushed. Her hair was tousled, as though she'd been dragging her fingers through it. She looked nervous. Almost as nervous as himself.
He tried to rip his eyes away from her but couldn't do it. Even in the basic clothing he'd laid out for her, she looked phenomenal. His eyes seemed to grip onto every bump, every shadow, every curve. His hands trembled.
He was trying to take it slow. Not spending the night with her had been miserable, but he'd seen how difficult it had been with the others. He'd hoped making her safe and comfortable would make things easier for them both—it didn't seem to be working. But at least she wasn't screaming. At least she wasn't crying or fighting. That was certainly something.
'Are you okay?' he asked her.
'I-I am. Better. Better now that you're here.'
Miktar jerked in his seat as she came over, standing over him, her long blonde hair falling around her lovely face. He couldn't stop staring into her brown eyes. Brown. A beautiful colour. They seemed to have a depth no other colour could. It was like her soul was looking back at him.
She reached over to take his hand. Her hand was so small, her fingers tiny, and yet it seemed to have so much control over his. She seemed to have so much control over him. They threaded fingers.
'I'll do anything. Anything to have you.' It was a foolish thing to say but it just tumbled out of his mouth.
She stared at him with those soulful eyes. Then she leaned in to kiss him. He grabbed her head and kissed her back. Slowly, he stood, towering over her as he swept his tongue against hers.
Then he was wrapping his arms around her and kissing her face, down over her jaw, down her neck. He was sucking her there. She gasped.
Miktar released her with a start. 'Sorry. I forgot myself.'
She licked her lips, then pouted them, her eyes creasing with amusement as she looked around the room. 'What do you do in this place anyway, other than making love to human females?'
She walked over to the bed and sat down. Resting her chin on her fist, she looked up at him. Miktar got the impression that she was playing with him—but he couldn't be sure. It was hard to think with all the blood pooling in his balls. All he could see was that her lips were swollen from kissing and that her hair fell around her face like they'd already had sex. He could imagine her looking like that afterwards.
Afterwards ...
He cleared his throat. 'Sorry. What did you say?'
She gave a little triumphant smile. 'What do you do around here other than abducting Earth women?'
'It was our mission to explore the galaxy for resources and to investigate other lifeforms.'
'Was?'
'Well ... we're staying here, near your home. One of your women has fallen pregnant.'
'So?'
'It's not supposed to happen. We're a different species.'
She frowned, puzzled. 'Then why take us in the first place?'
'For companionship.'
'That's all?'
'That's everything.'
Rachel folded her hands between her thighs.
'Have you-have you left anything important behind? Family. Friends. A man, maybe?'
Rachel shook her head. 'All I had was my job—and I hate that. I didn't even have a dog. Just an annoying roommate who probably won't even notice I'm gone.'
Miktar watched her carefully. 'Do you hate that I took you?'
'No.' Her mouth twisted as she looked away. 'I've never had so much fun in all my life.'
Miktar struggled not to grin.