Chapter Twelve

CAS

“That was an excellent meal.”

Jethro pulled off the napkin around his neck and pushed back his chair with a satisfying grunt. Pink juices, bones, and smeared bits of garnish were the only things left on the four plates before him. I pushed back my chair, wiping my mouth with a napkin.

“Mr. Sheen was right,” Jethro continued with a lazy grin. “Crocodile steak is excellent. I could get used to Earth food.”

“Aye, it’s not bad at all.”

Jethro leaned back in his seat. Pulling on his bottom lip, he stared at the singer sitting on the polished surface of the grand instrument behind me. As she sang a sizzling number, running her fingers along her chest suggestively, a man in a red tuxedo pounded on the black and white keys. The man closed his eyes, his head swaying to the soulful melody.

“She has quite a voice. Last night, she took me to the kitchen and blew me behind the walk-in freezer. These Earth harlots are wilder than I could have ever imagined.” Jethro sucked his teeth, shaking his head. “She started humming while I was deep inside her mouth, the way she’s pulling those long notes now. I exploded right down her throat.”

“Sounds like a decent night.” I hung my napkin over my armrest. “I meant to ask you something. The receptionist informed me you extended our stay for another two weeks. Did Nala notify you about Mercer’s call? He says the compressor has arrived. I’ve given the approval to pick it up tomorrow. If all goes well, the ship should be ready to lift into orbit in three days.”

Admitting it out loud felt like a punch to my gut. I wasn’t ready to leave, but I couldn’t understand my confusing attachment to this planet, either.

“Aye, I heard.” Jethro shrugged, swirling blocks of ice around in his glass. “Tell Nala and the team to execute the repairs at their leisure. We are in no rush to leave Earth.”

“When we arrived here, you were obsessed with getting back home. What about the Doomstone?”

“I see no need to return it immediately. I say we keep homeworld on their toes a little longer. Perhaps then my father will understand the gravity of this mission and realize what a dire mistake he made when he promised Tazmin the crown.”

“Jethro, I have something to say to you as your friend.”

“You missed out on quite a night with the humans at the Diamond Tower,” Jethro said, changing the subject. “Tate is an excellent fellow for a human. He has a good head on his shoulders. I never imagined I would ever say this about an Earthling, but I see a lot of myself in him. You must come and have a drink with us one of these days.”

“Maybe. But brother, we have things to address.”

“We can talk about it later.” Jethro got up from his seat, patting my shoulder twice as he walked past me. “The set just ended. I’m going to see if I can take her around back for a repeat of last night.”

Jethro disappeared. I shook my head, sighing loudly. As I pulled back my chair and stood to leave, Indira crept up to our table.

“Are you leaving so soon?” The Keeper wore a short, flowy white dress that was so sheer that she might as well have strolled into the dining room completely naked. She pushed me back down into my seat and dragged the prince’s chair to my side, plopping down next to me. Half her nipple peeked out from her loose neckline.

“How goes it, Indira?” I reached over and adjusted her top for her.

“I have been circling the hotel for over an hour now. I have splashed around in the pool, relaxed on the sun deck, gotten a nice massage in the spa. I think the humans call it shiatsu. And now, I have completely run out of things I want to do.” Indira dipped her finger into the bourbon sauce of my empty dessert plate and slipped her finger into her mouth, keeping her fluttery gaze on mine. “You wouldn’t mind entertaining me for a while, would you?”

Indira covered her lap with the ends of the white tablecloth and took my hand, placing it firmly between her legs. She looked around at the other restaurant patrons with an impish twinkle in her eyes. Convinced that everyone in the room was looking elsewhere, she slid further down in her seat and lifted up her dress.

I stared at the fuzzy strip of white-gold hair between her legs, right above her sumptuous sex. For a few seconds, my mind went blank. My fingers went limp as she brushed them against her dewy thighs. She slipped one foot out of her shoe, her toes skimming up and down my leg meaningfully. But when she took control of my fingers, rubbing them against the damp lips of her cunt, I pulled away.

Indira’s face went sullen for a moment, but as she stared at me, her puckered forehead slowly unwrinkled. “Oh, I see.” She narrowed her sultry brown eyes. One side of her mouth tugged upwards in a seductive leer. “You want to play it that way, do you?”

“Sorry, Indira.”

She leaned forward and cupped one hand between my legs, feeling me up. “It’s okay. We can play this game all night long if you want me to.”

“Not now.” I pulled her hand off me and got up from my chair. “I don’t intend to waste your time, and I’m not playing any games. I’m just not interested.”

“Not interested in me?” Indira repeated incredulously. Taking note of the glances toward our table, she quickly lowered her voice. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know how I can be clearer. I’m not feeling up to it tonight.”

“This is the second time you’ve turned me down this week! I didn’t realize an extended stay on Earth would affect your sex drive.” Indira pulled down her skirt and crossed her legs in a huff. She stuck out her bottom lip, pouting like a child told she wasn’t allowed candy before dinner. “Men are always in the mood. The mere act of going without undergarments in a cold environment should be enough to make anyone eat right out of my hands. Are you going to tell me voluntarily what your problem is, or am I going to have to make you?”

“Perhaps you’ve never been rejected before, but as you know, there is a first time for everything.” I squeezed her shoulder as I walked past her. “Calm down, Indira. It’s nothing personal.” I strutted out of the dining room without looking back.

I was telling the truth. Ever since the night with Michelle, I couldn’t touch or look at another female without feeling like I was doing something illicit. Initially, I thought I might have caught an Earth virus from all the food, but I soon realized that my libido seemed to have taken a hit as well. Earlier this afternoon, when Jethro dragged me along with him to the Diamond Tower, I had no interest in engaging with any of the nude women working the establishment. Fortunately, with Jethro’s face buried between the shapely breasts of a turquoise-haired stripper, I was able to duck out of the club without him noticing my absence.

As I started to board the elevator, I became sidetracked when I overheard a conversation at the check-in counter.

“Welcome to the Beaumont Hotel, ma’am. How can I help you today?”

“I’d like to check in, please. Here’s my employee badge. I’ll be using my room from the Textra Corp Employee Recognition System – that’s T-E-X-T-R-A C-O-R-P.”

“Yes, Ms. Fletcher. If you’d just give me one moment, please.”

I turned toward the reception desk, the elevator doors closing in front of me. Michelle leaned against the counter, massaging a spot between her eyebrows as the receptionist typed at the computer. She wore a baggy sweater and a pair of rubber shoes with laces. Three gigantic pieces of luggage sat on either side of her. One of the bellboys was loading another two pieces of matching red luggage onto a trolley.

“Yes, I see you here in the system. Wow! It looks like you’ve accumulated a month’s worth of free stays in one of our VIP suites.”

“That sounds about right. It’s my first time here.” Michelle replied, smiling politely. “I’ve never used any of the free rooms I’ve received in the program. I guess it’s built up over four years.”

“How long will you be staying with us, Ms. Fletcher?”

“I have no idea. I want to say I’m leaving in two weeks, but I don’t know for sure. Why don’t you use what I have from the program? If I exceed my credits, go ahead and charge my card for the balance.”

“Certainly. We keep a copy of Mr. Sheen’s special requests saved. We have already adjusted the room to seventy-eight degrees, and we will have all the usual items sent up to your room as soon as possible. Will there be anything else you require from us?”

“It will just be me tonight.”

“Oh. I see. In that case, maybe I can upgrade you to our Ivory Suite. It has a splendid view of the Caldwell Mountains.”

“Thank you so much. And if you could please ask someone to send up these bags to my room as well, that would be fantastic.”

“Right away, Ms. Fletcher. Have a lovely evening.”

I walked towards the lobby, meeting Michelle halfway. The sides of my mouth sagged when I saw the look on her face. Her eyes looked red and swollen, and exhaustion had discolored her face. “Michelle, are you okay? What are you doing here?”

Michelle blinked at me, the wooden expression on her face unchanging. “Technically, I suppose I’m moving in here for a few weeks while I find a place of my own. Tate and I broke up,” she said tersely, drawing in a sharp breath.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, me too. I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t feel like chatting right now. I just want to get to my room.”

As I looked down at her bloodshot eyes, I wanted to sweep her into my arms and take her pain away.

“I haven’t slept in over a day, I’m a fucking mess, and it’s a miracle I’m standing up right now. I can’t do this anymore. I just want to lie down, pass out, and not have to feel anything.”

“Aye. I’ll let you go.” I stepped aside and let her through.

As she passed, my shoulders slumped forward. I struggled to breathe from the squeezing pressure in my chest. The peculiar sensation had come out of nowhere. It faded away the further Michelle walked away from me, completely vanishing when the elevator doors closed and removed her from view.

Wetting my lips, I headed for the elevators with a light feeling in my head. I had disregarded the connection I had with Michelle at the lounge bar as a fluke, but this was beyond my comprehension. I hadn’t just read her thoughts. It seemed as if I had somehow gotten a taste of what she was feeling. I had intruded on a private moment when she was vulnerable. Although I couldn’t understand what was happening, I vowed it would be the last time I invaded her personal space again.

When the elevator opened in front of me, I decided not to take it, making my way out of the hotel for some fresh air instead.