Chapter Five

QUINN

By my estimate, Airik had about a million people in his family. It appeared they were all coming to my wedding. I had already met about twenty of them, but I couldn't remember a single name. I was starting to freak out.

My Dad was on another planet. I was on my own in a sea of people.

Airik hadn't let go of my hand. It was a small measure of comfort that made me feel secure. Occasionally, we had to release each other when our wrists crossed, but then he would take my cold hand in his again as we made our way through the crowd.

I wished again that I hadn't mislaid the folder about my prospective husband. I couldn't believe I lost it. I had considered asking Mrs. Lynch for another one, but I couldn't work up the courage. I was worried she would think I wasn't responsible enough to be a mail-order bride.

The truth was, Mrs. Lynch terrified me. She was a harpy. I should have asked her despite my misgivings. Now I knew nothing about these aliens and their culture. What if I offended someone by accident?

And I wished Airik had told me ahead of time that I was going to have to act like we were in love. But when could he have told me? I just arrived on the planet. He let me know as soon as he could, I guess. And I supposed it wasn't a big deal. It was merely another part of our sham marriage.

I didn't know why he wanted to marry me. Keeping up appearances seemed important, so I would do that for him.

I meant it when I had said that I liked him. He seemed kind. There was something reassuring about him. He projected confidence and calm. It seemed he was usually in charge and knew how to put people at ease.

If I could only get through this day, I was sure I could get through another year. Airik introduced me to his closest family members. I met his mother, his father, his three brothers and two sisters. My mind started melting when friends said hello, followed by favorite cousins, aunts, uncles. By the time we finished lunch, I was exhausted.

There were two full days to rest on the space station before the shuttle left for Koccoran. I was over my jet lag. There wasn't anything physically wrong with me.

But I hadn't been around people for years. Mostly my life was Dad and me, especially at the end when we were always looking over our shoulders. I stayed at home alone all day and spent time with my Dad, or trusted friends would come over. I hadn't been in a group this size for a long, long time. And frankly, it was making me nervous.

"Are you ready to go back to the room?" Airik said when he noticed I was finished eating.

"Yes, please."

He said our good-byes for us and we headed up to the hotel room. When we arrived, I collapsed on the couch. He asked me if everything was all right.

"I'm okay. I'm just tired. I haven't been around this many people in a long time. Probably not since I was in school, so it's overwhelming along with everything else."

"I'm sorry, Quinn. We'll have a few hours to rest but then the wedding and the reception are coming, along with more crowds."

"I know. That's okay. Of course you want your family here. I didn't know there would be so many of them. I don't know anything about you, do I?"

"Right," he said, looking worried for a moment. His expression evened out. "We'll get to know each other."

"Yes, we will," I said. My voice had more conviction than I felt. Right now Airik was a complete stranger. I thought I would never know him any better than I did right now. It seemed like an impossible task.

"It's a suite," he said, walking to a door and opening it to reveal a bedroom. "Do you want to sleep for a while? I have some work to do, but I can get it done at the table."

"That sounds wonderful." I sank gratefully onto the bed and pulled off my thick sweater. Underneath I had on a pink T-shirt. "Thanks, Airik, for being understanding."

I looked up, and he was staring at me in a way that made my body tingle. I felt my heart rate accelerate, and my breath came more quickly. Our eyes were locked. His gaze felt like foreplay.

I hadn't been in a relationship since high school. There was one guy that had been a loner. He was an artist and different from everyone else, like me. One night, down by the river, we had both lost our virginity.

Another guy seduced me at the bar one night when I was twenty-two. We went home together, and he disappeared before I woke up. But there hadn't been anyone since then.

I hadn't wanted anyone, until now. I swallowed.

"Rest well, Quinn," he said. When he spoke, I imagined a kiss on my lips.

"Thank you," I said.

He nodded and left.

I fell back on the bed. My body tingled. I felt alive for the first time in years. What was going on? And what about the man I was supposed to be in love with in a year's time? How could I consider anything with Airik when my mystery man was still out there in the universe?

I briefly wondered if it could be Airik. But what were the chances I would have a vision of my true love, and he would turn out to be the man I had already married? Slim to none.

It felt strange to be panting over Airik when I knew there was a different someone out there for me. It was almost like cheating. But if I hadn't had a vision, I wouldn't know anything about the man from the future, and I wouldn't have any misgivings about having sex with my husband.

What about all the people a person dates before they find the person they want to marry? Does that make them disloyal to a person from their future? Of course not. When they're dating the person, they don't know what's going to happen.

Did it even matter? We weren't going to be jumping into bed together. We would get to know each other first and then if it seemed like a good idea, something might happen. I remembered how it felt locking eyes with him halfway across the room, and my body disagreed with my mind. My body didn't see a need for a getting-to-know period.

It wanted him. And that was that.

I sighed, pulling my pants off and crawling into bed in my T-shirt and underwear. All my philosophical thoughts would have to wait until later. I needed a nap if I was going to be able to face my wedding and reception. I sighed at the thought.

How was I going to live through the rest of this day?

Have a nap, I counseled myself. Everything will look better when you wake up.

I curled up on my side and quickly fell fast asleep.

I woke slowly, aware that there was a foreign scent in my vicinity. It was a little spicy, a little exotic and it made me weak with need. I had been dreaming of Airik. The content of my dreams made me blush. My heart was still pounding because I had woken up as we were about to become intimate.

"Quinn?" I heard Airik's voice calling softly from above me. Wait a second. He was sitting next to me on my bed. My pulse raced.

"Quinn, your face is changing color. Do you feel okay?"

I didn't answer immediately. I was too embarrassed. I didn't think he had much experience with fair-skinned people. On Koccoran, it would be impossible to tell if people were blushing or not because they were many shades darker than my pale skin.

Eyes closed, I responded to him. "I'm blushing."

"Oh," he said. "Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Was his voice huskier than before? I felt myself getting wet. This would not do. I needed to keep our relationship platonic. Didn't I?

"No," I said, finally opening my eyes.

"You seemed fast asleep. I'm sorry to wake you up, but it's time to get dressed for the wedding," he said.

"Okay," I said. I didn't want to sit up because my nipples were hard and would be obvious in my tight shirt when the blanket fell off of me.

He smiled and leaned over me, kissing my forehead.

The moment his lips touched me, I had a flash of images race through my mind too fast for me to grasp. He pulled away in surprise, examining me as if trying to comprehend something.

I sat up and moved back away from him. "What was that?" I asked.

"What was what? Did you experience something?"

I stared at him.

I couldn't tell him I saw visions. Hiding was ingrained in my soul by now. What if he didn't understand? Maybe he was like the Sons of the Heavenly Father back on Earth? I had concealed my abilities for years. I could certainly hide them for one more.

"It was nothing." I looked away. "I thought I heard something, but I was wrong."

I glanced up at him and was surprised to see him give me a speculative look. Was he trying to figure me out? He shook his head slowly as if dismissing whatever he had been thinking.

"I see," he said, rising to his feet. "You will find a wedding gown in the closet. It is a traditional dress. My sister will be along shortly to help you put it on."

He headed for the door, and I called after him. "I don't need any help. I can dress myself."

He looked back over his shoulder in a way that could only be called distracting.

"Trust me. The dress requires assistance, and Neesa wants to get to know you."

I relented. The last thing I wanted was to get lost trying to wear alien fashion. Neesa was one of his relatives that had seemed nice. I remembered her.

"Okay, maybe you're right," I said, getting up.

He went very still, and I froze too. Our attraction was back, and he was still far away from me. How would it feel when I was in his arms?

"What is it?" I couldn't help asking.

"You're very beautiful. Your pictures didn't do you justice."

I smiled. "You're easy on the eyes, too," I said, borrowing an expression from my father.

He certainly was.

He was tall, not too broad, but strong. He wore conservative clothes, but I was sure that I would find a well-muscled body underneath. The thought made me flush. His hair was black and very short. His mocha skin gave me shivers. I wanted to see what it looked like alongside my pale body.

I had already lost myself in his chocolate brown eyes several times. His dark goatee made him look distinguished and handsome. His lips, though, had me mesmerized. They were full and sexy. The only thing I wanted to do was press my own against them.

What was I thinking?

I had just met this guy. How could I want him so much? But it had been a long time since I had found a desirable partner. Perhaps I was starved for love...or maybe it was something else. I had to admit I was powerfully attracted to Airik, more than any guy I had ever met. He seemed to want me, too, if the tent in his pants was any indication. He turned, finally, as though he had to wrench himself away from me.

"I'll see you when you've dressed, Quinn," he said, passing his sister on his way out of my room.

She looked at him, looked at me, and raised her eyebrows. "For an arranged marriage, you guys seem quite interested in each other."

My mouth dropped open. "I thought you didn't know."

"Don't worry, nobody else knows. But Kartar never could keep a secret from me. I knew something was up. I made him tell me everything."

"Does Airik know that you know?"

"Nah, I'll tell him later."

I nodded.

"So, there's some chemistry between you two?" she asked, grinning at me.

"Yeah. I guess there is."

"That's good. You'll need it tonight."

I supposed she was referring to any required kisses at the reception. "Should we get this dress on?"

"We should, but put this underwear on first." She handed me crotchless panties and a bra that could be unbuttoned to allow my breasts to burst out.

"Wait a second. What kind of kink are you aliens into on this planet?" I said. The words popped out before I could stop them. I clapped my hand over my mouth, then took it off to apologize. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"No, no," she laughed. "You have a right to know what the interesting underwear is about. I'm here to explain everything."

"Explain away."

"You've noticed that we live in a cold climate. A long time ago, we lived in cabins that could be quite chilly. Sometimes people didn't take their clothes off for weeks at a time."

I wrinkled my nose. "No offense, but that sounds pretty gross."

"I know. It was my ancestors, not me. If you ever visit one of the historical cabins during the winter, you'll know why they didn't change. You wouldn't have, either."

"You're probably right," I said.

"They would sleep in their clothes as well. But newlyweds have certain needs."

"Okay." I knew where this was going now.

"And they weren't about to take off all their clothes in the bitter cold to fulfill those needs, no matter how urgent their desires."

"Of course not."

"They created underwear that would allow easy access to a woman's body."

I swallowed hard as I imagined Airik having easy access to my body.

"Sounds brilliant," I said.

"Exactly. The newlyweds could fulfill their needs whenever they wanted to. The women wore blouses that buttoned in the front and skirts. The men could always pull it out when they needed to."

I laughed.

"That's where the traditional underwear comes from."

"Okay. I'll just put it on then," I said, going into the bathroom.

"Here," she said, tossing me a ball of silk. "Put the slip on too."

When I came out, she had the dress ready for me to put on. I stepped into it from the top. As she had already indicated, the top half buttoned up for easy access.

It was like a princess dress. The blue shade happened to match my eyes exactly. My shoulders were bare. The sleeves were long and covered my entire arm. The bodice was tight and highlighted my narrow waist. The skirt fell smoothly over my hips all the way to the floor. It covered my shoes and swished when I walked.

When I turned and saw myself in the mirror, I couldn't believe I was looking at myself. I had lived my entire life in jeans and T-shirts. My dad had never been good at feminine things. The sight of myself in the dress made me smile.

"Do you like it?" Neesa asked.

"Oh, yeah, I like it," I said, grinning at her.

"Now let's do your hair," she said.

We worked together and put it up in a bun at the back of my head. She attached a golden chain that went across my forehead and wrapped around the bun — a flat blue stone hung from the chain in the center of my forehead over my third eye. By the time we finished, I didn't even recognize myself.

"Wow," Neesa said, as I turned to her. "You look amazing, Quinn. Airik won't be able to resist you."

I didn't know what to say to that. I was saved by Neesa bustling me out the door and downstairs to a waiting room. As we crossed the lobby, there was an unfamiliar man that was watching me. It made me feel uncomfortable, but I ignored him. There must be weirdos on every planet.

We waited impatiently until the sound of a knock on the door made us both jump and then laugh.

"Come in," Neesa called.

"Hey ladies, it's time to start the show." It was Airik. When he caught sight of me, he was transfixed and spellbound. But I hardly noticed as I tried to wrap my head around how amazingly handsome and sexy he looked in his outfit.

Neesa looked back and forth between the two of us.

"Did we succeed in our mission, Quinn?" she said. I remembered that she was still in the room.

"I guess so," I said, having no idea what she meant.

"Mission? What mission?" Airik asked, glancing at his little sister.

"The mission to overwhelm you with the beauty of your bride," she said, beaming at him.

"Oh yeah?" he said, looking back and devouring me with his eyes from head to toe. I felt myself blush again. "Mission accomplished."