After making her come, Caitlyn expected Arak to fuck her on her couch, but he gripped her elbow and hustled her out of her apartment. Her pussy still throbbed from her orgasm, and her head swam with all that had transpired. She suspected Arak liked keeping her off-kilter. Questions bombarded her, but when she tried to vocalize them, they vaporized, leaving her tongue-tied. As they approached the stairs, she teetered on her high narrow heels. Without breaking his stride, he picked her up.
“Put me down. What will people think?” Her neighbors were peeking out their windows.
“That I don’t want you to fall?”
“I wasn’t going to fall.”
“Well, now you won’t for sure.” The way he bounded down the stairs demonstrated his incredible strength. That none of the residents spying on them tried to stop him from carrying off a human girl revealed the status of Krinar-human relations. Either people had accepted the Ks or they feared them. Either way, no one tried to intervene.
Arak proceeded to carry her out to the street. “Put me down, now.”
“Not yet.”
She couldn’t distinguish one automobile model from another but recognized his vehicle hadn’t been manufactured in an Earth factory. Parked at the curb was a sleek, silvery bullet of a car with a noticeable lack of doors. At their approach, gawking teenaged boys scattered.
“I don’t like where you live.” Arak set her on her feet.
How insulting. “You don’t like my apartment?”
“Your apartment is lovely. It’s a reflection of you. Your neighborhood isn’t safe, and your landlord doesn’t maintain the property.” He waved his hand, and a car door appeared and opened. After she slid inside, he rounded the vehicle and took his seat. The vehicle sealed. “We’re going to find you a different place to live,” he announced imperiously.
“Are all Ks as controlling and possessive as you?” she asked.
His teeth flashed. “No. Some are much worse. Wait until you meet Korum.”
Her seat molded itself to her derriere while the overall interior space seemed to expand to accommodate both of them in optimal comfort. There was no steering wheel, dashboard, or other control. She wasn’t sure how Arak commanded it, but the vehicle eased away from the curb and blended into traffic. Over the potholed streets, it was the smoothest ride she’d ever experienced. “I don’t even feel the road,” she marveled.
“That’s because we’re not riding on the street, but hovering a hair above it. The tires are for show. This auto is a K Technologies prototype—it has the advanced capabilities we expect but will blend in with Earth vehicles, more or less.”
“Oh,” she said. “Who’s Korum?”
“He is one of the Council members on Krina. My boss, as you humans would say. As we become more involved, you’ll probably meet him.”
She arched her eyebrows. “Are we going to become involved?”
He gave her a long glance. “We’re already involved.”
They wove through boulevard traffic then veered off onto a side arterial. Another turn put them on a less-traveled street. After the vehicle entered an alley devoid of any motorists, it picked up speed—then lifted off.
“We’re flying.” She clutched the seat edge and peered at the ground racing beneath them. They climbed into the sky, gliding over the buildings and cars, heading out of the city. She fired a glance at Arak. “You said we were going to dinner.”
“We are—in Lenkarda.”
“Costa Rica?” she squeaked.
Arak chuckled. “I thought you would like to sample some of our cuisine.”
“But—but I have to be back to work tomorrow.” If she didn’t show up at VN, Mike would kill her, and she could kiss her job goodbye. She’d still have her fake position with the mayor’s office, though.
“You will be,” he said. “Remember how fast Ellet got to K Technologies? We’re moving far faster than you realize.”
Unlike traveling in a commercial airliner, she could see things. Los Angeles sprawled into smaller cities and suburbs, one after the other before the density thinned into desert dotted by dusty towns. She spied the border crossing between the United States and Mexico, the cars stretched out for miles as people waited to clear the checkpoint. They whizzed over it all, and Mexican villages appeared. Children played in schoolyards; people ran about, conducting their business.
Caitlin frowned. “I’m surprised nobody is looking at us. We’re flying so low.”
“They can’t see us,” Arak said. “Once we go airborne, the vehicle becomes invisible.”
The technology was light-years ahead of anything Earth had. The Krinar didn’t need a demonstration of firepower to show their superiority—this peaceful flight was proof enough. She didn’t miss Mike yakking nonstop in her ear, but she wished she still had her camera; the world needed to see this kind of stuff. The belief they could have fought off the invasion was crazy.
Since its failed attack on Lenkarda, the Resistance had pretty much fallen off the face of the Earth. There’d been no news reports of any activity, no whispered scuttlebutt of secret meetings. Most likely they’d accepted the futility and had disbanded. She hoped so.
The advanced, powerful Ks had inhabited Earth without asking, but they weren’t enemies. As long as humans didn’t cause trouble, they would be perfectly safe.
She scrutinized Arak out of the corner of her eye. She was human, but she wasn’t stupid or naïve. He’d planned to seduce her the moment he’d met her—she’d bet on it. She was certain he wouldn’t have accepted no as an answer. He wouldn’t have harmed her in any way, but he would have pursued her relentlessly.
Two days ago, she would have scoffed at the idea she could become enthralled by a K. But everything about Arak fascinated her—his muscular, lithe body, the panther-like way he moved, his deep, rough voice, his exotic scent. His intelligence, and, yeah, his power. A US statesman had once said power was the ultimate aphrodisiac. To her, it was.
Arak liked to be in control. He might phrase his demands as a request, but he expected submission to his will. That excited her. Her life had been so boring and routine. Get up, go to work, come home, go to bed. That wasn’t living. Arak made her come alive. He lit her body on fire. Over and over, he’d brought her to orgasm. He’d conjured a response in her she never could have imagined.
His concern afterward amused and touched her. He’d called in a doctor to treat her aches. Unnecessary—though it had helped. His worry had revealed another facet of his possessive, dominant personality. He’d staked a claim, but he cared about her, too.
She looked at him. “You’re a sweet man.”
“Nobody’s ever described me that way.”
She covered his hand. “Well, I think you are.” She squinted. The faintest tinge of pink dusted his cheekbones. “Are you blushing?”
He yanked his hand away and averted his gaze. “No,” he barked.
“You are.” A little feminine thrill shot through her. For once, she had him off-balance.
“Ridiculous.”
The vehicle sped up. She glanced out the window. Sunset had lit the horizon with breathtaking swipes of purple, pink, and orange. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You make me blush all the time,” she pointed out. The things he said. The things he did.
“When you blush, your face turns the same color that it does when you’re coming.”
She gasped. Heat surged into her face.
“Like that.” He grinned.
Caitlyn peered out the window again. Color faded as night fell fast and heavy. She would be unable to see much when they got to their destination.
Which apparently was now. The vehicle swooped in, diving into the dark canopy of trees, and landed without a bump.
“Welcome to Lenkarda,” Arak said.
Excitement raced through her. She would get to see a K Center.
“I wish it wasn’t so dark. I’d take pictures with my phone.” She wished she still had her pendant. He’d been surprisingly understanding about her being wired and bugged. She’d expected retribution, but there’d been none.
Arak shook his head. “No recordings allowed.”
“If you’re showing me this, why can’t others see it, too?”
“Without the context, they might misconstrue what it’s about. You’ve gotten to know me, and other Ks, and you understand. They wouldn’t. Our advancements would scare them, they would feel threatened, and their fear might stir up the Resistance again.” His face tightened. “The Resistance poses no danger to us, but we would put down any rebellion, which could result in casualties among those involved.”
“Was that why you waited until nightfall to bring me here?” Trust grew the more time she spent in his company, but it hadn’t eradicated all suspicion.
“I brought you here because it’s dinnertime.”
“Oh. All right, then.”
“Wait here,” he said.
The doors that weren’t doors opened. She could have gotten out, but she obediently remained in place. Arak appeared at her side and extended his hand. “Come,” he said, making it sound more like a command than an invitation.
She giggled.
He arched his eyebrows. “Something funny?”
“It’s quite chivalrous of you to open my door, but a man does that when there is a door to be opened.” Not to mention a gentlemen didn’t order his date out of the car. She settled her hand in his and slid out of the vehicle. The air shimmered with a delicate light, almost like candles hovered around them.
“Maybe I had another motive,” Arak said.
“Such as?”
“This.” He slid an arm behind her shoulders, the other behind her knees, and lifted her up.
“You can’t keep carrying me,” she said, but wrapped her arms around his neck. He smelled delicious.
He strode toward a jungle path. “Why not?”
“Because.”
His vehicle wavered like a mirage before dissipating into the thick, humid air. She wondered how they would get back, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t be problem. Nothing was with Arak.
“Because?” Amusement twitched at the corner of his mouth. “That’s a good reason. You’re not wearing appropriate footwear for a jungle hike. In those heels, you could trip and break an ankle—or your neck.”
She snorted. “You could have told me before we left. I could have worn other shoes or brought another pair with me.”
White teeth flashed in the dark. “Maybe I wanted an excuse to carry you.”
“Since when does a K need an excuse?”
He laughed. “Touché, my little human. Touché.”
They entered the jungle where the hovering lights created dusk-like illumination. A heavy arboreal canopy blocked out the stars. Ferns and other leafy plants slapped at Arak’s legs. Some of the trees and plants had leaves as large as she was. Thick, ropey roots snaked over the ground, and vines dangled from limbs, spiraled up trunks, and threaded over the path. Arak had been right, again—she would have tripped. Hugging his neck, she rested her head against his shoulder. His arms tightened, and he pressed a kiss to her head.
A gleam caught her attention. A dome in mottled shades of green and brown appeared. A Krinar building. If not for the faint sheen, she would have missed it, it blended so well with its surrounding environment. They passed other similar structures, each one earth-toned for perfect camouflage.
“I wish I could have seen this in daylight,” she said.
“I’ll bring you sometime.”
They entered what must have been the core of the K Center. Silvery oblong shapes, like silos or towers, rose up. He ignored the first few, and marched off to the side. As he set her on her feet again, the wall of the building shimmered, and the entrance appeared. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to that.
“After you.” He gestured.
She entered a rotunda where swirling designs were carved into a floor that probably wasn’t marble, although it looked like it. Windows, invisible from the outside, offered a view of the jungle. Tall vases of exotic flowers brightened the area with vivid color. Arak ushered her into an elevator, which whooshed them upward.
They exited. A tall Krinar man wearing loose-fitting, light-colored clothing stood behind a floating space-age dais. She felt like she’d been transported to the middle of a sci-fi movie. Beam me up, Scotty.
“So good to see you,” the man said. “Your reservation is ready.”
She tried not to gawk as they wove among tables where couples ate and talked, but her jaw dropped at the sight of a few human women seated with K men. Their maître d' led them to a table next to a tall window. Arak held out her chair, and she plopped into it, feeling like she’d been transported to another planet—instead of another country.
Their waiter, a tall, slim K appeared, and Arak ordered a bottle of wine.
“This is a Krinar restaurant!” she burst out when the server had left.
“Yes,” Arak said drily. “We Ks like to eat.”
“There are humans here.”
Arak glanced around the room then returned his amused gaze to her face. “A few. They are charl.”
“Charl?”
“A human mate.”
She eyed the laughing, talking women. They seemed happy. And the Ks they were with smiled indulgently. Another example that the Ks weren’t the big, bad invaders everyone had assumed.
Although they were efficient. The waiter returned with their wine, uncorked it, and poured a sample for Arak to taste. “Perfect,” he said with a nod, and the waiter filled their glasses with the deep-red wine. The exotic flavor exploded on her tongue. It was dry, like a cabernet, but with an unfamiliar spicy undertone. “This wasn’t made from grapes, was it?” she asked, and took another sip. Quite yummy.
“It’s derived from a berry we imported from Krina. Go slow. It doesn’t bother us, but it has a potent effect on humans.”
She leaned forward, flashing a bit of cleavage. “Is that your plan—to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?”
Rather than chuckle, he darkened. “That’s what I did, isn’t it?”
“No.” She grabbed his hand. “What happened between us was mutual. I enjoyed what we did.”
The grimness lifted from his expression, but the intensity remained. “Good. Because I’m going to fuck you again tonight.”
That was the kind of brash comment that embarrassed her, but aroused her, too. Her stomach fluttered, and, between her legs, her pussy pulsed. Before she could formulate a snappy comeback, their waiter appeared to get their order. She wished the Ks weren’t quite so efficient.
“If I may,” Arak said, “I’ll order for you.”
She nodded and sipped her wine.
Arak ordered, speaking in his language. She glanced at the other human females, finding them as fascinating as the Ks. She’d never heard the term charl before, but she had heard the comments directed at women who slept with the enemy: victim, conspirator, traitor.
I’m one of them now. People will say those things about me. She didn’t care. She couldn’t live to please someone else. The women looked so…radiant, as if some of the Ks’ vitality had rubbed off on them.
“I ordered dishes I think you’ll like,” Arak said when the waiter went to place their order. “Our diet is vegetarian, but you’ll find some of our foods meaty tasting.”
“I’m sure I’ll like it,” she said. And, if she didn’t, she would pretend. “Do many Ks take charl?”
“Not that many, a few,” he said.
“Is that what I am to you?” she asked.
Arak drank a sip of his wine and then set down his glass. He let out a sigh. “No,” he finally replied.
No? That wasn’t the answer she expected.
“The term charl signifies a formal relationship with a human, a special bond, like a marriage. It’s not long-term, it’s forever.”
So she was good enough to sleep with but not to marry? She dropped her gaze to her lap. Her thoughts had veered down Crazy Street. They had met only this morning, and her feelings got hurt because he wasn’t proposing a K-charl marriage? Ridiculous. But were her emotions any crazier than her behavior? She’d given him her virginity within hours of meeting him. Everything she believed had turned topsy-turvy.
“Look at me,” Arak ordered in a soft voice.
She shook her head, not wanting him to see tears pricking her eyes.
Her hand was enfolded in his strong one. She tried to pull away, but he held tight. “Look at me.”
She raised her eyes and glared at him because something in his voice bade her to obey.
“Let me amend my answer to your question. You are not my charl—yet.”