A shiver shot down Serac’s spine. His body felt flooded with energy.
“He accepts us,” his zyln thought.
There was no way the Earthling understood the significance of it, though. He didn’t even know that Serac was Centauran.
Would Marvin still be as accepting if he knew that Serac’s people were at war with the Coalition? It seemed impossible, but so much about his time on Earth had already surprised him.
Hope surged within Serac as he felt the bonding instinct grow stronger within him, the pull toward Kimmy intensifying. Now if only he could be sure that she felt the same.
8
The roads had been just as icy and slick on the way back to her house as they’d been traveling to Marvin’s. For once, Kimmy was glad for it.
If she hadn’t needed all of her focus on the road, her brain would have exhausted her with the questions spiraling in her head. The biggest being—Was she nuts?
Back at her house, she ran through the evidence against her sanity as she packed for the trip.
She’d just met this guy. He had admitted that he had come to Earth—because, oh right, he was an alien—answering a call from another alien who wanted to abduct her. He was considered a criminal in his society and had done even more ethically questionable things before becoming a criminal. And he wanted to take her to another planet.
And she wanted to go with him.
That was the crazy part. She wanted to be with him. Especially after that kiss.
She was still tingling all over from it. His lips had been cooler than she expected, and he tasted like mint. Seriously, like mint. It had been a stimulating and refreshing experience, which was…really unlike any kiss she’d ever had. But she loved it, chill and all.
He gave her shivers in the best possible way.
It was beyond physical, too. He shook her to her soul. She’d never felt so drawn to someone before.
I’ll only be gone for a day. And a night…
She stuffed another sweater in her bag, wishing she had something slinky to take along.
“We should grab the blankets from the couch on the way out,” Serac said. “If you can carry your gear, I can get the shipment from your transport.”
“Transport?” She laughed. “Oh right. My car.”
“Yes.”
He seemed tense and distracted—eager to get underway. Serac had said he didn’t want the people he was helping to have to wait. Maybe he had only kissed her earlier to get her to stop talking so they could move on.
No. No way could he kiss her like that and not mean it.
“I texted Sabrina so she knows to watch over the parlor till I’m back.” Kimmy slung her bag over her shoulder—the one without the parcel on it—and headed out of her bedroom. “Do I need to bring along food or anything?”
“No. My ship can scan your physiology and determine what sort of nutrients you need. The food production unit will create nutrient bricks for you.”
“How appetizing.”
As they passed through the living room, she grabbed the stack of blankets folded neatly on one of the cushions…exactly where she’d placed them the night before.
“Did you sleep last night?” she asked.
“I didn’t require it,” he said. “And I needed to remain alert and on guard.”
“So, you just sat here awake all night.”
“No, I stood outside your bedroom door.”
“Oh.”
Heat spread across her face and into…other more interesting areas at the thought. Only the thin panel of wood had separated them. If she’d known he was out there, she would have been tempted to invite him in. It would be easier to watch over her if he could actually see her, after all.
She started tingling all the way to her toes as she imagined what could have happened next. What could still happen next, depending on Serac.
Kimmy didn’t consider herself to be impulsive when it came to bringing guys into her bedroom. Things were happening faster than she’d ever experienced. But then, she’d never met a guy like Serac.
On their way through the kitchen, she grabbed a box of cereal from the top of the fridge and put it on top of her stack of blankets.
He frowned deeply as he watched her. “I am capable of providing food for you.”
Nutrient bricks did not sound appealing. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, though, so she said, “I know you can, but this is my favorite, and if we’re going to be gone for a while, I might want some.”
“Then I’ll program my ship to be able to replicate it for you.”
“Thanks.”
She followed him outside and handed him the stack of blankets she was holding so she could lock her door. He carried it as they walked to her car, then gave it back once she’d popped the trunk.
Time to get a look at this precious cargo that was saving planets in need. Cargo that Serac had paid for in gold. She found she was holding her breath as he opened the trunk lid.
He lifted out a plastic tray sectioned into small compartments that were filled with dirt. A seed starter tray? There was a paper bag on top that actually had “Seeds” written on it.
Gardening supplies?
“That’s it?” she asked. “That’s what you’re smuggling?”
“It is.” Serac stared at the dirt in wonder for a moment, then slammed the trunk shut and headed toward the woods behind her house.
“Wait, you’re going to all this trouble for dirt and…” She stared at the bag.
“Seeds,” he said. “But it’s so much more than dirt and seeds. It’s hope.”
“I really don’t follow.”
He stopped so suddenly that she ran into his back. His brow knit with worry as he turned.
“I thought you said you weren’t following,” he said.
She laughed and shook her head. “No, I meant your logic. I don’t understand the significance.”
“I’ll explain on board,” he said.
“Is your ship far?”
“It’s right here.” He took a few more steps, and the air in front of him shimmered. The shimmer coalesced into a sleek silver spaceship—in her own backyard.
“Oh my God,” she said. “This has been in my yard the whole time?”
“It was cloaked.”
“Still.” She walked around the front of the ship to see more of it, for once not minding the cold.
There were two runners on the back of it, kind of like the metal feet on the bottom of a helicopter, but massive. Lights streaked along their length.
A sleek curve of metal rose up from them to form the rest of the ship which stood high above her head. Three poles stretched down from the front of the ship, ending in flat disks that sank a bit into the snow.
The ship itself had a bit of a “U” shape, with its sides stretched out like wings. There were windows at the top of it, and a hatch opened as she watched. A long ramp slid out of it, down toward the ground.
“This is so cool,” she said.
“It’s warmer inside.”
She laughed. “No, cool means that something is awesome. This ship is awesome.”
He cast a smile at her that she really wanted to see again. “Cool is a good thing, then? I’m glad.”