“Uh-oh. This looks serious.” He stopped what he was doing to walk around the car and meet her halfway. “You know you can ask me anything, Kit Kat.”
Could she really? They were about to find out.
Gah! I can’t believe I’m doing this. But she had so little experience with dating and expectations, and her brother was an expert. Or so he liked to claim. She just wanted, needed, to have certain information at her disposal, just in case—when—she slept with Jorlan. After their explosive encounter in the bathroom, she suspected it was only a matter of when and where. Though she was a novice, she wanted his pleasure to be just as explosive as hers.
“What’s going on?” Nick asked, suddenly serious. “You look like you’re about to vomit.”
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone about what I ask you.”
Concerned, he pocketed the key remote and took her hands. “You know you can trust me with anything.”
Just blurt it out. Come on, come on. “Jorlan and I are getting serious now and—”
“How long have you known him?”
Two days. And oh, wow. That little? Why did it seem like two months? “Long enough,” she finally said. “Anyway. We’re going to take our relationship to the next level—”
“Even though he’s going home in two weeks?”
“Even though,” she grated. “Can you not interrupt every time I’m—”
“No.” He released her to scrub a hand over his face. “I have a feeling I’ll be better off if I beat feet before you can finish saying what I think you’re going to say. But I love you, so, shoot. Let’s hear this.”
She ground her molars. Brothers! “Be honest. Do guys like it when a girl—”
“Yes. Always. Now, I should go.”
Gah! “Okay, let’s try this lightning-round style. Sexy lingerie or skin?”
He pursed his lips but said, “Skin.”
Good! At six foot, she had more skin than most. “Dirty words or moans?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dirty words.”
Just to be cruel, because why not, she said, “Missionary or—”
“I love you, bye,” he said, then kissed her cheek.
“I love you, too.” Before he could climb into the car, she threw her arms around him and hugged him with all of her might. “Now get lost. I’ve got work to do.”
Taking her by the shoulders, he gave a little shake. Never had he appeared so intense or grave. “You better protect yourself, okay? Yes? Please? And I’m not talking emotional protection. Use condoms. Not one, but two. Seriously. Double bag that bitch. And if Jorlan gives you any shit about not needing a rubber, punch him in the nuts and run.”
“I’m a big girl, Nick. Literally and figuratively. Have a little faith.” But she hadn’t given condoms or safety a second’s thought while lying on top of Jorlan on the bathroom floor.
What if Jorlan got her pregnant with an alien baby? Like, if she ended up with an Alien or Predator situation… She shuddered. Did otherworldly guys have STDs?
“I’ll be careful next time,” she vowed.
“Next time!” Nick squeezed his eyes shut as if praying for patience. He breathed deeply before refocusing, hazel irises glittering. “If we never have another conversation like this…I still won’t be able to die happy because I’ll remember this one.” Muttering under his breath, he returned to the car, threw open the door and dropped inside with a heavy thump. “She’s just a baby, and she’s talking about having sex.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “She is only a year younger than you, moron,” she called.
Nick, being Nick, rolled down the window and flipped her off while reversing. That was how he left every family get-together. As he sped away, his tires flung gravel. A plume of dark smoke remained behind.
She strolled back into the kitchen, a little surprised to find Jorlan in the same spot she’d left him.
The sight of him spurred her heart into a too-fast rhythm.
“Let’s grab something for lunch.” She didn’t want to talk about their kiss, and she didn’t want to talk about their encounter with Nick. She just wanted to think, to plan. Tonight, she would sleep with Jorlan. “You’re hungry, right?”
He all but licked his lips. “I am always hungry.”
The words for you hung in the air unsaid.
CHAPTER TEN
PERCEN DE LOCKE had scoured the galaxies. Was Jorlan still frozen inside the stone, or a free man? That he did not know…
Frustration clawed at his insides, yet he also felt a faint stirring of hope. So far, he had been unable to locate his half brother, but he knew he was on the right track, because he could sense Jorlan’s presence.
Aye, he was close, and he would find the male any day now. Which meant Jorlan was days away from experiencing the worst pain of his life.
Percen grinned. Enjoy your last moments of freedom, brother. Vengeance cometh.
* * *
AFTER KATIE AND JORLAN dined on more fried chicken, mashed potatoes and butter biscuits than should have been humanly possible, they worked several more hours at the Victorian. By then, her muscles burned with fatigue.
Not surprising. In an effort to subdue her nervousness about the coming night, she’d worked longer and harder than usual. Now, as she drove to the store, her stomach churned with anticipation and her nerves buzzed with a confusing mixture of certainty and uncertainty, both tinged with lust.
Should she be with Jorlan? Should she avoid Jorlan?
Cool air blasted from the truck’s vents, yet still she sweated. Am I going to let fear win? No! Do I want to be with Jorlan? Yes. Is my body primed, demanding total satisfaction? Every second.
Decision made. She would be with Jorlan. Now, to figure out when and where. As soon as they got home, or when they went to bed?
Ugh. Getting nervous again.
At the supercenter, she parked and said, “I need to run in and grab some clothes for you.” Among other things…sexual things. “Stay in the car, okay?”
Frowning, he said, “Why can I not stay with you?”
“Because you tend to attack and destroy inanimate objects, and I’ll have to pay for any damage you cause.” When he stared at her stonily, making it clear he would be joining her anyway, she added, “Also because I need you to guard my car. Do not let anyone inside it.”
That did the trick. He nodded, eager, and unsheathed his plethora of weapons. “I will not let you down.”
Could he be any cuter?
Katie exited into the evening’s warmth and marched into the store. Pushing a cart, she grabbed multiple pairs of men’s sweatpants, two pairs of slacks and a pair of jeans. Next came a mix of T-shirts. She picked out the largest ones, praying they’d fit a WWE wrestler–type frame.
When she reached the underwear aisle, she blushed. Would he prefer boxers or briefs? Before she overheated, she threw a packet of each in the basket and headed to the personal care section.
There were so many condom brands. Textured. Untextured. Flavored. Colored. Warming. Lubed. Edible. Tingling. Glow in the dark. Which one was she supposed to choose?
She jerked her chin left and right to make sure no one hovered nearby, maybe taking video with their phone. All clear. Heart racing, she grabbed one of everything. A tube of spermicide and vaginal lubricant wouldn’t hurt, either.