Inferno Read online

  “Your planet’s space force is still in a fledgling state without the resources or might to fight off a Xeno invasion. Nor are we prepared yet. So until we have something concrete to offer, it’s better for us to keep quiet, lay the groundwork, and build a defense system. In the meantime, with the arrival of other extraterrestrials through the Intergalactic Dating Agency, Earth’s government gradually will be introduced to new life-forms and cultures, and, when we officially come out, they’ll be more receptive to what we tell them.”

  She couldn’t argue with the reasoning, but icy fear chilled her to the bone. What they were talking about was potential annihilation!

  The hover scooter pulled off the highway onto the shoulder.

  “Is something wrong with the scooter? Why have we stopped?”

  “No. Nothing’s wrong.” He slid off the vehicle and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Listen to me. You are safe. We are safe. The arrival of the Xenos is the most remote worst-case scenario. And if it happens at some distant future date, we’ll be ready.” He swept his arm across the sky. “Until you’ve traveled through space, you can’t comprehend the utter vastness. Earth is a mere speck in infinity.”

  That reassured her but only somewhat. Earth might be a speck in infinity, but the Xenos had been here! Although it had been eons ago, if they found it once, who was to say they couldn’t find it again? But for peace of mind, she would choose to believe the Xenos wouldn’t be arriving for a long, long time, if ever.

  Now that’s what I call faith. “All right.” She nodded at Inferno.

  “You’re okay, then?”

  “Yes, I’m okay.”

  As motorists zoomed by, he kissed her, the peck turning into a lingering caress that lit up all her erogenous zones. By the time he pulled away, she’d nearly forgotten all about the Xenos—at least they’d faded in importance. She smiled. “The next time I start to panic, kiss me.”

  “Now that I know that works, I will.” He grinned.

  * * * *

  There was no out-of-the-way place to hide the hover scooter near the auto repair shop, so Inferno stayed with the vehicle while Geneva ran to check on Wanda.

  “I was going to call you.” Jocko shook his head.

  “How bad is it?” she asked. Jocko had been her uncle’s mechanic forever, and she trusted him to give her the truth.

  “Well, it would be easier to tell you what’s right with it.”

  “What’s right?”

  “The FM radio works. Much as I’d like the business, the car isn’t worth fixing. You threw a piston, so it needs a new engine on top of a new head gasket. The transmission is shot. Your electrical is kaput. Basically, everything under the hood is toast. Besides that, the brakes are metal to metal, and the tires are bald…and did you realize the airbag doesn’t inflate?”

  She felt chastised, like she’d neglected Wanda. Money had been tight, so she’d delayed maintenance and repairs, but she hadn’t known Wanda was suffering to this degree.

  “Girly, the vehicle isn’t safe to drive, even if you could.” His censuring expression said why did you let the maintenance go so long?

  If only it had lasted another couple of weeks. “It’s not drivable at all?”

  “No.”

  “So what should I do with it?” A tear pricked her eye. She’d had Wanda forever. It felt like a pet had died, and she’d played a role in killing her.

  He handed her a business card. “This is a salvage yard. You might get a couple hundred bucks, if you’re lucky. They pick up. You can leave the car here.”

  “Let’s do that, then. What do I owe you?”

  He waved. “Nothing. You and your uncle have directed a lot of business my way. When you get another vehicle, and it needs work, just bring it here.”

  “You bet. Thank you, Jocko.”

  “You’re welcome, girly. Tell Mike I said hello.”

  * * * *

  Inferno straddled the scooter, watching traffic and people while Geneva completed her business with the auto mechanic. He was more than happy to chauffeur her wherever, whenever she wished to go, but he knew she preferred having her own wheels. Earth females were independent that way. So were ’Topian females. His sisters and his mother would have behaved the same way. They were dead now—like everyone else on ’Topia.

  Day by day, the grief eased, but full healing would be a long time coming. Perhaps it never would, because only vanquishing the Xenos would bring complete closure, and, as he’d promised Geneva, it was unlikely the Xeno Consortium would come to Earth again.

  However, if they did, the ’Topians would be ready. He, for one, relished meting out a little justice. He opened his balled fists and shot flames from his fingertips. Would he ever get over the massacre?

  Geneva skipped around the corner, and both his hearts lightened. If the bombardment was the worst thing to happen to him, she was the best. She gladdened his spirit, filled him with hope, and touched his emotions in ways he’d never imagined. Geneva’s initial resistance to seeing him seemed inconsequential now. He shouldn’t have lost faith. Nothing could keep genmates apart.

  He fingered the talisman around his neck. According to Mandy, rose quartz would bring love into one’s life. It had certainly done that.

  He’d assumed he’d feel connected to his genmate if he met her, but he’d hadn’t expected such depth and breadth of emotion. His love flowed as gently as a meandering stream and roiled like a stormy sea. He would do anything for her, fight any battle, slay any foe.

  Her uncle had quizzed him about his intentions, and Inferno had given him the complete truth. He wished to make her happy.

  She slowed as she approached, pivoting her head, and he realized she couldn’t see the scooter. After checking that the coast was clear, he collapsed the force field.

  She smiled wryly and hurried over. After raising the shield, he kissed her. “How did it go?”

  “About as I expected. Wanda is a goner. She can’t be fixed. Jocko advised me to sell her to a junkyard for parts. I feel like I’m abandoning her. It’s not her fault I couldn’t afford to get her fixed.”

  She twisted her mouth. “I shouldn’t have personified her by naming her.”

  “Ships have names. Why shouldn’t cars?”

  “You’re right.” Her face brightened a little.

  “Where to now?” he asked.

  “Car dealer.”

  Geneva got behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Heat shot to his groin. Having her so close and touching him was both a pleasure and a torture. “Hang on!”

  After visiting three dealerships and test-driving four cars, she walked off the lot with a shrug.

  “You didn’t like that one, either?”

  “The ride wasn’t that smooth.”

  “None of your Earth vehicles will be as smooth as a hover scooter.” He’d ridden in the passenger seat while she’d test-driven the cars.

  “Nothing I’ve seen has been right. If I’m going to pay good money for a new car, it has to be right.”

  “I guess I don’t know what you’re looking for.”

  She sighed. “Any of the cars would be fine—if I desired a new car. I just want Wanda! She’s old and cranky, scratched, and dented, but I love that car. Unfortunately, she’s unfixable.”

  “What if she’s not?”

  “Jocko was pretty clear.”

  “Maybe I can fix her? Well, not me, but Edwin Mysk.”

  “The tech czar isn’t going to waste his time working on a junk heap. He builds”—she fluttered her hands—“spaceships and…stuff.”

  He grinned. “Well, Wanda is stuff. Maybe he can’t repair her, but what’s the harm in letting him try? If he can’t, you can still sell her to the junk dealer.”

  “Isn’t he in Seattle? How would I get Wanda there? That’s a long way to tow a vehicle. It would cost a small fortune.”

  “I’ll take care of the details. Why don’t yo
u tell Jocko somebody will pick up your car?”

  “I guess it couldn’t hurt to try. Thank you.”

  While she phoned the mechanic, he called Mysk.

  “What did he say?” Geneva asked afterward.

  “He’s looking forward to the challenge.”

  Chapter Ten

  After dinner at an Italian restaurant in Coeur d’Alene, Inferno took Geneva to her bungalow.

  “I can’t thank you enough for ferrying me around today—and for asking Edwin Mysk to take a look at Wanda. Are you sure he wants to?”

  “Positive. He’ll have an answer if she’s fixable, in a couple of days.”

  Night had fallen, and the scooter hovered under a yellow streetlight. She was reluctant to see the evening end, but maybe he needed a break? She touched his shoulder. “Um…would you like to come in, or do you need to get home?”

  White teeth flashed in a broad smile. “I’d hoped you’d ask.”

  Warmth spread through her chest. “You can park the scooter in the garage.” She zapped the door with the remote, it rolled up, and he guided the scooter inside.

  Tingling with tactile awareness of his presence, she led him in through a small mudroom emptying into the kitchen. “Would you like a drink? Beer? Pop? Water? Coffee, tea?”

  He shook his head. “No, I’m fine.”

  “Well, then. Good.” The tiny kitchen shrank with him in it, making her more conscious of his size and how good he smelled. Riding on the scooter, hugging his muscular form, inhaling that musk had been delicious torture. Arousal had hummed through her all day.

  Now what? Car shopping probably didn’t qualify as the world’s most romantic date, but the last time she’d gone out with a man had been Trenton, and to say she was rusty would be an understatement.

  “I’ll, uh, have a glass of water.” She filled a tumbler from the tap and took a big gulp to wet her dry mouth. Nervous much? Why did his company seem momentous all of a sudden? “Let’s sit in the other room.”

  She switched on a few lamps in the parlor and gestured to the couch.

  He sat, taking up half the space on her small sofa. “Your living quarters are very homely.” He nodded appreciatively.

  “I think the word you’re looking for is homey.”

  “Isn’t that what I said?”

  “Close.” She smiled.

  “Your place is a lot like you.”

  “Homely?” she joked.

  “Pretty. Colorful.”

  “Oh,” she said, surprised. “Thank you. It’s a one bedroom, but there’s only me, and the rent is affordable.” She’d saved for six months to buy the gray microfiber modern but comfortable sofa, the sole item she’d purchased new. The coffee tables, bookshelves, and dining set she’d acquired at garage sales and refurbished. She brightened the neutral scheme room with colorful pillows and inexpensive vibrant artwork. “I moved in without any furniture. I let Trenton have it all.” Their belongings would have reminded her too much of the betrayal—and she’d never liked their décor. “He’d chosen everything anyway.”

  She and Trenton had had different decorating styles, and in the beginning, she’d been so besotted she’d deferred to his wishes—and ended up with a black-and-steel industrial bachelor pad. She’d never felt comfortable in her own home. A symptom of a larger problem, she realized.

  “Trenton tended to make the decisions. I should have spoken up, but I didn’t. It was easier to go along with—” She twisted her mouth. “Sorry. You don’t want to hear about my ex.”

  “I can think of other things I’d like to discuss.”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as this.” He pressed his lips to hers.

  Turmoil and uncertainty stilled, and simmering desire flashed hot as his spicy exotic taste and smell enflamed her senses. With a moan of capitulation, she pressed closer to him, reaching up to tear off his hat, stroke his hair and his horns.

  He growled as she rubbed them from base to tip. She smiled and fondled them some more then gasped when he palmed her hypersensitive breasts through her top. They’d been aching all day, her nipples hard, longing for his touch. Her head lolled to the side when he trailed his mouth from her jaw to the slope of her neck. He tugged her shirt collar aside to kiss her shoulder before seeking her lips again.

  Her stomach clenched with anticipation. This is heating up fast. She’d never been swamped by such sudden, strong desire, priding herself on her rational, reasoned approach to life. Surrendering to the whim of passion was so tempting. She was a mature woman, and, if she wanted to have sex with a sinfully handsome extraterrestrial, why shouldn’t she? Inferno had a heart—hearts—of gold. He was crazy about her. She was over-the-top attracted to him.

  As they kissed, she realized his intoxicating taste had grown stronger. “You taste good.”

  “It’s the mating gland. It releases pheromones. Besides the ones in my throat, I have a gland in my mouth.”

  “You’re full of surprises.” She slipped her hands under his shirt to palm his muscular chest. His smooth, firm skin felt feverish. “You must have a furnace inside you,” she joked.

  “Almost.”

  “You’re not going to spontaneously combust or anything, are you?”

  “It’s nothing I can’t control.”

  That didn’t sound like a denial, and she raised her eyebrows, but then they were kissing again, and nothing mattered except getting closer to him. When he tugged at her shirt, she let him pull it off but then suggested, “Why don’t we go into the bedroom?”

  “You have the best ideas.” He grinned.

  They scooted down the short hall. She switched on a bedside lamp, eager to see him in the flesh, and when she turned around, he already had his shirt off and danced around to toe off his shoes. She giggled. “I like a man of action.”

  She undressed while watching him strip. His erection was as big and red as the rest of him, and, at the base of his cock, he had a short spur. She widened her eyes, and then his tail snapped around.

  Heat curled in her belly. He was amazing. She quickly shed the remainder of her clothes.

  He cupped her face and rested his forehead against hers. His hard-on nudged her abdomen. Whoever coined the phrase, heat-seeking missile hit the nail on the head.

  “Every night since meeting you, I lie awake and think about you. You are more beautiful than I envisioned,” Inferno said.

  “Have you been picturing me naked?”

  “Yes, but I suffered from a lack of imagination.”

  She never could have dreamed up anyone like him. Feeling a caress against her leg, she glanced down to see his tail winding around her thigh. Her stomach fluttered, but even nervousness couldn’t quell the flames of passion.

  She palmed his hot chest and lifted her chin for a kiss. Groaning, he covered her mouth, his rumble and touch further stoking her need. His hands—and tail—seemed to be everywhere then, and she went exploring, too. They crashed on the bed in a tangle of limbs.

  Mouths meshed in hard, deep kisses that sent waves of fire rolling through her. She fondled his horns, relishing his low growls of desire and encouragement. She kissed his neck, feeling the swelling in his glands, then trailed her lips across his wide shoulders.

  She smoothed her hands over his taut abdomen to close around his cock. His tail thumped against the bed as she stroked his hard-on and the small appendage at its base. “What does this do?”

  “It is designed for a woman’s pleasure.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  He growled and pressed her against the mattress. “I want to know all of you.” With hands and lips, he awakened her erogenous zones—the sensitive slope of her neck, her breasts, her ticklish tummy, the backs of her knees, and her sex—and teased her to an apex of need.

  When she was gasping and writhing, she broke away and rolled toward the bedside table. In haste, she yanked the drawer completely out. Contents went flying. Cond
oms, hand lotion, lip balm, and her vibrator scattered across the floor.

  Face taut with desire, he groaned. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting a condom.”

  “Why?”

  “For safe sex.” She leaned too far trying to snag the box and fell off the bed.

  “Are you all right? Sex is safest when you don’t fall off the bed.”

  “I’m fine.” She snagged a rubber and surreptitiously rolled her battery-operated boyfriend under the bed as he extended a hand to help her up. She tore open the packet.

  “What is that for?” He frowned.

  “We put it on your, uh, your cock.” Her face flamed with embarrassment. It was easier to engage in intercourse than deliver a safe-sex talk. “It protects against STDs.”

  “STDs?” He looked more confused than ever.

  Note to self: Next time, initiate this conversation sooner. “Sexually transmitted diseases—illnesses you can contract through sex.”

  His eyes widened. “That’s a thing on Earth?”

  “It can be. But I don’t have an STD,” she assured him. “I haven’t slept with anybody since my ex.” Way to kill the romance—bring up STDs and my ex-husband in the same sentence.

  “’Topians don’t carry sexually transmitted diseases—and if we got one, our med pod would eradicate it.”

  “Well, then. Guess we don’t need these.” She tossed the condom over her shoulder onto the floor. She was protected from pregnancy, so that wasn’t an issue. “False alarm. Where were we?” She scooted close to him. “My bad. Sorry about that.”

  She wound her arms around his neck and rubbed her breasts against his chest. “I prefer to feel you, all you, and just you.” He’s maintained his erection one iota during the sex-ed talk, so all was not lost.

  He kissed her, and, after a few intimate caresses, urgency consumed them again. They joined, Inferno pushing into her with smooth strokes. Even though it had been a while for her, she was wet and ready, and there was no discomfort, only satisfaction. Bliss. She wrapped her legs around his hips, rocking with his thrusts. He groaned. “I’ve waited so long for you. All my life.”