Page 34 of Border Control

“How do you like the idea of oral sex?” She flushes when she says it, as if her skin takes on the shadows wrapping around us. “If you're up for it, I'm happy to go down on you with a condom, and I think I'd quite like to sit on your face.”

“Sit on my…?”

“I mean, you can kiss me with your lips and tongue down here.” She pats the part where her legs connect with her torso, where my carapace is. Perhaps she has one too, protecting her own sex organs.

I can't wait to find out. The scenario floods into me: Law-rah, her body lowering onto mine, wrapping us in a private world and enveloping me in her scent.

Mycriniswrithes again, too excited to be subdued into my canvas covering. She glances at it, then grins at me. “Nice to see you enjoyed the taster.”

“I truly did.” My limbs shake, full of energy as if she's charged me.

And then Nevare screams in my head.

TEN

LAURA

One secondhe's giving me moon-glazed eyes filled with liquid happiness, the next he reels to one side, clutching his head.

I dart to catch him but really, what can five foot two me do to stop a giant pillar like him from falling? We both crash to the ground, a blow to my elbow vibrating all the way up my arm. At least his skull lands on my legs rather than the unforgiving concrete floor.

I clutch his shoulders to stop him from trying to get up. “Did you faint? Stay down for a moment, catch your breath.”

“Nevare,” he gasps. “He's—argh!”

All I can do is clasp him tight, his muscles hardening as he writhes. What do I do?

My anxiety-relief tools spring to mind. “Breathe, Dom. Take deep breaths for me.”

His purple eyes are tortured, agony creasing his face. But he gulps in a breath, then another, and another.

I put a hand on his chest to slow his rapid gasps so he's not hyperventilating and chant, “Shh. I've got you, Dom.”

He takes a few deep gulps before he struggles upright. “I have to go to Nevare.”

“Of course.” Something terrible must have happened to the gray-eyed alien. Because it’s an emergency, I leave with Dom rather than wait and check if Ellen or Arabella could be looking from the kitchen first. Seeing us both emerge from the shed will arouse suspicion, but this is urgent.

“Nevare!” Dom bellows, casting about Ellen’s farmyard searching for his… well, his identical genetic match, so twin would be appropriate.

The lean-to is empty, sun-drenched with oddly hot March light, the yard clear.

“Here.” Golden-eyed Arik groans from the barn, staggering out, and Dom immediately rushes to him, checking him over for injury. Dom’s all intense, muscles bunched, movements sharp, but he says nothing, maybe communicating telepathecally.

Suddenly his tension drops and his arms sag. “You’re both fine,” he exhales.

“No we’re not!” Nevare’s gray eyes flash silver as he stalks out of the barn. “Shade’s gone, Dom. Where are they?”

The pitch of his voice is nearly a wail, but mentally it must be ten times worse, since both Dom and Arik wince.

Holding his head, Dom says, “I’ll find them, don’t worry. Please stop hammering at us.”

But Nevare doesn’t seem to hear, pacing up and down as if undecided where to search next. Whatever he’s lost, he’s completely disoriented about it.

Dom mentioned Parthiastock needing orders, so I say, “Nevare, sit down and stop bashing them.”

His silver gaze snaps to mine, and he immediately gets to his knees on the gravel. Not a Dom drop where I fear for his kneecaps, more slow and controlled. “Yes, female.”

“You don’t have to kneel to me.” Fuck, this is awkward. “I meant take a seat in the lean to, catch a few deep breaths.”