Close Liaisons Page 19

  Loving her newfound power, Mia licked the side of his neck and tongued his ear, softly biting the earlobe. His hips thrust at her in response, but the underwear was in the way of his penetration. She moaned, her panties getting soaked with her juices as his penis rubbed against her clitoris.

  “Keep your arms raised,” she whispered, finally letting go of his palms.

  He did, and Mia could see the effort it took him not to touch her in the sweat beading up on his forehead. She moved down his body then, licking and kissing every inch of skin along the way until her mouth reached his flat stomach. His abdominal muscles quivered in anticipation, and she smiled with excitement, gently squeezing his balls through the briefs as her lips followed the dark trail of hair down from his navel to where it disappeared into his underwear. He groaned her name, and she hooked her fingers into his briefs, slowly pulling them down. As he lifted his hips to help her, his cock sprang up at her, the bulbous shaft stiff and the tip glistening with pre-ejaculate.

  Mia swallowed with nervousness and excitement, wondering what would happen if he lost control – if she drove him as crazy as he could make her.

  Grasping his thick cock with one hand, she lowered her head and slowly licked the underside of his balls, which were tightly drawn against his body with extreme arousal. He hissed at her action, torso arching and penis jumping in her hand, and Mia let go of his shaft, using her hands to cup his balls instead. Simultaneously, she closed her lips around the tip of his cock and moved to take him further into her mouth, stopping only when he reached the back of her throat. She could taste the saltiness of his pre-cum, and her vagina contracted in excitement. His body vibrating from the tension, he growled low in his throat, hips thrusting at her in a wordless demand to take him deeper, but Mia resisted, moving her lips up and down his shaft in a torturously slow and shallow rhythm.

  And then he snapped.

  Before she even realized what happened, he had her on her back, her panties ripped to shreds and his cock pushing into her in one heavy stroke. She cried out in shock, her nails digging into his upper arms as he penetrated her all the way without giving her any time to adjust to his fullness. She was dripping wet, but it didn’t matter, and her vaginal muscles trembled in the desperate attempt to accommodate the invasion. There was pain, but there was pleasure too, as his hips hammered at her in a merciless, driving rhythm. She screamed – in agony, in ecstasy, she didn’t know which – and felt him swell even more, becoming impossibly harder and thicker, and then he was coming, his head thrown back with a roar and his pelvis grinding into her genitals. Mia cried out in frustration, her own release only a few elusive seconds away, and then his teeth sank into her shoulder, and her entire world exploded from the sudden rush of heated ecstasy through her veins.

  It was not enough for him, of course, with the taste of her blood driving him into a frenzy, and his cock stiffened again inside her before her pulsations even ended. And Mia could no longer think at all, the drug-like high from his saliva turning her body into a pure instrument of pleasure, her skin unbearably sensitized to his touch and her insides burning with liquid desire. He drove into her relentlessly, and she screamed from the excruciating tension until she climaxed, over and over, in a never-ending cascade of orgasmic peaks and valleys, the night turning into a nonstop marathon of sex and blood.

  Finally passing out toward the morning, Mia slept, her body still joined with his and her mind void of any thoughts.

  * * *

  Mia woke up the next day to the feel of someone’s hand gently playing with her hair.

  Surprised, she opened her eyes just a bit and saw Korum sitting by the edge of the bed, looking oddly concerned.

  “Wh-what are you doing here?” she muttered sleepily, blinking in an attempt to focus.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked quietly, brushing back a stray curl that fell over her eye.

  “Um . . .” Mia tried to think. Moving a little, she became aware of various aches and pains, as well as an extreme soreness between her thighs.

  Obviously not satisfied with her response, Korum pulled off the blanket, uncovering her naked body to his eyes. Her mind still feeling fuzzy, Mia followed his gaze as it lingered on the faint bruises covering her breasts and torso, many in the shape of finger marks.

  His face darkened with guilt, and he groaned. “Mia, I’m so sorry about this . . . I should’ve never let you play that game with me last night. I can usually control myself with you because I know how small and fragile you are, but I completely lost it last night . . . I never meant to hurt you like this – please believe me . . .”

  Mia nodded, still trying to understand what happened. All she could recall was the mind-blowing sex, mixed with the ecstatic rush from his bite.

  He gently stroked her shoulder, caressing the soft skin. “I am really sorry about this,” he murmured. “You’re so delicate . . . I should’ve never lost control like that. I’ll make you feel better, I promise –”

  The events of last night were slowly coming back to Mia. Her hand clenched into a fist as she remembered what had led her to tease him like that, and the feel of the ring on her finger was utterly reassuring.

  She might be sore this morning, but she was also hopeful that the little device had worked as promised. There was no guarantee, of course, but her finger’s proximity to Korum’s palm last night should’ve been sufficient to get access to the necessary blueprints. Now she just had to get the ring over to John and, for that, she needed Korum to leave her alone.

  “It’s all right,” she mumbled, trying to think of something appropriate to say. He was obviously feeling guilty about leaving a few bruises on her body. It struck her as hypocritical, this extreme concern for her physical well-being, since he obviously had no problem causing her emotional pain by upending her entire life. Then again, her being sore could interfere with their sex life, and he probably didn’t want that.

  “I’ll bring something, okay?” he said, and disappeared from the room with inhuman speed.

  Mia buried her head in the pillow while waiting for his return, desperately thinking of ways to get the information over to John quickly. She still needed to write her papers, so maybe she could tell Korum she had to get some books from the library.

  He was back a minute later, carrying the familiar device that had “shined” her and something else that she’d never seen before. The second object looked most like a lipstick tube, but was made of some strange material.

  “Um, I’m all right – really, there’s no need for this,” said Mia quickly, not wanting him to plant any additional tracking devices on her. For all she knew, the next batch of nanotechnology in her body might broadcast her every thought to him, and that was the last thing she wanted.

  “There’s every need,” he said, obviously surprised at her reluctance. “You’re hurt, and I can fix it. Why not?”

  Why not indeed. She didn’t have a good answer for that, and protesting further would make him suspicious. Getting caught so close to the end of her mission would be stupid, and it’s not like she didn’t already have the tracking devices embedded in her palms. What’s a few more?

  So she just shrugged her shoulders in response, letting him do as he wanted.

  He activated the “shining” device and ran the warm red light over her bruises. Seeing it work the second time was still incredible, with the marks on her skin disappearing as though they were never there. He was very thorough, inspecting every inch of her skin, and Mia blushed slightly at having so much attention paid to her naked body in broad daylight. Once he was done, he took the tube-like device in his hand and brought it toward her thighs.

  “What are you going to do with that?” she asked suspiciously, eyeing it with distrust. There was only one place remaining on her body that still hadn’t been healed, and the red light from the device could not reach there. She hoped the little tube wasn’t really going where it looked like it could go.

  Korum sighed and said, “It’s
something we use for deep internal damage, when you have to heal various organs before you can mend the outer layer of the skin. I know it’s overkill for what you’ve got, but it’s the only thing I have in this apartment that can reach inside you to help you with the soreness.”

  So it was going there. Mia’s blush got worse. The thing was about the size of a tampon, and the thought of having something medical like that inserted in broad daylight was embarrassing.

  “Seriously?” he asked with incredulity. “After last night, you’re going to blush at this?”

  Mia refused to look at him. “Just do it already,” she mumbled, plopping down and hiding her face in the pillow.

  He laughed softly and did as she requested, sliding the little device inside her sore and swollen opening. It went in easily, and Mia didn’t feel anything for a few seconds until the tingling began.

  “It feels funny,” she complained, still shielded by the pillow.

  “It’s supposed to – that means it’s working.”

  The tingling went on for a couple of minutes and then it stopped. She didn’t feel sore anymore, which was nice, although the feel of the foreign object in her vagina was disconcerting.

  “It should be done by now,” said Korum, reaching inside her with his long fingers and pulling out the tube. “That’s it – all finished. You can stop hiding now.”

  “Okay, thanks,” muttered Mia, still refusing to meet his eyes. “I think I’m going to shower now.”

  He laughed and kissed her exposed shoulder. “Go for it. I have some things to take care of, so I’ll be out the rest of the day. The dinner will probably be a late one, so be sure to grab a good lunch.”

  And then he walked out of the room, finally leaving Mia alone to carry out the rest of the plan.

  Chapter 18

  As soon as Korum left, Mia sprang into action, her heart pounding at the magnitude of what she was about to do.

  Before hopping into the shower, she sent a quick ‘Hi’ email to Jessie, letting her know that she would be stopping by the apartment today and asking how Jessie’s Anatomy final had gone. Hopefully, John would see the email and contact Mia quickly. It was already early afternoon; due to her complete exhaustion, Mia had slept far later than planned, and there was a lot to get done before this evening.

  Korum had thoughtfully left her a sandwich for lunch, and Mia gratefully gobbled it down before heading out the door. When he did things like that – considerate little gestures – she could almost believe that he genuinely cared about her, and she would feel an unwelcome pang of guilt at betraying his trust. Even today, after everything that happened last evening, the thought of him coming to any harm made her feel sick. It was ridiculous, of course; he would most likely be fine – and even if he wasn’t, it was his own fault for invading Earth and trying to enslave her species. Still, she would much rather see him safely deported back to Krina, so she could resume her normal life knowing that he was thousands of light years away and would never bother her again.

  Or so she told herself.

  Deep inside, some silly romantic part of her wanted to cry at the thought of never seeing Korum again – never feeling his touch or hearing his laughter, never glimpsing the dimple that so incongruously graced his left cheek. He was her enemy, but he was also her lover, and she had gotten attached to him despite everything. The pleasure that he gave her went beyond the sexual; just being with him made her feel excited and alive, and – if she ever let herself forget the exact nature of their relationship – oddly happy.

  She could not imagine having sex with someone else after experiencing Korum’s lovemaking. It would be like eating sawdust for the rest of her life after first tasting ambrosia. It made perfect sense that he would be a good lover, of course; aside from whatever special chemistry he said they had together, Korum was also thousands of years old – and had had plenty of time to learn exactly how to please a woman. How could a human man compare to that? And she didn’t even want to think about how he made her feel when he took her blood. She wasn’t sure that it was healthy, to feel a pleasure so intense, but the thought of never experiencing it again was nearly more than she could bear.

  For the first time, she wondered about the xenos she’d heard about before. The motives of these people – who supposedly advertised online with the goal of entering into sexual relations with the Krinar – had always been a mystery to her. But she wondered now if they were perhaps truly addicted . . . if they’d had a taste of paradise and knew that everything else would pale in comparison. Korum had warned that addiction was a possibility for both of them if he took her blood too frequently. Mia shuddered at the thought. That was the last thing she needed – to actually develop a physical need for him. It was enough that she would probably miss him with every fiber of her being when he was finally gone from her life; the last thing she needed was to crave some elusive high that she could only achieve with him.

  There was no other alternative for her; she had to complete the mission. Their relationship was bound to end – it was just a matter of time. Even if she were willing to put up with his autocratic nature – or if she even went so far as to accept being his charl – he would tire of her in a few short years and then she would be alone anyway, completely heartbroken and devastated at his desertion.

  No, she had to do this. There was no other way. She couldn’t have lived with herself knowing that she’d had a chance to make a real difference in the course of human history and failed to do so because of her weakness for one particular K – for someone who regarded her as nothing more than his plaything.

  Arriving at her apartment, Mia was surprised to see that John was already there. So were Jessie and Edgar, the actor her roommate had apparently started seeing.

  As soon as she walked through the door, John asked if they could speak in private. Mia nodded and led him into her room, closing the door behind her. Before the door was fully shut, Mia heard Edgar ask Jessie if her roommate was seeing John as well, but Jessie’s reply was already inaudible.

  “I think I have it,” said Mia without any preamble.

  John’s entire face lit up. “You do? That’s great! How did you manage it so quickly?” Seeing the color flooding her face, he added hastily, “Never mind, that’s not important.”

  Mia shrugged and pulled the ring off her finger. There was a little indentation left behind on her skin. She sincerely hoped that Korum was not particularly observant when it came to women’s jewelry; otherwise, he might wonder why she’d worn that ring once and never again.

  “I need you to promise me something,” Mia said slowly, still holding on to the ring.

  “What?”

  “Promise me that Korum will not be harmed in whatever you’re planning to do.”

  John hesitated, and Mia’s eyes narrowed. “Promise me, John. You owe me that much.”

  “Why? He doesn’t deserve it –”

  “It doesn’t matter what he does or does not deserve. This is my condition for helping you. Korum gets safe passage home.”

  John looked at her and then sighed heavily. “All right, Mia, if that’s what you truly want. We’ll make sure that he gets safely deported.”

  Mia nodded and handed him the ring. “So what now?” she asked. “How long do you think it will take your Keiths to do something with this information?”

  He grinned at her, looking like a kid at Christmas. “They’ll have to look at it and make sure that it’s not more complicated than they think, but if they’re right . . . we could be looking at a potential attack within days.”

  Days? That was much faster than Mia had ever thought possible.

  “Won’t it take them time to make . . . well, whatever it is that those blueprints are for?” she asked hesitantly.

  He shook his head. “No, not that much time at all. Remember what I told you about how they manufacture everything using nanotechnology – and can make things almost instantly if they have the design for it?”

  Mia vague
ly recalled something like that, so she nodded.

  “Well, they will now have the blueprints, and they already have the technology to create those designs. They just need to get that technology to a safe location outside of their settlements, and then they can manufacture the necessary weapons to penetrate the K Center shields. Once the shields are gone, the human forces will be ready.”

  Forces?

  “Is the government in on this?” asked Mia with surprise.

  John hesitated. “Not exactly. But there are those within the government who believe that it was wrong to sign the Coexistence Treaty, to allow them to build the settlements. These individuals are sympathetic to our cause and they have the ability to bring us reinforcements. Some of these are highly placed people in the Army and the Navy, as well as within the CIA and other equivalent agencies worldwide.”

  Mia looked at him in shock. She hadn’t realized the full scope of the anti-K movement. For some reason, she’d envisioned it as being a few hundred suicidal individuals within the Resistance – or those like John, who had a personal vendetta against the Ks – helped by a few human-sympathizing aliens. But it made sense, of course, that the freedom fighters couldn’t have come as far as they did – and gained the assistance of the Keiths – if they hadn’t had at least a decent chance of success.

  “Wow,” she said softly, “so it’s really happening then? We’re kicking them off our planet?”

  John nodded with barely contained glee. “It’s happening, Mia. If the information on this ring is as good as we hope it is, we’re looking at Earth’s liberation within a week – a couple of weeks at the most.”