Close Liaisons Read online

  “So,” said Korum, shrugging nonchalantly, “I can read the books right now.”

  Mia gave him a dumbfounded look. “There’s about ten of them . . .” She swallowed to get rid of the sudden dryness in her throat. “H-How fast do you read?”

  “Pretty fast,” he said. “I also have what you would call a photographic memory, so I don’t need to read the material more than once.”

  Mia stared at him in shock. “So you can read all these books in a matter of hours?”

  He nodded. “I would probably need about two hours to finish them all.”

  That was incredible. “Is that normal for your kind?” Mia asked, still digesting that shocking tidbit.

  “Some of us have that ability naturally, while others choose to enhance it with technology to keep up. I was born this way.”

  Mia could feel her heart rate picking up. She’d known that he was very smart, of course, and John had told her that Korum was one of the best designers among the K. She just hadn’t expected him to have what amounted to superhuman intelligence.

  “I probably seem really stupid to you then,” Mia said quietly, “given how long it takes me to do all this –”

  He sighed. “No, Mia, of course not. Just because you’re lacking certain abilities doesn’t mean you’re not smart.”

  Yeah, right. “What else can you do?” asked Mia, realizing how little she still knew about her alien lover.

  He shrugged. “I can probably do some math in my head that you would need a calculator for.”

  This was fascinating and scary at the same time. “What’s 10,456 times 6,345?” she asked, simultaneously reaching for her phone to check the answer.

  “66,343,320.”

  That was exactly right. And he’d given her the answer before she even had time to input the numbers into the calculator on her phone. Mia swallowed again.

  “So do you want my help with the paper or not?” Korum was beginning to look impatient.

  Mia shook her head. “Uh, no – that’s all right, thanks. I’m sure you could write a great paper – probably better than me – but I still have to do this myself.”

  “Okay, sure, whatever you want,” he said, shaking his head at her stubbornness. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to make something?”

  Mia had snacked throughout the day, so she wasn’t starving. “I don’t know,” she said tentatively. “I don’t think I have time for a sit-down meal today.” She looked up at him, hoping that he would understand.

  “Of course,” he said, “I’ll bring you something to eat here.” Giving her a quick smile, he left the room.

  Mia stared at the door in frustration. Why did he have to be so nice to her today? It would be so much easier if he treated her with cruelty or indifference. The guilt burning her up inside made no sense; she knew she was doing the right thing by helping the Resistance. The Ks had invaded their planet, not the other way around; liberating her species should not make her feel like this – like she was betraying someone she cared about.

  Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus back on the paper. It was an impossible task. Her thoughts kept wandering, jumping from one unpleasant topic to another. Had she set in motion something that would result in the loss of thousands of lives? And would Korum be one of the casualties? It still didn’t seem entirely real to her, the potential impact of her actions.

  Korum came back a few minutes later. He had made some kind of sushi-like rolls with crunchy lettuce and peppers and an apple-walnut dish for dessert.

  Mia thanked him and gladly dug in, finding that she was quite hungry after all.

  He smiled at her and bent down to kiss her forehead. “Enjoy. I’ll be next door if you need me.”

  And then he left, letting her work on her papers – and battle her own dark thoughts.

  Chapter 20

  That night, he was incredibly tender with her.

  His fingers unerringly finding every knot and tense muscle, he massaged every inch of her body until she lay there in a boneless puddle of contentment. Once he was satisfied that she was fully relaxed, he flipped her over onto her back and began kissing her, starting with the tips of her fingers. His lips were soft and felt warm on the skin of her hand, and when he sucked her index finder into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it, Mia moaned from the unexpectedly erotic sensation.

  Leaving her fingers alone, his mouth traveled up her palm, licking the sensitive spot on the inside of her wrist, and then further, up her arm, until he reached the arched column of her throat. Mia held her breath, waiting for the familiar biting pain, but he merely placed a series of light kisses there, sending goosebumps down her leg and arm, and nibbled softly on her earlobe. Mia moaned again, overcome by the pleasure of his touch, and buried her fingers in his hair, pulling his face down for a deep French kiss.

  He kissed her back, passionately and intensely, and Mia felt the strength of his desire in the rigid penis brushing against her thigh. His hand found her breasts, gently squeezing and massaging the small globes, and his thumb flicked across her left nipple, causing it to stiffen further.

  Lifting himself up on his elbows, he looked down at her with a warm golden gaze. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, staring into her eyes, and the tender expression on his face made her want to cry. Why was he doing this to her today of all days? This might be one of the last few times she was having sex with him, and she didn’t want to remember it like this – like the lovemaking that it could never be.

  He kissed her again, and she sucked on his tongue, hoping to make him lose control, so she could forget everything in the mind-bending ecstasy and finally turn off her brain. He groaned in response, and she felt his cock jump against her leg, but his touch on her body remained exceedingly gentle, with none of the raw lust from last night.

  Frustrated, Mia pushed at his shoulders. “I want to get on top,” she told him huskily. He was clearly doing penance for his roughness yesterday, but that wasn’t what Mia wanted tonight.

  His eyes widened a little in surprise, but he rolled off her onto his back. Mia climbed over him and grabbed his head with both hands, bringing his face to hers for a deep tongue-filled kiss while simultaneously rubbing her loins on his without allowing actual penetration. He wrapped his arms around her in response, so tightly that she could barely breathe, and kissed her back with the intensity she was seeking. She could see a fine layer of sweat on his forehead as his body strained with the effort of holding himself back. Mia moved her hips suggestively then, grinding against his cock, and his hips lifted off the bed, trying to get more. His embrace loosened slightly, and Mia worked her right hand in between their bodies and wrapped her fingers around his shaft. He hissed, his body tensing up, and she carefully guided his cock to her opening, starting to lower herself onto him in a maddeningly slow motion.

  He growled low in his throat and his hips thrust up, penetrating her in one powerful stroke. Mia cried out, feeling her muscles quivering, adjusting to the extreme fullness. He grasped her hips, his thumb finding her clitoris through the closed labial folds and pressing on it, his touch torturously light, bringing her closer to the desired peak without sending her over. Mia moaned, her vagina clenching around his penis. She wanted more – more of the madness, of the mindless bliss that only he could make her feel. “Bite me,” she told him, and watched his eyes turn even more yellow even as he shook his head in denial. “You don’t know what you’re asking,” he muttered roughly, and rolled over so that he was over her again, their bodies still joined.

  Before she could say anything else, he twisted his hips slightly, and his penis nudged the sensitive spot deep inside. Mia moaned, arching toward him, and he repeated the action, again and again, until the monstrous tension coiling inside her became unbearable, and she screamed, raking her nails down his back as the long-awaited climax finally rushed through her, obliterating all rational thought in its wake.

  But he wasn’t done with her yet. He still hadn’t come, despite the
rhythmic squeezing of her inner muscles, and his penis was lodged inside her, as hard and thick as ever. Burying his hand in her hair, he kissed her deeply and began thrusting, alternating a shallow stroke with a deeper one, until the tension started building again and every cell in her body was crying out for the release. She tried to move her hips, to force him into that constant pace she needed to reach her climax, but he wouldn’t let her, his large, powerful body holding her down. His kiss was relentless, his tongue ravishing her mouth, and Mia felt like she would explode from the intensity of the sensations. And then suddenly she was there, her entire body convulsing in his arms, and he was coming as well, his pelvis grinding into her own as his penis pulsed inside her, releasing his semen in short, warm bursts.

  Afterwards, he rolled off her and gathered her to him, leaving her lying partially on top, her head on his chest and her left leg draped over his hips. They were both slick with sweat, and Mia could hear the rapid beating of his heart gradually beginning to slow as his breathing returned to its normal pace.

  She didn’t really know what to say, so she didn’t say anything. The sex had been incredible, and she hated the fact that he could make her feel like this – even without any chemical enhancers.

  Why did it have to be him, she thought bitterly, looking at his flat bronzed stomach moving up and down with every breath. Why couldn’t she have fallen for a normal human guy instead of an alien genius whose kind was taking over her planet?

  She felt the hot prickling of tears behind her eyelids and squeezed them tightly, not letting the moisture escape. Her body felt languid and tired in the aftermath of the sex session, but her mind kept buzzing, working overtime, looking for a solution where none could be found. Even if he cared for her in his own way, those feelings would turn to hatred once he learned the depths of her betrayal – and the hands that held her so gently now would likely end up wrapped around her throat.

  She must have tensed at the thought because he pulled away to look at her face and asked curiously, “What’s the matter?”

  When she hesitated, a worried frown appeared on his face. “Mia? What’s the matter? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  Mia shook her head, trying not to look him directly in the eyes. “No, of course not,” she said huskily, “it was wonderful . . . you know that –”

  “Then what?” he prodded, reaching out to grasp her chin and force her to meet his gaze.

  Mia tried to control herself, but the stupid tears wouldn’t leave her alone, welling up in her eyes.

  “It’s nothing,” Mia lied, silently cursing the fact that her voice was shaking, “I just . . . g-get this way when I’m stressed –”

  His frown got deeper. “Why are you so stressed? Is it your papers?” he asked, studying her with a perplexed look in his eyes.

  Mia nodded slightly, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to calm herself. He might become suspicious if her tears didn’t have a good explanation. Unless . . .

  Opening her eyes, she looked at him, no longer caring if he saw the glimmer there. “I really miss my family,” she confessed, and it was the truth. In this moment, she desperately wanted to be a child again, safe and sound in her parents’ house, with her mom making chicken soup with matzah balls and her dad reading a newspaper on the couch. She wanted to turn back the clock and go back to the last decade, to a time before people knew that there was life on other planets – and that their own planet would not belong to them much longer. To a time before she met the alien who was staring at her now with his beautiful amber eyes – the lover whom she had no choice but to betray.

  Korum seemed to accept her explanation. “Mia,” he said quietly, letting go of her chin, “you’ll see them soon, I promise. I’m getting closer to completing my business here, and then I will take you there –”

  “I haven’t even told them yet that I’m not coming,” said Mia, her voice thick with tears. “They’re expecting me this Saturday, and my plane ticket is nonrefundable –”

  He looked exasperated. “Are you worrying about money now? I will refund you the cost of the ticket –”

  “My parents are the ones who bought it.”

  “Okay, then I will refund the cost to your parents.” Taking a deep breath, he added, “Mia, you don’t ever have to worry about these logistics when you’re with me. I’ll always take care of you and your family – you don’t need to stress about money ever again. I know your parents’ finances are tight, and I would be more than happy to assist them financially – or in whichever way they need.”

  Mia swallowed a sob, feeling like an iron fist was squeezing her heart. As arrogant and high-handed as that statement was, she had no doubt that he was genuine in his offer. “Th-thank you,” she whispered, her voice breaking, “that’s very . . . generous of you –”

  “Mia,” he said softly, “I care about you, okay? I want you to be happy with me, and I will do whatever I can to make that happen.”

  His every word felt like he was cutting her with a knife, and she could no longer hold back. Burying her face in the pillow, she turned away from him and broke down crying, her entire body shaking from the force of her sobs.

  “Mia?” His voice sounded uncertain for the first time since she’d met him. “What . . . Why are you crying?”

  She cried even harder. She couldn’t tell him the truth, and the guilt was like acid in her chest, eating her up inside.

  Tentatively touching her back, he stroked it in a soothing manner, murmuring little endearments. When that didn’t seem to help, he pulled her into his arms, letting her bury her face in the crook of his neck and cry while he stroked her hair.

  So Mia cried. She cried for herself, and for him, and for the relationship that could never be . . . not even if he weren’t the enemy that she’d been spying on.

  After a few minutes, when her sobs began to quiet down, he reached somewhere and handed her a tissue, letting her wipe her face and blow her nose before asking softly again, “Why?”

  Mia looked at him, her vision still blurry with tears. The full truth was out of the question, of course, but she could tell him something that had been tormenting her for a while. “This is not right,” she whispered, her voice rough with residual tears. “You, me – it’s not right, it’s not natural . . . And it can never last –”

  “Why not?” he said softly. “It can last for as long as we want it to last.”

  “You’re not human,” she said, looking at him in disbelief. “How could it ever work for us?”

  He hesitated for a second and then said, gently brushing her hair off her face, “It can – just trust me on that, darling. I can’t really say more right now, but we will talk about it later . . . when the time comes.”

  Mia blinked in surprise, staring at him. This was something she hadn’t expected. Did he mean that there was some way for them to be together . . . as an actual couple? The implications of that were too big to contemplate right now, with her head pounding and her mind barely functioning in the aftermath of her emotional storm.

  He pulled away then and got off the bed. “I’ll bring you something to make you feel better,” he said, and left the room.

  Mia looked at the door, stifling a hysterical giggle at the thought that this was becoming a nightly occurrence. She just hoped he didn’t bring back the little tube.

  He brought back a glass filled with some kind of milky liquid and handed it to her.

  “What is it?” she asked, sniffing it with suspicion. It didn’t smell like anything.

  He grinned at her, showing the dimple. “Not poison, I promise. It’s just a little something to help you sleep better and take away your headache.”

  How did he know that her head was hurting? Mia blinked at him again.

  As though reading her mind, he said, “I know how humans feel after crying. This drink is meant more for helping with a cold or a flu, but it doesn’t have any harmful side effects, so you might as well drink it now and feel better.”

  Mia
nodded in agreement and tasted the liquid. It didn’t have any flavor either; if not for the color, she would have thought she was drinking water. She felt dehydrated, so she gladly drank the entire glass. Almost immediately, the painful pressure around her temples eased, and the congested feeling in her nose disappeared. Another K wonder drug, apparently.

  “Why do you have all these medicines for humans?” she asked, the thought only now occurring to her. “Do you also use these for yourself?”

  He shook his head, smiling. “No, they’re human-specific. We have other ways to heal ourselves.”

  “So why have it then?” Mia persisted.

  He shrugged. “I knew that I would be living among humans and interacting with them. It only made sense to have a few basics handy in case of various emergencies.”

  Interacting with humans at his apartment? Mia suddenly felt an unwelcome pang of jealousy at the thought of other women being here, in this very bed. It wasn’t surprising, of course; he was a healthy, attractive male with a strong sex drive – it was perfectly normal for him to have had other sex partners before her, both human and K.

  Or so she told herself. The green-eyed monster inside refused to listen to reason.

  Something of her thoughts must have shown on her face because he said softly, “And no, none of those interactions have been human women in recent months – definitely none since I met you.”

  “What about K women?” she blurted out, and then mentally kicked herself. She had no right to be jealous after what she’d done. He was her enemy, and she had treated him as such. It was absurd to feel so relieved that she was the only woman in his life right now. Their days together were numbered, and it shouldn’t matter whether Korum had been faithful to her or if he had fucked a hundred women in the past month. Yet somehow it mattered to her – and it mattered a lot.

  “None since we’ve met,” he said, smiling. He seemed pleased by her jealousy, and Mia nearly broke down crying again. Taking a deep breath, she controlled herself with great effort. A second crying fit would be even more difficult to explain.