Far from offended, he laughed with genuine amusement. “Not like Ken, I hope. Isn’t he missing the requisite equipment?”
Mia just shrugged in response, not wanting to get into this kind of banter with him right now. Grinning, he exited the room, leaving her alone to enjoy the jacuzzi for the next twenty minutes.
By the time he came back, Mia was already showered and wrapped in the familiar robe she’d discovered in the bathroom closet. She even found the slippers she’d worn before and gladly put them on. Showering here was becoming a habit.
She accompanied Korum to the kitchen, her mouth watering at the delicious smells emanating from there. He
had made another one of his signature salads and a dish of roasted buckwheat with stir-fried carrots and mushrooms. Feeling like she was starving, Mia attacked her food with appreciation, and so did he. For a while, the kitchen was silent, except for chewing noises and the clattering of their silverware. Finally feeling replete, Mia leaned back in her chair. He was done with his portion, as usual, and was observing her with a half-smile.
“What?” asked Mia self-consciously, wondering if she had a bit of lettuce stuck between her teeth.
“Nothing,” he said, and his smile got wider. “I just love watching you eat. You do it with such enthusiasm – it’s very endearing.”
Mia flushed a little. He obviously thought she was a glutton. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “Yeah, what can I say? I really like food.”
He grinned. “I know. I really like that about you. Very unexpected in a girl your size.”
Mia smiled back tentatively and got up from her chair. Now was as good a time as any. “Okay, well, thank you for the meal. I’ll just change and get out of your hair.”
The smile left his face. He clearly didn’t like hearing that. “Why don’t you stay?” he suggested softly. “I promise not to touch you again today, if that’s what worries you.”
Mia swallowed, suddenly feeling on edge. “I really have to get going,” she said, hoping that she was misreading his body language – that he didn’t really have the intention of keeping her there against her will.
He looked directly into her eyes. Whatever he had seen there seemed to make up his mind. “Okay,” he said slowly. “You can go home.” Mia’s breath escaped in relief – prematurely, as it turned out. Because he added next, “But I want you to come back here tonight. Gather whatever you need for the next day or two – or I can buy you new things if you prefer – and come back here by 7 p.m. I’ll make us dinner.”
Mia stared at him. “And if I don’t?” she asked defiantly.
“Then I will come and get you,” he answered, the look in his eyes leaving no doubt of his seriousness.
“But why?” Mia burst out in frustration. “Why do you want to be with someone who doesn’t want you? Who hates you, in fact? Surely, there can’t be a shortage of willing women for you. You’ve already gotten what you wanted from me. Can’t you move on to another victim?”
His eyes narrowed in anger. “Well, Mia, you’re right. There is no shortage of women who would love to be in your shoes, and I could easily get myself another ‘victim,’ as you so nicely put it.” He took a step toward her. “The reason why I want you – as unwilling as you pretend to be – is because chemistry like ours is very rare. You’re very young, even for a human, so you don’t realize what we have. Do you honestly think that sex would be like that for you with another man? Or that just any woman could have that kind of effect on me?” He paused and continued in a softer tone, “This kind of attraction happens once in a blue moon, and I know better than to give up on it even if you’re running scared right now.” Staring into her shocked face, he added with a familiar golden gleam in his eyes, “I know this is all very new to you, and that you probably felt more pain than enjoyment today. It won’t be like that again. The next time you’re in my bed, I promise that your only screams will be those of pleasure.”
Chapter 6
Mia left his apartment and walked home, her thoughts whirling in chaos. She was no longer a virgin, and she had the residual soreness between her thighs to prove it. His gel thingy had helped with the majority of the pain, but she could still feel echoes of his fullness inside her. Her vagina clenched slightly at the memory of the orgasms he’d given her, and she shivered with the intensity of her recollection. And he wanted to see her again, tonight. In fact, it sounded like he had no intention of dropping his pursuit – in complete disregard of her wishes.
At that thought, Mia got angry again. He had no right to do this to her. His species may have guided human evolution, but that didn’t mean he owned her. Whatever special chemistry he thought they had did not excuse his behavior, and Mia hated the idea that he thought he could have her whenever he wanted. She wished there was something she could do to thwart him, but her own response to him had made a mockery of any resistance.
It was a long walk back to her apartment, but Mia wanted to stretch her legs and clear her head before potentially seeing her roommate. By the time she got to her building, she was sufficiently tired that going up five flights of stairs seemed like a chore. She was looking forward to plopping down on the couch and doing something totally brainless – like watching a show on her laptop.
This was not her day, however. Jessie had guests, Mia realized as she opened the door and heard masculine voices in the living room. Walking in, she was surprised to see two men she’d never met before.
One of them – an Asian guy – looked to be somewhere in his mid-twenties, while the other had to be at least thirty. The older guy caught her attention immediately. There was something about the way he sat on the couch that gave her the impression of a coiled spring. His hair was blond, and his ice-blue eyes were extraordinarily watchful. He looked to be of medium height and lean, maybe even a bit on the skinny side.
At Mia’s entrance, they both got up. Jessie remained sitting, looking pale and strangely guilty. “Hi, Mia,” she said with some hesitation. “This is my cousin Jason and his friend John.”
Mia’s eyebrows rose. “The Jason we mentioned this morning?” she asked in confusion.
The Asian guy nodded. “The one and only.”
“Oh, hi . . . nice to meet you,” Mia said politely, trying to connect the dots.
“They’re here to talk to you,” Jessie said, and Mia realized why she looked so guilty.
“Are you guys, like, the Resistance or something?” she asked incredulously. At their non-response, she drew her own conclusion. “Look, I don’t know what Jessie told you, but we really don’t have anything to talk about –”
“On the contrary, Miss Stalis,” John said, speaking for the first time in a slightly raspy voice, “we have a lot to discuss. Jason – why don’t you catch up with your cousin while Miss Stalis and I conclude our discussion?”