Baron Read online

  He barked out a dry laugh. “Piper Meadows. How fitting.”

  She lifted her chin, hating the stab of hurt she felt at being the recipient of his humor. “Yes, I know. Even my name is weird.”

  She jumped when his huge hand touched her thigh and heat poured into her like a damn furnace.

  “You should never wish to be normal. Not if it’s anything like those weak-willed and insipid humans back at the party. You’re beyond intriguing. I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you.”

  She drank in his praise as though his words were succulent raindrops landing on her parched tongue. What the hell was wrong with her? She shouldn’t thrill to his delicious praise, yet her every molecule danced as though he’d choreographed the moves.

  She cleared her throat. “Thank you.” She sighed, pushing away an inner driving need to stay with this man, and never let him out of her sight. “Where is it you want me to take you?”

  The full force of his gaze narrowed on her. “Away from here. Anywhere, as long as you’re with me.”

  He clamped his mouth shut as though aware he’d said the wrong thing. Yet she had to fight against an insidious desire to do exactly what he asked and go off into the sunset with him. She shook her head. “Even if you were serious, I wouldn’t go anywhere with you.”

  He stiffened. “Do I look like the type to make jokes?”

  “Actually, no.” He looked like the type who’d wipe out whole armies with a couple of sweeps of a scythe.

  “And why wouldn’t you go anywhere with me?” His voice roughened. “Am I not attractive to you? Or is there another man, someone special you don’t want to leave?”

  She smothered a little smile. She didn’t know what was more ridiculous, that he questioned her ability to find him attractive, or that another man found her remotely attractive. Holy hell, she was lucky to have a man look at her sideways with anything more than a vague sense of pity. She was an anomaly, a weirdo, a misfit who made men uncomfortable.

  Baron wouldn’t know what it was to be awkward around other people, not even with his massive size. He was all too obviously comfortable in his own skin and wouldn’t understand her weirdness in a million years.

  But how did she explain all that without sounding like an even bigger reject? She blinked. “No. There’s no man. But that’s beside the point. Anyone else would be aghast at driving off with a stranger they didn’t know.”

  She conveniently pushed aside thoughts of Rebecca who’d actively scoped the party for a stranger to jump into bed with. Bloody hell, going for a drive with this great hunk of a mystery man seemed relatively innocent in comparison.

  “Aghast?” He sounded amused. If only he knew her plethora of odd words that occasionally slipped out. “I think it’s fair to say you’re not like most people, which make other opinions irrelevant.”

  She glanced at him, her heart thudding dully in her chest. She would have really liked to have gotten to know him better, but she wouldn’t give into the silly fantasy that his interest would last any longer than a few more minutes. Not once he realized the full extent of her socially awkward persona.

  Then again the heat coming off him made her think the attraction was a mutual thing. Maybe he just wanted to get her into the bedroom and have his wicked way with her before disappearing from her life forever.

  Her womb clenched. Would that be such a bad thing? She blew out a savage breath. Had she been Rebecca’s housemate for so long now she was becoming her clone? Her voice came out sharp. “I’ll take you just outside of town and then you’re on your own.”

  He frowned. “You’re very strong willed.”

  She laughed. A man like him wouldn’t be used to rejection. “When it comes to the opposite sex, I guess I am. But at least no one would dare accuse me of running off with a complete stranger.”

  Her laugh died as a sour taste filled her mouth. When everyone and everything was cause for suspicion, of course it made her an outcast with men.

  “You are opposite to your ... friend. That can’t be a bad thing.”

  She suppressed a little shiver of pleasure. “Yet you complained that I’m too strong willed.”

  His lips twitched. “No, not complaining. Your inner strength fascinates me.”

  She narrowly missing a pothole in the road. Unseasonal rain had lashed the town and its outskirts, making the road perilous. She slowed down. “Am I missing something? Or are you some kind of an expert in backhanded compliments?”

  “If you really want the truth ... I had hoped to plant a suggestion in your mind so that you would willingly come with me.”

  Was he for real? “You can compel people to do things?”

  “Only if they are weak-minded.”

  If nothing else, at least he was honest. She stopped at a T-intersection and turned to face him. “You probably guessed I don’t have much in life. But Clydecarrow is my town. It’s where I belong.”

  His eyes flashed beneath the streetlamp. “We both know you don’t fit in there.”

  His words were like a sucker punch to the gut, his honesty hurting her more than any physical blow. She admired frankness, but not his brand of brutal honesty.

  “Could you be any more insensitive?” she asked faintly.

  “I don’t have the time or the inclination to lie.” He shrugged. “You stick out like a sore bum.”

  She smiled, despite the hollow ache inside. “I’m guessing you mean sore thumb?”

  His teeth gleamed. “That’s it, though sore bum has somewhat more appeal.”

  She couldn’t afford to be distracted by his charms, or lack thereof. She raised her chin. “You haven’t told me yet what you are.” Her voice wobbled just a little, and she added forcefully, “Because sure as shit no human I know can compel someone unless they voluntarily go under hypnosis.”

  His stare was unblinking. “You already guessed I’m not human. I’m not even from this planet.”

  Her heart stuttered, her voice weak. “So you’re an ... alien?”

  He nodded. “I’m from a planet called Riddich. It was a very beautiful world.”

  “Was?”

  His jaw clenched. “Yes. A cold-blooded alien race killed most of my people and captured the rest. Only a few of us escaped.”

  His closed expression still managed to reveal his devastation and loss, and sympathy unfurled within as she whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “Do those aliens know you’re here?”

  He nodded. “Yes. Those of us Riddichians who made it to Earth have separated to give ourselves a better chance of survival.”

  “So you’re still on the run.” At his nod, she turned back to focus on the road. “Then you need to keep moving before your enemies find you.” She peered both ways at the T-intersection. “Which way?”

  “South.” He looked at her. “Are you coming with me, then?”

  A laugh burst free. “I’m driving you to the next town, but that’s it.” She glanced at his big, imposing profile. Damn, how he even fit in the car was nothing short of a miracle.

  “Thank you. I will feel better with some distance between me and the Tantonics.”

  She nodded, storing away his enemy’s name even as she was relieved and yet stupidly disappointed by his easy acceptance of letting her go. She indicated and pulled away from the intersection, the town lights in her rearview mirror soon fading into the distance.

  She felt his stare on her again and had to resist squirming in her seat at his attention. She was used to people looking at her, but it was usually for all the wrong reasons. Baron’s attention left her feeling hot and bothered and all too self-aware.

  She cleared her throat. “So we’ve got about half an hour before the next town. It’d be nice to hear something about you and your world.”

  He shrugged. “Ask away. I’ll do my best to answer.”

  She looked his way. “You’re not much of a conversationalist, are you?”

  “Guess I�
�m more the strong, silent type.”

  Her breath caught in her throat, her nipples peaking and her breasts growing heavy. She could only imagine his power, the kind of disciplined strength and endurance that would see him making love to a woman all day long.

  She inhaled a slow, steadying breath. What was wrong with her? She never had those kinds of thoughts about men. Shit. Was she only attracted to inhuman beings? She swallowed, ignoring her traitorous body to ask, “Is that a common trait you share with your people?”

  “No, we all have unique personalities, just like Earth people.”

  “You also speak fluent English, but I’m guessing that isn’t your language?”

  “No, it was one of the many things we learned on our journey here.”

  She looked at him yet again, irresistibly drawn to him despite her usual reserve around men. “What is your language like?”

  “Triake nes lesiana fe’.”

  Her whole body quivered. She could almost imagine him growling out mysteriously erotic words just like those as he made love. But she refused to ask him to translate, not when she had a strong feeling it’d only make her want him all the more.

  She cleared her throat, feeling all kinds of stupid. His lyrical words weren’t some kind of sonnet directed at her. She wasn’t some beauty queen; she wouldn’t even final for Miss Congeniality. “I’m impressed. Your language is beautiful.”

  “Thank you. My only hope is that it won’t be lost forever.”

  She bit into her bottom lip. “That’s possible?”

  “If my species dies out, then yes.”

  She couldn’t for even one second imagine this virile alien male no longer around. He seemed invincible, incapable of succumbing to death. She pushed her foot on the accelerator. “Then we can’t let that happen.” At his throaty laugh, she turned to him with a grin and said, “I’ve got your back, Baron Alsharma.”

  His stare burned, heat radiating off him. “And I’ve got yours, Piper Meadows.”

  She forced her eyes back to the road. There’d been something in his eyes that made her wonder if he really was attracted to her as much as she was to him. Her grin widened. She was so damn breathless and lightheaded she might just float right out of the car!

  Blue lights flashed in her rearview mirror and her smile died a quick death, her feel good vibes evaporating. “Crap.” She slowed and sent Baron a vaguely reassuring look. “It’s the police. I was speeding.”

  His shadowed face looked impassive. “Will they know who I am?”

  She pulled off the road, the tires crunching along the loose gravel. “No. Just keep quiet. Don’t say anything ... weird.”

  His teeth flashed. “I’ll let you do that for me.”

  She didn’t know whether to be amused or offended. But there was no time for either sentiment. She rolled down her window as a police officer climbed out of his unmarked highway patrol car and walked to her driver’s side, a flashlight in hand.

  “Evening Ma’am. Was there a reason you were speeding?”

  The ridiculousness of the situation suddenly hit her front and center. But she managed to withhold a silly giggle and stay calm when she said honestly, “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”

  The officer scowled at her through the opened window. “I can assure you, I’ve heard more than my fair share of unbelievable excuses. I’m going to have to write you up a ticket.”

  Baron put a hand of her thigh, his touch warm and flooding her with calm. But her light mood turned as quickly dark and suffocating, and not because of the speeding fine. Far from it. She sucked in a breath, zoning out for a few seconds as her hyperaware senses vibrated warning.

  “Ma’am you must know this road is hazardous at the best of times, without having to contend with the recent rain and the dark as well,” the officer said, going through what was probably his usual spiel before he leaned a little closer. “You’re a bit pale,” he observed with a reluctant note of concern. “Is something...”

  His voice trailed off as though he too sensed something amiss. He twisted his head, holding up his flashlight to dissect the darkness. And even in the gloom behind the flashlight’s brightness Piper saw his face blanch. She swallowed past the nausea crowding in her throat to turn in her seat and follow his stare.

  Baron squeezed her leg, reminding her of his strong presence beside her. “We’ve got to get out of here. Now.”

  But still she couldn’t move. Her eyes widened on seeing the pale gray lizard-crocodile creatures walking out of the dark into the arc of light. “Tantonics,” she said weakly.

  Chapter Three

  Piper couldn’t drag her stare away as one of the hideous creatures lifted its chunky weapon. The police officer fumbled for his gun, but he drew it far too late. The Tantonic fired. A beam hit the officer in the chest, throwing him back twenty yards or more before he slammed into a signpost with a sickening thud. His breath wheezed out and his body crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

  “Piper, move it!” Baron shouted.

  His warning pierced through her horrified stupor. She threw the gearstick into first, stamped on the accelerator and fishtailed away from the Tantonics with rocks bouncing off the tires. When another beam glinted in the rearview mirror, she swung the car into the oncoming lane.

  The beam blasted the road beside them, exploding chunks of bitumen into the air. But she barely noticed. A truck was headed straight for them and she bit back a scream even as she again hauled on the steering wheel. The sedan’s tires squealed and the car rocked back into the other lane.

  The truck rolled past, its horn blaring, but all she could hear was her heartbeat drumming in her ears. She leaned forward; clinging onto the steering wheel like it was a life preserver. She just barely held herself together as she stared straight ahead, refusing to ever clap eyes on the Tantonics again.

  This once she wanted to be in denial and pretend she hadn’t seen anything. Wanted to pretend she’d dreamed up the Tantonics. Pretend she hadn’t nearly had a head-on with a truck. But most of all she wanted to believe an innocent policeman hadn’t just been murdered.

  Baron rubbed his warm palm up and down her thigh. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m not sure.” She was cold all over, yet her hands were clammy on the steering wheel. Worse still she began to feel lightheaded and shake all over.

  “Pull over,” Baron instructed.

  She did as he asked. She seriously doubted she could drive much further anyway. It didn’t mean she felt safe stopping so soon knowing his enemies were just down the road. “We need to keep going.”

  “Yes, we do. I’ll drive. You’re going into shock,” he added brusquely.

  She stopped the car with nothing short of profound relief. Shock. Was that the condition she experienced right now? The roof of her mouth was bone dry and she could barely scrape out words when she rasped, “Do you even know how to drive?”

  He nodded. “We have vehicles on our planet.”

  She was too weak and dizzy to argue. He climbed out first and then opened her door to help her out and escort her to the passenger side. She sat and he reached over and clipped in her seatbelt.

  She lay back and closed her eyes, dragging in his unique scent of warmth and sandalwood with the barest hint of ash. It was a strangely intoxicating combination that somehow helped to ease her tremors. A blanket settled over her lap and her eyes flicked open. He’d found Rebecca’s checked picnic rug that’d never been put to use.

  Her housemate was a closet romantic.

  Perhaps Piper was no different.

  “Thank you,” she murmured.

  “You’re welcome,” he said, and she swore there was a husky note of tenderness in his voice.

  It must surely be the shock that made her hear things in a man’s voice that wasn’t there.

  Her eyes fluttered closed again as she went through another round of shivers. But as Baron revved the engine and took off in a couple of jerky stop-go movements that caused her
head to jerk back and forth, a giggle escaped, breaking the horror moment of just minutes ago.

  “You’re sure you’ve driven before?” she asked.

  He eased the car forward, clearly getting a feel for driving the small sedan. “An Earth car is rather different,” he conceded. “But the sooner we leave here the better.” He grated a gear before he cycled through the rest of them. “It’s only lucky those Tantonics are ground soldiers, since they haven’t come after us with their flyer.”

  Her shoulders tightened. “So we might not be in the clear yet?”

  He cranked the car faster. “They would have alerted their flyer’s pilot. With any luck we’ll be long gone by then.” He glowered. “They probably have three or four of the bastards watching every road within the vicinity of our crash site.” He glanced her way. “Don’t worry, I won’t let my enemy anywhere near you.”

  She nodded, believing him. It was peculiar how secure she felt with Baron. Already her shaking had subsided, her bone-deep chill eased. She snuggled deeper under the picnic rug, its warmth enveloping her.

  When he flicked on the radio and Enya’s Sail Away pierced the quiet, the song was nothing short of a lullaby. Piper immediately felt herself drift toward sleep; inexplicably trusting that he’d keep them safe...

  She woke to the scent of baking. Looking around her old bedroom, with her row of cabbage patch dolls on a wall shelf and her colored-in paper planes stacked in neat rows on her side table, a distant part of her mind knew she was dreaming. Yet everything was real, a deeply ingrained memory from long ago.

  She swung her legs to the side of her single bed with its mermaid themed bedspread, and then walked out of her carpeted bedroom to the cool tiles of the kitchen. The radio was vague background noise even as the scent of yeasty, oven-baked bread filled the room.

  Her mother smiled as she looked up from her baking, a smudge of flour on her nose. “Good morning, poppet. Did you sleep well?”