DeeDee shook her head. “Think about it, Rogar is the guy who swaggers into your college classroom wearing a black leather jacket. The bad boy. Except Rogar is even more dangerous now.”
“He’s not at all dangerous. He would never hurt me. I mean, the guy saved my life.”
“I don’t mean dangerous that he would harm you, no, it’s even worse. He’s made you fall in love with him.”
“You’re crazy.” She barely knew the guy. Having a fantastic orgasm didn’t equal falling in love with someone.
“Think about it. The guy comes from another planet, he’s dark and mysterious, then you have fantastic sex, and if that wasn’t enough, he saves your life. It’s the hero syndrome, and you’ve fallen head over heels in love. I can tell by the look on your face when you talk about him.”
Callie opened her mouth, but closed it when no words came out. She couldn’t be in love with Rogar. He was a fling, that was all. He wanted her to drop everything and run off to another planet, and that wasn’t going to happen. No way, no how. Earth was her home. And she was so close to having her dream job. It would be stupid of her to even consider going with him.
But just the thought of him leaving without her sent a queasy feeling rumbling in her stomach.
Life sucked.
Chapter 16
Callie was not in love with Rogar, infatuated yes, but not in love. She hadn’t known him long enough. He was hot, sexy, and yes, he’d been her hero. Dark, dangerous, and mysterious. She was sure he had some flaws somewhere, other than his cooking.
“You’re so in love with him,” DeeDee said.
“Am not.”
“Are to.”
“Callie,” Rogar bellowed from the other room.
She jumped to her feet. “Crap, I gave him one of my pain pills. It should’ve knocked him out and let him get a few hours sleep. He must be in excruciating pain.”
DeeDee raised her eyebrows. “You gave an alien a pain pill?”
Callie frowned as she hurried to the bedroom. “It never hurt me. I’m part alien.” Now that she thought about it, she’d never taken anything stronger than a Tylenol. There had never been a need. At the edge of the doorway, Callie skidded to a stop.
Rogar stood in the middle of the bed weaving back and forth, wearing only his briefs, and the large white bandage. At least it wasn’t blood soaked. “Where’s my weapon? How can I protect you if I don’t have a weapon?”
“It’s okay, we’re safe at DeeDee’s. Zerod won’t find us here.”
He seemed to think about that for a moment.
“You need to lie back down before you fall off the bed and hurt yourself,” Callie spoke softly so she wouldn’t startle him. From now on, no more pain pills.
“She’s right. Sit down, Rogar,” DeeDee told him as she came in behind Callie. “Apparently, he’s feeling better.”
In one movement, Rogar’s legs went out from under him and he plopped down on the bed, then laughed uproariously when he bounced. When DeeDee chuckled, Callie cast a glare in her direction.
DeeDee shrugged. “He’s funny. Besides,
“I didn’t know it was going to make him act all…goofy. What if his wound starts to bleed?”
“Callie, sweetheart, come lie beside me. I want to mate with you. I want to hear you cry my name out in ecstasy again.”
“Oh, this is serious if you cried his name out,” DeeDee commented.
Heat crawled up Callie’s face. This was not happening in front of DeeDee.
“I think I’ll leave you to get him settled back down,” DeeDee whispered. “Just do me one favor.”
“What?”
“Don’t have sex in my bed. It’s not a visual I want right before I go to sleep.”
Callie groaned as the door closed. Then she looked at Rogar, who was sitting in the middle of the bed, with a silly grin on his face.
“You need to get some rest,” she said.
He patted the bed. “So do you.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “I have a feeling sleeping is not what you have in mind.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll stay up with you.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed.
“No! You could start your wound bleeding again. I’m surprised it isn’t now. Besides, you’re not that steady, and if you fall, I doubt DeeDee or I could get you back up again.”
She hurried over when it seemed he wasn’t paying a bit of attention to her. It didn’t take much effort to get him to lie back down. Again, he patted the mattress beside him.
“Please?”
“Okay, but we’re not making love. I won’t have you bleeding to death, and me feeling guilty for the rest of my life.” She crawled in beside him and lay back against the pillow.
Rogar rose on one elbow and stared down into her face. “You’re so damned beautiful.”
“Since when did you learn our curse words?”
“Database.”
“Huh?”
“It’s like one of your computers, but much more technically advanced, of course. I can find out anything I want to know. It can do a lot of things that your computers can’t.”
She barely paid attention to what he said. She was mesmerized by his eyes, and the way he was intently watching her. When he began to lower his face toward hers, she closed her eyes, anticipating the touch of his lips, the heat that would follow.
But his head landed on the pillow beside her, his arm plopped across her chest like an anchor. She coughed as her air supply was cut off. This was not good. She wiggled out from under his weight.
He snored.
It was not fair to make her want his kiss, then fall asleep.
Except he was going to suffocate if she didn’t get his face out of the pillow. She pushed until he rolled onto his back. Chest heaving from exertion, she fell back onto the bed. The man was big.
When she could breathe normally again, she pushed up on one elbow and stared down at him. A lock of dark hair fell across his forehead. She didn’t hesitate to brush it back, her fingers lingering on his forehead, then smoothing across one cheek, and over his lips. She leaned down, and for just a moment, pressed her lips against Rogar’s. His were warm. She reveled in the fact she could show how she felt without being just a little embarrassed.
Then it hit her, and she jerked back.
Oh, no, DeeDee was right. She was falling in love with Rogar. How could it have happened so fast? But she knew. It was just like DeeDee had said. Callie had a bad case of hero worship. She moved off the bed and quietly left the room. She found DeeDee in the family room.
“Oh, DeeDee, what am I going to do? I think I’ve fallen in love.”
DeeDee laughed.
“That’s not exactly the reaction I was hoping from you.”
“It’s all right to fall in love, Callie.” She patted the cushion beside her. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Callie walked over and sat beside her friend. “He wants me to go to New Symtaria with him.”
“Would that be so bad? You would get to know your people.”
