Bond: Stargazer Alien Mail Order Brides (Intergalactic Dating Agency) Read online

No, if she married an alien, she’d be lucky if she didn’t end up captured by the government with experiments done to her.

  Posey Quinn had no intention of dying in a metal crate. Her libido was just going to have to fall into step.

  “When the man called us a ‘bunch of weird Satan worshippers’ what did he mean?” Bond asked quietly.

  Oh, brother.

  “Well, do you know who God and Satan are?” Posey asked.

  “You have creation mythology on your planet. God is the creator and Satan is his opposite, no?” Bond ventured. “Much of the media we have consumed offers very simplistic and often conflicting information on the subject.”

  “Um, yes,” Posey said. “But Satan is not just a destroyer. He is supposed to try to make us destroy ourselves.”

  “Ah, like pollution and depletion of your natural resources,” Bond said, understanding lighting his eyes. “He has been very successful, then.”

  “Well, no, not exactly that,” Posey replied, unsure how to articulate her thoughts fast enough to keep up with his presumptions.

  “Oh, you mean war. But, Posey, I have wanted to ask since I arrived. Isn’t fighting a battle in the name of God at odds with a mythology valuing peace as its major theme?”

  “Yeah… I can’t really answer that,” Posey said. “The way most people think about Satan in an everyday context is that he makes us lose self-control over urges, like eating too much, or, um…”

  Come on brain, think of something besides pre-marital sex.

  “What is pre-marital sex?” Bond asked.

  “Hey,” Posey yelped.

  Bond blinked at her, confused.

  “It’s not nice to listen to people’s thoughts,” Posey said.

  “But, it’s my gift,” he explained.

  “Not here,” she told him. “Here it’s not a gift, it’s rude. Like being a Peeping Tom.”

  “Who is this Peeping Tom?” he asked, clearly fascinated.

  “It’s… it’s someone who spies on other people when they think they are in private,” she said.

  “What makes his peeping different from regular spying?” he asked.

  She chose not to answer, not wanting to bring up the risqué context.

  “Oh, it’s about mating somehow,” he said.

  “Stop that,” Posey snapped.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I forgot.”

  “Well, don’t forget,” she chided him.

  “I will try my best, Posey Quinn,” he told her, looking down at her with those crystal blue eyes and making her pulse flutter.

  Oh, no. Had he been reading her mind when they were… making out?

  Frantically Posey tried to think of something else. Her mind went to her grandmother’s split pea soup recipe, the stick shift of her first car, the multiplication tables.

  “We’re here, Posey,” Bond whispered into her hair when at last they reached the observatory.

  The night air was still and cold. He put her down so she could climb the metal stairs on her own.

  When they reached the landing, Bond grabbed her hand.

  She spun to look up at him. His blue eyes were twinkling. He reached down slowly and tucked a lock of her wet hair behind her ear.

  “I’m not sure I want to share you, yet,” he murmured.

  He was so hot. It was just unfair. Posey didn’t have a chance holding out, but she was going to try.

  I don’t want to marry an alien. I don’t want to marry an alien…

  “It’s cold out here,” she smiled and grabbed the door handle.

  When she realized the door was locked she nearly cried.

  But Bond slid a key out of his pocket and let them in.

  “Oh, kids, thank goodness,” Dr. Bhimani cried, crossing the room to wrap Posey in her arms. “Rima and the others just got here a few minutes ago. Go on down and get a hot shower, I’ve got pizza on the way.”

  13

  Posey

  Half an hour later, warm from the shower and wrapped in a plush robe, Posey sat between her two best friends on the sectional sofa in their little observatory apartment.

  The boys, it turned out, had a sort of dormitory just like theirs, but one level below. They had come upstairs, along with Dr. Bhimani and Jason, to eat pizza.

  It seemed like they had already started discussing the events of the night.

  “How is it that he confronted us in a public place like that and no one called the police?” Georgia asked over a slice of double pepperoni.

  Dr. Bhimani got a funny look on her face.

  “I know it sounds weird,” Rima said, “but everyone loves Earl Road.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Georgia asked.

  “I mean, he was the high school quarterback. He’s a volunteer firefighter now. He’s a Little League umpire. He’s in the Rotary Club,” Rima explained. “Everyone loves him. I don’t know why he’s got a bee in his bonnet about us all of a sudden, but he runs the fundraisers for the Policemen’s Benevolent Association, so I’m not sure how much good it would do to get the police involved.”

  “What did he say? What exactly did he see that upset him?” Dr. Bhimani asked.

  “Mom, he’s never liked us…” Rima began.

  “We observed that the bullet that made contact with Georgia’s arm appeared to have come from the area near where our ship is hidden,” Magnum chimed in.

  “Georgia observed that,” Posey added.

  “Did they see the ship?” Jason asked.

  “I think not,” Rocky replied. “They didn’t say anything about an interstellar vehicle, and I checked on it before returning - it is still camouflaged well.”

  How in the world had Rocky had time to get all the way to the ship and still get back before Posey and Bond?

  “They did call us a Satan worshipping cult,” Georgia said. “So we’ve got that going for us.”

  “Oh, wow,” Jason said.

  “Hm, it’s a reasonable mistake,” Dr. Bhimani mused. “Maybe it’s one we can work with.”

  “What do you mean?” Rima asked her mother.

  “They saw you, all dressed in white, heading toward the water. They saw that there was some sort of ceremony going on, and not one they were familiar with.”

  “No, Mom, what do you mean we can ‘work with it’?” Rima asked.

  “Rima, what if we insist this is not a religious cult. Then what?” Dr. Bhimani asked. “They would come around more often trying to prove the point, right? And who knows what they might find? But if we say that we are a religious organization, but a less controversial one, then maybe they’ll take it at face value and leave us alone.”

  Posey thought it over. She had done a lot of reading about fringe religions, especially the secret ones that pulled so many strings behind the scenes of everything from the entertainment industry to international shadow governments. Most people weren’t nearly as informed as she was. It just might work.

  “It’s a good plan,” Georgia said, leaning forward to grab another slice of pizza, her strawberry blonde hair skimming Magnum’s shoulder in the process.

  The big man looked down at her in surprise, then brushed his own hand against the skin of his arm, as if wondering at the difference in the two sensations.

  Posey tried not to think about how awful it would be if Rima’s guy fell for Georgia, as most guys did. Poor Rima was the only one of them who actually wholeheartedly wanted this to work out.

  Posey’s eyes went to Bond of their own accord.

  He was leaning against the wall of the living room, looking out at the night through the open doorway that overlooked the window in Posey’s bedroom.

  “So what do we do to put our plan into action?” Rima asked.

  “Tomorrow I’ll go to town for some groceries,” Dr. Bhimani announced.

  “Oh, thank god, will you get me some more popcorn and some hot chocolate powder - the good kind—” Jason began.

  ‘—But my true purpose will be to spread rumors,”
Dr. Bhimani continued without waiting to hear the rest of Jason’s list. “I’ll do a little research in the morning, share it with you so you all know your backstory, and we’ll be all set.”

  Georgia looked to Rima and they both nodded.

  She had made it sound easy, really easy.

  So why did Posey have a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach?

  “You’re hungry, Posey Quinn,” Bond said from across the room. “Eat something.”

  Damn it.

  14

  Posey

  By midnight, the pizza was eaten, everyone had gone back to their own rooms, and Posey sat on the couch between her two best friends.

  “How’s it going?” she asked, grabbing Rima’s hand and giving it a light squeeze.

  She knew being from this town added an extra layer to the already complicated situation for Rima.

  “It’s okay,” Rima said thoughtfully.

  “How about you, Po?” Georgia asked.

  Posey thought about it.

  “It’s going okay,” she said, and then to her regret, she thought of waking up in Bond’s arms and blushed deeply.

  “You didn’t,” Georgia said.

  “Oh, no, no, I didn’t—” Posey began.

  “Oh my god, you did! But when?” Georgia asked. “We were barely separated for an hour.”

  “I knew there was something different between you two,” Rima said with a grin.

  “Guys, we… okay, we made out a little. But we didn’t, do it. I just met him,” Posey said, wondering how long it would take her to live down the quick make-out session.

  Honestly she didn’t know what had gotten into her. Something about the man’s eyes, made her feel… like it was fated. Like there was destiny involved in their joining - something she would have scoffed at even a day ago.

  “Posey’s in loooove,” Georgia teased.

  “Are you, Posey?” Rima asked.

  “Hardly. How’s Rocky, Georgia?” Posey deflected, hoping her friend would take the bait.

  Georgia shrugged and rolled her green eyes.

  “He’s fine, if you like that type.”

  Rima giggled.

  “What type is that?” Posey asked.

  “Oh, you know,” Georgia said, as if it were obvious.

  “No, I don’t know at all. You mean the drop dead gorgeous and eager to please type?” Posey offered.

  Georgia broke into a smile and launched a small throw pillow onto Posey’s lap.

  “Yeah, he’s good-looking,” she admitted.

  “I think you bagged the winner in that department,” Rima observed.

  Inwardly Posey disagreed. Rocky might look like a football player, but she personally preferred Bond’s more elegant features.

  “Oh, what are you jealous now, Rima?” Georgia teased, throwing a second pillow at her. “I don’t think we’re supposed to trade.”

  “No, I’m happy with what I’ve got,” Rima said, hugging the pillow to her chest with a smug little smile.

  “Not you too,” Georgia wailed. “You guys don’t even seem to like each other. And hey, hey, before we go any farther, why didn’t you tell us what you were getting us into?”

  Rima pressed her lips together, then began carefully smoothing the pillow she held in her lap.

  “I felt terrible not being able to tell you. But this secret was too important,” Rima asked, looking up at them at last. “I mean I know we’re joking right now, but… You realize what we’re a part of, don’t you?”

  Georgia frowned. Posey shook her head.

  “If you think about it, we are the most important ambassadors there have ever been on this planet. The guys might look like the cast of Magic Mike, sure - and the whole idea of being shipped in and married off to them is like something out of the old West…

  “But if we can look past that aspect, just a little bit, think of the possibilities. These are a people with technology so great they can build a human body from scratch and migrate into it. Think what we can learn from them, what their friendship might mean. The cures for diseases, relief from disabilities, maybe even an end to death itself. And that’s just a tiny example.

  “We’re pioneers, all three of us. We’re diplomats. And if we can get to know these men, whether we fall in love or not, we have the opportunity to change the course of our planet.”

  Posey shivered. It was an incredible idea. Until the agents in the black SUVs showed up, like they always did in the movies. Everything was going well so far, but she just couldn’t shake the feeling that they were in over their heads.

  Maybe the girls were right. Maybe she spent too much time thinking about conspiracy theories.

  She decided she would spend more time thinking about nice things, like a spa day, and a fresh mani-pedi, and puppies, and Bond, and his eyes, and the warmth of his strong arms around her…

  15

  Bond

  Bond climbed the stairs as quietly as he could.

  When he had nearly reached the women’s floor, he reached out gently with his mind.

  The thoughts of both the leader, Georgia, and the quiet one called Rima, swirled in the soft patterns of sleep.

  But his own mate’s mind blinked and chattered in perfect wakefulness.

  Bond rejoiced inwardly, but made sure to withdraw from her before he caught anything beyond the liveliness of her thoughts.

  He was no stranger to propriety - manners were everything on a planet whose inhabitants were immortal.

  Bond and his brothers were extremely concerned with learning human manners and customs. But since telepathy was not a common trait here, there was no reference for polite ways to use it.

  Therefore, Bond was committed to using his gift with caution so as not to offend.

  It was hard, though. This place was new, and the images and emotions that flowed so easily to him through his female were like water to a parched throat.

  Perhaps when they were fully mated she would not mind him occupying her thoughts. But he could tell from her distress this evening that it was best not to speak of it yet.

  He reached the females’ living room at last, walked to Posey’s door, and tapped lightly on it.

  “Who is it?” she whispered from the other side.

  “Who it is?” he asked, smiling and waiting for her to laugh.

  “Bond?” she hissed.

  Clearly, she had not watched the Bill Cosby television program.

  It was a shame. The Bill Cosby television program had taught the brothers a great deal about families and the behavior of children. And also it was funny.

  Bond understood humor and so did his brother Rocky. The wrong manners for door-opening in that particular television program had brought them much delight.

  “Yes, Posey Quinn,” he whispered back to her. “It is Bond.”

  The door opened slowly.

  Posey was silhouetted by starlight. She smelled light and sweet, like the berries that grew near the campground.

  He managed, barely, not to wrap his arms around her again.

  His heart still ached at the words that he’d accidentally overheard her thinking earlier, despite his honest efforts to restrain his gift.

  I don’t want to marry an alien.

  He knew better than to force the issue, though he could feel her desire for him pulsing in the air.

  “What are you doing here?” she whispered, pulling him into the room and shutting the door behind him.

  “I couldn’t sleep,” he explained.

  “Yeah, me neither,” she replied.

  “Shall we sit and talk?” he asked.

  Posey gestured to her bed.

  Bond felt his heart beat faster. But Posey merely sat down at the foot of the bed and folded her arms around her knees. Her intention was not to be wrapped in his arms again.

  She gazed out the huge window into the stars, her brow furrowed as if she were trying to coordinate the jump zones for an elliptical orbit.

  Bond sat down on th
e other side of the bed and waited politely, so as not to interrupt her calculations.

  “Do you think it can work?” she asked, at length.

  “Do I think what can work?” he asked, wondering if it was a trick and she wanted to see if he had been reading her thoughts.

  “Us, you, an accord between two species… Are we what you expected?” she asked.

  Oh.

  Bond thought a moment.

  “You are not what I expected,” he allowed.

  She didn’t reply.

  “You are different from the women we studied on television,” he explained.

  She made a snorting sound.

  “Their hair was very large and puffy,” he explained. “Also they weren’t as brave.”

  She looked up, her eyes suddenly alive with interest.

  “You think we’re brave?” she asked.

  “You aren’t afraid of us. You aren’t afraid of a man with a weapon. Earth women on television are small creatures with puffy hair that must be protected. Real Earth women have larger bodies and smaller hair and do not wish to be protected,” he said, satisfied that he had deduced something important.

  “Which do you prefer?” she asked.

  Though her tone was light, he could hear the importance of the question.

  “Oh, I prefer real women,” he told her, making sure to look into her eyes so that she would understand he was being truthful.

  Earth women on television were very shy and needed to be given many compliments. He wondered vaguely if this held true with real Earth women.

  Posey’s cheeks turned pink in a most pleasant fashion and then she hid her face as if in shame. Perhaps he had spoken wrongfully.

  “Do not be ashamed, beautiful Posey. And do not worry. I will protect you even if you do not want protection,” he assured her, trying not to let his voice tremble.

  What he had said was true. Emotion illuminated him and for a moment he felt as he had back on Aerie in his other form, when a sudden shaft of warm starlight would set his molecules dancing.

  She looked up at him and he was surprised to see her eyes shining with tears.