Close Encounters Read online

  She growled another question, and his response was a sharp nod. Even from several arms’ lengths away and surrounded by other Buri, I caught a wisp of his emotion. He was feeling very smug, but there were overtones of vindication mixed in with it, all of which he was trying hard not to show.

  With only a brief hesitation, the female let go of his arm and walked across the clearing to face me.

  I had no idea what had just transpired, so I braced myself for anything. Anything but her lips curving into a smile of welcome as she gently stroked my cheek. When I cautiously mimicked the gesture, Thor nodded in satisfaction and crossed his arms over his chest while the rest of the tribe relaxed tensed muscles.

  As though it were a signal, I was suddenly surrounded by grunting, smiling females, all of them vying for my notice. Somehow in the melee, my cap got knocked off, provoking another round of excited chatter as they touched my blonde hair and rubbed the material of my jumpsuit between their fingers.

  Things settled down when Thor’s sister took my chin in her hand and made me look at her again. Once she was sure she had my undivided attention, she touched her chest and made a soft noise that started in the back of her throat and sort of rolled between her lips. I tried to repeat it, but the best I could do was Churka. She nodded, then touched my chest.

  “Key-rah,” I pronounced slowly. “Key-rah.”

  She watched my mouth closely, then pursed her lips. What came out sounded more like a growled Kuyya than Kiera, but I nodded. She repeated it, then took my hand and led me to Thor. Touching his shoulder while he stared impassively down at us, she growled a string of syllables a mile long.

  I must have looked blank, because she repeated it. Shaking my head in frustration, I touched his arm. “Thor.”

  With a sideways glance at his sister, he shrugged.

  “Thor,” I said again, smiling and stroking his skin. His dark eyes met mine, and the same odd buzzing filled my head.

  Which is why I didn’t notice there was a problem until Thor stiffened and yanked his gaze from mine. I glanced in the direction he was staring and then spun to face the threat.

  Brownie stood at the edge of the clearing, hands fisted at his sides, anger radiating from him in heavy waves. Thor growled, but it only seemed to increase the other Buri’s agitation.

  Well, this was one of the reasons I’d come to the village today. I only hoped it worked.

  I still had one of the knapsacks slung across my shoulder. With my right hand, I unfastened a side compartment and pulled out a cloth-wrapped bundle. Doing my level best to emit admiration and appreciation, I held the gift reverently on my extended palms as I crossed the clearing to him, Thor close by.

  When I reached him, I bowed once and then extended my offering.

  Anger unabated, his gaze shifted from me, to my hands, to Thor, and I got the impression Brownie’s ire was directed as much at the Buri leader as it was toward me. Seemingly unaffected by the other Buri’s animosity except for a touch of resignation, the big guy gave me a slight smile, and I got the impression he knew I was trying to tell Brownie that I admired his strength, and was honored he’d condescended to fight me.

  His voice low, Thor talked to Brownie for a few minutes, the longest speech I’d ever heard him make. When he finished, Brownie looked at me guardedly. His anger hadn’t ebbed, but it was temporarily buried.

  Warily, he took the bundle from my hands and unwrapped the cloth, his eyes going big and round when he saw what was inside.

  It was a knife, one of the very best in my stores. Made of chromium and platinum, it had an eight-inch blade that was scalpel sharp and would never dull, rust or wear. The hilt was textured to insure a tighter grip, and decorated with engravings of strange and fantastic animals.

  When Brownie looked at me again, his eyes held a warning. He might accept the gift, but this wasn’t over yet, and he wanted me to know it. When I nodded, he held the knife up so everyone could see it.

  All of the males except Thor gathered around, admiring his gift, when a small streak of bronze with chocolate-colored hair pushed through the group and ran toward Brownie. One of the females made a grab but missed. The child lunged for Brownie’s leg, hanging on while he chattered in a high-pitched voice.

  Keeping an eye on me, Brownie leaned down and scooped the little boy into his arms while the other adults moved protectively closer.

  The child wrapped his arms around Brownie’s neck and then stared at me with unblinking chocolate eyes.

  I was so delighted I laughed, and he smiled in return. Even one living child meant there was hope for the Buri. I had a chance to save them.

  Reaching back into my knapsack, I pulled out a Zip Bar, unwrapped it, and offered it to the little boy. He looked at Brownie questioningly, but all of my personal guards were smiling and nodding. When Brownie hesitated, I broke off a piece and popped it in my mouth. He watched me closely for a second before giving his permission, and the child reached eagerly for the bar.

  I waited long enough to see his expression of joy, and then handed Zip Bars out to the rest of the adults. All but Thor. When I offered him one, he shook his head, a feeling of sadness coming from him as he watched Brownie. But the movement pushed his hair away from his right ear, and that’s when I noticed he was wearing two earrings.

  Curious, I stepped closer and went up on my tiptoes. The metal piercing his right lobe was one I couldn’t readily identify by sight alone. It was a dull gray and could have been anything from tin to unpolished silver. Each earring had one link on the end with a black stone attached. It resembled obsidian, but had enough clarity to let me see it was faceted. I’d never seen anything quite like it.

  “Max, can you tell what kind of stone this is?”

  “I’m sorry, Kiera. Not without doing a full spectrogram.”

  Thor stood still during my examination, but when I reached up to touch the stones, he grabbed my wrist and shook his head, his earlier feelings replaced by amusement. Curious.

  With a shrug, I dropped my hand. Where there were two stones, there were bound to be more. I’d just have to be on the lookout for a specimen that Max could analyze. For all I knew, there could be huge veins of the stuff lying around. The ship needed to do some more in-depth geological testing, and I quickly reminded him of that fact.

  In the meantime, I was determined to find some wampum that would pique Thor’s interest. If food wouldn’t do it, I needed to bring out the big guns.

  Letting my knapsack slide to the ground, I knelt and rummaged through the contents, coming up with several of the items I’d purchased on ZT Twelve. When I stood, I grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the pool.

  “Come on, big boy. I’ve got a nice little surprise for you. You’re going to like it, I promise,” I told him in a lighthearted tone.

  He resisted for a second, then gave in and followed me as an expectant hush fell over the tribe. All eyes were locked on me as I put the bottle of biodegradable body soap and shampoo on a rock.

  Please, please, please don’t let them have a nudity taboo, I begged silently as I pulled off my boots, unfastened my jumpsuit and let it slide down my shoulders.

  CHAPTER 4

  To my undying relief, the Buri seemed more curious over my blonde hair, pink skin and green eyes than offended by my nudity. Undoubtedly, I was the first naked human they’d seen, and they all took advantage of the situation by looking their fill. Thor in particular appeared fascinated by my anatomy, moving a step back so his gaze could slide from the top of my head to my toes.

  At least he didn’t growl. By the time his eyes made it back to my face, the corners of his lips curved in a half smile, and I didn’t need to pick up his emotions to know he was pleased by what he saw.

  Okay, enough was enough. I didn’t have a modest bone in my body, but I wasn’t an exhibitionist, either.

  Turning, I picked up the bottle of soap and stepped to the edge of the pool. Crigo opened one eye, saw what I doing, and went back to sleep. Being
a member of the cat family, he couldn’t understand why I immersed myself in water so often. The first time I’d taken a shower after he joined me on board Max, he’d tried to save me by dragging me out from under the spray with one big paw. It had taken a lot of talking to convince him I’d done it deliberately.

  I hesitated as I stared down at the pool. It was so clear I could see the rocks on the bottom, sparkling in the sunlight. What if the Buri were like cats and hated the water? With a glance over my shoulder at Thor, I did a mental headshake. They were too clean, and smelled too good. The only way to maintain that level of hygiene was frequent bathing.

  Gathering my courage, I waded out until the water was waist deep. It was pleasantly cool, but not icy enough to turn my skin blue. Stopping, I motioned for Thor to join me. I have to admit, I was really hoping he’d lose the loincloth before he entered the water, but no such luck.

  Hands on his hips, he glanced around at the tribe. They were all holding their breath, waiting for his reaction. Lowering his hands, he deliberately pulled his boots off, stepped into the pool and walked out to me, the water barely reaching the tops of his thighs when he stopped.

  With gestures and a gentle push, I indicated I wanted him to duck under the water. The tribe stood frozen, their gazes swinging from me to Thor. Even the little boy was silent and wide-eyed. The dragon birds had settled onto vines at our approach and watched with interest. The only sound now was the thundering of the falls behind me.

  Thor slowly obeyed my request, then rose from the water like the god of the seas. Maybe I should have named him Neptune, I thought fuzzily, my gaze moving over his body. The water trickled over thick, well-defined chest muscles, and highlighted his trim waist. It dripped from his hair onto a perfectly shaped forehead and slid sinuously over prominent cheekbones.

  Not even his facial hair could hide the sudden softening of his lips, and I felt a familiar stirring inside. It took an effort, but I forced it away. This was no time to get overly friendly with the natives, even if the idea was tempting. I glanced at the enthralled tribe. Maybe another day, when we wouldn’t be turning sex into a spectator sport. I may be a promiscuous gal, but I’m a private one.

  Keeping a tight rein on my libido, I moved around him, spritzing him with the soap. It was concentrated and self-activating, so a little went a long way. As soon as it hit his hair and skin, it foamed up into a wealth of lather.

  Technically, no scrubbing was required, but I couldn’t resist getting my hands on that wonderful expanse of hot, male territory. I started on his back, sliding my fingers over long corded muscles that flexed under my touch, and then moved on to his front.

  Thor’s eyes were closed, his nostrils flaring as though he wanted to catch every scent and imprint it on his consciousness forever. The shampoo did smell good. It wasn’t the loud floral type, but more like the clean earthy scent that fills the air after a thunderstorm.

  When I put my palms on his chest, his eyes opened, heavy-lidded and intense, and his head dipped to watch my movements.

  The close contact gave me greater access to his emotions, and he was radiating even more than he normally did. I was almost bowled over by his feelings of pleasure, his desire to take the proceedings to the next level. In reaction, and despite my best intentions, the scrubbing turned into a caress.

  All my nerve endings went on alert, and time seemed to stand still. Even the small islands of lather drifting on the water slowed to a stop, and the buzzing in my head swelled to a roar.

  “Kiera.” I was barely aware that Max had spoken and I didn’t respond, my attention focused solely on Thor.

  “Kiera!”

  It was the tinge of panic in Max’s voice that snapped me back to the here and now. Panic? Max? I dropped my hands, stepped back, and time began to flow again.

  “What’s wrong, Max?”

  He sounded a bit calmer when he answered me. “Your heart rate was entering the dangerous zone, and your blood pressure was rising. But it seems to be dropping now.”

  I rolled my eyes. Damn medic scanner bracelet. I’d worn it so Max could gather more in-depth information on the Buri physiology, but now he was using it against me. How do you explain the body’s natural preparations for intercourse to an intelligence whose only body is a spaceship? You don’t. And prude that he was, it would only embarrass him if I tried.

  “I’m fine, Max. It must have been a momentary aberration.” One that I wasn’t about to let happen again. I had no idea why I seemed to be so attracted to the big guy when I’d sworn off men, but I needed to be very careful around this particular male.

  Thor was still standing in front of me covered in lather, but the spell had been broken for him, too. Before I could tell him to rinse, he dove into the water and came up free of the suds.

  But I wasn’t quite done with him yet.

  Once we were out of the pool, I motioned him down onto a rock, and then retrieved my knapsack. The first thing I took out was a stiff bristled brush. It was oval-shaped with a strap across the back to slide your hand through.

  I set to work on his hair and discovered something surprising. Their hair and skin must have evolved to repel rain, because he shed water like a duck. One swipe of the brush, and the hair behind it was dry, silky and glistening with blue-white glimmers in the bright sun. It left me rather envious, and wishing my hair had the same ability.

  He sat still and allowed my ministrations, his eyes cutting sideways to keep me in sight as I moved around him. By the time I finished, he was all but purring.

  “Like that, do you?” I murmured, giving his hair a final stroke. “One more thing and we’ll be done.”

  I was reaching back into my knapsack when Brownie caught my attention. His anger had returned full force. Was he jealous of the special attention Thor was getting? No. Narrowing my eyes I studied him a bit more intently, shields completely down. His anger wasn’t due to jealousy. It was because Thor was accepting my ministrations, accepting me as…

  Damn, I’d lost the mental thread.

  Frustrated by my inability to clarify his thoughts, I gave up temporarily, went back to what I was doing and pulled a hair clip out of my knapsack. I’d bought over fifty boxes of the clips on ZT Twelve along with lots of brushes, enough for an entire population of Buri. They were relatively inexpensive when bought in bulk, functional and lovely to look at. But the one I held now was special. Not only was it one of a kind, I’d known the second I saw it that it was made for the big guy. Maybe even on ZT Twelve I’d had his name floating in the back of my mind.

  The band was solid silver, polished to a high sheen. Emblazoned on its surface was a lightning bolt made of reddish-gold metal that seemed to glow from within. Around it radiated blue lines of static electricity.

  I held it down where Thor could see it, and he took it from my hand, examining the clip minutely. He wasn’t even alarmed when it closed around his finger, just mildly curious.

  With a nod, he handed it back. Using the brush again, I pulled his hair into a queue and let the clip fasten around it. He looked gorgeous, the colors standing out with stunning clarity against his ebony tresses.

  Smiling, I faced him and lifted my hands palms up. “All done.”

  The raucous cheers that erupted made me jump and spin to face the tribe. I’d been so intent on what I was doing, and they were so quiet, I’d forgotten they were there.

  So had Crigo. At the first yell, he leaped into the air, and then had to scramble to keep from falling into the pool, his claws digging at the rock for purchase. Once he was back on solid ground, his ears flattened and he glared at the Buri, tail twitching in a frenzy of ire.

  “Max, any idea why they’re cheering?”

  “There is a thirty percent probability that you performed a ritual honoring their leader.”

  “Thirty percent isn’t too high.”

  “It’s the best I can do without more data.”

  I’d swear I heard a sniff in his answer, and I smiled. Sometimes I t
hink he’s more human than I am. But his response did remind me that I’d asked him to check on Junior’s spear markings for me.

  “Have you found anything in your files about the Ashwani?” There was a second of silence before he answered, and I knew he was locating whatever he’d found.

  “There’s only one mention about their size, along with a notation that the Ashwani’s hair and eye color are the same. For more information we’re directed to the Federation archives.”

  Yeah, the hair and eye color, added to the spears the Buri carried were what made me think of the Ashwani in the first place. “Okay, when you get a chance, connect to the archives and get me everything you can find.”

  While I dressed, the Buri tribe gathered around Thor to examine his hair and the clip. A few checked out the oddly shaped brush. Choosing a broad, flat rock, I upended the contents of both knapsacks, spreading them out so the Buri could see them clearly.

  Turning to invite the tribe to help themselves to the goodies, I was just in time to see a male Buri with light brown hair and eyes spritz the soap into his mouth. His eyes widened in alarm when it activated, filling his mouth with bubbles until he looked like he had a case of old-fashioned rabies.

  Thor joined me as I laughed until my sides hurt, a grin wide enough to show strong white teeth curving his lips. Together we watched the Buri spit frantically and then dive into the pool to rinse his mouth. Soon, all the males were in the water, passing the shampoo back and forth between them.

  The women ignored their antics in favor of the loot I’d put out, and there was a distinct air of celebration among the tribe.

  It was when the women began using the hair clips and barrettes that I noticed Thor wasn’t the only one wearing the black-stoned earrings. But there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to their dispersal. Some of the females wore a single earring in their left ear, and others wore none at all.

  I glanced at the males. Junior had no earrings, Elder had one, and, like Thor, Ghost had two, both on the right lobe. Most curious. I didn’t think they were symbols of rank, because if that were the case, only the highest-ranking males would wear two. Ghost obviously wasn’t a leader among his people, or he wouldn’t have been relegated to guard duty.