Close Obsession (3 page)

It was a clever idea, Mia thought, to have the light turn on so slowly. Bright light after complete darkness was often painful to the eyes, yet that’s how most human light fixtures worked, simply on and off – disregarding the fact that light-dark transitions in nature were far more subtle.

Reluctant to leave the comfort of the bed, Mia lay there and tried to figure out what to do next. The sick, panicky feeling of earlier was gone, and she could think more clearly.

It was true that Korum had used and manipulated her.

But, to be fair, he’d done it to protect his own kind – just as she’d thought she was helping all of humanity by spying on him. The sense of betrayal she’d felt yesterday had been irrational, out of place considering the nature of their relationship and her own actions toward him. The fact that he hadn’t really done anything to punish her for
her
betrayal spoke volumes about his intentions.

She’d been wrong to paint him with such a dark brush before. If he hadn’t hurt her for what she’d done thus far, he probably never would.

However, he clearly had no problem disregarding her wishes. Case in point: she was here in Lenkarda. Yet, if he’d spoken the truth, she would still be able to go visit her parents soon, and even come back to New York to finish college.

All in all, her situation was much better than she’d feared this morning, when she’d thought he might kill her for helping the Resistance.

Still, the circumstances she found herself in were unsettling. She was in a K Center, where she didn’t speak the language, didn’t know anyone except Korum, and had no idea how to use even the most basic Krinar technology. As a human, she was the ultimate outsider here. Would the Ks think she was dumb because of what she was? Because she couldn’t understand the Krinar language or read ten books in a couple of hours, the way Korum could? Would they make fun of her ignorance and her technological illiteracy? She wasn’t exactly tech-savvy even by human standards. In general, was Korum’s arrogance simply a part of his personality, or was it typical of his species and their overall attitude toward humans?

Of course, agonizing about all this didn’t change the facts. Whether she liked it or not, she was in Lenkarda for at least the next couple of months, and she had to make the best of it. And in the meantime, there was so much she could learn here –

The bedroom door opened quietly, and Korum walked in, interrupting her thoughts. “Hey there, sleepyhead, how are you feeling?”

Mia couldn’t help smiling at him, forgetting her concerns for the moment. For the first time since she’d known him, Korum was dressed in Krinar clothing: a sleeveless shirt made of some soft-looking white material and a pair of loose grey shorts that ended just above his knees. It was a simple outfit, but it did wonders for his physique, accentuating his powerfully muscled build. He looked mouthwateringly gorgeous, his smooth bronze skin glowing with health and those amber eyes shining as he looked at her lying on his bed.

“The bed is awesome,” Mia confided. “I don’t know how you slept on anything else.”

He grinned, sitting down next to her and picking up a strand of her hair to play with. “I know. It was a real sacrifice – but your presence made it quite tolerable.”

Mia laughed and rolled over onto her stomach, feeling absurdly happy. “So what now? Do I get to meet other intelligent objects? I have to say, your technology is very cool.”

“Oh, you have no idea just how cool our technology is,” Korum said, looking at her with a mysterious smile. “But you’ll learn soon.”

Bending down, he kissed her exposed shoulder and then lightly nibbled on her neck, his mouth warm and soft on her skin. Closing her eyes, Mia shivered from the pleasant sensation. Her body immediately responded to his touch, and she moaned softly, feeling a surge of warm moisture between her legs.

He stopped and sat up straight.

Surprised, Mia opened her eyes and looked at him. “You don’t want me?” she asked quietly, trying to keep the hurt note out of her voice.

“What? No, my darling, I very much want you.” And it was true; she could see the warm golden flecks in his expressive eyes, and the soft material of his shorts did little to hide his erection.

“Then why did you stop?” asked Mia, trying very hard not to sound like a child deprived of candy.

He sighed, looking frustrated. “A friend of mine is coming over to meet you. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

Mia looked at him in surprise. “Your friend wants to meet me? Why?”

Korum smiled. “Because he’s heard a lot about you from me. And also because he’s one of our top mind experts and can help you with the adjustment process.”

Mia frowned slightly. “A mind expert? You want me to see a shrink?”

Korum shook his head, grinning. “No, he’s not a shrink. In our society, a mind expert is someone who deals with all aspects of the brain. He’s like a neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, and therapist combined – literally an expert on all matters having to do with the mind.”

That was interesting, but didn’t really answer her question. “So why does he want to see me?”

“Because I think there’s something he can do to make you feel more at home here,” Korum said, his fingers trailing down her arm, rubbing it softly.

He liked to do that, Mia had noticed, to just randomly touch her during their conversations, as though craving constant physical contact. Mia didn’t mind. It was that chemistry he had talked about before; their bodies gravitated toward each other like two objects in space.

She forced her attention back to the conversation. “Like what?” she asked, feeling slightly wary.

“Well, for instance, would you like to be able to understand and speak our language?”

Mia’s eyes widened, and she nodded eagerly. “Of course!”

“Have you ever wondered how I’m able to speak English so well? And every other human language? How all of us speak like this?”

“I didn’t know you spoke other languages besides English,” Mia confessed, staring at him in amazement. She had briefly wondered how he knew such perfect American English, but she’d always assumed the Ks had simply studied everything before coming to Earth. Korum was incredibly smart, so she’d never really questioned the fact that he knew her language and was able to speak it without any accent. And now he was telling her that he spoke a bunch of other languages as well?

“So you speak French?” she asked. At his nod, she continued, “Spanish? Russian? Polish? Mandarin?” He made an affirmative gesture each time.

“Okay . . . What about Swahili?” asked Mia, sure that she had caught him this time.

“That too,” he said, smiling at her astounded expression.

“Okay,” said Mia slowly. “I gather you’re about to tell me that it’s not just pure smarts on your part.”

He grinned. “Exactly. I could’ve learned the languages on my own given enough time, but there’s a more efficient way – and that’s what Saret can do for you.”

Mia stared at him. “He can teach me how to speak Krinar?”

“Better than that. He can give you the same abilities that I have – instant comprehension and knowledge of any language, be it human or Krinar.”

Mia gasped in shock, her heart beating faster from excitement. “How?”

“By giving you a tiny implant that will influence a specific region of your brain and act as a highly advanced translation device.”

“A brain implant?” Her excitement immediately turned to dread as everything inside Mia violently rejected the idea. He had already embedded tracking devices in her palms; the last thing she needed was alien technology influencing her brain. The ability he had described was incredible, and she desperately wanted it – but not at that price.

“The device is not really what you’re picturing,” Korum said. “It’s going to be tiny, the size of a cell, and you will not feel discomfort at any point – either during insertion or afterwards.”

“And if I say no, that I don’t want it?” Mia asked quietly, alarmed at the idea that Korum already had the mind expert on the way here.

“Why not?” He looked at her with a small frown.

“Do you really need to ask?” she said incredulously. “You
shined
me – you put tracking devices in me under the pretext of healing my palms. Did you really think I would be okay with you putting something in my brain?”

Korum’s frown deepened. “This doesn’t have any extra functionality, Mia.” He didn’t seem the least bit repentant about shining her in the first place.

“Really?” she asked him acerbically. “It doesn’t do anything extra? Doesn’t influence my thoughts or feelings in any way?”

“No, my darling, it doesn’t.” He looked vaguely amused at the thought.

“I don’t want a brain implant,” Mia said firmly, looking at him with a mutinous expression on her face.

He stared back at her. “Mia,” he said softly, “if I had truly wanted to put something nefarious in your brain, I could’ve done it in a million different ways. I can implant anything in your body at any time, and you wouldn’t have a clue. The only reason why I’m offering you this ability is because I want you to be comfortable here, to be able to communicate with everyone on your own. If you don’t want this, then that’s your choice. I won’t force it on you. But very few humans get this opportunity, so I would advise you to think really hard before you turn it down.”

Mia looked away, struck by the realization that he was right. He didn’t need to inform her or get her consent for anything he wanted to do to her. The panic that she thought she had under control threatened to bubble up again, and she squelched it with effort.

Something didn’t quite make sense to her. Taking a deep breath, Mia turned her gaze to his face again, studying his inscrutable expression. It bothered her that she still understood him so little, that the person who had so much power over her was still such a big unknown.

“Korum . . .” She wasn’t sure if she should bring this up, but she couldn’t resist. The question had tormented her for weeks. “Why did you shine me? I hadn’t even met the Resistance at that point, so it’s not like you needed to keep tabs on me for your big plan . . .”

“Because I wanted to make sure I can always find you,” he said, and there was a possessive note in his voice that frightened her. “I held you in my arms that day, and I knew I wanted more. I wanted everything, Mia. You were mine from that moment on, and I had no intention of losing you, not even for a moment.”

Not even for a moment? Did he realize how crazy that sounded? He had seen a girl he wanted, and he’d made sure her location would always be known to him.

The fact that he thought he had the right to do this was terrifying. How could she deal with someone like that? He had no concept of boundaries when it came to her, no respect for her freedom of will. He had just casually admitted to a horrible and high-handed act, and she had no idea what she could say to him now.

At her silence, Korum took a deep breath and got up. “You should get dressed,” he said quietly. “Saret will be here in a minute.”

Mia nodded and sat up, holding the sheets to her chest. Now was not the time to analyze the complexities of their relationship. Taking a deep breath of her own, she pushed aside her fear. There was no way she could change her situation right now, and focusing on the negative would only make things worse. She needed to find a way to get along with her lover and figure out how to better manage his domineering nature.

“What should I wear?” Mia asked. “I didn’t bring any clothes . . .”

“Do you want your usual jeans and T-shirts, or do you want to dress like everyone else here?” Korum asked, a smile appearing on his face. Some of the tension in the room dissipated.

“Um, like everyone else, I guess.” She didn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb.

“Okay, then.” Korum made a small gesture with his hand and handed her a light-colored piece of material that hadn’t been there only a second ago.

Wide-eyed, Mia stared at the piece of clothing he just gave her. “More instant fabrication?” she asked, trying to act like it wasn’t still a huge shock to her to see things materializing out of nothing.

He grinned. “That’s right. If you don’t like this, I can get you something else. Go ahead, try it on.”

Mia let go of the sheet and climbed out of bed, feeling comfortable with her nakedness. For all his faults, Korum had done wonders for her body image and self-confidence. Because he repeatedly told her how beautiful he found her to be, she no longer worried about being too skinny or having frizzy hair and pale skin. He would’ve been a boon during her insecure teenage years.

No, scratch that thought.
No teenager should be subjected to someone so overwhelming.

Taking the dress, she put it on, making sure that the low-cut portion was in the back. “What do you think?” she asked, doing a small twirl.

He smiled with a warm glow in his eyes. “It looks perfect on you.”

His shorts now had a bulge in them, and Mia smiled to herself in satisfaction. Despite everything, it was nice to know that she had that kind of effect on him, that his need was as strong as hers. At least in this, they were equals.

Curious to see how the dress looked, she walked over to the mirror on the other side of the bedroom.