Page 3 of Kidnapped from the Paradise Resort

Kara’s cheeks had gone hot with an embarrassed blush. It was true she never got what she needed from her husband anymore, but that wasn’t her assistant’s business! She remembered that she’d read how women in their forties and fifties sometimes went through a period of extreme sexual desire while men declined at the same age. Maybe that was the problem with her and Kevin. But even if that was the truth, it still wasn’t any of J’orn’s business.

“I think you’d better go now,” she’d said to her assistant in her best, steely, “I am the boss” voice. “My life and my marriage aren’t your concern.”

“But don’t you see—I wouldn’tbeconcerned if I didn’t care for you!” he’d protested.

Kara had taken a deep breath. So this was where all the late-night work sessions, and the snack breaks, and the easy, light-hearted friendship with her assistant had gotten her. She should have been stricter—should have made sure to keep some professional distance between them. Instead, she’d allowed the feeling that J’orn thought she was attractive get to her.

It was the way he looked at her—Kevin was right—there was longing in those pale purple eyes every time he glanced in her direction. But she’d ignored it and now look at where they were.

“J’orn,” she said in a steady voice. “If you’re saying what Ithinkyou’re saying, you need to stop and reconsider. I’m forty and you’re not even thirty yet. I’m toooldfor you. And I’m not exactly skinny either,” she added ruefully. “You should go find a nice girl who’s your own age—some pretty, skinny young thing who’ll?—”

“I don’twantsome other woman,” J’orn protested. “And don’t speak that way about yourself, Kara. You’re what we Kindred call a ‘Mature Elite’—a woman of wisdom blessed by the Goddess with extra bountiful curves. I know I’m not worthy of you now but if you’ll give me time?—”

“I’m afraid we’re out of time,” Kara said firmly. “This is your last day in the PR department, J’orn. I’m not sure where Commander Sylvan is sending you, but I know you’ll be a credit to whatever department?—”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” he’d said roughly, surprising her by cursing, which he almost never did. He rose to his feet to tower over her and for a moment, she was afraid he might get angry and start shouting or break something—that was definitely what a human guy would have done.

But J’orn didn’t start trashing her office—he didn’t even raise his voice. He just looked at her with such an intense gaze that Kara found she had to drop her own eyes because she couldn’t meet his anymore.

“This isn’t over, Kara,” he rumbled.

For a moment she’d thought he was threatening her. But the words weren’t spoken in a menacing tone of voice. It was like he was simply telling a fact he was sure she would soon find out.

“What do you mean by that?” she’d demanded, daring to look at him again.

J’orn leaned closer—leanedoverher. He rested his fingertips on either side of her on the desk and his big, muscular body seemed to surround hers. She could feel his heat and smell his scent—that clean, warm, woodsy scent that she’d always liked so much. But now it had a wild tang to it—some dark spice she’d never smelled on him before.

He smelleddangerous, which didn’t make any sense but that was what her body insisted as her heart rate picked up and her pulse began to race.

“J’orn?” she asked, her voice coming out breathless and uncertain as she looked up at him. “What?—?”

“I meant exactly what I said, Kara,” he murmured, dipping his head to speak in her ear. His warm breath sent a shiver through her whole body. “There’s a reason I was sent to serve and protect you. You can send me away now, but we’re not done with each other yet.”

“Stop…stop talking like that!” she’d demanded breathlessly.

She put out her hands to push him away but her fingertips barely grazed his broad chest before he rose to his full height and took a step back. Then he’d turned and left her office, closing the door gently behind him instead of slamming it, like she might have expected.

2

KARA

Kara looked down at her ticket again. She had been shaken by the encounter with her assistant—deeply shaken. Even now, almost a year later, she was still uncomfortable when she remembered it.

She hadn’t seen J’orn again, though she’d heard through the Mother Ship grapevine that he was training to be in the Kindred Elite Espionage Corps. From what she could tell, that was like the Kindred version of the Special Forces—black ops soldiers who were trained for all kinds of covert missions.

The thought of her sweet, gentle giant of an assistant becoming an assassin or a spy made her sad. That wasn’t J’orn, she thought. He was such a sweetheart—so kind to everyone. She couldn’t imagine him hurting or killing anyone.

“Excuse me, may I see your ticket?”

The flight attendant’s voice broke her train of thought and Kara realized she had finally reached the head of the line—which was now non-existent since she was the very last person to board the shuttle to Paradise Prime.

“Er, yes—here you go,” she said, holding out the silver piece of foil that was covered in black alien markings. Thanks to her shot of Translation Bacteria she’d been able to read most of it, though there was a part near the end that she couldn’t quite make out, no matter how hard she tried.

Still, this shuttle—which left from the Mother Ship every few days—was the only way to get to Paradise Prime and she’d never heard anyone complain about it. She was just glad she’d been able to scoop up this last-minute ticket when her boss, Commander Sylvan, had insisted she take some vacation time that had been accruing.

She’d gotten a whole package, actually. The shuttle ticket was linked with accommodations at an all-female resort located between the beautiful purple Paradisian seas and the snow-capped mountains of Paradise Prime. It sounded like the perfect place to forget both her failed marriage and her ex-assistant—who she still thought about a lot more than she wanted to.

“This way,” the Paradisian flight attendant said to her. She was bipedal and humanoid and if it wasn’t for the third eye in the middle of her forehead and her shiny gold skin, she might have looked human.

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