Accidental Slave to the Kralians: Sci-Fi Ménage Romance (The Complete Edition) Read online

  That she wasn’t in the mood for filming was a given. However, the whole crew seemed tired and demotivated, and the fact that they were working on a corny scene between Daisy and her alien hero didn’t help. Avery did her best to deliver her lines in the innocent, soft voice of Daisy Clearwater, but Sean could barely contain his amusement.

  “Are you always this unprofessional?” Avery hissed between gritted teeth right before the dozenth take.

  “I’m sorry,” the handsome actor chuckled. “It’s just… Daisy, you are the beacon of light and hope I’ve been waiting for all my wretched life…” He laughed out loud, then coughed to hide it when the director threw him an angry glance. “I just can’t. I can’t even, to be fair.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “The sooner you say it right, the faster we’re out of here.”

  “Out of here and into the next scene.”

  “Yeah, you get to kiss me. Isn’t that exciting?”

  Sean’s eyes sparkled just a tiny bit.

  “I still think we should have rehearsed that.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked an eyebrow.

  “Tell you what. Get your stupid line right this time, spare me another take, and we’ll rehearse during lunch break.”

  He extended his hand as if they were about to close a deal.

  “Pleasure doing business with you, Poppy.”

  She rolled her eyes one more time and shook his hand. At this rate, she could say she was about to invent and patent a new type of yoga. “Eyeball yoga for weight loss” would be the name of her first program. In ten days. Yeah… ten days sounded more than enough. The only yoga practice you will ever need!

  Sean did get it right, but when lunch break came, Avery was too busy running to Kit Walsh’s trailer to remember her promise. She had nothing against her colleague, really. She wouldn’t mind kissing him for the sake of art, but she had more pressing matters to take care of. As she alternated running with a weird version of power walking when she passed groups of people, she prayed to God that luck would be on her side and she’d finally get to confront Kryan and Aedar about their silence. When she reached Kit’s trailer, she knocked but didn’t wait to be invited inside. She smiled to herself when she found the door unlocked, and took a deep breath before barging in.

  “Here you are!” Aedar greeted her with a large smile. He was dressed in a plain pair of jeans, a messily buttoned shirt, and his dark, longish hair was disheveled.

  For a moment, Avery was confused. Then, she remembered the brothers could feel her better than she could feel them. For some reason, the connection between them was stronger on their side, or they were simply more aware of it.

  “You were waiting for me?” she asked.

  “Naturally.” Kryan threw the script he’d been re-reading on the nearby table.

  The space was small and cramped, and Avery felt like it was hard to breathe. The windows were open, so it wasn’t the lack of oxygen. Oh, there was plenty of oxygen for the three of them. It was their closeness. She hadn’t seen them in four days, and she was just now realizing how much she’d missed them. Sure, it was her job to stay in touch with them on behalf of the SPG, but it was more than that. These past few days, she’d felt like something was missing from her life, like… she wasn’t complete. Which was super weird, because Avery had always been the kind of woman who felt perfectly complete without a man, or two, in her personal space.

  “I don’t believe you,” she finally said. “You’ve been avoiding me since I gave you the intel about the Vinča civilization. Why? My team is freaking out, and I’m barely holding it together myself, to tell you the truth. We’ve been nothing but honest and helpful. It doesn’t seem to me like you’re returning the favor. We’re supposed to be working together, not keeping things from each other.”

  Kryan sighed but didn’t say anything.

  Aedar threw his brother a quick glance, then fixed Avery with his intense silver gaze.

  “We know, and we’re sorry for putting you in this situation. We… needed time to figure things out before we got the SPG involved.”

  Avery huffed. “We’re already involved! What the hell are you talking about?!”

  “You’re right, you’re right…”

  She took a step toward him.

  “Aedar, you’re not actually saying anything. This is called stalling. What did you guys find in the database of the Hordaa?”

  This time, Aedar remained silent, too. Kryan was staring at some random spot on the trailer wall, and both their behaviors were starting to irritate Avery to no end. She didn’t have time for silly games. The lunch break was short, she hadn’t eaten anything since the oatmeal she’d had for breakfast, and she was growing crankier and crankier by the second. Alright, then. She’d tried to confront them directly, and she’d apparently failed. Time for Plan B.

  Slowly, she closed the distance between her and Aedar, who was leaning against the countertop that held the microwave oven and an electric kettle. She placed a hand on his chest and looked intensely at his lips before moving her gaze up to his eyes. A rush of emotions flooded her whole being, and her body almost buzzed with the sudden shock. She breathed evenly and tried to stay in control. The key was to distinguish between her own emotions and his, otherwise this wouldn’t work.

  “I missed you,” she whispered. She wasn’t even lying, and that helped because Aedar could certainly feel her just like she was feeling him now.

  He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes to enjoy it.

  “I missed you too, little pleasure slave.”

  She chuckled. It was weird how being called their pleasure slave sometimes infuriated her, and other times gave her a sweet sense of belonging. Soon, she felt Kryan step behind her, sneaking an arm around her waist. The sensation of being so close to them, pressed between their hard, strong bodies was overwhelming. A second wave of emotions took her breath away. She leaned into Kryan and let her head fall back on his chest. As if on cue, Aedar attacked her long, pale neck with small, playful kisses. She moaned.

  “We shouldn’t have stayed away for so long…” said Kryan. He ran his hands up and down her sides. “But we knew that if we saw you, you’d influence us… make us rush into things…”

  “What things?”

  Avery was doing her best to keep track of the fleeting foreign thoughts coming her way via their connection, while abandoning herself to their touches at the same time. She could keep a level head, sure, but she didn’t want to miss this opportunity to bask in their love and attention. Love? She snapped her eyes open and straightened her back, slightly pushing Aedar away. No. What was wrong with her? She was losing it. Or… was that really the main feeling her being was downloading through the touch of their hot lips against every exposed inch of her skin? Lucky for her that Daisy Clearwater’s style was rather conservative. She was a good girl, Daisy…

  “What did you discover in the database?” she pressed on.

  “Not what you’d expect…”

  “Don’t assume you know what I’d expect…”

  She would have sounded more convincing if her words hadn’t ended in a needy moan. She could feel Kryan’s erection pressed against her buttocks, and she could almost see into Aedar’s mind. The Kralian captain was thinking of her naked, under him, legs spread wide to receive him. The fantasy didn’t bother her at all. In fact, her throbbing core agreed with his idea of taking this impromptu meeting to the next level.

  Her plan was working, though. Even if they were holding back from telling her something conclusive, she could feel them. She could catch their emotions around the matter, and even small glimpses of their thoughts. Whatever they had found, there was uncertainty there. And disbelief. As if the discovery had taken them by surprise, and it was still difficult for them to understand it, internalize it… much less pass it on to the SPG. It was as if… they were afraid. Was the information danger
ous? No, not quite… At least, not dangerous in the way that it could destroy something or someone, but in the way that it could… prompt change. From what she could gather telepathically, neither Kryan, nor Aedar seemed ready for that change. They didn’t understand it yet, so they were reluctant to tell someone else about it, especially if that someone else was human. It seemed to her like… they were afraid that while Kralians would be up for making the required changes, Terrans wouldn’t. Avery couldn’t blame them. Humans were known for being terrified of change and of anything that had any resemblance to the great unknown.

  “What are you doing?” Kryan asked as he bit the tip of her ear.

  “Nothing.” She smiled mischievously, even though neither of them could see her. She rolled her hips and rubbed her butt against Kryan’s hard cock while grazing Aedar’s erection, just an inch away from her pelvis.

  “Avery,” he whispered in her ear, and she almost melted on the spot.

  A knock on the trailer door made them jump in surprise. Kryan and Aedar stepped away from her at the same time, and Avery dreaded the rush of cold air that replaced the presence of their bodies. She opened her eyes, cleared her throat, and readjusted her clothes.

  “Yes, come in,” Kryan called out.

  A young assistant working on the set peeked his head in but didn’t enter.

  “Sorry, the director is looking for you. And… Miss Poppy. Running late, and all that.”

  “We’ll be right there,” Kryan said while picking up the script and making himself look busy.

  Avery smiled tensely. “In a minute. I was just… I needed some insight into the next scene.”

  The guy nodded and disappeared. Avery mentally cursed herself for giving unnecessary explanations to someone who didn’t have any kind of authority. As if she had been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to, and now she felt guilty and ashamed.

  “Okay, cards on the table,” she said on her way out of the trailer. “Are you guys going to tell me what you found out about your planet and the Vinča culture?”

  “Yes,” said Aedar.

  “When?”

  “Tonight. This is not the time, nor the place. Come by at 9.”

  “Why don’t you come by at the SPG HQ? Whatever it is, everyone needs to hear it.”

  “No,” said Kryan. “Just you, for now. We haven’t decided what to do with the information yet.”

  She sighed deeply. “Come on! Is it that bad?”

  Aedar chuckled. “It might be too good… who knows?”

  “I hate you.”

  “Run along now. It’s not a good idea to be seen together all the time.”

  “All the time?!” Avery shook her head and waved them off. “You know what? I’m done with you two. I missed my lunch, and it’s all your fault. Don’t even talk to me until tonight.”

  “We weren’t going to…” Aedar looked slightly confused. “You’re the one who’s been following us around.”

  She stepped out of the trailer and slammed the door shut behind her. She didn’t have time for the nonsense they were pulling off. For the time being, she could declare herself satisfied. She got what she’d wanted. Or, part of it. The Kralians weren’t plotting anything unsavory behind her back. They were genuinely unsettled about their own discovery.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Avery’s hands were shaking slightly as she parked her car in front of the mansion, stopped the engine, and checked her makeup in the mirror. The winged eyeliner made her eyes look bigger and bluer, and the soft pink lipstick gave her an air of innocence which she secretly hoped Kryan and Aedar would like. So far, they’d seen her as this strong, assertive woman who knew how to play tough because her job required it, but there was also a soft, feminine side to her, and Avery felt like she needed to let it out to play once in a while, otherwise she’d forget who she truly was. Yes, she was a badass FBI agent who was ready to take on an entire fleet of alien ships if necessary, but she was also a young woman who craved moments of surrender, of letting go… moments of allowing someone else to take care of her.

  “So emotional,” she whispered under her breath as she grabbed her bag and stepped out of the car. “What’s wrong with me tonight?”

  But there was nothing wrong with her. She was just tired. Tired of playing a role. No. Two roles. Maybe more. Tired of bouncing between jobs, attitudes, approaches. On set, she had to be Poppy Tonks, the talented and pretty Hollywood star who could be quite a princess, or even a bitch, depending on the circumstances. When she was alone with Sharon, she had to drop the act and become Avery, the cool FBI agent who knew what she was doing, and who could protect her friend because she had all the right answers. Sharon needed her to be strong and confident. Then, every time she saw Kryan and Aedar, Avery couldn’t help but feel and act confused. She was doing her best to show everyone around them that their relationship was professional and rather cold, but it took all her energy. There was no way she could be normal when she felt their intense gray eyes on her, when she caught a whiff of the musky cologne Kryan wore, or saw Aedar run his hand through his dark, disheveled hair from the corner of her eye. It was as if currents of electricity ran between the three of them, forcing their bodies to stay connected even when they were apart. It was a miracle that the others on set hadn’t figured it all out. Meadow was the only one who knew, but Meadow was Kralian too.

  Avery took a deep breath and knocked on the door. This time, the butler invited her in and directed her up the stairs. Apparently, the masters of the house were expecting her upstairs, in the library. Curiosity got the best of her. Did this mean they had planned something special for her? Why the secrecy? She’d thought they would have a nice dinner, then a glass of wine in the living room, where the Kralian captains would finally tell her what they’d discovered in the database of the Hordaa.

  “Get a hold of yourself, silly,” she thought. “This is exactly why they chose the library.”

  What was she hoping for, exactly? The FBI agent wanted a quick, efficient meeting so she could then run to the SPG HQ and tell her team what she’d found out. The woman, though, wanted much more from Kryan and Aedar.

  “No time to fool around,” she tried to convince herself for the umpteenth time since lunch.

  Aedar opened the door for her even before she reached it. Of course. He could feel her. She let out a small gasp, then a chuckle, when she saw they were both sporting their warrior outfits, their skin as purple as the lavender her grandma used to grow on her balcony. She cocked and eyebrow and allowed her gaze to linger on Aedar, then on Kryan. The last time she’d seen them in their warrior gear, things had turned rather heated.

  “Did you just…?”

  “We came back from the ship,” Kryan confirmed before she finished her question. He smiled, then stepped aside, revealing that the armchair behind him was covered in heaps of clothes. “We have something for you.”

  “Oh.” She threw her bag on the desk and went to inspect the garments. “These are… for me?” She held up what looked like a dress. The material was soft to the touch, of a greenish shade, and completely transparent. Avery blinked in confusion.

  “You wear it with this.” Aedar went to her side and grabbed what looked like a green leotard. He held it out in front of her. “This goes under the dress.”

  She laughed. For a moment there, she’d thought they wanted her to stroll around naked on the Hordaa.

  “You’re finally taking me on your ship!” Excited, she looked at the other dresses and leotards available. Apparently, that was what Kralian women wore.

  “Err… no. Not exactly.”

  Avery let out a heavy sigh.

  “Really? You’re not going to show me what you found in the database?” She threw the garments she’d been checking out back on the armchair and crossed her arms over her chest. “What is this, guys? Are we still working together or not? Did you just make me come here for nothing?”

  Kryan stepped behin
d her. Avery felt his body so close that the hairs on the nape of her neck stood on end. That electricity again… When he ran his big, warm palms up her sides, she shivered.

  “It’s never for nothing,” he whispered in her ear.

  She closed her eyes for a second, bit the inside of her cheek, then took a deep breath and stepped away from him. That meant she was now closer to Aedar, but at least his brother seemed willing to keep his hands to himself.

  “You both know why I’m here. Let’s get this over with. You said we can talk tonight.”

  “What about last time?” Kryan closed the space between them again. He wrapped his bulging arms around her and pressed her back to his chest. “I don’t remember you coming for work stuff then.”

  She knew what he was talking about. The night she hadn’t been able to hold herself back and had paid them an impromptu visit which ended with them having sex on the sofa in the living room. Her core throbbed at the sweet, sinful memory. The fact that she could feel his hard cock pressed against the small of her back didn’t help. She looked up at Aedar, and the wicked smirk dancing on his lips made her heart clench. God, they were both too hot for their own good! Okay, for her own good… They seemed perfectly content with the situation.

  “Kryan,” she whispered, then took a moment to swallow hard and gather her thoughts. “No.” Her last word was loud and confident. He immediately backed off, and she thanked all the gods in the skies for that. If he’d kept it up, she would have succumbed to him and his brother. “Not tonight.”