Close Remembrance

Chapter 1-2

Lifting his head, Korum stared down at her with a heavy-lidded gaze. “All right?” he asked softly, and Mia nodded uncertainly, unable to decide if she liked the peculiar sensation or not.

“Good,” he whispered, beginning to move his hips again while keeping his finger steady. “Just relax... Yes, there’s a good girl...”

Closing her eyes, Mia concentrated on not tensing up, although it was becoming increasingly difficult. The unfamiliar discomfort was somehow adding to the pressure building inside her, each thrust of his c**k causing his finger to move ever so slightly, overwhelming her senses. His pace gradually picked up, his hips moving faster and faster... and then she was suddenly flying apart, her entire body convulsing from an orgasm so intense it left her weak and panting in its wake.

Korum groaned, grinding against her as her inner muscles rhythmically squeezed his c**k, triggering his own climax. She could feel the warm spurts of his seed inside her belly, hear his harsh breathing in her ears as his arm tightened around her waist, holding her securely in place.

When it was all over, he slowly withdrew his finger and kissed her, his lips sweet and tender on hers.

And then they drifted together for a few more minutes, their bodies slick with sweat and wrapped intimately around each other.

The next morning, Mia woke up and stretched, a big grin breaking out on her face as she remembered what took place yesterday. It seemed that Korum had just begun to introduce her to the various erotic pleasures he had in store for her... and she could barely wait to experience it all. Rightly or wrongly, she was now completely addicted to him, to the pleasure she experienced in his arms, and she couldn’t imagine ever being with anyone else—especially not with a regular human man.

It was funny: she’d always heard that relationships tended to lose their initial intensity over time, but it seemed like their passion was only getting stronger with each day that passed. Partially, it was the fact that Korum was a phenomenal lover; during his two thousand years, he’d had plenty of time to learn all the erogenous zones on a woman’s body. But it was also something more, something indefinable—that unique chemistry between them that had been obvious from the very beginning.

Sometimes it scared her, the extent to which she needed him now. The craving went beyond the physical, although she couldn’t imagine going even a single day without the mind-blowing pleasure she experienced in his arms. It was as if they were attuned to each other on a cellular level—two halves of a complete whole.

Still smiling, Mia rolled out of bed. Picking up her wristwatch computer, she glanced at it to check the time. To her surprise, it was already eight a.m., which meant that she had only an hour to eat breakfast and get to the lab. Although it was Saturday, it was a workday in Lenkarda, since the Krinar didn’t follow the human calendar when it came to weekdays and weekends. Their ‘week’ was only four days in duration, instead of seven—three days of work, followed by a day of rest. Mia still thought about time in human calendar terms, however, since that’s what she was used to.

Korum was already gone, so Mia asked the house to prepare her a smoothie and ran to take a quick shower. Even that was different now after Korum’s remodeling efforts. Instead of the shower/jacuzzi combo that she’d gotten used to, the bathroom now had a giant circular stall with the same intelligent technology as everything else in the house. The water came out of everywhere and nowhere, washing and massaging every part of her body, with the water pressure and temperature adjusting to her needs automatically. She didn’t have to apply any effort to wash herself, either; instead, lightly scented soaps, shampoos, and some kind of unusual oils were applied to her hair and skin while she simply stood there, letting Krinar technology do all the work.

After the shower was over, Mia stepped out and warm jets of air dried off her body. Her hair was automatically blow-dried too, resulting in smooth, glossy curls that could’ve been the result of a session at a fancy hair salon. At the same time, her mouth was filled with the taste of something refreshingly clean, as though she had just brushed her teeth.

By the time she was dressed and done with the shower, a strawberry-almond smoothie was already sitting on the kitchen table. Grabbing it on her way out, Mia left the house and headed to work.

Although she had only been gone a week, Mia found that she missed the lab environment. She loved to learn, and the challenge of mastering a difficult subject had never daunted her. Part of her initial reluctance in getting involved with Korum had been due to her fear of losing herself, of becoming nothing more than a glorified pleasure slave. But instead, she seemed to have discovered a way to become a useful part of the Krinar society, to contribute in some small way. By finding her the internship, Korum had done more than simply pad her resume; he’d also demonstrated that he regarded her as a smart and capable person—someone he could not only desire, but respect.

Arriving at the lab, Mia spent most of the day catching up on what she’d missed during her week in Florida. Despite her almost-daily chats with Adam, her project partner, she still felt like she had fallen behind on some of the latest developments. She didn’t have a lot of time to get up to speed either, as Adam was planning to leave to visit his own adopted human family that afternoon.

“How did Saret let you do that?” Mia teased. “Leave for an entire week? Korum practically had to strong-arm him to let me go for that length of time, and you’re much more useful...”

Adam shrugged. “He didn’t have much choice in the matter. I told him I’m going, and that’s that.”

Mia grinned at him, again impressed by the young Krinar. Despite his human upbringing—or maybe because of it—he could more than hold his own with the best of them.

Finally, around four in the afternoon, Adam gave her a bunch of readings and headed out to start his vacation, leaving her alone in the lab. The other apprentices were working on a joint project with the mind lab in Thailand, and they had gone there for a few days to conclude some experiment.

Mia spent the next two hours reading and then went to check on the data that was being generated by the virtual simulation of a young Krinar brain. It appeared that the latest method she and Adam had figured out was indeed a step in the right direction. The knowledge transfer was happening at a faster pace and with fewer unpleasant side effects. Hopefully, they would be able to improve it further by the end of summer—

“How was your vacation in Florida?” a familiar voice behind her asked, and Mia jumped, startled.

Turning around, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing pulse. “You scared me,” she told Saret, giving him a smile. “I didn’t know anyone else was here in the lab.”

Her boss ran his fingers through his dark hair. “I’m just finishing up a few things.” He looked unusually tense, and Mia thought he seemed tired—a rarity for a Krinar.

“Is everything all right?” she asked tentatively, not wanting to overstep any boundaries. Although she had been working for Saret for a couple of weeks, she felt like she still didn’t really know him. He didn’t spend a lot of time in the lab, since whatever project he was working on took him all over the world. When he was in the lab, he was usually in his office—although she’d caught him watching her a few times, apparently keeping an eye on the only human he’d ever allowed into his lab.

“Of course,” Saret said, his features relaxing into a smile. “Why wouldn’t it be? One of my favorite assistants is back.”

Feeling slightly awkward, Mia smiled back at him. “Thanks,” she said. “It’s good to be back. I was just looking at the data, and there’s definitely progress—”

“That’s good,” Saret interrupted. “I look forward to your report soon.”

“Of course. I will prepare it tonight—”

“No, no need for that. You can go home early today. It’s your first day back, and I know your cheren will be unhappy if I keep you here late.”

Surprised, Mia nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure...” Normally, Saret disliked it when his apprentices didn’t put in a full day. He’d even gotten into an argument about that with Korum when Mia had first started the internship. And now it seemed like he actually wanted her to leave... Still, she wasn’t about to quibble; she had been planning to go home in another hour anyway.

“I’m sure.” Saret smiled at her. There was something about that smile that made her uncomfortable, but she couldn’t figure out what.

“Okay then, thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Mia said, walking past him. And as she did, she could’ve sworn he leaned closer, breathing in—almost as if he was inhaling her scent.

Telling herself that she had an overactive imagination, Mia exited the lab and entered a small aircraft that was sitting next to the lab building. Korum had made it for her for the express purpose of traveling around Lenkarda. Like the wristwatch he’d given her, it was programmed to respond to her verbal commands. Feeling tired after a full day at work, Mia sat down on one of the intelligent seats and ordered the ship to take her home.

Saret watched Mia leave, his hands nearly shaking with the urge to reach out and touch her.

Having her so close after her long absence had been torturous. The faint sweetness of her scent permeated the lab, and he hadn’t been able to stop himself from coming closer, from breathing it in. If she hadn’t left then, he would’ve done something stupid—like bring her toward him for a taste. And he wouldn’t have been able to stop with just a taste.

When he tried to analyze his own mind—like every mind expert should—he could come up with a dozen reasons for why he’d become so obsessed with her. First and foremost, she belonged to Korum. Even when they’d been children, Saret had always wanted Korum’s toys. His enemy had been inventive even then, altering the designs for popular games and creating something that was better than what anyone else had. Saret had hated Korum for it then, and he hated him now. Of course, he had never let it show. Korum’s enemies never fared well. It was far better to be his friend—or, at least, to act like one.

And Mia was the ultimate toy. So small, so delicate, so perfectly human. For the first time, Saret understood why her species kept pets. Having a cute creature to call your own, to stroke and touch at your whim—there was something incredibly appealing in that. Especially when that creature loved you, depended on you... She would make a very good pet, Saret thought wryly, with that thick mass of hair that looked so soft and touchable.

He was surprised Korum let her spend so much time away from him. Saret had tested him in the beginning, insisting that Mia put in a full day, just to see if that would convince Korum of the ridiculousness of having a human in a Krinar work environment. His nemesis was the last person he would’ve expected to treat a human girl as an equal. Sure, she was smart—for a human, at least—but she was also young and malleable. It wouldn’t take much effort to mold her into whatever he wanted her to be. Whatever she thought she wanted now—none of that really mattered. If she had been his charl, he could’ve easily convinced her to be happy with her role in his life, in his bed. There were so many amusements for a human girl to enjoy: all kinds of virtual and real-life spa treatments, pretty clothes, interesting recordings, fun books... And instead, Korum had her working nonstop. No wonder she still objected to being a charl. Her cheren simply didn’t know how to treat her properly.

Sighing, Saret went back into his office. All the mind analysis in the world didn’t change the fact that he wanted her. And soon he would be able to have her. He just needed to be patient for a while longer.

Turning his attention back to his task, Saret brought up a three-dimensional map of Shanghai.

China was next on his list.