Alien Tango

either?”
    Reader shook his head. “No. He’s really not happy about whatever it is, though.”
    I held up the file. “Here, you live for the light reading.”
    The gate was ready, and Martini picked me up. Him holding me was always my preferred way to travel. Normally in a rush situation we’d have gone singly, but he was angry. I didn’t mind—burying my face in Martini’s neck helped a lot with the nausea.
    He stepped us through, I buried my face, he held me tighter. It was comforting. At least something was normal.
    We landed at the Bat Cave level in the Science Center. Things were only slightly less hectic here. We raced to the elevator banks and went down, Reader and Tim to the eighth floor, which was Transient Housing, and me and Martini to the fifteenth, which was forensics, some utility, meeting space for top security, and what I called Martini’s Human Lair, which was where I also happened to live. Technically, Martini had a room on the Transient level as well as an apartment somewhere around East Base. But they were mostly for show and to let me lie to myself that we weren’t living together yet. I knew it was a lie, but it was one I still needed to hang onto for some reason.
    We trotted through the living room area into the bedroom. The bed was made, which was a perk of living at the Science Center. Martini still hadn’t told me who or how this got done, nor other oddities, like the right sized clothing being where you needed it when you needed it, and I hadn’t been able to discover how it worked on my own.
    However, it was working again. There were two small rolling bags waiting for us on the bed. I went to the closet and Martini went to the dresser, and we started packing what we’d need. “You want me in the standard issue outfit or one of my own suits?”
    He considered this while I selected a couple of concert T-shirts to go along with a clean pair of jeans. I might have to look official but if we were staying for any length of time, I was going to have the means to be comfortable with me or die.
    “Wear that blue suit of yours, the really sexy one.”
    “Jeff, am I meeting either one of your parents on this trip?”
    “Probably my father.” He wasn’t looking at me, busying himself with his suitcase.
    “Why that suit, then?”
    Martini looked at me. “He’s male. You look even sexier in that suit than you do in our women’s standard issue, and you look damned sexy in that.”
    “I don’t want to make your father think I’m hot, I want him to like me.”
    He looked down. “I wouldn’t hold out hope for that.” His voice was low and I heard the depression again. And he’d been so relaxed only a few minutes earlier.
    Martini was normally pretty cheerful, unless we were having a spat, so all of this made my worry go supernova. He felt it, of course, and reached out and pulled me into his arms. He held me tightly, without speaking, for quite a while. I relaxed against him—it always felt good to be in his arms.
    “I’m sorry my parents just aren’t as . . . accepting as yours,” he said at last.
    “My parents have actually met you. Maybe that’s all it’ll need, Jeff. Maybe you’re worrying too much.”
    He sighed. “We’ll see.” He kissed the top of my head. “Let’s finish getting ready and get the ordeal started.”
    I left his embrace and started taking my clothes off. I was in my underwear when his arms wrapped around me from behind. He nuzzled my ear and I melted back against him. “Don’t we have to hurry?” He started to stroke my stomach, radiating out from my navel in ever-widening circles. My breathing got ragged.
    “Maybe,” he whispered in my ear, his breath hot. I moaned. He leaned my head back and to the side. “Maybe not.” Then he kissed me.

CHAPTER 9
    WE WOULD HAVE BEEN MAKING love like bunnies if the intercom hadn’t gone off. “Commanders Martini and Katt, situation has been escalated. Please finish packing and head to Launch level immediately.”
    Martini sighed, and stopped the wonderful things he was doing to my breasts while he held me in his arms and I had my legs wrapped around his waist. “Fine, Gladys. Thanks for the hurry it up reminder.”
    “I live to serve.” The intercom went dead. I’d never met Gladys, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
    Martini set me down, and I pulled my underwear back on. “We’ll just finish that conversation later.”
    “Yeah.” He stroked the back of my neck. “I’m going into the