Free Cosmic Sex by Karen Kelley Page A

out whether Nick was on his hit list or not.
    “You’ve got what it takes to be the best cop on the force, Nick. Your gut instinct is better than anyone I’ve ever seen. Being a maverick is all well and good until you start messing with your job. You’ve pushed it to the limit this time. Let’s just hope it wasn’t too damn far. I’ll do what I can. Now get out of here.”
    Nick clenched his fist. There wasn’t a damn thing he could do. Not until IA finished their investigation. He turned to leave.
    “And don’t forget to keep a low profile. It just might save your hide.”
    Nick drew in a deep breath as he left the captain’s office. He couldn’t afford to lose his job. Two more years and he could buy his bar. All he had to do was keep Kia under wraps until he could locate her cousin. He’d lay low. Not draw any attention to himself. At least long enough to find this cousin of hers.
    He ran a hand through his hair. An alien. He had an alien living in his apartment. His gut rumbled. Candy would be all over his ass if she found out about Kia. What was left of his career would be sucked right down the toilet.
    But what else could he do? Throw Kia out on the streets? Send her to a homeless shelter? Bring her to the station?
    He could see it now. “Hey, Cap’n, I don’t have a Russian mafia informant, but will an alien do?”
    None of those solutions sat well with him.
    Nick couldn’t believe this was happening. Damn, he’d expected a slap on the wrist, not suspension.
    Not that he was that worried. They wouldn’t find anything because there wasn’t anything to find. He wasn’t on the take and had never been on the take. Hell, they could check his bank accounts and see he didn’t have that much money, and he damn sure didn’t have any hidden in his mattress.
    It seemed Kia was now his responsibility, though. Sure, she handled herself pretty well at the bar, but there was something vulnerable about her.
    Duh. Like maybe this was her first visit to Earth?
    Yep, he was in deep shit.
     

Chapter 7
    A tall, thin woman went inside the dress store as Kia approached the door. Kia watched carefully as the lady pulled on the handle, then repeated what she had done. Most everything on this planet was manual, it seemed. How disgustingly archaic.
    The sights and smells assaulted her senses as soon as she stepped inside. The shop was a fantasy world of colors, sights, and sounds that she’d never experienced on Nerak. For a brief moment, she regretted the stark whiteness of her home.
    Maybe she wouldn’t describe this place to Lara.
    “May I help you?” A young girl with pale blond hair approached her. The tag on her shirt identified her as Sherry. A worker in the establishment?
    Her hair wasn’t as long as Lara’s, but the girl reminded her of her little sister. Maybe it was the smile on her face, but Kia felt an instant liking toward Sherry.
    “I wanted to see inside your building,” Kia told her.
    The young woman’s smile grew wider. “Is there anything in particular you wanted to look at?”
    Kia glanced at all the clothes hanging on circular chrome pipes. “Clothes. I need more clothes.”
    The girl nodded. “You just flew in, right? The airlines lost my luggage when I went to Cancun.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “What a pain.”
    “You were hurt?”
    The girl laughed. “I’m sorry. You must be from another country. What I meant is that I had to buy enough clothes to last me while I was there. It was... bothersome.”
    “Bothersome. I know this.” She would like to go home but it looked like she would be stuck here for a little while at least.
    “I bet we can take care of all your needs. Will you be here long?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    The girl took a step back and studied her for a moment. “Nice outfit. Kind of Goth. I don’t think I’ve ever seen material that exquisite. It shimmers in the light.” Her mouth twisted to the side of her face. “You look like you’re a size