Chapter 3

Carmen

Carmen woke slowly to the morning sun streaming through the light curtains in her bedroom. Groaning, she pulled a pillow over her head to block it out. She was usually an early riser, but after her discovery last night, she was tired. She sat up in bed in a rush, the realization shaking her out of her slumber.

“Holy shit,” she whispered. “Aliens exist. And one is living in my house.”

She blushed slightly as she thought of him. Arccoo, with his glimmering skin and hypnotic violet eyes. Once the fear had subsided, she hadn’t been able to keep her eyes off him. She couldn’t help wondering how his skin would feel against hers or whether his lips tasted as soft as they looked.

She quickly got dressed and rushed downstairs, preparing some coffee.

“Good morning, Carmen.” She turned to see Arccoo walking into the kitchen, his hair slightly mussed. Though he’d probably slept less than her, he was perfectly put together. He wore a tunic and tight-fitting pants, the fabric looking silky to the touch and shimmering in the morning light.

“Good morning,” she replied shyly, struck by his handsomeness. She bit her lip, and then her eyes went wide as she heard Elena calling down to her.

“Like we planned?” she whispered to Arccoo.

He grinned and moved around her, and she felt dizzy as she saw the cloaking device come on.

“I’ll never get used to that,” she griped. She was answered with a low chuckle that made her lips tilt up.

“Coffee, coffee, coffee, I need coffee right now!” Elena said as she stumbled into the kitchen. She slumped down on a chair and made grabby hands at the coffee pot behind Carmen. Carmen tried to hide her grin of excitement and gave Elena a stern stare.

“It’s still brewing. Be patient.”

“Where’s the coffee? I need coffee,” Sofia grumbled as she joined them. Carmen blocked her from getting to the coffee pot and directed her into a chair. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she signaled Arccoo and plopped down on a chair as well.

“So, what do we have planned for today?”

Elena groaned. “No life-juice, no thinking.”

Carmen laughed and leaned back smugly. “Watch this,” she said and reached her hand out. The coffee pot floated toward her, seemingly directed by her motions. Sofia’s eyes went wide, and Elena jumped up, cursing.

“What the…” Elena started.

“I knew we were witches! The three sisters! We’re Charmed !” Sofia excitedly rambled.

Carmen just laughed as she “directed” coffee to be poured into the cups she’d already laid out.

“It’s even better than that. I promise. Arccoo, you can show yourself now.”

The coffee pot placed itself down, and at the next moment, Arccoo appeared. Sofia gasped. Elena grabbed a spatula from next to the stove and pointed it at him.

Carmen couldn’t stop laughing. “What are you planning to do with that?” she managed to get out between giggles.

“Who are you?” Elena fiercely demanded, not seeming to notice her oldest sister’s amusement.

Carmen finally calmed down, standing to grab the spatula from Elena’s hand. She had to tug on it for her to release it, and her efforts were met with a glare.

“This is Arccoo. He’s an alien from a planet called Three-ell, and he’s been living here.” She glanced over at Arccoo, relieved as he nodded, confirming her pronunciation.

“It is my pleasure to meet you, siblings of Carmen,” he said, bowing his head slightly. Carmen glanced at Sofia and smothered a guffaw. Sofia was frozen, her eyes wide and mouth open, staring at Arccoo as if he were a ghost. She purposely decided not to remember her own reaction to him last night.

“No life-juice, no thinking,” Elena repeated with a mutter, grabbing her coffee and downing half of it despite the heat.

“Sofia? You okay there?” Carmen asked, not able to disguise the pleasure in her voice. It took a lot to shock Sofia, and she was going to enjoy the hell out of it.

Sofia shook herself, and after blinking rapidly a few times, she stood. She walked over to Arccoo, approaching him as if he were a wild animal.

“You’re an alien?” she asked, and Carmen rolled her eyes at the stupid question.

“Yes, he is, and his ship was stranded, so he’s staying here until he gets picked up.” Carmen left no room for negotiation in her statement.

“Okay. Okay. Okay. This is fine. No, this is good. Great. Wonderful. I need my notebook.” Sofia rushed out of the room with a last glance at Arccoo.

Carmen shared an amused glance with Arccoo, a warm rush filling her at the quick familiarity they had. When she’d asked him last night if he would help her scare her sisters one last time, he quickly agreed. He wore a smirk as he told her that he and his brother—his “first sibling,” whatever that meant—used to play tricks on each other all the time. When she tried to ask more about his brother, Arccoo clammed up, his eyes sad.

“So this is happening? It’s real?” Elena asked, her eyes locked on Arccoo, her second cup of coffee already half empty.

“Yep,” Carmen replied. “Wait until you hear how he’s been hiding.”

Elena perked up, raising a questioning eyebrow at Arccoo. He chuckled and then gestured to his wrist. He went on to explain how the light-wavering technology worked, demonstrating it to Elena. Carmen zoned it out, knowing she wouldn’t understand it anyway, and settled for staring at him.

The way he spoke with Elena made her feel proud. With every question she asked, he seemed more impressed. He was in the middle of a complex explanation when Sofia stormed back in.

“I’ve decided it’s a trick.” She walked straight up to Arccoo and poked him in the pectoral. “Hmm, not an illusion then. Paint?” She licked her finger and was about to rub it on his face when Carmen grabbed her hand.

“Sofia! I’m so sorry,” she said to Arccoo and then turned to glare at her sister. “I thought Elena would react this way, not you!”

Elena huffed in the background.

“I just… I’ve been searching for so long, and then he just appears out of nowhere?”

Carmen sighed. She knew her sister had placed a lot of hope in her research, searching for something more.

“It’s real, sis. Isn’t it amazing?”

Sofia nodded slowly. She eyed Arccoo again. “He is dressed weirdly. And that fabric is otherworldly soft. And his eyes are strange.”

Carmen snickered. “ He is right there, and he understands you.” Sofia at least had the grace to look slightly embarrassed.

“I’m sorry,” she said to Arccoo. “It’s nice to meet you. I have so many questions.”

Arccoo laughed, and Carmen felt the rich sound right through to her core. “I’m sure you do,” he replied kindly.

The younger sisters peppered Arccoo with questions, and finally, Carmen stood up. “Why don’t we give our alien a break from the interrogation? Sofia, you’re on shopping duty. Elena, start packing personal things away.”

“Bossy,” Sofia muttered, but they followed her instructions. When the kitchen was silent once more, Carmen turned to Arccoo. She found him studying her, his head tilted to the side as if she was a puzzle he was trying to figure out. She flushed slightly under his scrutiny.

“We’re prepping to do the house up for Halloween,” she explained, rambling slightly. “It’s something my grandparents always used to do, and Halloween is huge in this town. Everyone goes all out. It’s so much fun. Do you have Halloween? No, of course you don’t.”

Arccoo came up to her and her breath quickened. He smelled fresh, like he’d just showered, and she could feel the warmth coming off his body. He smiled down at her and reached out to brush back a lock of hair.

“We don’t have Halloween, no, but we have a few books on Earthen culture. Not much, but I’ve heard of it. I always found it fascinating. You dress up. Don’t you?”

Carmen swallowed, trying to regain some composure.

“Yeah, uh, we…we dress up. Sofia can tell you all about the traditions. She loves it.”

He nodded. “You feel responsible for them,” he observed quietly.

She looked away. Her last relationship had ended because she always put her sisters first.

“After our parents died…” She cleared her throat, looking up at him. “I just want to be sure they’re taken care of. You know?”

“I understand. I am responsible for my people, and it weighs heavily on me.”

Carmen sighed, turning away to clear up the coffee mugs and pot. She ran some hot water into the sink to wash them, her thoughts spinning around losing her parents and now her grandparents. Arccoo joined her and grabbed a dish towel. Carmen stared at him in surprise. He just winked.

The silence was comforting while they worked. Carmen stared out of the window at the clear fall day. The swing that they’d played on as kids looked dilapidated, the rope fraying and the tire dirty. She took in the large garden, noting the overgrown lawn and the ivy strangling the big willow.

She could feel Arccoo’s gaze on her, pulling her from her thoughts and sending delicious tingles of warmth through her.

“Do you travel around often?” she asked, taking the towel he held out to dry her hands. Their fingers brushed. He lingered near her, seeming to consider his words carefully before he replied.

“The first sibling in the royal family—my brother—is next in line for the throne. Traditionally, the second sibling becomes an ambassador of sorts. I travel to different planets and forge alliances, smooth over relationships, and so on.” He paused when Carmen opened her mouth to ask a question, but she shook her head.

“I was going to ask how many planets there are, but I think Elena would want to hear that answer, so tell us later.” She smirked.

Arccoo huffed a laugh. “It is not an easy answer. Though I’m duty-bound to serve the monarchy, my position has allowed me some freedom to explore. I enjoy seeing new places and meeting different people.”

“I think experiencing different cultures gives you a lot of perspective about humans—well, people, beings, whatever. It makes it easier to understand why they do the things they do.”

Arccoo nodded, his eyes lingering on hers. She felt a kinship with him that she had never felt with anyone else before.

Carmen and her sisters spent the day planning for Halloween. She didn’t see Arccoo again until dinner, though the alluring alien was constantly on her mind.

Elena went to her room early, saying something about research. Sofia curled up on the couch, claiming to read an autobiography with a saucy wink. Carmen laughed, knowing that meant Sofia was going to delve into another monster romance.

Once they’d cleared up after dinner, Carmen inclined her head toward the back door. Arccoo followed closely as they walked out into the moonlit garden.

“I used to come out here a lot when I was younger,” she said, tipping her head back to look at the stars. “I’ve always wondered if there’s more out there, but I never imagined I’d have it confirmed in my lifetime.” She looked over at Arccoo, who was once again studying her. His eyes drifted along her long hair, following it down to where it rested below her waist.

“You are beautiful,” he whispered. He looked into her eyes, and she could see even he was surprised he’d said that.

She blushed. “Thank you. You… you’re ethereal,” she whispered back. She tentatively reached out and brushed her finger over his cheekbone, curious about his shimmering skin. It was soft to the touch, and she couldn’t help but reach into his hair to feel it as well.

He leaned his head into her palm, his eyelids drooping slightly in pleasure. A thrill went through her, knowing that a single touch from her drew a reaction from him. She stepped closer, into his personal space, and had to tip her head back to look at his eyes, like they were the stars.

He whispered her name softly before he reached out and cupped her face in his hand. His other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against him.

She gasped at the feeling of her entire form flush with his, his toned body hard against her soft curves. Was he going to kiss her? She hoped desperately that he would. Arccoo’s gaze dropped to her lips as his eyes heated. Her lips felt suddenly dry and tingly, and she swiped her tongue over her bottom lip.

“Arccoo,” she said, desperation clear in her voice. He leaned down slowly, every second feeling both like a million years and no time at all. When he was a breath away, he paused.

Carmen couldn’t take it anymore, and she lifted her heels to close the remaining distance. Their lips touched. She held back a moan as he pulled her closer, moving his lips against hers. He tasted like starlight and adventure, and she felt like she would never have enough of him.

Arccoo pulled away slightly, searching her face. He seemed happy with whatever he found because he leaned down and took her lips more passionately this time. When his tongue slipped into her mouth, heat rushed through her body and settled in her core. She couldn’t hold back the moan that slipped out. Arccoo groaned in response.

A door closing somewhere in the house separated them. Carmen silently cursed her sisters.

Arccoo released her and stepped back. “We should get to bed. It has been a long day.”

Carmen nodded quickly, her heart hammering at the heat she saw in his eyes. “Yes, you’re right. I’ll, um, see you in the morning?”

Arccoo dipped his chin regally. She turned and hurried back into the house, excited to get into bed and relive this moment a thousand times in her head.