Blossom and the Alien Actor

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “There’s nothing wrong with claiming Blossom and her children,” Brexton said, a touch of defensiveness in his tone.

  “You want to claim us?” Blossom asked incredulously. “We just met!”

  “Brexton is… different from others of our kind,” Pryntar said.

  “Different how?” Blossom asked.

  Pryntar nodded at Stella. “Not until she leaves. I do believe the big guy threw her out. Or at least told her to get the fuck out.”

  Stella bristled, but tightened her grip on her purse and stormed out of the room. When the front door slammed, Brexton’s entire body relaxed.

  “What’s going on?” Blossom asked.

  “Tell her,” Pryntar said. “She won’t judge you for it.”

  “I’m different from others of my race. I believe your people would call me a throwback? Some of my genetic structure is more primitive than the rest of my people. It’s why I have facial hair, and it also means…” He looked around like he didn’t want to finish the sentence.

  “It means what?” Blossom asked.

  “It means he’s a natural protector, but even more than that, when he finds a female he likes, he’ll… what’s the human term? Imprint on her? I don’t think that’s quite right either, but it’s the closest translation I can come up with. Basically, he likes you, likes your children, and something in his genetic makeup has decided you’re his,” Pryntar said.

  “You want to keep us?” she asked Brexton uncertainly.

  He ran a hand through his hair and turned away from her. “I know you don’t want me like that, that we just met and humans need more time to form relationships. I won’t act on my feelings. You’ll be safe here, and I don’t want you to think I expect anything in return.”

  His body was tense and she looked at Pryntar, uncertain what she should do. Blossom remembered the gentle way he’d held her children, the way he’d been so open and friendly with them. In the few hours they’d spent together, Brexton had been nicer to her kids than their own fathers ever had. But she couldn’t base a relationship off something like that. It was crazy!

  Yes, she found him attractive, but… she’d found other men attractive before and it hadn’t ended very well for her. She didn’t know what to say or do in this situation, but she knew she didn’t want to leave. Not yet anyway. And it wasn’t just the pretty house or all the things he’d purchased for them. She had genuinely liked being with him today, had enjoyed their outing and the way she’d felt safe and protected. It didn’t hurt that her body warmed every time he touched her.

  “May I make a suggestion?” Pryntar asked.

  “What?” Blossom asked.

  “Stay here, with Brexton, and let the world think you’re his family for now. See what it’s like being part of his world.” He smiled a little. “Actually, you would be his entire world.”

  “No pressure, right?” she asked.

  “He will never ask for more than you’re willing to give. Are you not attracted to him? Not even a little?”

  Her cheeks warmed as she glanced at Brexton, who still hadn’t turned around.

  “That’s not the problem,” she said. “I’ve been attracted to men before and they hurt me, hurt my kids. Maybe not physically, but their lack of caring and attention has taken its toll on my family.”

  Pryntar moved closer and stared down at her. “Do you honestly think Brexton would do that? Just based off the time you’ve spent with him today, what do your instincts tell you?”

  “That he’s too perfect? And that we’ll ruin his life.”

  Brexton growled and turned to face her, fury blazing in his eyes, and this time it was directed at her. She gasped and took a step back, but he was right in front of her before she could get very far.

  “You will not ruin my life! Do you think I care about any of this?” he asked, sweeping his hand at the room in general. “I have enough money that I don’t have to ever work again, as long as I don’t live extravagantly. Money has never mattered to me, Blossom, and it never will. Love. Family. Those things are far more important, and the one thing I’ve never had.”

  “I don’t understand,” she said. “What do you mean you’ve never had a family?”

  “His parents died when he was young,” Pryntar said softly. “Another family took him in, and they treated him well, but it wasn’t the same. They weren’t his parents, his blood. I’ve known Brexton all his life, and since reaching maturity, all he’s wanted was a family of his own.”

  “People think your children are mine,” Brexton said. “I know they have fathers who will tell the world it was all a lie, but I liked the way it felt when people assumed I was out with my son and daughter. They’re sweet and when you let me hold them…”

  Blossom felt her heart crack at the look in his eyes. She knew what it was like to want something and fear you’d never have it. To have something within reach, only to have it taken away again. Brexton was a good, honorable man. She didn’t have to know him for a long time to be able to figure that much out.

  “Their fathers won’t come for them,” she said.

  “How do you know?” Brexton asked. “If someone else tried to claim my children, I’d tear them apart.”

  “Because my son’s father is dead. He was killed in prison. And RaeLynn’s dad…”

  “He’s not the man trying to sell you?” Brexton asked.

  “No. I don’t know where he is. He just vanished one night, even before I’d told him I was pregnant. So no one is going to come forward and claim my kids, not anyone who could prove they shared DNA with them.”

  Pryntar rubbed his chin. “May I make a suggestion?”

  Brexton focused on his friend. “What?”

  “She’s in trouble, right? Her and the children?”

  “Yes,” Blossom admitted.

  “Then let the world think you’ve been having a secret love affair with her, that her children are your own. But if you really want to protect her, to make sure no one can grab her or the children and disappear, then you should marry her by either Terran or human customs.”

  Blossom’s eyes went wide and she started to sway. Brexton grabbed her, and pulled her close to his chest. The scent of him was soothing, and the way he held her made her feel like nothing would ever harm her.

  “I won’t do that to her,” Brexton said.

  “You don’t want to marry me?” she asked, then wanted to slap herself. Why was she even asking that? She didn’t want to marry a stranger, right? Even he was all big and sexy, and someone she’d drooled over on the TV for a while now.

  “Marriage to me would be forever, Blossom,” Brexton said. “We don’t have divorce among my people. If you married me, it would be until one of us died. It’s not a commitment to take lightly.”

  “And my kids? What would happen to them?” she asked.

  “Is there a father listed on either of their papers?” Pryntar asked.

  “You mean their birth certificates? No. They both list the father as Unknown.”

  “Then I would suggest, if you do marry, that you do so by Terran customs and ask the council to intervene and get Brexton’s name on all their documentation as their father. It will give them extra protection.”

  “Aren’t your people family oriented?” Blossom asked. “Isn’t that part of why the bride program was opened? Because you all wanted families? Won’t they find it odd you have two children that you never claimed?”

  “The council will have to be told the truth,” Brexton said. “It will be the Chief Councilor’s final decision how we proceed. But I’m more than willing to claim your children as mine, if you don’t have a problem with it. Assuming you ever want to be my mate. I’m not going to push you, Blossom. It’s a big decision and I want you to be certain. I could never forgive myself if I made you miserable.”

  She didn’t think the big alien would ever make her miserable, but he was right. She shouldn’t be hasty deciding the rest of her life, or the lives of her children. She
was a mom first and foremost, even if parts of her were very interested in being married to Brexton, getting to sleep in his bed every night, having him… Her cheeks flushed at the thought. It had been a while since she’d had sex. Maybe her hormones were just out of whack. Her gaze scanned the expanse of his chest and she could feel the way his body pressed to hers. No, she had to admit that she really did want him.

  “Brexton, tell her how many women you’ve been intimate with,” Pryntar said.

  “Is that necessary?” Brexton asked.

  “Not the fake scenes in the movies, and not random kisses for PR events. I mean truly intimate with a woman,” Pryntar said. “Have you ever had sex with a female? Not the pretend stuff in the movies, but the real thing?”

  “No,” he admitted, looking uncomfortable with his admission.

  “You’ve never…” She blinked at him in confusion. “You’re a virgin?”

  His cheeks turned a darker shade of purple and he wouldn’t look at her, but he nodded.

  “Until now, he’s never met a female he wanted to keep,” Pryntar said. “Figured you should know that before you make your decision. I’ll see myself out.”

  Brexton tried to pull away, but she held tight to him. He glanced down at her, and she saw the torment in his eyes, the fear she was going to reject him. She couldn’t remember ever being with a man who wasn’t experienced, even for her first time. All the Hollywood starlets that hung on his arm, the models he’d been seen in public with previously, and he’d never been tempted to claim any of them? Hadn’t taken a single one to his bed? But he wanted her?

  “Brexton, why haven’t you been with anyone? You have gorgeous women hanging on your arm at every event you’ve ever attended. Why didn’t you take any of them home?” she asked.

  “They were pretty enough on the outside, I suppose, but none of them were kind. They were hard, brittle women on the inside, only after fame and fortune. They wanted to marry someone who would further their careers, or put them more firmly in the spotlight.” He shrugged. “I just wanted a female who wanted me, not the actor but the male who would give her everything.”

  “When you told those women I was your girlfriend…”

  “There’s innocence in your eyes, Blossom. You can’t hide the goodness inside of you. It’s in your smile, in the way you speak to and hold your children. I’ve never met a female like you before.” He reached up and fingered her hair. “And I like that you want to stand out because it’s who you are and not who you’re mated to.”

  “Brexton… would you kiss me?” she asked softly.

  His hold tightened on her and slowly, he lowered his head. When his lips brushed against hers, Blossom felt like the Earth was falling away, like she was floating. His lips were gentle yet firm, and even if he’d never kissed a woman he wanted to keep, he was doing everything right. When he touched his tongue to her lips, she opened and let him in. Her knees went weak and her heart pounded inside of her chest. As Brexton pulled back, she lightly touched her lips and knew that she’d never been kissed like that before. It should have scared her, sent her running, but she held still and looked up at the alien who had just give her the type of kiss she’d always dreamed about.

  “Why did you stop?’ she asked.

  “Because I want more and you aren’t ready,” he said.

  He might think she wasn’t ready, but her damp panties said he was wrong. Blossom had never wanted someone as much as she wanted Brexton.

  “It’s not my place to say so,” said Mrs. Connors, “but the children are down for a nap and I’m quite capable of taking care of them. I think the two of you should shower, dress up a little, and go out on an official date. Preferably before the sparks between you burn down the house. If your movie producers saw that kiss, they’d make your Blossom pair with you every movie because that was far better than any kiss you’ve ever had on screen.”

  Blossom’s cheeks warmed and she smiled up at Brexton bashfully.

  “We should have a family night,” he said. “It’s the kids’ first night here, and…”

  “And I can take care of two children,” Mrs. Connors said. “Let me play Grandma while the two of you have some fun. You need to bond.”

  The woman walked off muttering about stubborn young people and Blossom fought not to laugh. Normally, she wouldn’t let just anyone handle her kids, but Brexton trusted this Mrs. Connors, and they seemed rather close. More like family than employer and employee. If he wasn’t concerned about her caring for the children, then she’d let the woman watch them for one night and see how things went. It wasn’t like she couldn’t call to check on them.

  “Well, it seems we’re going out,” Brexton said, looking a little bemused. “Never realized she was so bossy.”

  “I think she feels more like your mother than your housekeeper,” Blossom said. “How long as she been working for you?”

  “Since I bought this house, so about nine years give or take a few months.”

  “We should listen to her,” Blossom said. “I’ve always heard that you should obey your elders. Besides, she seems sweet under that bossy exterior.”

  “You want to go out on a date with me?” he asked. His eyes narrowed as if he didn’t believe her.

  “Yes, Brexton. I would love to go on a date with you.”

  He reached up and cupped her cheek and Blossom leaned into that touch. Without a word, he leaned down and claimed her lips again, kissing her until the world spun. Blossom clung to him and wondered why she couldn’t have met him sooner.

  “People are going to talk if we’re seen out in public,” he said. “Are you prepared for that? For the whispers, pointing, and pictures?”

  “I don’t know,” she answered truthfully. “But I want to spend time with you, and if that’s part of it, then I’ll handle it.”

  He smiled. “All right. You have a bathroom attached to the room you’ll be using. Go get ready while I shower and change. I know you have a few new dresses. You should wear one of them.”

  She nodded and walked upstairs, feeling a little like Alice down the rabbit hole. Or maybe more like Dorothy, because she certainly wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

  Chapter Five

  Brexton leaned on the bathroom counter and stared at himself in the mirror. His hair was still damp from his shower, and he’d combed his beard. The way Blossom had kissed him back, the way she’d felt in his arms… He wanted to keep her. He’d wanted that even after the brief glimpse he’d had before she slammed her apartment door in his face. His people tended to know when they’d met the right female, even if some were too stubborn to admit it, like Chief Councilor Borgoz.

  He didn’t want to scare Blossom, but he’d never wanted a female as badly as he wanted her. Yes, he’d met a few over the years he’d thought he was attracted to until he got to know them, or looked into their eyes and saw the coldness hiding there. Those females had taught him that outer beauty wasn’t important. Blossom had both outer and inner beauty, and it was damn hard to resist her.

  Despite the fact he was huge compared to her, she didn’t seem scared of him. When he’d gotten angry earlier, he’d seen hesitance in her eyes as she’d stepped away from him, or tried to. He’d never hurt her, and he hoped she knew that, or would learn it soon enough. They were strangers, and yet… He felt like he knew her, like she was the missing piece he’d been searching for all these years.

  “Talk like that and you’ll send her running,” he grumbled at his reflection.

  He finished getting ready, pulling on a dark purple silk shirt and black pants. Adding a black leather belt and his black ankle boots, he assessed his image in the floor-length mirror in the corner of his bedroom. Grabbing his black jacket out of the closet, he pulled it on, adjusted the lapels, and shrugged his shoulders until it fit comfortably. Brexton smoothed a hand over his beard and wondered if Blossom would approve of him. The other Zelthranites wore leather, or if they dressed human they chose the denim pants so many human males wore.
Because of his image, it had been drummed into his head that he should only be seen in public when well put together. When he’d first arrived, he’d dressed as the rest of his people did. Now he was more comfortable in human clothes.

  “Brexton?” Blossom’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned toward the door.

  She wore a black dress that hugged her curves then flared out, stopping just above her knees. The neckline gave him a tantalizing hint of her cleavage, and his cock started to get hard. He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing, hoping he could get control of himself before he embarrassed the both of them.

  “You don’t like it,” she said.

  “Wait!” He opened his eyes and saw the dejected look on her face.

  Taking a few breaths, he went to her, not stopping until he’d reached out to take her hand. There was a spark of hope as she looked up at him, as if his opinion of her really mattered. He realized in that moment that he could do far more damage to her than he ever realized. Not the physical kind, but while she’d been strong and fought to take care of her children, there was a fragile side to her. And that was the part of her that he would easily destroy if he didn’t do everything just right.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said.

  “But you closed your eyes and looked like you were in pain.”

  He laughed, but it wasn’t a humorous one. “I was trying to control myself. The second I saw you standing in the doorway, my body reacted and I didn’t want to scare you.”

  “No one’s ever called me beautiful,” she murmured.

  He ran his fingers down her cheek. “You shine brighter than all the stars in the heavens. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. There’s something missing, though.”

  “What?’ she asked, her brow furrowed.

  He went to his dresser and pulled out the jewelry boxes from the store they’d stopped in earlier. They weren’t high quality, but they were pretty. He opened the necklace first, and fastened it around her neck, then handed her the box of earrings.