Haven and the Alien Mechanic

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “What’s wrong? Did you fall getting out of the tub? Does it hurt anywhere?”

  “I’m fine.” She sniffled. “The ache in my back got sharper and I tried to lie down, but it hurt too much.”

  “Can you lie on your stomach still?”

  She nodded.

  “Stretch out on your stomach and I’ll see if I can make your back feel better.”

  Haven crawled to the center of the bed and stretched out. Dryden placed a knee on either side of her hips and slowly lifted the back of her shirt. He could see the muscles tightening and winced at how painful it must be for her. Rubbing his hands together to warm them, he placed them on her soft skin and began to massage her tense lower back.

  Haven sucked in a breath, but after a few minutes, she began to relax. Dryden fought to think of anything but how silky her skin was, and failed miserably. He made sure to keep his weight off her, and his growing erection away from her delectable ass. If she knew how turned on he was, she’d probably throw him out of her room, and possibly leave the hotel altogether.

  The muscles under his fingers began to ease and loosen. When he moved away from her and stood beside the bed, Haven rolled onto her side and looked up at him, her gaze catching on the tent forming in his jeans before skimming over his chest and up to meet his eyes.

  “Thank you,” she said softly.

  “Feel better?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Dryden, can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.” Preferably not about the current state of my cock.

  “Is selecting a mate more of a sexual thing?”

  Her question surprised him, though it shouldn’t have considering his erection. “There has to be sexual attraction there in order for us to have children at some point, but no, it’s not just a sexual thing. Not all females who want to mate with Terrans are selected. There are other things we look for besides a physical attraction.”

  “Like what?”

  “Kindness. Honesty. Faithfulness.”

  “And how did you know I possessed any of those qualities after knowing me for less than an hour? Have you asked many women to be your mate?”

  Dryden eased on the bed and reached for her hand. “I’ve never asked a female to be my mate before tonight. I haven’t been a saint. There have been women in my bed since coming to Earth, but none were worthy of standing by my side. You have a pure soul, and it shines through your eyes for the world to see. I asked you to be my mate because I knew you would make me happy, and I hoped I would be able to make you happy.”

  “Thank you for telling me.”

  Dryden nodded and stood. “If you don’t need anything else tonight, you should probably get some sleep. I’m just across the living room if you need anything. I’ll have my door closed, but don’t hesitate to knock.”

  Haven squirmed until she was under the covers and her eyes were closing as he shut the bedroom door. Leaning his forehead against the wood panel, he had to wonder whether having her in his hotel suite was the brightest thing he’d ever done. She was going to torment him with her sweet curves and charming smile. He pushed away and went across to his bedroom. He closed the door and began stripping off his clothes as he headed into the bathroom.

  Dryden started the shower, turning the hot water all the way on with just a little cold to keep it from being scalding. Steam billowed out from behind the curtain and he stepped over the edge of the tub, letting the water pelt him. He jerked the curtain closed and shut his eyes as he tried to clear his mind of everything. Normally, he used his shower time to do a sort of meditation. Tonight, that wasn’t working out so well. His thoughts were filled with Haven.

  His cock was still hard and pointing straight up at him. He glared at it, wishing he hadn’t gotten so excited rubbing Haven’s back. She probably didn’t think much of him right now, and he wouldn’t blame her. Just touching a woman had never made him hard before, not even the Hollywood types he’d seen while visiting the Terran Station in California. Haven was beautiful, but that wasn’t the only reason he was attracted to her. He hadn’t lied when he’d told her why he wanted her for a mate.

  Squirting some shower gel into his palm, he gripped his shaft and gave it a firm stroke. It felt good, but he knew without a doubt that Haven’s small, soft hands would feel so much better. It was doubtful she was touching his cock anytime soon, though. He gave it another stroke, twisting his hand a little. Dryden widened his legs and cupped his balls with his other hand. A groan slipped past his lips as he quickened his pace. His balls sizzled and his lower back tingled a moment before he came all over his hand and the shower wall. He bit his lip to keep from crying out and braced a hand on the wall.

  The release felt good, but it wasn’t enough. It had been a few months since he’d been with anyone, but now that he’d met Haven, he knew that not just any woman would do. The second he’d seen her standing in his shop, it was like the world had stood still. Nothing had mattered in that moment, but hearing her voice, learning her name, and asking her out. He’d have fallen to his knees the minute she looked at him, but he’d held strong. For the most part.

  He’d read the human fairy tales and watched the animated movies about love at first sight. The princess who danced in the woods with a prince and fell for him instantly. The peasant girl who went to a ball and fell madly in love with the prince. He’d never understood how someone could instantly know they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with someone, until meeting Haven. She was his princess, his wish upon a star, and he was going to do whatever it took to make her his.

  He dried off and pulled on some loose pants before picking up his phone. Pulling up his contacts, he sent a message to his shop manager, asking him to cover the place for a few days and do whatever it took to get Haven’s car running and safe. She might be upset when she found out what he’d done, but he couldn’t leave her without transportation, and he didn’t think a new car would go over well. If she became his mate and decided she didn’t want her car anymore, they would request a replacement title and trade it for something else, but until then, he’d know that she was safe while driving around town.

  Setting his phone down, he stretched out on the bed and placed his hands behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling and listened for any signs Haven might be up. The suite was quiet and still. It was a good thing because it meant she was sleeping. He doubted she’d had many good nights of sleep since finding out about her parents. No matter what he had to do, he was going to give her peace of mind. If it meant claiming her as his mate, he would gladly do so. And if she wanted more time and a place of her own, he would respect her wishes.

  He’d never realized how complicated women could be, until he found one he wanted, who was determined to stand on her own two feet. It would have been so much easier if she’d let him take care of everything, claim her, and give her everything she could ever want or need. But then, if she gave in that easily, she wouldn’t be Haven. And he was finding her rather intriguing. He wanted her, and the child growing inside of her. With a bit of luck, they would be his family before too long. Everything he’d ever wanted was within his grasp. He just had to figure out how to make it happen.

  Chapter Three

  Haven stretched the next morning and smiled at the sunlight streaming through her window. She’d had the most delicious dream about Dryden and felt more rested than she had in months. Her hand smoothed over her small baby bump and she marveled at the fact he wanted her, baby and all. She had no doubt that he had his choice of women. He was a Terran and females flocked his way, like the hostess at the restaurant, but he was also kind and charming. And when he smiled it made her knees weaken and her heart skip a beat.

  She got out of bed and rinsed off in the shower before pulling on one of her new outfits. She left her socks and shoes off, preferring to be barefoot when she was home. Not that a hotel room was home, but she supposed in a way it was for now. Opening her bedroom door, her jaw dropped a little at the service cart laden with f
ood. Pancakes, muffins, fruit. She even smelled bacon.

  “Good morning,” Dryden said, rising from the couch. “I hope you don’t mind but I ordered breakfast. I thought you might be hungry when you woke up. My friend’s mate seemed to eat more than usual when she was carrying their child.”

  “I am hungry.”

  “I didn’t know what you’d want so I tried to get a little of everything. I ate the eggs when they started to get cold. If you’d like more, I can have some sent up.”

  She shook her head. “This is more than fine.”

  Haven picked up a short stack of pancakes and drizzled syrup over them. Putting her plate down on the small dining table, she went back for bacon and a blueberry muffin, then grabbed the orange juice from the fridge and poured a glass. When she had everything she needed, she sat down to eat, smiling when Dryden claimed the seat across from her, a banana nut muffin gripped in his hand.

  “Still hungry?” she asked.

  “I thought I’d keep you company while you ate. As for being hungry, I can always eat.”

  Her gaze skimmed over his chest and what she could see of his abdomen. The T-shirt he was wearing was tight and showed off every muscle he had. If he was constantly eating, she didn’t know where he was putting it, unless it just automatically converted to muscle mass. He wasn’t bulky like a bodybuilder, but in her opinion, he was just right.

  “Did you have plans for today?” Dryden asked.

  “Just job hunting, but I can’t really do that without a car.”

  He nodded. “I called into my shop manager and asked him to cover the place a few days. I wasn’t sure if you would need my help with anything and didn’t want to leave you alone until you have a keycard for the room.”

  “You weren’t able to get one last night?” she asked.

  “No. I did speak with the Chief Councilor and he approved you staying here, but he said he wouldn’t be able to get a message to the hotel until sometime today. I thought we could go to a movie this afternoon.”

  “I haven’t been to a movie in a few months. It sounds like fun. Anything good playing?”

  “There’s an action movie that looks like it has lots of explosions, a romantic comedy, an animated movie that looks cute, and I can’t remember the other two.”

  She smiled a little. “You watch animated movies?”

  “Sometimes. I like that they usually have a happy ending, there’s always a lesson to be learned, and you leave the theater just feeling good in general.”

  “Then we should see that one. I used to have a DVD collection of every animated movie I loved as a kid. I lost it along with everything else. They wouldn’t even let me keep the locket my grandmother had given me before she died. They said if I wanted it, I had to buy it. Then they asked for a ridiculous price, no matter how much I wanted to keep it.”

  He reached across the table and took her hand. “I’m sorry you lost so much. It must have been hard to have the world at your feet and then have it all snatched away, and all because of something someone else did. It must have felt very unfair.”

  “It did, but I’m learning to cope with it all. I’m not doing so great taking care of myself, but then I’ve never had to before. I lived at home with my parents when I wasn’t in school. I’ve never paid rent, had a car payment, or even had to pay off my credit cards. Mom and Dad took care of everything.”

  “It sounds like they didn’t do you any favors. By giving you everything, they didn’t prepare you for living on your own.”

  “How ridiculous is it that I’m twenty and other than my savings account, I’ve never had to balance a bank account before? My parents always put my monthly allowance in my checking account and if I ran out of funds, they’d just add more.”

  “With this baby, you have a chance to do things differently. You can teach him or her early on the value of a dollar, that you have to earn the things you get. And when they’re older, maybe they won’t flounder when it’s time to set out on their own. I’m not saying never give them things, but just… don’t give them everything.”

  Haven nodded. “I agree. I don’t want to make the same mistakes my parents made. For one, I’m always going to pay my taxes. Well, if I ever have a job to earn money.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find something. Or you may decide you’d rather be a stay-at-home mom when the baby is born.”

  “And how am I supposed to pay rent and buy food?” she asked, smiling a little. “I doubt I’m getting those things for free.”

  “Maybe you’ll have help,” he said softly, and she knew he meant him.

  “Maybe.”

  She wasn’t ready to agree to be his mate, but after the tender way he’d taken care of her last night, his obvious arousal at touching her, and then her hot dream, she was starting to think that maybe being Dryden’s mate wouldn’t be so bad. She still didn’t want to marry a stranger, though. But there was no reason she couldn’t get to know him while she was staying here, and then make an informed decision when the time came.

  Haven finished most of her breakfast before pushing away what was left. If she ate another bite, she’d explode. Dryden rose and began placing her plates back onto the trolley and then pushed it out into the hall. There was still quite a bit of food left over and she hated they’d wasted so much. She rose from the table, rubbing her belly, then collapsed onto the couch. The TV was on, playing softly, and she watched the ticker scroll across the screen as the news came on.

  “You can change it,” Dryden said. “If anything important happens that affects my people, we’re sent a notice.”

  “I grew to hate the news when every station played my family’s drama nonstop,” Haven said. “I haven’t watched it since the trial. They portrayed me as the poor little rich girl and were rather nasty with their comments. Everyone seemed to think I should have known what my parents were up to and they blamed me as well.”

  “Anyone who met you couldn’t have thought poorly of you,” Dryden said. “It’s obvious you were an innocent in the whole affair.”

  She shrugged and began flipping through the channels until she found an old Scooby Doo cartoon. She’d loved the classic ones growing up, and didn’t much care for the newer versions that’d come out in recent years. Dryden smiled a little when he saw her choice and he settled back to watch.

  Haven didn’t know how much time had passed before he stood and stretched. She watched the muscles bunch and flex in his back and arms, and absently wiped her chin to make sure she wasn’t drooling. When he finished and sat back down, Haven curled her legs under her and leaned a little closer in his direction. The tang of his cologne had her taking a deep breath and smiling in appreciation. He didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he was pretending not to.

  Haven placed her hand on the cushion between them. She didn’t have to wait long before Dryden reached over and laced their fingers together. Biting her lip to hold back a smile, she tried to focus on the cartoon on TV and a little less on the alien holding her hand. When the cartoon marathon ended and talk shows came on, Dryden clicked off the TV and rose to his feet, pulling her with him.

  “Why don’t you put on your shoes and we’ll go check out the theater? We can get our tickets and maybe have time for lunch, unless you prefer the food there? They have hot dogs, pretzels, and popcorn. And, of course, candy.”

  Haven smiled. “I’ve always loved a good salty pretzel smothered in mustard. And Cherry Coke! That’s a must.”

  “Then movie food it is. I’m just going to make a quick call and check on the shop and then we can go. I’ll meet you back here in the living room in a few minutes.”

  Haven nodded and went to her bedroom to get her socks and shoes on, then she brushed out her hair and put on a hint of blush and lip gloss. Her make-up was the one thing she’d been allowed to keep, at least the used items. She’d never been one to go all out with make-up unless it was a special occasion, but she had everything she’d need for an afternoon out on the town. Movie first,
and then who knew where they would end up.

  When she walked back into the living room, Dryden was waiting for her. He’d changed into a navy shirt and had donned a black leather jacket. He looked sexy as hell, and every inch the bad boy with his jeans molded to his thighs and the black boots on his feet. He gave her one of those smiles that she felt all the way to her toes and held out his hand. She closed the distance between them, clasping his hand and letting him lead her down to the lobby and out to his truck in the parking lot.

  The movie theater wasn’t far away and it only took Dryden a moment to purchase their tickets. There was a showing in a half hour so it gave them plenty of time to visit the concessions and find a good seat. The theater parking lot wasn’t very full so Haven hoped the best seats would still be available -- in the middle of the cinema. He ordered Haven a salty pretzel with mustard and a large Cherry Coke, then got two hot dogs and a Dr. Pepper for himself. The girl behind the counter loaded everything onto a disposable tray and handed it to Dryden.

  There were a lot of children present when they went to find their seats, but most were sitting in the lower rows. Her favorite seats were already taken, so they went up two more rows and sat in the middle. Dryden pulled up the armrest between their seats and pulled her tight against his side before handing her the pretzel and her drink. She’d never cuddled with someone during a movie before, not since she was little and snuggled with her dad. The few boyfriends she’d had had never been interested in cuddling. They’d taken what they wanted from her and given little in return.

  By the time the movie was starting, they’d finished their food and Dryden set the tray on the seat next to him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close as they watched the animated princess go on her quest for true love. Well, more like a quest to save her people, but of course she found true love along the way and in the most unlikely of places. It was a feel-good story and exactly what Haven needed right now.