Damn. He hated to admit it, but Helio had a point. No, it wouldn’t bother Borgoz if he had a child like Charlotte. There was obviously a device in her ear that helped her hear to some degree, and he was certain they could replicate the technology if needed. But would the other council members, those seeking a mate, be as eager to accept a deaf child? Probably not.
“I promised her father that I would see her mated. I intend to uphold my promise. Besides, she said she has nowhere to go. If I send her back to Earth, she’ll be without a home and without a way of supporting herself. Her only chance is to make a match here on Terran.”
Helio smiled.
“What?”
“You can’t even say Terran without a grimace. If you aren’t careful, she’ll realize that isn’t our planet’s true name. And while her mate may wish to tell her that at some point, if you don’t plan to claim her, it isn’t your place to, as the Earth people say, spill the beans.”
Borgoz snorted. “What an odd saying.”
“But you get my point? The only reason we were able to interact with the Earth people so smoothly was by changing our name. You decided it would be better, back before the first communication went out. If they found out we lied to them…”
“I understand.” He looked down at his crotch. “Now that I seem to be more in control of myself, I suppose I should go back for her. I promised to take her shopping, although why I did that, I don’t know. I can’t stand to go shopping, as well you know. Maybe it won’t be so bad with a female at my side, but what do I know of fashion?”
“At least we carry Earth clothes here in all sizes, so she should be able to find something,” Helio said. “Go gather Charlotte and try to have fun. You never know, you may enjoy shopping with her. While you’re out, you should take her somewhere nice to eat. Maybe that Earth style diner? She may not be ready for Terran food just yet. I’ve heard it takes some getting used to.”
“This isn’t a date.”
“Of course not.” Helio smiled. “I never called it a date.”
“Next you’ll want me to take her flowers,” Borgoz grumbled as he walked away.
“Why give her flowers when you can just show her the garden?” Helio called after him.
Borgoz tried to shove the thought from his mind. There were too many hidden corners in the garden, places where a romantic embrace would be too tempting. No, it was better to simply show her the direction of the gardens and let her explore on her own. Keeping his hands to himself was going to be difficult enough in public, but in private? He couldn’t allow himself the pleasure of touching her soft skin, of breathing in her delicate scent. She was far too much of a temptation.
He knocked on her door, unprepared for the vision that greeted him. She stood silhouetted by the sunlight, and he could see all of her delicious curves in the simple dress she wore. The material clung to her, cupping her breasts like he longed to do, then flared out over her hips and stopped above her knees. Despite the amount of cleavage she was showing, it was a rather demure dress compared to what most of the Earth women had been wearing around Terran Prime.
“You look beautiful.” The moment the words slipped past his lips he wanted to smack himself and call them back. He didn’t want her to realize that he wanted her. And he couldn’t deny that he did. Even now, his body was responding to her again. How was he supposed to walk around the city to visit the various shops with his dick tenting his pants?
Her cheeks flushed and she smiled up at him. The look in her eyes did funny things to his heart, and he knew in that moment that he was in way more trouble than he’d first thought. He pulled her hand through the crook of his arm and led her down the main staircase and out into the sun.
“Thank you for taking me shopping,” she said. “I know you must be a busy man.”
“You’re my guest, Charlotte. I want to make sure you’re comfortable and have everything you need. You’ve been traveling for quite a while. Would you like to stop for something to eat before we shop?”
Her stomach rumbled and he smiled.
“I don’t know what time it is here,” she said. “I don’t want to spoil my dinner.”
“It’s a little early for the evening meal, but if you’re hungry we’ll stop now. When we return to the house, you may explore or visit the garden. I’ll have some work to do. I promised your father I would find you a match, but I’m afraid as Chief Councilor, I will always have other responsibilities to see to.”
“I understand. With my father, work always came first. He’s an important man, like you.”
Borgoz wasn’t sure he liked being compared to her father. From what he’d heard, the man was an ass. He wanted Charlotte to see him in a favorable light, even if he wasn’t going to claim her as his mate. Then again, as attracted as he was to her, perhaps it was better if she didn’t like him. If he thought for one moment that she felt even half what he was feeling, Borgoz wasn’t sure he would be able to hold back.
“When would you like to begin meeting eligible males?” he asked.
The light dimmed in her eyes, and he found it curious. Didn’t she want a mate? She’d said it was her last hope, that she had nowhere else to go. Wouldn’t that mean she would want to find someone quickly?
“I suppose the sooner the better,” she said softly. “Are they nice? The males you wish for me to meet?”
Truthfully, he knew the council members in a work setting only, so he couldn’t say for sure if they were nice or not. He knew they could be ruthless when going after what they wanted and when it came to protecting Zelthrane-3, but he doubted she wanted to hear that. No, she wanted to know how they would treat her as a female, and that wasn’t something he could guess on. Zelthranites, or Terrans -- gods but he hated that term -- were known for being kind to females, but he couldn’t promise they wouldn’t treat her like property.
From what Borgoz had gathered, she’d been mistreated by her family her entire life. Charlotte needed someone who would dote on her, give her everything she could ever want, including love. But that’s where things got tricky. He could promise her a devoted mate who would never cheat on her, but love? He knew of several human-Terran pairings where love was involved, but it didn’t always happen.
“I only know the males in a work setting,” he admitted. “They are honorable males who would treat you well.”
She looked disappointed but nodded her head. “When will I meet your wife?”
Borgoz gave her a startled look. “I don’t have a mate.”
For some reason, that little bit of knowledge seemed to please her. Borgoz wasn’t sure what to make of that tidbit. Surely she wasn’t attracted to him? He was years older than her, and she’d already compared him to her father, a man he knew she didn’t like.
Despite Helio’s warning about Charlotte being eased into Terran cuisine, he took her to his favorite restaurant. Her brow furrowed in the cutest way as she looked at the menu. He knew she couldn’t read a word of what was on the digital display, but it didn’t stop her from trying to figure it out.
“Would you like me to order for you?” he asked.
She gave him a grateful smile and nodded.
Borgoz placed their order and then focused his attention back on the delightful woman across from him. There was still a lot he wanted to know about her, and at the same time, he was almost afraid to get to know her better. Because the better he knew her, the more he would like her, and the more he would want to keep her.
“Why haven’t you mated anyone yet?” she asked. “I would think that you’d have had your choice of bride.”
“There hasn’t been time to look for one.”
“But you want one?”
He hesitated then nodded. He didn’t see the harm in being honest with her, but if he was going to admit that he wanted a mate, she should also know why it wouldn’t be wise for him to take one.
“My schedule is very busy,” he said. “It doesn’t leave a lot of time for finding a bride, much less e
ntertaining a mate. If I ever take a mate, she’ll have to understand that my job comes first and that it’s a very demanding one. I’m sure you can understand since your father holds a position of power on your planet. It takes a lot of hours to get things accomplished, and I’m afraid any woman I claimed would end up feeling neglected.”
“But you’re taking the time to take me shopping and out to eat,” she pointed out. “You could have asked your servant to do it.”
“Servant?” He smiled. “You mean Helio? He’s a fellow council member who sometimes helps out around my house. There’s a group of women who come in twice a week to clean and I used to have a chef, but I eat most of my meals out now. If I’m in the house, I’m usually working, so eating out is my one guaranteed way of taking a break.”
“It sounds like you need a mate worse than you think.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, a mate would want to go on trips around the city. She’d want to go shopping and out to eat. She’d want to visit the pool or maybe go to a park. Although, with that incredible garden, I guess a park wouldn’t be necessary. But she would need you to take her to those places, which would get you out of your office. So you need a mate in the worst way.”
Borgoz couldn’t help but laugh at her logic. He’d been around his share of females, but he’d never enjoyed one quite so much. Nor had he ever smiled or laughed as much as he did around Charlotte. He knew if anyone could drag him out of his office, it would be her. Not that he was going to tell her that. Honestly, the thought frightened him a bit. He’d always been a -- what was that Earth term? -- workaholic. Never before would he have blown off the important documents he needed to review today just to have a meal with a beautiful woman. But for Charlotte, he found he was willing to do anything. One look into her eyes and he’d been smitten.
All right, so he’d also been annoyed -- annoyed at her for being so damn beautiful and annoyed with her father for having lied to him. At the same time, he was grateful that the Senator had sent the wrong daughter because Borgoz had a feeling Charlotte was very, very right. She would just have to be right for someone else. Someone younger, with more time on his hands.
The tent in his pants told him that his body wasn’t listening to all of the reasoning he was doing in his head. She tempted him, beyond words, and he knew he was going to ache until he had her. Or until she was mated to someone else and out from under his roof. At least, that’s what he told himself, but there was this little voice in the back of his head that whispered, You’ll always want her, even when she moves out… because she’s yours.
Stupid voice. Stupid male. He had it bad, and no matter what kind of pep talk he gave himself, he’d be better off admitting the truth and learning how to deal with it. Because hiding wasn’t going to be an option.
Chapter Five
He made her laugh. Charlotte was certain that wasn’t his intention, but it was true nevertheless. She’d smiled more around Borgoz than she had in months, possibly ever, but the silly man seemed to think he wasn’t the right guy for her. He’d brought up council members or high ranking males several times during their meal, and she humored him by listening and commenting where she could, but really she wanted to take her plate and bash him over the head with it.
No matter what his lips said, his eyes said he found her every bit as fascinating as she found him. When she’d gotten up to use the restroom, he hadn’t been able to hide the erection tenting his pants, so it was obvious he found her attractive. She just wasn’t sure how to get him to act on it. And she wanted him to!
Charlotte had had boyfriends over the years but few and far between, and none were anything like Borgoz. They were boys playing at being men. But she could tell by the serious set of his lips, the determined tilt of his chin, that he was a man who took responsibility seriously. And therein lay the problem. He’d promised her father that he would find her someone influential to marry, but it seemed he’d taken himself off the list. Who could be more influential than the Chief Councilor? And yet, he was determined to push her off on someone else.
Well, she had news for him. She was having none of it! One way or another, she was going to make him realize they could have something wonderful together. He didn’t wince when she spoke in her strange way, and if she asked him to repeat something, he didn’t get annoyed about it. He’d been amused at her hesitance to eat the alien fare brought to their table, but when she’d seemed truly concerned, he’d offered to take her somewhere else, a place that offered Earth cuisine.
“You’re staring,” he said.
Charlotte blinked and then blushed, realizing she had been staring at him, and probably for quite some time. She tried to drag her gaze away, but she found herself looking into his mesmerizing, pansy-colored eyes once more. If anything, he seemed amused by it. Amused was good, right? It meant he was happy spending time with her.
“Thank you for taking the time to show me around and have a meal with me,” she said, trying to think of something to say.
“I’ve enjoyed our time together,” he said softly. And she could have sworn she heard him mumble too much, but she couldn’t be certain. Since he wasn’t speaking English, she couldn’t read his lips.
“You don’t have to take me shopping. I’m sure whatever I brought will be fine. I don’t intend to go out into society very much. I’ve found that social activities tend to be awkward for me, sometimes embarrassing. I’d rather avoid them.”
“I promised your father I would find you an influential mate. But a male of that caliber is going to require you to attend functions at his side and play hostess in his home. Your father assured me his daughter knew how to handle those situations.”
Charlotte nibbled her lower lip. “Father was speaking of Charity. She’s been groomed to become the wife of someone important. I was always an embarrassment to him and hidden away when there were parties or political functions. The few times he took me he swore he would never do it again, but the public expected to see both of his daughters with him when he went out. He tolerated me for the voters’ sakes. The only mates he thought would be suitable for me were men old enough to be my grandfather.”
“The more I learn of your father, the more I dislike the man. You’re not something to be hidden away. Any male worthy of you would be honored to have you by his side.”
“I talk funny.”
“I like the way you talk.”
The heated look in his eyes said he liked a lot more than that, but it warmed her from the inside out. Charlotte had never believed in love at first sight, despite all the romance novels she’d read as a teen and adult, but if anyone could make a believer out of her, it would be Borgoz. He was stunning to look at, funny, and he seemed to genuinely like her.
Now she just had to convince him that she was worth keeping.
“Are you ready to shop?” he asked, eyeing her empty plate.
“You really don’t have to take me around the stores.”
His lips twitched. “Is this where you point out again how busy I am? Or are you inferring that you aren’t worth my time?”
Her eyes widened because that hadn’t been her intention. If anything, she wanted him to see her as very worthy of putting work aside. But on Earth, men hated to shop. Were the aliens really that different? She’d assumed all males detested shopping with women.
Borgoz rose from the table and held out his hand, helping her to her feet. Then, he surprised her even more when he wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her out into the sunshine, or what was left of it. The multiple suns were setting, casting the sky into beautiful shades of pink and orange.
Charlotte might have leaned a little closer to Borgoz as they walked to the nearby shops, and she might have sniffed at his heavenly scent a few -- hundred -- times. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had turned her on, but none of those encounters had ever ended well. The men who dated Charlotte really just wanted to secure their future in politics, and thought by taking
out the Senator’s deaf daughter, they would score some points. It hadn’t ended well for them or her.
“You look sad,” Borgoz said. “I thought you’d enjoy shopping.”
“I do. I was just remembering something.” She smiled. “I’ll try not to think about the past so much. It’s full of unpleasant memories.”
“No sad memories. I want your time here to be happy. Besides, once you start meeting eligible males, you won’t have time to be sad. It will be one -- what’s that Earth term? Date? -- yes, one date after another.”
She sighed and tried to muster a smile for him. It wasn’t that she would mind going on a date, but she didn’t want to date multiple men. She only wanted to date one man. The one walking beside her right now. But something told her if she said as much to him, he’d run the other direction. She needed to work on him subtly, try to worm her way into his heart, until he realized that he couldn’t live without her.
“Borgoz, what will happen to me if I don’t find a mate here? What if I don’t get along with your councilmen or warriors? What if they don’t like the way I talk or that I can’t always hear everything they say? What if they think I’m defective, just like everyone on Earth did?”
He drew her to a halt and then turned her to face him. “Charlotte, I’ve told you our males are different from your men on Earth. You’re going to make some lucky Terran a terrific mate, and I know there will be several males who wish to have that honor. You’re going to have your choice of who you spend the rest of your life with, so don’t think for a moment that no one will want you.”
“What if I don’t want them?”
He seemed momentarily startled. “You don’t wish to have a mate?”
“It’s not that,” she hedged. “But I don’t want to settle for just anyone. Just because someone wants to claim me as their mate doesn’t mean I’ll want them in return. There has to be some attraction between us, and it would be nice if I could relate to him in some way. You know, have conversations with him. I don’t want a male who only desires me because of who my father is or because he thinks I’m pretty. I want more. I deserve more.”
Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador Page 3
