Jacie and the Alien Bodyguard (Intergalactic Brides 6)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “You know that the nearby planets are facing a similar situation as us -- they have too many males, and no females are being born to those fortunate enough to have a mate. We’ve searched the galaxy, and it’s possible that Vaaden females would be viable, but their males aren’t exactly offering up the women to us. Besides, I’ve heard they can be frosty.”

  Barimere frowned. “Their temperature is lower than ours?”

  “No.” Larimar chuckled. “The humans are rubbing off on me with their sayings. No, I mean that their demeanor is frosty and cold. They pair with their females for breeding purposes, but even they have been using humans. They don’t have an agreement in place, but we’ve discovered that, for at least the past ten years, Vaaden males have been capturing Earth women and forcing them to be sex slaves. Who knows for certain how long it’s been going on?”

  Barimere couldn’t stop the growl that vibrated his throat. “We should raid their planet and free those women!”

  “It’s a possibility the council has discussed, but we don’t have all of the facts yet. If the women are happy, it would be best to leave them where they are. If we charge in and demand they hand over the Earth women, we will make a powerful enemy.”

  “Can we at least stop them from taking more females from Earth? It doesn’t seem right that we’re asking them to hand their women over to us for mates when we aren’t willing to protect the families left behind. Sisters, mothers, daughters… any of them could be kidnapped by the Vaadens, or worse. If the Vaadens are capturing the women, who’s to say others aren’t as well?”

  Larimar nodded. “It’s something we’ve thought about, but we don’t have the numbers to protect our world and theirs. There’s been some discussion of asking for help, forming an alliance of sorts, but that would mean sharing the potential brides with another race. Borgoz’s nephew mentioned opening up the bride exchange to other races, and we’ve welcomed some on a case by case basis, but I don’t think we’re ready for something like that full-scale.”

  “It’s an intriguing idea. You know I’m willing to fight if I’m needed.”

  “Your allegiance to Zelthrane-3 is noted, Barimere, but you’re retired for a reason. You suffered enough at the hands of our enemies and we couldn’t possibly ask you to give any more than you have already.”

  Barimere wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He was a seasoned warrior, and his sole purpose in life was to defend his world from attack. Since his capture during the last war, he’d been relegated to the sidelines, assisting with training and tactics, but disallowed from fighting. It stung his pride, but he knew his people were trying to honor his sacrifice.

  “Is that really why you haven’t taken a mate?” Larimar asked. “Are you afraid of how she’ll react when she sees your body? Because if she can get past the scars on your face, I doubt seriously that the rest will bother her.”

  Barimere didn’t want to admit that the scarring on his body played a large part in his reluctance to find a mate. What if he courted a female, began to feel something for her, and then discovered she couldn’t stand the sight of his body? He might be a hardened warrior, but it didn’t mean his heart couldn’t be damaged.

  “Just think about it,” Larimar said. “I have to go. Council will be in session shortly. Watch over Jacie and do what you think is best. We want her to remain calm and to get the rest and care she needs.”

  The councilman signed off and Barimere collapsed into a chair. He had a feeling this assignment wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d first thought. Get the rest and care she needs? And just who did the councilman think would be doing those things for Jacie? It seemed he was to be more caretaker than bodyguard, and Barimere wasn’t sure he liked that idea at all. It would mean getting close to her, closer than he had planned. Trouble was brewing, and he couldn’t think of a way to avoid it.

  Chapter Two

  Jacie had unpacked while she’d waited on Sugarbutt’s things to be delivered, and then she’d gotten her pet settled. She’d tried to rest, like Barimere had suggested, but she was too nervous about seeing Myro again. She’d thought of a thousand things she wanted to say, but she knew her courage would fail her once she was face to face with him. It had been four months since he’d left to return to his world and she’d thought he would ask her to join him at some point, but he never had. At first, she’d been crushed, and then she’d discovered she was pregnant and had been overwhelmed.

  It made her wonder if their time together wasn’t as special as she’d thought. She’d heard that Terrans didn’t believe in casual sex, but had she been wrong? What if Myro had seen her as a good time and nothing more? She’d given him her heart, or so she’d thought, but now she wasn’t so sure. The way her heart had raced when she’d seen Barimere told her her feelings weren’t true for Myro. She shouldn’t have found the large warrior sexy, but she did. There was an intimidating look in his eyes, a look that said he would do whatever it took to get the job done, but it didn’t frighten her. If anything, it made her feel safe.

  Since Myro, there hadn’t been a man in her life. She smoothed a hand over her rounded belly. Once she’d discovered she was pregnant, she’d wanted to contact Myro, but hadn’t been sure how. She’d finally gone to the Terran station near her home and explained the situation to them. The guards at the station had contacted their home world, and a few days later, they’d told her she needed to move to Terran in order to tell Myro about the baby.

  It had taken several months for her to tie up all the loose ends on Earth and say goodbye to what little family she had left. She hadn’t been sure she would ever see them again when they’d dropped her off at the station for her flight here. And now, after speaking to Barimere, it seemed certain she wouldn’t. How could they expect to keep her here if Myro didn’t want her anymore? Of course, she could understand their reasoning behind the matter, but it didn’t mean she had to like it.

  “Take a mate or fend for myself on an unknown world,” she muttered. What a choice!

  Sugarbutt pawed at her legs and she picked him up, not caring that she’d be wearing orange fur the rest of the night. Maybe she should confront Myro tomorrow. Her stomach cramped and she realized she wouldn’t get any rest until she saw his reaction to discovering they had a child. They’d spoken so little about their backgrounds or families that she really knew nothing about him. She didn’t even know what he did for a living, other than his job had taken him to Earth for one short month.

  She snorted. Short! It had been long enough for her to get pregnant. Why hadn’t she insisted on condoms? It wasn’t like she’d been a virgin, but Myro had swept her off her feet and she’d allowed him liberties that no other man had ever taken. Including not using condoms. She’d had a birth control shot, but apparently she’d missed the letter from her doctor letting her know she needed another one. And now she had a little one on the way. Not that she didn’t love her child! It just wasn’t the ideal situation, but then babies always changed peoples’ lives, whether they were ready for it or not.

  A knock sounded at the door a moment before it opened. Her jaw dropped a little as Barimere walked in, an aqua shirt showing off the bulging muscles in his arms and his sculpted chest. A hint of skin showed above the buttons and she could see more scars like the ones on his face, and she wondered what had caused them. His hair was loose and hung in waves past his shoulders. It looked soft and her fingers itched to touch it.

  His gaze scanned her from head to toe and she wondered if she was dressed appropriately. She’d changed into a white dress with large purple, teal, and pink flowers across it. The dress hugged her baby bulge, making her noticeably pregnant. Would people assume they were a couple when they went out? And why did her heart give a little kick at the thought?

  “You’re well rested?” he asked.

  “I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t. I guess I’m just too nervous about seeing Myro again. I don’t understand why the council didn’t just inform him about the baby and have him meet me
at the shuttle.”

  “We’ll discuss it over dinner. I’ll answer all of your questions, if I’m able.”

  The cat wound around his feet then plopped down on his boot and glared up at him.

  “I think Sugarbutt likes you,” Jacie said.

  Barimere’s eyebrows shot upward. “That’s what he looks like when he likes someone? Does he turn homicidal when he dislikes someone?”

  She laughed. “He’d have clawed you and shouted his displeasure earlier, instead of playing with you.”

  “Launching your undergarments at my face was playful?”

  Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. “Yes. I’m really sorry about that. He can get up to some crazy things, but he usually doesn’t embarrass me quite so much in public.”

  “He travels with you often?”

  “Oh, I don’t mean for travel. He either gets carried in his tote, or I’ll put a harness on him and take him for a walk. He’s usually well behaved when we’re out, but my parents tend to bring out his naughty side. He’s climbed my mother’s head before, and the last time, he peed on her while he was up there. The look on her face was priceless!”

  “I’m suddenly very glad he didn’t climb me like he did your mother, if he can’t hold his bladder. Being pissed on is not high on my list of things to experience.”

  As if understanding the alien’s words, Sugarbutt glared up at him, ears folded back, as if he were plotting Barimere’s demise. Jacie quickly picked up her pet and shooed him out of the way. She wasn’t sure she wanted to test Barimere’s patience when it came to her precious baby.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “Starved. I haven’t eaten since… well, last night I guess. I didn’t have time for breakfast before the shuttle left.”

  He frowned. “You should have eaten before you left. You can’t miss meals in your condition.”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him. “Just hungry.”

  “Then I’ll feed you.”

  Her cheeks warmed at his words, but she knew he didn’t mean them literally. The thought of his fingers brushing her lips as he fed her morsel after morsel was a tempting thought.

  She looped her arm through his and allowed him to escort her down to the main floor and out into the night. There were vehicles flying overhead, but she didn’t see one waiting for them outside.

  “Are we walking?” she asked.

  “It’s only two blocks to the Earth food place. I wasn’t thinking about your condition though. Should you walk that far? I can get my Vitra.”

  “Vitra?” she asked.

  He pointed up. “Like your Earth cars, but they fly. Being this close to all of the shops and eating places, I didn’t think I would need it, but if you would prefer to ride there I can accommodate you.”

  “No! Walking is fine, really. I just didn’t realize we weren’t going very far.”

  They didn’t speak again until after they’d reached the restaurant and had been seated. The menu was on a digital display at the table and they could even use it to place their order. Everything looked good, and it had taken her a while to figure out what she wanted to eat, but Jacie knew anything would taste good right now.

  Barimere looked around, and seemed unable to meet her gaze. It made her wonder about the news he had to share. He seemed to know something about Myro. Whatever it was, knowing was better than not knowing. She could handle just about anything right now, except learning he was dead. Jacie wasn’t sure she could manage that at the moment, but anything else she could survive, even if the news was that Myro never wanted to see her again. She was tough! She could do this.

  “Tell me about Myro,” she said. “I know you’re avoiding the subject, but we might as well get it out of the way.”

  “Perhaps you should eat something first.”

  Jacie shook her head. “Whatever you have to tell me, I can take it.”

  “What do you know of Myro?”

  “Nothing really. We didn’t do a lot of talking, not about our lives, anyway. We’d discuss movies we had watched, or talk about the latest sporting event. He discovered American football and baseball.”

  “So he never mentioned his son?” Barimere asked.

  She swallowed the knot in her throat. “Son?”

  “Myro is not mated to the boy’s mother, if that’s what you’re wondering. Our single males go to a floating brothel nearby when they need to…”

  “Scratch an itch?”

  He nodded. “One of the girls became pregnant with Myro’s child. When the baby was born, it was given to Myro to care for; otherwise, it would have been sent to an orphanage.”

  “Why didn’t he tell me about his son? I wouldn’t have minded. Did he think I wouldn’t want to be a mother to his child?”

  Barimere cleared his throat and looked around the room before meeting her gaze again. “There’s more.”

  “What?”

  “About a month ago, some new Earth females arrived on our world. Myro chose one to be his mate. He married this past month, and since I’m assuming he never contacted you after returning to this world, I’m going to have to also assume that he didn’t want you to be part of his life. I know it’s harsh, but I think you were a form of entertainment for him while he was on Earth.”

  Her mouth opened and shut a few times. It felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. She didn’t love Myro, but to know he’d so callously thrown her away cut deep.

  “It’s uncommon for our males to treat a female that way. Usually, we only become intimate with a female we are considering as a mate. Casual sex is unheard of in our community, but it seems that’s what happened with Myro and you.”

  Her shoulders slumped a little as the reality of her situation sank in. “Should I tell him about the baby?”

  “It would be rather awkward for his mate if you did. I don’t want to deny Myro the chance to know his child, but considering the situation, maybe this one time we should let everyone think the baby belongs to the male you choose as your mate.”

  She snorted. There he went again, already marrying her off to someone. As if it was as easy as stepping into the street, pointing at a male and deciding that’s the one she wanted to take home.

  “I think they’re going to realize I’m pregnant already. And I’m four months along, so it would have to be someone who was on Earth around that time. I’m sure that narrows down my options considerably.”

  “Yes, it does. Especially since a lot of our males are choosing to work at the stations on Earth and remain there on a semi-permanent to permanent basis. Many have purchased homes there. It wouldn’t make sense for you to move here if the baby belonged to one of them.”

  “So what do I do?”

  “I…” He paused when the waitress brought their food to them. She smiled at Barimere then focused on Jacie, her gaze dropping to Jacie’s rounded belly.

  “Oh!” the waitress exclaimed. “Barimere, I didn’t realize you’d taken a mate. Congratulations on your impending fatherhood! Wait until everyone hears about this!”

  Before he could correct her, the woman bustled off.

  “Shouldn’t you go after her and correct her?” Jacie asked.

  “If I do, she’s going to ask questions that we don’t have answers to.” He frowned. “I’m not sure what to do, quite honestly.”

  “Well, we can’t let people think we’re mated. It will ruin your chances of finding a real mate.”

  He arched a brow and pointed to his face. “And you think this is a face someone will wish to see every morning? I gave up on a mate when this happened. It will take a special woman to accept me as I am, and while I’m open to the possibility, it isn’t likely to happen.”

  She reached out and covered his hand with hers. “I barely noticed your scars when we met earlier. Not all women are caught up on a person’s looks. Although, if I’m completely honest, when I first saw you, I thought you were the sexiest male I’d ever seen.”<
br />
  His brow furrowed and he didn’t look like he believed her.

  “It’s true! You have that piercing stare and that no nonsense look. I could tell you were an intimidating male who was used to getting your way. It was a real turn-on.” Her cheeks flushed with her admission.

  His expression cleared and he looked at her with some curiosity. “You really felt that way?”

  “You looked even hotter when you picked me up for dinner.” It felt like her entire face was on fire. She wasn’t used to being forward with men.

  Barimere began to eat, but he kept glancing at her, as if he wasn’t sure if she could be believed or not. Surely she wasn’t the only female to have ever complimented him on his looks? She had a hard time picturing him being hard up for female companionship. He’d mentioned a brothel. Was that where he went? Jealousy surged through her at the thought of another woman’s hands on him, taking her completely by surprise.

  “You truly find me attractive?” he asked.

  “Very much.”

  He contemplated her a moment longer before looking around the restaurant.

  “You said I have to find a mate, right?” she asked, an idea forming in her mind.

  “Yes. Since you are pregnant, and without protection, you’ll be required to find a mate. If you’d like, I could make some suggestions. I know several males who have been actively seeking a mate, but have yet to find the right female.”

  She nibbled on her lip as she contemplated her next words. “Barimere, do you find me attractive? Even a little?”

  His eyebrows rose. “You’re very pleasing to the eye. Your pet, however, would take some getting used to. He may be a problem while you’re searching for a mate. Many won’t want something like that living with them.”

  “Sugarbutt goes where I go. If the male I’m interested in can’t accept Sugarbutt, then he can’t have me either.”