“I’m going to argue with you there. A house is not only required, but one has been found. I was going to contact Barimere tonight to tell him the two of you should be ready to move in by breakfast. But if things aren’t working between the two of you… has he said something or done something?”
Her cheeks warmed.
“I see. He slept with you and then pushed you away.” Larimar nodded. “He’s fighting the way he feels. It was obvious to the entire council that he desires you. But perhaps you’re right in asking for a new bodyguard. As it is, one of my favorite warriors is returning to our world tonight. I’ll have Cosmir report to you at first light and help you move into the house.”
“And Barimere?” she asked.
“I’ll inform him that he is to return to his home, but I believe I should wait until Cosmir has you safely tucked away in your new home. Perhaps, once you’re no longer under his protection, he’ll realize that he wants you as much as you seem to want him.” Larimar gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out, Jacie. I thought the two of you would be perfect for one another. You needed his protection, and could give him the gift of four babies to call his own.”
“I guess it isn’t meant to be,” she said softly, a tear slipping down her cheek. “Don’t punish him for what happened between us. I was the one who instigated it. I’d thought that it would bring us closer together and he’d decide he wanted me as his mate, but it backfired. If anything, he’s more convinced than ever that he would make a horrible mate.”
“What happened, Jacie?” Larimar asked.
“My stomach growled and he realized I’d missed a few meals. Vyrex said I need to eat at least five times a day and I only managed two meals today. Barimere is now convinced that he isn’t mate material.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you for understanding and sending me a new bodyguard. I’ll have my things packed and ready when he gets here.”
“If you need anything, I’m only a call away. And Barimere is still next door if there’s an emergency.”
She nodded, but knew she wouldn’t get Barimere even if she were to deliver the babies in her living room suddenly. The screen went dark and she started the task of packing her belongings, leaving out something to sleep in and something to wear tomorrow. Once her things, and Sugarbutt’s, were gathered and stacked near the front door, she changed for bed and tried to close her eyes.
Instead of sleeping, she ended up staring out the bedroom window until the suns started to rise the next morning. Changing into her clothes and packing her pajamas, she waited anxiously for the warrior Larimar was sending to her. When there was a knock at the door, her heart leapt into her throat. What would Cosmir be like? Would he be easy-going, or stoic like Barimere?
She opened the door and craned her head back to look up at the warrior on her doorstep. He gave her an easy smile and held out his hand.
“I’m Cosmir,” he said. “Councilman Larimar said you needed a new bodyguard.”
“I’m packed and ready to go.”
He stepped inside and gathered her belongings, leaving her the light things to carry. Sugarbutt planted himself on top of her foot, reminding her that he hadn’t been put into his tote. It wasn’t likely he would run away, so she decided to let him walk with them.
“What’s that?” Cosmir asked, looking down at her pet.
“That’s Sugarbutt, my cat.”
“Sugar…” He laughed and shook his head. “Does he need to be carried?”
“He can follow me.”
“My Vitra is parked out front. It isn’t far to the house, but I figured you’d rather ride than carry anything for a few blocks. Will your cat ride along?”
“He should be fine.”
Cosmir nodded. “Then let’s go before your Barimere decides to investigate the noise in the hall. I was warned that he could possibly make a scene if he were to catch me here. I take it he doesn’t know he’s being replaced?”
“No. Councilman Larimar thought it best to tell him after you’d helped me move.”
Cosmir watched her for a moment then nodded. “Then let’s get you moved into your new home. I’ve arranged for my things to be delivered.”
Jacie followed him out to his Vitra and climbed inside while Cosmir loaded her things into the back. Sugarbutt leapt into her lap and peered out the window. Once Cosmir was behind the controls and they’d lifted off the ground, Jacie allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. She’d been worried that Barimere would try to stop her. And while it would be wonderful to have that happen, she knew it wouldn’t be for the right reasons.
She rode to her new home in something of a daze, barely seeing anything out the window. When they landed in front of a spacious looking home near the center of town, she felt a flutter in her stomach. This was the home she was to share with Barimere, and it didn’t feel right to be here with someone else, even though he’d made it clear how he felt.
Cosmir helped her out of the Vitra and escorted her into her new home. It was bigger inside than she’d first thought, boasting five bedrooms. She supposed the council had thought she would share a room with Barimere and the babies could have the other bedrooms, but that wasn’t going to work out so well now. She chose a sunny room with a view of the back garden and sat on the bed as Cosmir brought her things in. She told him where to put Sugarbutt’s litter box and other belongings, then went back to staring out the window.
“I know this isn’t what you had in mind,” Cosmir said, “but I have experience with pregnant females. I watched over the Chief Councilor’s mate while she was on Earth. I promise to take good care of you, Jacie. I know I’m not the male you wanted to share this space with, but we’ll make it work.”
“I don’t mean to seem ungrateful,” she said.
“You seem sad, not ungrateful. If you ever want to talk, I’ve heard I’m a great listener.”
Jacie nodded then looked outside again. She’d need to explain things to him, in case Barimere showed up. She didn’t want Cosmir to be blindsided by her ex-bodyguard. Not that she was one hundred percent certain Barimere would come after her. And if he did, she figured it would be more out of a sense of duty than out of any feelings he held toward her. A tear slipped down her cheek as she wondered why Barimere couldn’t admit that he had feelings for her, and admit that they were meant to be together. Why was he so afraid of becoming more than just her bodyguard?
Chapter Seven
Barimere stared at the empty space and his heart nearly stalled in his chest. All of Jacie’s things, including that furry menace, were gone. He’d already packed his bags in preparation for moving to the new house today and had come to fetch her, only to discover that she was missing. How had she slipped past him? Mild panic set in as he wondered where she’d gone or how she’d gotten there. Had someone come and abducted her right out from under his nose?
He quickly dialed the councilman and waited for Larimar to answer. The councilman didn’t look happy at being disturbed and glowered at him.
“What do you want?” the councilman asked in a clipped tone.
“Jacie is missing.”
“No, she’s not. She’s precisely where she’s supposed to be.”
Barimere looked around. “But she’s gone.”
“Someone on the council was supposed to contact you this morning. You’ve been relieved of duty.”
“Relieved of… what do you mean I’ve been relieved of duty? Where the hell is Jacie?”
“With her new bodyguard. In her new home.”
Barimere growled. “You sent her off to live with some stranger? In the same house? What if he takes advantage of her? What if he thinks living with her gives him the right to take more from her than friendship?”
“Like you did?” the councilman asked.
Barimere felt the blood drain from his face. “Jacie told you what happened between us?”
“Yes, and she also told me how you shut down afterward. She�
�s with a new guard because she requested one. While she wasn’t thrilled with having to share a home with him, I assured her that Cosmir would treat her with respect.”
“Cosmir! Everyone knows he’s searching for a mate!”
“And would it be so bad if he claimed Jacie? It would be a better fate than her living on her own with four children in a few years, after a guard is no longer needed. What she needs is a male in her life who will watch over her and take care of the children and her. Someone who will love those babies as if they were his own.” The councilman sneered at him. “Since you’re incapable of thinking of anyone but yourself, I think it’s safe to say that won’t be you. I honestly thought better of you than this, Barimere. There’s an Earth saying that seems rather appropriate. You fucked up.”
Barimere grimaced and knew the councilman spoke the truth. He really had fucked up. Royally, as the humans would say. He didn’t like the idea of another male getting to live with Jacie, and the thought of another’s hands on her body was enough to infuriate him, but he knew his anger was misplaced. If he was angry with anyone, it was himself. Perhaps if he were mate material, then she would have stayed. The fact she left without so much as saying goodbye told him everything he needed to know. When he’d pushed her away, he’d thought she would see reason. It seemed she had… and had decided he was no longer worthy of being her bodyguard.
“I didn’t take good care of her. Perhaps Cosmir will do a better job. Her well-being, and that of the babies, is more important than what I want in life, Councilman. Do I desire Jacie? Yes. But I put my needs before hers yesterday and I can promise it would have happened again.”
“Did you really?” Larimar asked softly. “Did you really put your needs first? Or were you putting Jacie first even when you took her to your bed?”
He had tried to push her away, but she’d been so adamant that she wanted him. He remembered trying to tell her no, and in the end, giving in to her demands. Was the councilman saying that Barimere had put Jacie first even when he’d made love to her? It didn’t feel that way. It felt like he’d given in to his own desires and wants, and it just happened to coincide with what Jacie wanted.
“I knew she needed to eat, but I didn’t make arrangements for a delivery before I met with the council. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast and ended up missing three meals. Vyrex gave me explicit instructions for taking care of Jacie and I failed her. I don’t deserve to be her bodyguard any longer.”
“Barimere, she didn’t request a new bodyguard because she thought you’d failed her. Not for the reason you believe anyway. She requested a new guard because you broke her heart by pushing her away. When you decided that your relationship had to go back to being just that of her protector, she knew she’d lost you. It was too painful for her to share the same quarters with you knowing that you would never agree to claim her.” Larimar sighed. “You need to take some time and think about what you want. And I mean what you really want. If you love her, you should go after her.”
“I barely know her; how could I possibly love her?”
Larimar shrugged. “From what I’ve seen, our males fall in love rather easily, even though sometimes they are too stubborn to realize it for some time. Don’t make the mistake our Chief Councilor made. He nearly lost his mate because he was too damn stubborn to admit that he loved her and wanted to claim her. He thought Charlotte was better off without him, and he damn near lost her when she returned to Earth.”
He’d heard a little about the Chief Councilor’s mating, but he hadn’t realized that Borgoz nearly lost his mate. Barimere knew his situation was different, though. He might want to spend more time with Jacie, might want her in his bed, but he wasn’t in love with her. And he definitely wasn’t good enough for her. Even though her touch as she’d traced his scars had been light, the soft caress had done much to soothe his pain. If ever he were to take a mate, it would be Jacie.
“She deserves a whole male, not someone like me. It would be best if I left her alone.”
“Did you ask Jacie what she wanted?” Larimar asked.
Well, no, he hadn’t.
“I didn’t think so.” The councilman shook his head. “I hope you see reason before it’s too late. It would be a shame if she settled for someone because the male she really wants is too damn stubborn and prideful to go after her.”
The councilman ended the call and Barimere stood staring at the black screen.
Wandering through the suite, he ended up in the bedroom and stretched out on the bed, burrowing into her pillow. It still held her scent, and his cock hardened. With a growl of frustration, he jerked the pillow off the bed and carried it back to his room, throwing it down on his side of the bed. Not that he would be sleeping there any longer, not if Jacie was gone. He’d be returning home, which seemed entirely too far away from her.
Barimere picked up his packed bag, snatched the pillow, and headed to his Vitra. He’d go home, but he would take a piece of Jacie with him. It saddened him that she’d never see his home, but even if they’d remained together she still wouldn’t have seen it, not with her needing to be near the doctor and food sources. But if he could have Jacie in his life, he would gladly sell his home and move to the center of the city. If only he could control himself better around her…
When he reached his home, he unpacked his belongings and put the pillow on his bed. He roamed through the house, realizing for the first time how very quiet it was. With no mate or pet to greet him, he felt… lonely. If he could find a way to take care of Jacie, could ensure that she would get everything she needed and he wouldn’t screw up again, then he would have a mate and demented furball in his life. It was a sad day when he actually missed Sugarbutt.
His Vid-comm signaled an incoming call and he answered, hoping that maybe it was Jacie, saying she forgave him for being such an idiot. Vyrex appeared on the screen, and Barimere’s gut tightened. If the doctor was contacting him, it couldn’t be good news.
“What’s wrong?” Barimere asked.
“Tracking you down wasn’t easy. Why aren’t you with Jacie?”
“She asked for a new bodyguard.”
Vyrex raised an eyebrow. “I have some unsettling news for Jacie and I had hoped you would be with her when she found out. I’m sure it’s going to be devastating for her.”
“Her test results came back?”
Vyrex nodded. “It’s something we’ve never seen in any of our Terran-human pairings. A birth defect. I had to do some research and access Earth’s files to discover exactly what I was dealing with. It seems on Earth they give the parents the option of terminating the birth, but she’s so far along now that it won’t be possible. If this test had been done on Earth, the way it should have been, then she would have had some options.”
“It wouldn’t matter. Regardless of what’s wrong with the baby, Jacie won’t wish to terminate the pregnancy.”
“You seem awfully sure of that.”
“I am.”
Vyrex nodded. “Well, I’d better call her and give her the news. You said there’s a bodyguard there with her? Because she’s going to need some support when I tell her. It’s something called Down Syndrome. I’d never heard of it before, but I think I’m informed enough now to be prepared for this delivery. When I did the scan of the babies, I thought one of them didn’t look quite… right. It was different from the other three, but I thought it was just the angle.”
Barimere had never heard of it either, but he was about to become very familiar with it. Jacie was going to need all of the support she could get. If the baby looked different from the others, that meant it was going to look different from everyone else on his world. The Zelthranites were not mean people, normally, but he wasn’t sure how well received this baby would be. There had never been a baby born to his people who wasn’t perfect.
“I know something happened between you,” Vyrex said, “but I think she’s going to need you today. There’s a bond between you and she’s going to need
that.”
Barimere nodded. “I’ll head over there now.”
“Hurry.”
Vyrex signed off and Barimere went back out to his Vitra, hoping he’d make it to Jacie’s home before the doctor delivered his news.
Chapter Eight
Jacie tried to smile; she really did. It wasn’t Cosmir’s fault that she was in such a rotten mood. He’d done everything to cheer her up, even asked her favorite food and had gone to the restaurant to bring it to her. But nothing was working. She missed Barimere. There was a deep ache inside her that she knew only he could ease, but he hadn’t come after her like she’d hoped he would.
Cosmir appeared in the doorway and seemed hesitant to disturb her.
“Something wrong?” she asked.
“The doctor is on the Vid-comm and said he has the results from your blood work. He’d like to speak with you.”
She nodded and rose to her feet, following Cosmir into the living room. Vyrex looked grim and her stomach knotted, wondering what news he had to tell her. She wished even harder for Barimere to be by her side. He’d know what to do if the doctor had bad news.
“Vyrex.”
“Good afternoon, Jacie. I told your bodyguard that I have the results from your blood work. Before I give them to you, I should tell you that I saw something in your scans but didn’t say anything at the time. I’d thought maybe the baby was just at a strange angle, but…”
Her hands clenched at her sides. “There’s something wrong with one of my babies?”
“It’s one of the girls. She has something called Down Syndrome. As it’s an Earth term, I’m sure you’re familiar with it.”
Yes, she was familiar with it. All too familiar. Her cousin, Katie, had Down Syndrome. She’d done enough research to know there was only a one percent chance it ran in her family, but she’d held out hope that her babies wouldn’t be affected. Not that Katie had a bad life. She was happy and well cared for, and Jacie would never treat her daughter differently just because she wasn’t… she didn’t want to use the term normal, it made it sound like there was something wrong with her child, and there wasn’t. She was just different.
Jacie and the Alien Bodyguard (Intergalactic Brides 6) Page 7
