At the school, Simon sat on a bench near the front door, scuffing his toes along the ground. When he saw them pull up, he looked relieved, which worried Violet.
Didn’t the school tell him they were on their way?
“Something’s not right,” she said, opening her door.
Tiraz got out as well and stopped beside Simon.
“I thought you forgot me,” Simon said in a small voice.
“No, honey. Momma called the school and told them we were running late.
Didn’t anyone tell you?” Violet asked.
Simon shook his head.
A low growl came from Tiraz, who turned on his heel and stormed into the
school. Violet grabbed Simon’s hand and scurried after him, not sure what he was going to do, but something told her she might have to step in. Tiraz was leaning on the front counter when she got into the school and the receptionist looked terrified. Violet couldn’t blame the woman, Tiraz did look rather fierce.
“We called so you could tell Simon we were running late. He was scared and
alone out front!” Tiraz pounded a fist on the counter. “I want to see someone in charge, and I mean now.”
Violet placed a hand on his bicep, hoping to calm him down. The muscles under her fingertips tensed further and the stormy look in his eyes, when he glanced her way, was enough to take her breath away. No one had ever been so angry on Simon’s behalf before, except her. Tiraz might claim he wasn’t ready for a family, but he was certainly acting like an irate father.
The principal came to the front and frowned when she saw Simon clutching
Violet’s hand. “What seems to be the problem?”
“Why was a small child left to sit alone out front and not told that his mother was running late? Simon was scared when we arrived, thinking we’d forgotten him.”
“We can’t deliver messages to every child that receives one during dismissal. It’s too rowdy and chaotic. I’m sure every effort was made to deliver your message to Simon.”
Violet wasn’t so sure, and apparently Tiraz didn’t believe her either.
“That boy is under my protection, which means he’s under the protection of The Alliance. Do I need to tell you how much trouble you’re going to be in if this happens again?”
The principal blanched a little, but pursed her lips. “Then I suggest you arrive on time to pick up your son in the future. He’s only our responsibility until noon, after that he belongs to you again.”
Violet watched Tiraz to see if he would correct the woman on calling Simon his son, but he didn’t. He did flush a darker shade of blue and growled again, turned and swept Simon up into his arms before storming out of the front office, with Violet right on his heels. At the car, Tiraz buckled Simon into the backseat before sliding behind the steering wheel.
“What do you usually do after you pick up Simon?” Tiraz asked, his tone
stressed from dealing with the school.
“I’m hungry,” Simon said.
Tiraz chuckled. “Yes, but you’re always hungry. I think there’s a hole in your stomach and all the food falls out.”
Simon giggled.
“What if we have some pizzas delivered and we go home?” Tiraz suggested. He
adjusted the rearview mirror and smiled at Simon. “There may be a surprise in the trunk for you.”
Simon clapped his hands and bounced in his seat. “Go home! Go home!”
Tiraz laughed and pulled away from the curb. Violet couldn’t help but smile at Simon’s enthusiasm. She knew his face was going to light up when he saw the Wii U, and she doubted she’d see much of him the rest of the afternoon once it was set up in his bedroom. Tiraz was going to spoil him with all the eating out and the games, but Violet couldn’t begrudge her son a little happiness. He’d missed out on so much in his young life.
As soon as they walked into the penthouse, Tiraz pulled out his cell phone to order pizza. He hadn’t asked what they liked, but she was certain Simon would eat anything, as long as it came from Tiraz. She was surprised when he ordered a cheese, which was Simon’s favorite, and a supreme, which was her favorite. Was he a mind reader now?
Simon was staring a hole into the bag, with the game store’s logo on the outside, which Tiraz had set down by the door. Tiraz must have noticed because he motioned for Simon to follow him down the hall after he picked up the sack. When Violet heard a squeal, she knew Tiraz had shown him what was in the bag.
Without her handful of paperbacks to keep her company, Violet wasn’t sure
what to do. She claimed a spot on the sofa and turned on the TV, searching for something to occupy her time while Tiraz had a male bonding moment with Simon.
Truthfully, her little boy was probably on cloud nine right now. He’d never had any males to hang out with before.
It wasn’t that Violet hadn’t been asked out in the past five years, but she’d known none of them were good father material, and what was the point in going out with a man who wouldn’t be good for Simon? She’d pushed them all away and gotten something of a reputation at work for being frigid, which was actually how she’d come to lose her job. One of the partners in the company had taken an interest in her, but he was something of a playboy and had left a trail of broken hearts throughout the building.
She barely paid attention to the movie on the TV and had no idea how much
time had passed when the doorbell rang. Violet got up to answer it, not having any idea how Tiraz planned to pay for the meal. She opened the door, a smile on her face, and froze when she saw two large alien males on the other side.
The large blue one, who looked like he might be related to Tiraz, quirked an eyebrow and looked her over from head to toe. “So, my brother is dating?”
“I…we…I mean…” She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, but words failed
her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and heat against her back.
“Gryf, what are you doing here?” Tiraz asked.
“Leandro and I were wondering if you might want to head to the sports bar
downtown. We haven’t seen you lately.” Gryf’s gaze swung back to her. “And now I can see why. It seems you’re playing house.”
“Knock it off. This is Violet. She’s living here for the moment.”
There was a squeal from Simon’s room and a really loud, “I did it!”
“Was that a child?” Leandro asked, both eyebrows shooting into his hairline.
“My son,” Violet said. “He’s playing a game in his room.”
Gryf was still staring at her, long and hard, and it made her want to squirm. The elevator dinged open behind the aliens and a delivery boy stepped into the hall, freezing when he saw the impressive wall of multi-colored muscle. Tiraz shoved his way through Leandro and his brother, paid for the pizza, and carried the boxes into the kitchen. He set them down on the island and Violet moved away from the door, letting the two aliens into the penthouse.
“Had I known I was going to have company, I’d have ordered more food,” Tiraz said.
“We’re not staying,” Gryf said.
Leandro elbowed him while eyeing Violet. “Let’s not be too hasty. I think we should stick around and get to know your brother’s houseguests a little better. Are you mated, small female?”
Violet’s eyes widened and she looked from Leandro to Tiraz and back again.
“Um, no.”
“Interesting.” Leandro circled her. “And you have a child? Are you open to
having more children?”
Violet felt like a horse on the auction block.
“I didn’t realize you were in the market for a mate,” Tiraz said. “Last I heard, you were playing the field.”
Figures. Just like the men she’d worked with, and she knew well enough to stay away from his kind.
“Maybe I’m just waiting on the right woman to come along and tame me.”
Leandro smiled. “Think that might be you, small female?”
“My name is Violet.”
His smile widened. “Ah, so the kitten does have claws. I’d love to feel them raking down my back while you scream my name.”
Her jaw dropped opened and she stared at him wide-eyed. She’d been
propositioned before, but never so blatantly. Completely at a loss, she turned toward Tiraz, who stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist. She leaned into him for comfort and support.
“Violet isn’t looking to tame a bad boy,” Tiraz said. “She needs someone to
provide a stable home life for her son, someone who will enjoy spending time with Simon.”
Leandro lifted his hands. “Fair enough. Guess I’ll have to rely on the dating agency to find me a female of my own. Why don’t you keep this one? You’ve already moved her into your home.”
“Tiraz has been very good to us. We had nowhere to go and he’s allowed us to move in with him until a match can be found for me.” Her voice trembled as she faced off against the orange alien. “I would never presume to move in permanently. He’s just being kind, and I won’t abuse that kindness.”
Violet pulled away from Tiraz and went in search of Simon. She’d stay hidden until his guests left, but she was fairly certain her appetite had been killed. She hadn’t stopped to think that he might have friends who would assume they were together.
And the way his brother had looked at her…she shivered.
She curled up on Simon’s bed while he played his video game. A while later, she heard the front door close and she breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t liked being scrutinized so closely by the pair who had arrived on Tiraz’s doorstep, and she had a feeling the longer she stayed with him, the more scrutiny she would face.
Tiraz leaned against the doorframe and motioned for her to step into the hall.
Rising to her feet, she followed him, pulling Simon’s door most of the way closed behind her. Tiraz reached out and took her hand, leading her into the kitchen.
“I’m sorry if they made you uncomfortable. Had I known they were coming, I
would have prepared you, and them. I’ve never had a woman stay overnight in my home before and they were taken by surprise. But I’ve explained the situation to them and you have their support. Although, Leandro seems like he might be a bit smitten with you. Don’t be surprised if he asks you out on a date, and I’ll leave it to your discretion if you accept. He’s not a bad male, just a little wild.”
“I need someone who will be a good role model for Simon, not someone who
wants to go out and party all the time.”
“Fair enough. But I’m sure that if Leandro were to take a mate, and become the father of her child, he would settle down and spend more time at home with his new family.”
“Is he one of the males you were considering for me?” she asked.
“No. I had hoped Gryf might come around to the idea because I think you would be rather perfect for my brother. I plan to call Zarin tomorrow and see if he might be open to a finding a mate outside of the agency. He’s as obsessed with video games as your son is, so I think the two would get along great.”
“I’m scared, Tiraz. What if I can’t find someone? We can’t stay with you forever, and you said yourself there are only so many available males in this area. I’m already asking a lot of Simon by moving him around, first to your home and later to another home. If I do find a mate, can I really ask him to leave the only town he’s called home?”
Tiraz reached out and curled a tendril of her hair around his finger. “If you don’t want to move out of the area, then I won’t call those males. And if you don’t find a match out of the few I know here, then we’ll go back to the dating agency.”
Those weren’t the words she wanted to hear. She’d hoped that he would say he was falling in love with her, the way she felt she was falling for him. Violet had never known anyone as kind as Tiraz, and she doubted she ever would again. He was
different, and not just because he was an alien with blue skin. It was wrong of her to hope for more when he was already doing so much for them. It was selfish, and she should be ashamed of herself, but she couldn’t help but want more.
The few times she’d pressed a kiss to his jaw or cheek her lips had tingled and begged for a real kiss. A kiss that would never come. Every time his arms came around her, for whatever reason, she longed to lean into him and run her fingers over his sculpted chest. As she’d watched him work today, she’d wondered what he would look like out of the tee that molded to his muscles.
“We should eat before it gets cold,” he said.
Was his voice a little huskier than usual? Or was that wishful thinking?
“I’ll get Simon.” Violet pulled away and went to get her son.
When she returned, with a protesting Simon in tow, there were plates at the
dining room table filled with pizza. Simon claimed the chair in front of the slices of cheese, and Violet took the seat she’d used the night before. Tiraz brought three cans of soda to the table and then sat next to Violet.
“Can I play again after I eat?” Simon asked.
“You need to eat everything on your plate,” Tiraz said with a smile. “And then it will be up to your mother if you play some more.”
“You can play until dinnertime, as long as you don’t have homework,” Violet
said.
“No homework this week, but we do have a party on Friday.”
“A party?” Tiraz asked. “That sounds like fun. What kind of party is it?”
“A Valentine’s Day party. We’re supposed to bring Valentines for everyone in the class. There’s a note in my bag asking for extra things for goodie bags.” Simon chomped on his pizza. “Do you think I can participate this year?”
Her heart constricted as she thought about keeping him home last year because she hadn’t been able to afford the things the teacher had asked for. Tiraz glanced from Simon to her, and seeing the flush in her cheeks, must have realized what happened before.
“It sounds like you have a choice to make,” Tiraz said. “Either play more video games or we can go shopping for the things you’ll need for your party.”
Simon’s eyes widened. “I get to go?”
Tiraz smiled. “If your mother doesn’t have a problem with you attending the
party, I’ll make sure you have everything you need.”
Tears clogged Violet’s throat at his generosity, and a pang caused her chest to ache as she realized that, once more, she wasn’t able to provide for her son. If Tiraz hadn’t taken them into his home, she would have lost her son, but she hadn’t confessed that part to him yet. Would he think less of her when he realized she had been at the breaking point, and unable to hold it together any longer?
“I’d like to shop for the things we need for my party,” Simon said. “But can I play my game when we get home?”
Tiraz quirked an eyebrow at Violet and she nodded.
“You may,” Tiraz said.
Simon quickly ate his pizza and then waited impatiently for Violet and Tiraz to finish theirs. When Tiraz got up for seconds, she nearly laughed at Simon’s expression.
Tiraz grinned at her and she knew that he realized Simon was about to burst out of his chair and run to the door. They sat at the table until everyone was done, and then the dishes were taken to the kitchen.
Simon bolted out the door and ran for the elevator when Tiraz said he was ready to go. Violet laughed while going to get Simon’s backpack and pulling out the sheet with the party information on it. Folding it, she tucked it into her purse and followed her son.
Tiraz took them to the party store downtown, which had the biggest selection, and Simon nearly went wild in the store. Violet pulled out the list and read off a few of the items to Tiraz, who promptly took the list from her and scanned the items listed.
With a nod, he asked a store associate to point them in the direction of the Valentine favors.
The teacher had asked for candy or
other items that could go into the gift bags she planned to give every student. They found yo-yos with hearts on them, pencils with cupids, pencil sharpeners with bears holding hearts, and erasers in the shape of a kiss.
Violet thought he was going a little overboard, but Tiraz seemed to be on a mission.
After they had paid and left the store, he stopped at another place on the way home and picked up two bags of Valentine candy, and he let Simon choose his Valentine cards, which ended up being boxes of candy hearts.
“You’ve spent too much,” Violet said softly, where Simon couldn’t hear.
“Valentine’s Day is important, isn’t it?”
Violet shrugged. “I guess. I haven’t really celebrated since…”
“Since Simon?”
She nodded. “I usually try to get him a small stuffed bear or something so he doesn’t feel left out, but last year I couldn’t even afford to do that. He ended up with a dollar box of chocolates.”
“When he comes home that day, we’ll go out for a special lunch, anywhere he
wants to go.” Tiraz smiled. “And I saw him eyeing a panda on the Valentine aisle, so I’ll make sure I come back tomorrow to pick it up and hide it from him until then.”
“Tiraz, you’re going to spoil him.”
He gazed down at her with a tenderness she’d never seen in anyone’s eyes
before, not when they were looking at her anyway. “It’s my hope to spoil both of you, if you’ll let me. I want to give you the things you’ve been denied to this point, and once you find a mate, then it will be his job to spoil the two of you.”
“Tiraz…”
He took her hand in his. “I’ve never had a female in my life, Violet, not for more than a date or two. This is the first time I’ve started to feel attached to a female or a child, and I’d like to enjoy it while it lasts. Will you let me?”
She nodded, but what she really wanted to do was ask why it couldn’t last
forever. If he was getting attached to them, why not let their move into his home be a permanent one? Was he that scared of commitment? Or was he not sexually attracted to her? That was a depressing thought.
Violet And Her Alien Matchmaker Page 4
