Romance: Alien Romance: Having The Kings Baby (A Paranormal Science Fiction Shifter Romance ) (Sci-fi Alien Invasion Abduction Romance)

by Riley Forrest

  "Go on," she said, not wanting him to stop his candid monologue, "Please, I'm listening,"

  "Yes, well, it's incredibly expensive building this type of technology from scratch. It takes millions of man hours, some of the brightest minds in the business, and some clever marketing to make it all gel. That's why we hired you, because I felt you the equivalent of five people who are normally at your level, just out of college. And I thought you'd make a real impact on the business. To be honest, Eva has been stuck in a rut for a good while now, the marketing for the company isn't where it should be, but I've been too busy to properly deal with the situation. I guess I will have to now," he tailed off.

  "Why?" she asked, not making the connection.

  "Because, if I leave my wife now, then 80% of the funding for Advertech will dry up. The money is her's you see, not mine. She's an heiress of the Cadbury fortune, as in the chocolate, and her net worth is in excess of £5 billion. So technically, my net worth, at least on paper is half of hers. Because that's what I would get should we divorce, and I hired a lawyer who wasn't a complete ninny."

  "So what's the problem?" Amanda interrupted, sensing that something bad was coming next.

  "The problem, Amanda, is that my wife and I hold a nasty, dark secret. One that could tear our whole family, reputation, and lives apart." He cackled in a way that gave her the shivers. What could possibly be so terrible? She dared not ask. But he carried on, "You see, Amanda, my wife is not actually my wife. We were never legally married. Yes, there was a ceremony, and we always planned to make it official. But the ceremony took place on Bora Bora, and was conducted by a native, one that didn't have the ability to bestow a valid marriage license upon us. Looking back, it was a terrible mistake. But I was a lot younger and more foolish then, and after Sebastian passed away, nothing really mattered to me anymore. Least of which, a stupid piece of bloody paper that said we were man and wife. And I never wanted her money, you see, I wanted to build my own company by myself without her help. But of course, we needed a huge investment to even get started, and that wasn't going to be forthcoming from early stage investors, who typically only want to invest one or two mil. We needed at least £10 mil to get the ball rolling, and now we're looking to close another round of £50 mil. That sort of money, you either need an absolute sure thing - which we think we have, but are still yet to prove, or a very rich wife. Which I have, fortunately, except, unfortunately she's not, actually, my wife."

  "Oh god, Alex. But, but that means - it means you can't leave her! I'm not going to be responsible for Advertech going under. No way, I will not have that on my conscience. We'll just have to figure out a funding solution before you file for "divorce," or "separation" or whatever the correct term is. And doesn't common law marriage apply here, because you've lived together for so long? Surely you're entitled to something?" She realised how naive she sounded but couldn't believe that he could be a billionaire on paper, but only as long as he lived under the false facade of marriage with the heiress.

  "Amanda, you're young, so I don't expect you to know these things, but no. No, I'm not entitled to a penny. Unless she were to give me custody of my daughter, which would never happen in a million years, and to be fair, wouldn't be the best thing for her anyway as I'm always at work, or traveling on business. Or, she would have to leave me an inheritance in her will, and have a catastrophic accident. I'm not expecting her to get sick anytime soon, all the women in her family lived to well over a hundred, and the woman never gets ill, ever. She has the hearty constitution of an ox in fact!" Amanda snickered at this description of Sheila. There was certainly something a bit "horse-y" about her, maybe it was the rectangular-shaped head and big, white teeth, but to hear him call her an "ox" was enough to give her a chuckle. Even though the situation wasn't remotely funny.

  "So, you see, my dear - I am well and truly stuffed. But, I'll figure something out. I always do. I put Advertech as my highest priority, after my daughter of course, and now... well, now... " his words stuck in his throat, "Go on," she said gently, coaxing them out of his mouth, "Well, the fact is, it will have to be a priority after you too. Because I think, no, I'm pretty sure, that I am falling in love with you." And with that, she took his face in her soft, warm hands, looked deeply into his greeny-blue eyes, and rewarded him with a long, lingering kiss on the lips.

  He moved his hands over the curves of her hips, rubbed his hands up and down her back, then pulled her into him tightly. She lay her head on his solid chest, and could hear his heart tick, ticking away. The sound comforted her, and she realised that she felt comfortable in his presence, as if he had a calming effect on her, but at the same time he excited her so much that had they not been due into work in less than an hour, she would have jumped his bones.

  "Don't worry, Alex, my lovely. Everything will be OK. We will figure it out....Together. As long as I know that you truly want to be with me, and that this isn't just some charade, then I will be with you every step of the way. Both at Advertech, and fighting Sheila for what is rightfully yours. Just because the law doesn't recognise you as her husband, doesn't make it right. You've been there for her, and lived as man and wife, for well over a decade. She should give you at least a fifth of what she's worth, and that's at least a billion. You can make Advertech the success you want it to be for that kind of money, and then you could probably pay her back and still be a billionaire." She exhorted, now it was her turn to give a speech. "One thing you need to know about me, Alex. I'm not a quitter. Especially when it involves someone I could love. And I do belive I could love you, Mr Simons. I know it's not going to be an easy ride. Eva and the other people at the office will probably give us a hard time once they realise we are together. And things will surely get ugly with Sheila. But she won't win. I promise you she will not win. We make a great team, we have since day one."

  "You're incredible," he sighed, "I must have been very, very good in a former life," he said. "Now, let's get to work, young lady." She nodded, took his hand, and let him lead her out onto the driveway. "Miguel," he called, the authoritative tone back in his voice. The tone that said, "I am the boss, and I am fully in control. It was so sexy, she wondered how she would make it to the office without jumping him. "Take me and Ms Hurley to the office, please, sharpish. We've got a lot of work to do. And send someone to get Ms Hurley's things from her apartment. She's going to be staying with me"

  "Alex!" she breathed, unable to fully process what he had just said, "Do you really mean it? You want me to move in with you? What about Sheila, I mean, uh, Mrs Simons?"

  "She never comes to this estate anyway, even if she was in the country which she isn't. And I plan to tell her it's over today, anyway. So don't worry. I want us to be one of those couples that shares everything, and I need you by my side. Please say 'yes'?" But she was already nodding, crying, and laughing all at the same time. "Of course, I will. Yes. Yes.. Yes!"

  Miguel activated the privacy screen, sensing what was about to happen next. The lovers entwined themselves in a passionate embrace. The windows of the limo steamed up, as the limo drove out of the estate, down the winding country lane, and out onto the motorway.

  To Keep A Secret

  Plot

  1875

  Elizabeth Davis comes from a middle-class family. Her father is a manager of a coal mine in Pennsylvania and her mother is a school teacher. Both her parents die in a matter of two years and Elizabeth is left all alone in the world. The young woman (25 years old) is asked to leave her house because it belongs to the mining company, something that puts her in an impossible situation.

  Just when Elizabeth sees no way to overcome her problems, her friend, Anabelle, offers to help her. Anabelle had been writing to a man from Colorado, hoping to become a mail order bride. However, now that the man asked her to marry him, Anabelle had changed her mind and wants to stay home and give a chance to a local businessman, whom she had always liked.

  Elizabeth is desperate, but still unsure if that is a good
idea. At the end, she agrees to go to Colorado and only then to explain, why is she there instead of Annabelle.

  In Summitville, Colorado, Ian Johnson had recently become very rich, after finding the biggest gold vein in the history of Colorado. A few months ago, he had been just another poor gold miner, but now he was the one giving the orders. His correspondence with Annabelle had started when he was still poor, and now that Annabelle is coming to him, he wants to pretend that he is poor, so that the woman will like him for who he is and not for his money.

  Chapter 1

  1875

  Elizabeth Davis looked at the only house she had ever had, feeling lonely and lost, all at once. She had been born here twenty-five years ago. She grew up here, she was loved, taught, protected between those four wooden walls. Her father and mother had built a family in that same house and then had let out their last breaths in that very house.

  “Miss Davis… Elizabeth…,” John Steward, the coal mine owner, said gently. “It’s time.”

  Elizabeth looked at him and smiled sadly at the man, who had given her father a job for the best part of his life as a coal mine manager, and now was throwing his only daughter out in the streets. Elizabeth had been asked to vacate the company house one week ago, but till now, she seemed to be deluding herself that she would be able to stay.

  “Yes, Mr. Steward, thank you,” she took the last of her belongings and walked away from the only home she had ever known. For two months she had lived in the house all alone, after the death of both of her parents in a matter of two years. Now she was all alone in the world, without a home and without any means to support herself.

  One heavy step at the time, Elizabeth reached her friend Annabelle's house and walked inside. Annabelle was living with her mother, who owned a small coffee shop. The two women had offered to Elizabeth a room to stay in until she could find a solution to her problems, and the young woman was very grateful to them. She had been considering becoming a teacher like her mother, but there wasn’t a free position in the town’s school and all her letters to other towns had been given a negative answer.

  “Lizzy, you are here,” Annabelle welcomed her into the shop, knowing fully well, how much her friend was hurting. “Come here, it is time for a cup of tea.”

  The two young women sat down on one of the tables in the shop, making sure to put some distance between them and the rest of the people in there. Everybody was aware of Elizabeth's situation, but she preferred to keep it as private as possible.

  “Did he offer you a solution?” Annabelle asked, once they had a cup of tea in front of them and her friend had been able to relax a little.

  “Mr. Steward was very kind towards me, but there is nothing he can do for me now,” Elizabeth shook her head. “The house belongs to the mining company and after the death of my father they were kind enough to leave my mother and I live in it, but now that my mother is gone too…”

  Elizabeth’s voice trailed away and Annabelle noticed the tears in her eyes. “I have an idea,” Annabelle said suddenly. “I have been thinking about it for some time now, but as I was hoping that you’ll be able to find some solution to it all, I said nothing.”

  Elizabeth was looking at her with real hope in her eyes and Annabelle took a deep breath before continuing. “You know that I have been considering becoming a mail ordered bride for some time now,” she started carefully. “However, since Richard asked me to dinner last month, I’m reconsidering going to Colorado.”

  “What are you saying, Annabelle? Are you suggesting that I become a mail order bride?” Elizabeth asked, seeming completely disinterested.

  Annabelle took another sip of her tea and watched carefully her friend. Elizabeth was a beautiful woman, although the last two years had left their mark on her. Elizabeth was taller than most women, with a slim waist and long dark brown hair. Her eyes were even darker than her hair and there was an intelligent light in them that made most people around like her and look up to her.

  “Ian, the man I have been writing to, asked for my hand in marriage, right?” Annabelle answered her, taking Lizzy’s hand between hers. “He is a good man from what I can tell from his letters. He really wants to settle down and have a family.” Elizabeth was about to say something, so Annabelle stopped her. “Let me finish, please. I haven’t answered Ian yet, and since the two of us are very much alike, I thought that you might take my place.”

  Lizzy didn’t answer immediately and reconsidered Annabelle’s proposition. She was aware that her friend had been in love with Richard, a local businessman, for years and that she had started writing to Ian, only because it seemed that Richard wasn’t interested in her. Elizabeth knew about Ian, as much as Annabelle, as they used to read his letters together and Lizzy helped her write the letters to him. Both of them liked the man and enjoyed his stories about the hardship and excitement of the gold mining, but this was the first time Elizabeth considered the possibility of marrying him instead of her friend.

  Annabelle’s heart hasn’t been much in pursuing the relationship, and it had been Elizabeth, who encouraged her to continue writing to him.

  “Lizzy, don’t answer now, but promise me to think about it,” Annabelle insisted again. “You might be even able to find a teaching job in Summitville and I know that you like Ian too, so it won’t be as if you are going there without any hope.”

  “Thank you, Ann, you are a real friend, but I need to think about it,” Elizabeth said through tears. “You are my only joy in this dark times…”

  Chapter 2

  In Summitville, Colorado, Ian Johnson walked down the main street of the small town, looking distracted and a bit tired. At thirty-two, Ian had achieved more than most people manage to achieve during their whole lives. Three months ago, he had found a very promising gold vein and now he was among the richest men in the post-war USA.

  The thought of what he had achieved made the young man smile, as only a short time ago he had been a simple gold miner, with no prospects in life. Since then, however, he had found a gold mining company and right now was digging out more gold than all other miners together. Money wasn’t a problem anymore, but his dream to have a family was still alive. The so-called Wild West wasn’t the best place to find a wife, so Ian had done the next best thing – he started looking for a mail order bride.

  From the first letter, Annabelle had written to him, Ian had thought that she could be the woman for him. He really liked her, but now his life had become more complicated. Ian already had seen what money does to people and how people start to treat you differently because you have money. The young man didn’t want that especially when it had to do with his future wife.

  “Ian, Ian,” someone called him from behind. He turned around to see Tom Smith, the shop owner, who also acted as a mailman, to wave at him.

  “Hi, Tom, is everything fine?” Ian asked while approaching the man.

  “Hi,” the older man smiled kindly and invited him in. “Yes, everything is fine, but I have a few letters for you.”

  “Really?” Ian wondered. “I wasn’t expecting any.”

  “And yet, here they are,” Tom smiled and offered him a small parcel. “I had them ready for you.”

  “Thank you, Tom,” Ian took the letters and noticed that the first one was from Pennsylvania. “See you later.”

  The young man hurried outside and didn’t proceed towards his intended destination, but returned back to his townhouse, where he hurriedly opened the letter that caught his attention. He had been right and the letter was from Annabelle. After sitting down and taking a deep breath, he started reading the letter.

  Dear Ian,

  I’m sorry that it took me too long to answer your letter, but I had some hard times ahead of me and needed some time to think. I want to say that I accept your proposal, but I’m afraid that I might not be what you are expecting me to be. That is why I decided to come to Colorado and meet you in person.

  I don’t want to lead you on or force you into any
thing. I simply want to meet you and then we both could decide what to do next.

  I feel as if I know you better than I know myself, but there are things that make it difficult for me to be as open with you, as I feel you are with me.

  Looking forward to seeing you

  Annabelle

  PS. My train will be arriving the day after tomorrow at nine thirty in the morning.

  Ian read the letter again and again, but it was impossible for him to really understand what Annabelle was saying or asking in her letter – she was coming and yet, she wasn’t accepting his proposal; she said, she liked him and yet, it wasn’t enough for her to marry him.

  The man let the letter on the desk and walked to the small table to pour himself a glass of whiskey. The alcohol didn’t really help, but Ian seemed to calm down and think clearly. At least, Annabelle was coming and he was given the opportunity to see her and show her in person, who he really was.

  And that for sure wasn’t his mine or his money. His correspondence with Annabelle had started when he was still poor, and now that Annabelle was coming to him, he was going to pretend that he was still poor, so that the woman could like him for who he was and not for his money.

  Chapter 3

  Two days later, Elizabeth watched through the train window the change in scenery, noticing how the environment became wilder and more beautiful. The young woman was still unsure if her decision to come to Colorado had been a good one. She was desperate, that was true, but buying a train ticket and embarking on a long journey wasn’t in her nature.

  Annabelle had smiled when Elizabeth told her about her decision, saying that she had been expecting that. It had been Lizzy, who wrote the last letter to Ian and sent it, pretending for the last time to be Annabelle. She really hated the deceit, but they both had agreed that it would be better if she explained everything to Ian, when she arrived in Colorado.