Summer would sacrifice everything to save her family,
but the alien Vordro is too sexy to ignore.
When her family is evicted from their home, Summer knows things can’t get much worse. She blames herself. She should have done something sooner, but now it’s time for drastic measures. There’s only one thing left to do, even if it means tying her life to that of an alien. She drives straight to the Terran Station.
From the moment he first sees the young Human step out of her car, Vordro is mesmerized. He’s never seen anyone so vibrant, so beautiful… or so troubled. He wants to be the answer to her prayers, even if he knows he’s too old for her. The thought of her mating with anyone other than him leaves a sour taste in his mouth. But moving Summer into his home proves to be far more temptation than he’s able to withstand.
When things get off the charts hot between them and Summer ends up pregnant, Vordro knows he’ll do anything to protect her and their unborn child — even if it means defending her from her own family.
Excerpt
Summer watched as the last of her family’s possessions were carted out of their home and loaded onto a truck. If she’d known things were this bad, she might have been able to act sooner, but her parents had never said a word about the bank foreclosing on their property or that they would literally lose everything but their clothes. She didn’t know where they were going, or how they would survive. They’d even lost all but her beat-up Toyota, an ancient car even the bank didn’t want. At twenty, she should be worrying about college. Not whether or not she’d be eating tonight.
There was only one thing she knew to do, and her parents weren’t going to be happy about it. She’d mentioned the bride program once before, and her father had shot down her idea. She’d known that money was tight, but she hadn’t realized how tight until now. If she’d known, she wouldn’t have listened to her dad and would have joined the program anyway. She’d heard they paid well if you signed up.
“We’ll stay with Aunt Martha tonight,” her dad said. “And then we’ll figure something out tomorrow.”
“I need to run some errands after we go to Aunt Martha’s,” Summer said. “I probably won’t return until dinner or later.”
Her father nodded absently as he loaded their meager belongings into the trunk. The drive to her aunt’s house was quiet and gave Summer time to think. She dropped off her parents, then drove straight to the Terran Station. When she pulled into the parking lot, she smoothed her hair and wished she’d stopped to put on makeup and maybe change her clothes. She smoothed on a little gloss, then took a breath before stepping out of her car.
As she approached the station, a tall Terran opened the door for her. She smiled her thanks and stopped at the reception desk. The woman there was on the phone, so Summer waited patiently. There was warmth at her back, and she looked over her shoulder, and up. The same Terran who had opened the door for her was now standing extremely close. She wondered if maybe she looked like someone who was about to go postal on the place.
“I promise I’m not here to cause trouble,” she said.
“I’d be happy to escort you to your destination. Are you here to meet with someone?” he asked.
“I need to sign up for the bride program.”
He studied her. “Interesting choice of words.”
“Excuse me?” She didn’t think she’d said anything wrong. Maybe he hadn’t understood her?
“You said need. Not want.”
She licked her lips. “I meant want.”
“We only take serious inquiries for the bride program. If you aren’t entering it for the right reasons, you might as well turn around and go home.”
Tears misted her eyes. “I can’t.”
His gaze softened, and he placed a hand on her waist, guiding her away from the desk. He motioned for her to take a seat and he hunkered down in front of her, the leather of his pants creaking from the movement.
“Why don’t you start by telling me what’s wrong,” he said. “And then we’ll go from there.”
“I said I need to sign up for the bride program because it’s my only hope. My family was evicted from our home today, and all our possessions were taken as well to pay off creditors. All we have are some clothes and a few pairs of shoes. My father works hard, but it’s not enough. I don’t know how else to help them.” A tear slipped down her cheek as she looked down at her lap. “Please don’t send me away.”
He reached out and gently took her hand. “I’m not going to make you leave, but I don’t think the bride program is the right choice for you.”
“I don’t know what else to do. I can’t keep a job no matter how hard I try. No one will hire me. I even saw one manager tear up my application as I exited the store.”
“Are you hungry? Or maybe you’d like some coffee?” he asked.
“I don’t think I could eat if I tried. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but I like hot chocolate.”
The Terran rose to his full height and pulled her up. “Come on. We’ll see if the café has hot chocolate.”
She let him lead her through the station to a food court area. He settled her at a table before walking off. Summer looked around and noticed several of the Terrans were watching her with interest. Would it be like that on their world, if she were to sign up for the program?
When the Terran returned, he had two cups in his hands. He gave her one with a smile and then claimed the chair next to her. She was amazed he could fit his long legs under the table, but he managed somehow.
“I’m Summer,” she said as she took a sip of her drink.
“It’s nice to meet you, Summer. My name is Vordro. Now, why don’t we talk a little about your problem and see if we can come up with a solution other than the bride program.”