Hazel and the Alien Biker (Intergalactic Brides 5) (10 page)

He felt the thump of her heart. This was the moment he found out if they had a future together. She hadn’t completely pushed him away, and she hadn’t exactly said no -- yet -- but she wasn’t jumping up and down in excitement over the possibility either.

“I never really thought about having more children, but if I were going to have more, then I’d like to have them with someone like you.”

It wasn’t an acceptance of his offer to mate with her, but it was good enough for now. And if he needed to wear those horrifying things until she agreed then he would do it. He just wouldn’t like it very much.

“If I get some of those condom things in the morning, will you let me make love to you again tomorrow night?”

“I think that can be arranged.” She smiled up at him. “We should probably rinse off in the shower and get dressed for bed. The girls will be up early in the morning and they’ll sneak in here out of curiosity.”

He nodded and helped her out of the bed. As much as he wanted to make love to her again in the shower, he refrained. It was going to be hard to keep his hands to himself now he knew what it felt like to have her come apart in his arms. But he knew despite their new closeness she still wasn’t one hundred percent sure about a future with him, and he would respect her wishes for some time to think things over. He just hoped she didn’t take too long.

Hazel was confused the next day. Her emotions were all over the place and she found herself watching Reyvor whenever he wasn’t paying attention to her. She’d woken with his arm wrapped around her waist and her back flush against his chest. There hadn’t been a time in her life she’d ever felt that safe, and he’d been so sweet. The sex had been incredible, and his confusion over condoms a bit endearing. If she had known for sure how things would work out between them, she’d say to hell with the condoms and see what happened. But she wasn’t going to have another child without the benefit of marriage. She’d learned her lesson. Even if it had taken three times before she figured things out.

Her girls hadn’t seen her in Reyvor’s bed, but Nikki had been on the sofa watching TV when she’d stepped out of the bedroom. She’d felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment and wondered what her eldest thought about her mom sleeping with the purple alien. Hazel had to admit she’d had more fun with Reyvor in the past thirty-six hours than she’d ever had with her ex. The longer she was around him, the more time she wanted to spend with him, and maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. So far, he’d proven to be completely different from he-who-shall-not-be-named. She’d never met anyone like Reyvor before.

He sneaked up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, placing his lips against her ear.

“What are you over here thinking about?”

His breath tickled and she giggled. “I was thinking about you.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Was he flirting with her? She’d known when she’d slept with him last night that things would change between them, but she hadn’t expected this. It had been a long time since anyone flirted with her.

“Are we playing a game we can win?” she asked.

He rested his chin on her shoulder. “I thought I made it clear last night I wasn’t playing. I want you, Hazel, you and the girls. Last night was amazing and I’d hoped it would be the first of many nights, but if you’re having second thoughts…”

“No. I’m not having second thoughts. I’m just not sure where we go from here.”

“You wanted time before we made anything official and I’m going to give it to you, even if you are in my bed every night. I already know what I want, Hazel, but I want you to be just as sure. Losing the girls and you would be painful now, but it would hurt even more later. My people may not believe in divorce, but my home is Earth now and if I’m going to embrace some of the customs, I need to embrace all of them. Which means even if I win your affection now, you could walk away from me if you changed your mind.”

“You would give me that option?” she asked. “Despite the fact it’s against your beliefs?”

“I don’t want you to feel trapped. I don’t want to live with the fear that I’ll wake up one day and you’ll be gone, but I don’t want you to feel like you have no options either.”

She turned in his embrace and cupped his cheek. “Spend the next few days showing me why I should choose you and I promise I will never divorce you. Just because you’re trying to adapt to being on Earth doesn’t mean you should lose who you are. And if that means we have a marriage without option of divorce, then I will honor that.”

He glanced across the room where the girls were watching television. “Do they know you slept in my room last night? Or did you move to the couch before they woke up?”

“They haven’t said a word about it, but Nikki saw me come out of your room this morning. I think they are secretly pleased their plan worked.”

He smiled.

“So… what’s on the schedule for today? A lazy day in the suite?” she asked.

“How would you like to go to the Tennessee Aquarium?”

Her brow furrowed. “But… isn’t that in Chattanooga? That’s nowhere near here.”

“The Terrans have access to a plane any of us are allowed to use whenever we have need of it. I thought we could fly down there, spend a night or two and see the sights, and then come back home. It would give the girls a chance to do something new.” He frowned. “At least, I think they’ll let me use it. I know I’m not banned from the station, and I have access to the limo and the clinic, but I’m not sure if I have access to all privileges here on Earth or not. I’m not allowed to work for them, but I don’t think that necessarily means we couldn’t use the jet.”

“You’re going to spoil them.”

His smile broadened. “That’s the idea.”

Hazel tipped her head the side. “You don’t need to buy their affection, Reyvor. They already like you.”

The smile slipped from his face and she felt horrible. She saw the flash of hurt in his pansy colored eyes and felt like a complete bitch for saying that. Deep down, she knew he wasn’t trying to buy them, but when he kept throwing money around it was hard to remember he was just being kind and trying to take care of them. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

“If you don’t want to go to Chattanooga, we don’t have to. I just thought it might be something fun to do. My friend Xonos took his family there recently and said they had a nice time.”

“It was wrong of me to say that, Reyvor. You’ve been nothing but kind to us and I’m being mean. If you really want to take us, then we would love to go. I’ll even let you tell the girls where we’re going and then I’ll help them pack. We’re going to need more than the sacks their clothes came in though.”

“I’ll call the front desk and have some bags delivered from the shops downstairs.”

Hazel didn’t want to think about how much that would cost. She just smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. The startled look on his face pleased her. Then she had an idea.

“Why don’t we postpone the trip until tomorrow? I have a request for tonight.” She looked up at him expectantly.

“What do you want to do tonight?”

“I want you to take me for a ride on your Harley. Do you think one of your friends would sit with the girls? It doesn’t have to be a long ride. Just up the street and back would be fine, but I’ve never been on a motorcycle before.”

He looked more than a little pleased with her suggestion.

“I’ll make the arrangements, and we’ll go farther than just up the street.”

Hazel gave him another kiss then went to join the girls on the sofa. Abby climbed onto her lap and tugged on her shirt. Giving her smallest daughter her full attention, she waited to see what Abby would say.

“Is Reyvor going to be my daddy?” Abby asked.

Hazel wasn’t surprised by the question. She figured her girls thought if she slept with Reyvor then he would be their daddy. And it had worked for the most part. She never would have had the courage to have sex with him if they hadn’t been thrust together last night.

“Well, it’s something we’ve discussed, but I haven’t made a decision yet,” Hazel answered truthfully. “It would be bad if I made the wrong choice so he’s giving me time to think about it.”

Abby’s brow furrowed. “What’s to think about? You like him, don’t you?”

“Of course I like him, Abby, but there’s more required in a relationship than liking someone. If that’s all it took, everyone would be married.”

She seemed to consider that for a moment and nodded. “But you’re going to decide soon, right?”

Hazel smiled at her. “Yes, sweetheart. I’ll decide soon.”

Nikki glowered at her. “There’s nothing to think about. He’s the best thing ever happened to us and you’re going to screw it up.”

Her oldest daughter’s words hit her like a barb. She knew Nikki didn’t really mean that… then again, seeing the look in her eyes, perhaps she did. The girls had had to grow up a bit over the last few months and she worried Nikki had lost her childhood. She seemed so much older than ten years old. The surly attitude was something she’d expect of a teenager. What had happened to her sweet little girl?

“Mommy will make the right decision,” Winnie said in a very sage voice. “Won’t you, Mommy?”

Hazel swallowed hard. “Of course I will, sweetheart. I just need to make certain I know what the right choice is. I don’t want to disappoint the three of you again.”

Nikki mumbled something under her breath and changed the channel. Hazel looked around for Reyvor, wondering if he’d witnessed her daughter being a brat, but he’d disappeared. Maybe he was getting a babysitter lined up for tonight. Excitement buzzed in her veins as she thought about riding on the back of his Harley. Not that she needed an excuse to wrap her arms around him.

She was just getting into the princess movie Nikki had put on when Reyvor perched on the arm of the sofa beside her. Looking up at him, her breath caught in her throat at how handsome he looked. He’d changed into one of the button down shirts they’d bought at the mall and a pair of jeans that molded to his legs. Those sexy as hell biker boots were on his feet and she felt her toes curl. He’d left his hair down and her fingers itched to play with it.

“I’ve decided I’m stealing you away for the day,” Reyvor said. “My friend Brielle is coming to watch the children. Her mate, Syl, will remain at home with their children. They have a son, Dexter, who’s a toddler, and an infant named Emily.”

“I hate to pull her away from her family.”

He smiled. “She said she would love to spend some time with the girls. I think she was stopping on the way here to pick up girly things and some games. They’ll have fun with her, and I’m sure she’ll be thankful for the break. She said Emily had colic and had kept her up all night the last three nights, even though I know Syl does his fair share.”

“Well, if she’s sure…”

Reyvor leaned down and kissed her cheek. “She’s sure. Now, why don’t you go find something appropriate for the back of my bike? You might want to wear the boots we bought.”

She set Abby aside and went to shower and change. By the time she came back out of the bedroom, dressed in jeans, boots, and a pink peasant top, a stunning redhead was speaking to her daughters.

“You must be Brielle,” Hazel said as she moved closer to the group. “Thank you so much for watching them.”

Brielle smiled. “It’s no trouble. I’m just glad Reyvor is getting out and having some fun. We’ve been worried about him, but I think the girls and you are good for him.”

“I think it’s really the other way around. He saved us.”

Brielle’s eyebrows arched. “Now that’s a story I’ll have to hear sometime. Right now, I believe he’s waiting for you. He went down to the lobby to ask someone to bring his bike to the front door.”

“Thank you.”

Brielle smiled and shooed her away. She stopped long enough to kiss her girls and then she rushed out the door, anxious to get downstairs to Reyvor. When he saw her, he smiled broadly and held out his hand. She pressed her palm against his, their fingers twining together, and he led her out to the waiting bike. Her stomach fluttered as he helped her on and showed her where to place her feet. Then he started the beast and pulled away from the curb.

Her hands were locked in front of him against his rock hard abs. The thrum of the bike between her legs, and having her thighs wrapped around Reyvor were enough to make her cream her panties. If she’d thought she wanted him last night, it was nothing compared to now. If this ride lasted for too long, she’d be begging him to pull over and fuck her on the bike. Would that even be possible?

They left the city behind them and entered a national park. When a large lake came into view, Reyvor pulled into a parking space and killed the engine. Hazel got off the bike and stood on trembling legs. Reyvor took her hand and led her toward the water. They were the only ones in the area and she liked the idea this place was reserved just for them, even if it wasn’t. In her fantasy, Reyvor would lay her down beside the water and make love to her for hours, but obviously they couldn’t do that. Not without the risk of being caught.

“It’s beautiful here,” she said as she laced their fingers together.

“I thought you might like a change from the city. I’ve come out here several times since moving to Earth. We don’t have areas like this at home. Watching the water ripple and listening to the leaves rustle in the breeze always calms me down.”

She tipped her head and looked up at him. “And do you need calming?”

He smiled. “Not in the same way I usually do. Normally it’s my anger I need to cool, but right now it’s the fire in my blood, from being so close to you.”

“No one’s ever said anything like that to me before.” Her cheeks warmed. “I’m finding it hard to keep my hands to myself when you’re near. Now that I’ve had a taste of you, I want more.”

“We have the place to ourselves,” he said with a smirk. “What did you have in mind?”

“Reyvor! Anyone could walk by.”

“I called ahead. There are certain privileges to being of my race. One of those perks is that if I want a park closed down, it happens. And while they haven’t closed the entire park, this area and about five miles in any direction is considered off limits today.”