Jacie and the Alien Bodyguard (Intergalactic Brides 6) (4 page)

Without thought, she rose on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his scarred cheek. His eyes widened in surprise and he stiffened for a moment.

“Thank you for tonight, Barimere. I had a nice time, even if I overdid it a bit. I promise you won’t have to carry me next time.”

“You don’t weigh much; it wasn’t a hardship. Have a good night, Jacie. If you need anything, I’m right next door,” he said, pointing to his door.

She nodded and slipped inside her suite, pushing the door closed, when what she really wanted to do was jerk him into her room and plaster her mouth to his. She’d bet he was an excellent kisser. Somehow, during their brief time together tonight, she’d determined that Barimere was the mate she wanted. From what little she’d learned about him, he was fiercely loyal, had a kind heart and she thought deep down he wanted love as much as she did. Was it too much to hope that they could come to love each other?

“He just needs to spend more time with me,” she told herself. “Then he’ll see that we could be great together.”

With a nod, she went into her bedroom and undressed. She filled the bathing pool with warm water, pulled up her hair, and sank up to her neck into the pool. Jacie loved scalding hot baths, but with her pregnancy, she’d been told to use warm water instead of hot. It was still enough to soothe her aching back and sore feet. Weariness set in and she yawned widely. Not wanting to fall asleep in the pool and drown, she got out and dried off, pulling on some panties and a nightgown.

Jacie had barely crawled beneath the covers before her eyes closed and she was sound asleep.

Barimere hadn’t slept well the night before, having tossed and turned with concern over Jacie. He’d only known her one day, not even a full day, and already she was consuming his thoughts. The sooner she was mated, the better. He had no business having thoughts of her lips on his, or wondering if her skin was soft everywhere. She deserved better than a broken warrior.

He paced the hall in front of her door, having knocked several times. He didn’t want to catch her unaware, but at the same time, he worried that maybe something had happened to her. After knocking one more time and waiting for a response, he unlocked her door and entered her quarters, thankful for his bodyguard status and access to her suite. Sunlight streamed through her windows in the living area, but there was no sign of her. Was she still asleep? This late?

Pausing only a moment, he entered her bedroom and froze. At some point, she’d kicked off her covers and her sleeping garment had ridden up to expose the tops of her thighs, which flashed her blue panties at him. His cock stiffened at the sight and he fought to get control of himself. Moving further into the room, he brushed her hair away from her face and watched her sleep. It had been nearly twelve hours since he’d left her room last night. Was it normal for her to sleep that long?

“Jacie?” He gently nudged her, but she didn’t move.

With a frown he went into the other room and called the doctor on the Vid-comm. When Vyrex came online, he explained the situation.

“Should I be concerned that she won’t wake?” Barimere asked.

“Let her sleep another hour and then try again. The shuttle ride put a lot of strain on her body, and she’s pregnant, so she’s going to be more tired than usual anyway. Once she’s awake, bring her to the clinic. Despite my hectic schedule, I’ll see her right away. The fact she was in pain last night concerns me. She shouldn’t be big enough yet to have that kind of back pain, unless it’s something she experienced before her pregnancy as well.”

“As soon as I can rouse her, I’ll bring her in. Thank you, Vyrex.”

The doctor smiled and signed off, but Barimere didn’t feel much better about the situation. He could go back to his quarters for an hour and then come check on her again, but he decided to stay close and watch over her. If she cried out, he wanted to be nearby. The long sleep might not concern the doctor, but Barimere had a bad feeling. Something wasn’t right with this pregnancy. Would she return to her world if she lost the child, or would she stay and still choose a mate?

For some reason, the thought of her leaving his world didn’t make him happy. When he’d been given this assignment, he’d thought he would do anything necessary to get her mated and off his hands, but now he found he wanted to spend more time with her. She still needed a mate, but there wasn’t a real rush, was there? Surely, they could come up with a logical explanation behind her pregnancy if it took her a while to find a mate.

The hour passed slowly and still Jacie didn’t wake. He ran his hand up and down her arm, marveling at the silky feel of her skin, and called her name softly. She didn’t utter a sound or move a muscle. The steady rise and fall of her chest assured him she still lived.

“Jacie. Please wake up.”

He caressed her cheek, checking her temperature. She was a little warm to him, but he didn’t know how hot human females usually felt. Taking her hand in his, he patted it several times trying to rouse her. She shifted in her sleep, but didn’t open her eyes. Her toes pointed and she stretched her legs, showing off her toned thighs and calves. For a pregnant woman, she was certainly sexier than anyone he’d ever met before.

He tapped on her cheek again.

Her eyes slowly fluttered and her eyes opened. Her lips curved in a smile and she took his hand, tugging him onto the bed. Barimere sat awkwardly with his hand trapped in hers, and then she snuggled closer and put her head on his thigh. Any closer and she’d discover just how turned on he was right now, and he would do anything to hide it from her.

“Jacie, are you awake?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

He felt her hum vibrate his thigh, and it made his cock even harder. She wasn’t making this easy on him, and he wondered how he could extract himself from her without being too obvious. The last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to his present condition, but if she shifted even the slightest bit, she’d find out anyway.

“Jacie, it’s time to get up. You have to go see the doctor.”

She groaned and burrowed further into him, her lips perilously close to the ridge in his pants. Gods, but she wasn’t making this easy! The mere thought of her lips on his cock was almost enough to make him come in his pants, and he definitely didn’t want to explain
that
to her!

“What time is it?” she asked groggily.

“In your Earth hours, it’s about ten in the morning. Do you think you feel up to getting dressed and getting some breakfast? Then we can go to the clinic and see Doctor Vyrex. He’d like to do some tests to make sure everything is going well with your pregnancy.”

“Mmm. Food.”

Her stomach rumbled and he smiled. Barimere untangled himself from her grasp and stood. “I’ll step into the other room while you dress. The sooner we go to the clinic the better.”

Jacie sighed and rolled onto her back. Her nightgown dipped low, exposing the tops of her breasts, and Barimere wondered if she was trying to kill him. Backing out of the room, he beat a hasty retreat to the living room, pulling the bedroom door closed behind him. He didn’t have to wait long for her to join him, wearing pants that didn’t quite reach her ankles with a white shirt that was damn near see-through. Did she really intend to wear that in public? Around so many unmated warriors?

“Perhaps you should change your shirt,” Barimere suggested. “I’m not sure the male population is ready for that one yet.”

Her brow furrowed as she looked down at the shirt in question. “What’s wrong with it?”

“I can see through it.”

Her cheeks flushed and she quickly turned and went back into the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her. She returned a few minutes later with a silvery-gray shirt on that had five buttons at the top and sleeves that didn’t quite reach her wrists. He wondered if there was a reason she was wearing clothes that obviously didn’t fit her properly, but didn’t want to draw attention to it in case it hurt her feelings.

Jacie’s stomach rumbled again, reminding him that he needed to feed her as quickly as possible. He’d have to ask the doctor if she should be eating more than three meals a day, even though that was standard for both humans and Terrans. He might be her bodyguard, but he was also entrusted to keep her healthy and happy while she sought a mate. Now that she knew Myro wasn’t an option, perhaps she’d get serious about finding someone else. The sooner she was mated, the better.

“Ready for breakfast?” he asked.

She nodded and followed him out the door. He should probably ask her preference for a place to eat, but until they spoke with Vyrex, he thought it best to take her to the place that served human food. What if Terran fare upset her stomach? She needed all the nutrients she could get and he wanted to make sure everything she ate stayed down. He’d heard that some human females became sick when they were pregnant and threw their food back up. Thankfully, that hadn’t happened with Jacie last night. It probably would have scared ten years off his life if it had.

When they stepped inside, they claimed the same table as the previous night. Now that Jacie knew what to expect, he watched as she made her food selections, then made his own. While they waited on their food, she looked around the room. Everywhere but at Barimere, and he wondered if he’d said or done something to make her uneasy.

“Are you all right, Jacie?” he asked.

Her wide blue eyes met his gaze. “I’m fine. Just hungry.”

“I didn’t do something to upset you?”

“No, I just…” She nibbled her lower lip.

“You just what?”

“I’m feeling the sexual tension between us and I’m not sure what to do about it. You’ve made it clear you aren’t looking for a mate by keeping me at arm’s length, even though it’s obvious you desire me. And if I have to choose someone to live with the rest of my life, I need to be able to go to them, free of any desire for anyone else.”

His jaw dropped a little. Sexual tension? Was she trying to say she was sexually attracted to him? Barimere wasn’t sure what to do with that knowledge. While he’d love to spend a night in her bed, he knew it would never last. Even if she said she wanted to become his mate, he knew one day she would regret it. He couldn’t give her additional children, and she’d have to see his scarred body every day.

“I shouldn’t have brought it up,” she muttered. “Just forget I said anything. You might want to sleep with me, but we both know you don’t want anything else from me.”

Barimere wasn’t sure if he should correct her or not. If she thought for one moment that he might desire something more permanent with her, she would throw her future away to stay with him. He was fairly certain of that. But it would be a disservice to her. She deserved someone whole, a warrior who could still serve their world on missions and not get left behind. He was half the male he’d once been. The stares around him never went unnoticed. Jacie should be with someone as lovely as she was, not some monster people talked about behind her back. Hell, he wasn’t even sure they would bother to hide their comments from her.

Their food arrived and they ate in silence as he contemplated their situation. If she truly desired him, and thought she might want to spend her life with him, he would consider it. But only if she went on a few dates with other warriors first, to make sure she didn’t feel any sparks with anyone else. If she went out with males who were unblemished, who could still fight if war started, and after that still wanted to be with him, then Barimere would consider taking her as his mate.

The fact she was pregnant was a blessing to him. He’d never thought to have a half-Terran child and had resigned himself to adopting from the Intergalactic Adoption Agency, but the idea of sharing in Jacie’s pregnancy and being there for the birth of her child filled him with joy.

“If you’re finished, we should go to the clinic. Vyrex will be waiting. There are some tests he wishes to run, just to make sure everything is going well with your pregnancy and that the child is all right.”

Jacie stood and practically stormed out of the Earth-like diner, and he quickly caught up to her. She was angry with him and he didn’t quite understand why. He was doing what was best for her, even if she couldn’t see it. And yet, if pushing her away would cause her undue stress and jeopardize her pregnancy, he might have to rethink things. Surely he could make her see things his way, if he explained.

He led her to the clinic and pushed the door open for her. The waiting area was full and he saw the dismay on her face. After leading her to a seat along the wall, he stuck his head into the back and called out to Vyrex. The doctor looked perturbed when he came out of an exam room.

“What is all the bellowing about?” Vyrex asked.

“I brought Jacie, the pregnant human. You said this morning you would clear your schedule for her. She’s had breakfast and is now ready for your tests.”

“Bring her back and put her in the last exam room on the right. You should return to the waiting area.”

Like hell. Barimere wasn’t about to leave her. What if she received bad news? Of course, if she had to undress during any part of the exam, he’d have to step outside. It wouldn’t be right for him to see her in a state of undress, no matter how appealing that sounded.

In the waiting room, he took Jacie’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “The doctor would like for you to wait in one of the rooms in back. I’ll stay with you.”

Her fingers curled around his and she followed meekly as he led her down the corridor and into the last exam room. There was a chair for scans and a table where most of the exam would take place. Putting his hands on her slightly expanding waist, he lifted and set her on the table. Jacie’s eyes went wide and her hands lightly touched his shoulders so she could catch her balance.

“I want to stay,” Barimere said. “If that’s all right with you. I’m interested in what he has to say about your pregnancy, and if there’s anything you need to do or have, I’ll need to know about it anyway.”

“You may stay,” she said softly.

The door opened and Vyrex stepped inside. He walked over to the cleansing unit and cleaned his hands before approaching Jacie with an easy smile. Barimere bristled, recalling that the doctor was single and very eligible. This made no sense. He’d already determined she’d be better off with someone else, so why did he have the sudden urge to toss Vyrex out of the room?