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London’s face grew warm. He’d sounded so sincere and open. “Thank you, but I look human because I am.”

“You can’t be. I saw your ship hurtling from the sky.”

She shrugged. “So?”

“So, it was unlike any ship I’ve ever seen before. Besides, that crash should have killed you.”

“Judging from some of the technology I’ve already seen on this planet, maybe you would have died if an Earth ship had crashed. I’m Princess London Blazedawyter of Thibius, and you are?”

Matt raked his fingers through his hair, and he shook his head. “This is getting too damn weird.”

London frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you crash landed from God knows where and then tell me you’re human. But you’re also claiming to be a Princess from another planet?”

“I can show you the Royal tattoo if you’d like. Anyway, I don’t have a reason to lie to you, especially after you’ve saved my life.” She felt shy all of a sudden. Something about this man made London feel uncertain about herself. Usually men were tongue tied around her, but now, she found herself in a similar predicament.

Although he was taller than her by some inches, London liked that she didn’t have to tilt her head all the way back just to meet his gaze, and what a nice one it was.

“Uh, you don’t have to show me. I’m just surprised is all. Where are my manners? Please have a seat.” He gestured to the couch in front of the large box.

London gratefully sat down. “Thank you. I appreciate this.”

He sat on the other end almost as if he were too afraid to be next to her. “So tell me, Princess London?—

“London is fine.”

“London, then.” He smiled revealing even white teeth.

Her eyes widened slightly and her heart beat faster than normal. What was happening to her? Could this be the feeling her mother described when she’d first laid eyes on London’s father? It had to be, why else was her body tightening with awareness of him and sweat popping out of her palms? Her pussy tingled as it never had before.

“You say you’re human and a Princess, from Thibius. Is that what you called that place?”

“Yes, it’s the planet I grew up on in the Malazian galaxy. I see your confusion and it’s easily explained. You see, I was actually born on Earth. My mother and I were taken by Adieaen slave hunters when I was two years old, almost three. That’s how we ended up on Thibius. My mother was purchased as a gift for Emperor Blaze Jereksuhn. I was thrown in as part of the deal. They fell in love and married. The Emperor adopted me and has raised me as his own. For the most part, my life was happy there. I don’t really remember much about Earth since I was so small when I left.”

Matt’s dark brows furrowed together. “Then why did you come back?”

“My main reason was to find my sister. She’s my twin actually. When my mother and I were taken, she was with asitter so she was left behind.” London went on to tell him all that she’d learned and remembered about Paris.

She stopped to take a breath. “That was twenty years ago. You never told me your name. Is it a secret?”

He smiled that wonderful smile of his again and London couldn’t help but smile back. “Matthew Taylor, but please call me Matt. All my friends do.”

“Matt,” she tested the name on her tongue. “I like that. It suits you.”

His cheeks went red. Did he feel what she did too? Maybe it was too soon to tell, but it was something worth exploring. They stared into each other’s eyes, until Matt finally broke the silence. “London, that’s an impressive story, but how do you plan on finding her? Even if your sister is still alive, this is a big country. Hell, she may not even be in this country now and it would be difficult for you to travel without a passport or any kind of identification.”

“Oh. You actually need that to travel from place to place in this world?”

“If you want to go to another country you do.”

“I…” She hung her head inwardly cursing her impulsiveness. “To be honest, I didn’t really give this mission a lot of thought. I’d schemed so carefully just to get here and now that I am, I don’t know what to do. Now that the heliocraft has crashed, I have no way of getting back home.” Tears filled her eyes as she realized that her rashness may have cost her seeing any of her loved ones again. Worse yet, she’d never find her Paris at this rate, not to mention that she was imposing on Matt’s hospitality.

“Do you remember where you used to live on Earth?”

“My mother talked about a little town in a place called North Carolina. I remember that, but I don’t remember the name of the town. When she lived on Earth, my mother’s name… well it still is, Calliope Renee Randall.”

“That may be something to go on. You’re saying she was abducted about twenty years ago? Maybe we can look on the Internet and find out some old news articles about it.”