Page 12 of Alien Spare (Cosmic Mates #9)

It was rare for a member of the royal family to venture into the mercantile when a servant could be dispatched.

However, this mission was too personal and important to assign to a member of the palace staff.

Besides—what he wanted didn’t exist on Kaldor.

It had to be fabricated. A servant could not accurately convey his requirements.

After trying several shops, he got lucky at the fourth. The proprietor assured him he could do what he requested. “For you, Your Highness, I will put a rush on it and have it delivered to the palace by the day after tomorrow,” the vendor said, eager to please. “Will that suit?”

“Perfectly. Thank you very much,” Falkor said. “I assume I may count on your discretion?”

“May I be struck dead should I breathe a word,” the vendor said.

He chuckled. “That’s a little extreme, but I do appreciate you not mentioning this to anyone.” He left the shop with a bounce in his step. The plan was coming together.

Slipping away without his wife’s knowledge had taken finesse and subterfuge. Fortunately, her sister had been eager to help him.

“This will mean so much to her,” Kismet had said. “She’ll be over the moon.”

“I hope so. I want to show her how much I love her.” She’d become the most important person in his world, and he hoped she felt the same way. He assumed she did, but old insecurities lingered. He’d been second his whole life. The backup plan. The unneeded spare.

Seeing Soton with Karma the other day had dredged up memories of how often he’d taken a backseat to his friend—time and again, women had preferred his friend to him.

Business completed, he sped to the palace in the hoverlimo, his heart leaping upon discovering Karma had returned from lunch. He greeted her with a kiss. “You’re back earlier than I expected. Did you have a good time?”

She melted against him, and, for a fraction of a second, clung to him in the way that made him feel needed and loved. “I had a good time with my sister. Did you get all your business done?”

“Everything went satisfactorily. Shall we sit?” He led her to the conversation area and took a seat. She curled her legs under her, knees touching his thigh.

She inhaled an audible breath and then exhaled. “Is it really necessary to keep the business a secret from family?”

“You mean, like your sister?” he guessed.

She nodded.

He sighed. “The problem isn’t with your sister.

If you confided in her, I trust she would keep the confidence to herself.

But it would place her in the uncomfortable position of keeping secrets from Jaryk.

I don’t want to come between a man and his wife.

So, if you told Kismet, I’d need to tell Jaryk.

He would then have to lie to the king and queen.

And if my secret is ever discovered, ignorance grants him innocence.

The king would have a fit if he discovered I was involved in a commercial enterprise.

He could order me to liquidate the company. ”

“Oh.” Her mouth turned down. “I understand.”

“Let me think about it, okay?” He wished to avoid coming between his brother and his wife, but he didn’t want to divide the sisters, either. They shared everything. Kismet was keeping one secret for him—would one more matter?

Her brow remained furrowed.

“Is there something else?”

She nodded. “While at lunch with my sister, I had an unexpected visitor.”

“Who?”

“Soton!”

“Soton?”

“How much do you trust him?”

A short time ago, he would have said completely, but he’d begun to have doubts. “He manages the business well. He does what I can’t.”

“He asked to speak to me privately, implying it was about the company. Since Kismet was right there, and the business is a secret, I went with him into the hall. Then he blatantly, aggressively…made a pass at me.”

“He did what?” I knew there was something going on with him! Soton was a notorious lothario, and Falkor had sensed an inappropriate interest in Karma, but he’d never expected Soton to act on it. He’d even said he’d tone down his “charm.”

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. It shook me up a little. It’s not my place to tell you how to run the business or who to employ, but I don’t trust him, and I don’t think you should either.”

He wrapped an arm around her. “What he did is unacceptable. I’m sorry.

He won’t bother you again, I promise.” The next time he saw him, he’d lay it out—if he bothered his wife again, Soton would be history.

“I can’t imagine you’ll run into him again, but if you do, and he harasses you again, let me know. I’ll fire him.”

She bit her lip. “It won’t be easy to replace him, will it?”

Difficult, but not impossible. He had to find someone competent and trustworthy. “Let me worry about that. He’s not indispensable, although he thinks he is.” Soton occasionally let things fall through the cracks, delayed following up on problems, but he excelled at gladhanding and networking.

“Will Soton keep the secret if you let him go?”

“Depends how betrayed and angry he feels. He could hurt me, and he knows it. He signed a nondisclosure agreement—but penalties for violating it would be decided by the king’s court.” The damage he could do could be far greater than any penalties levied.

“Maybe it’s not worth the risk. I would hate for your business to break up because of me.”

“I don’t want him making you uncomfortable.

It’s unacceptable. I’m going to talk to him.

If he’s harassing you, he might be bothering other women, too.

” He’d assumed Soton conducted himself professionally when representing the company, but maybe he didn’t.

Perhaps female customers and vendors were put off by the misbehavior.

His resolve to look into the matter strengthened.

Karma, not the company, was the most important thing in his life. “I intend to tell him in no uncertain terms coming on to you will get him fired. You come first, always. You’re my wife—and I love you.”

“You do?” A huge smile spread across her face. “I hoped…I love you, too. Marrying you is the best thing I ever did.”

“For me, too.” His heart overflowed with emotion. He couldn’t wait to reveal his big surprise. The day after tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

He slipped his hand under her hair and drew her close for a kiss. Her lips parted, and sweet heat ignited as the intimacy deepened. He’d been waiting for her his entire life. She made him feel like he was number one, first place, the grand prize.

“I promise I’ll never let you down,” he murmured against her lips.

“That means everything to me.” Her bracelets jingled as she wound her arms around his neck. That jingle would always remind him of her—a signature sound, like her rapturous sighs and gasps. Music to his ears.

He shifted her onto his lap, the better to roam his hands over her shoulders, back, and leg, slipping a hand under her skirt.

She traced the outline of his ear, from lobe to pointy tip. “You have the cutest ears.”

“I don’t know about cute, but they are ticklish.” He grabbed her hand and kissed her teasing fingers.

Her eyes lit up with devilry. “Oh, really…” She pressed her lips to his ear and flicked her tongue along his lobe.

“Ah…” he gasped, desire overriding ticklishness. He turned his head and met her lips. Steamy breath mingled, and gazes locked “Should we move to the other room?” he murmured.

“Work on our special project?” She wiggled, rubbing her bottom against his hard-on.

“You read my mind.”

“I am rather intuitive.”

They started disrobing before they got to the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothing across the apartment.

Naked, they tumbled onto the bed. She claimed his cock with a firm, proprietary grasp, stoking his need and thrilling his heart.

They’d been forced to marry, but she chose him now—chose him over Soton.

Did satisfaction and triumph seem petty, immature? Perhaps, but it also filled him with gratitude. He didn’t require proof she loved him, but it didn’t hurt to have it.

She caressed his shoulders and the nape of his neck, playing with the curling hair. A wayward hand sneaked upward. His ears twitched and wiggled under her teasing.

He whispered, “Let’s see where you’re ticklish…” He brushed his lips over her throat.

“Nope, not ticklish.” She arched her neck for more. He moved to her breasts, rubbing his face against the soft mounds and teasing the nipples to pebble hardness. She moaned. “No…not ticklish.”

“Are you sure?” He suckled a tip.

She let out another moan.

He scooted lower. Her hands splayed out to protect her tummy before he got there.

“Ah…found it.” He chuckled, his breath huffing against her flesh.

He kissed around her hands and snaked his tongue between her fingers to touch her skin.

She jerked, and he laughed but moved lower.

He wouldn’t torment her—not that way, anyway.

With his mouth, he caressed the soft skin at the crease of her thighs then homed in on her pussy, taking his time, heightening her pleasure and delaying his own. He fluttered his tongue over her clit and then slipped one finger then a second into her channel. Her pussy gripped his fingers.

She arched. “You’re teasing…”

“ Pleasing …” he corrected with a chuckle, but his balls had drawn up tight, and his erection throbbed.

She tugged at his hair, and it was all the inducement he needed, to do what he ached to do anyway.

Her legs wrapped around his hips, and he guided his cock to her entrance, rocking into her wet heat in a perfect union of body and spirit.

She gripped him within her tight walls, her response unleashing his control.

Nature took command, and his hips moved with a timeless rhythm.

Muscles in his neck and face strained with the exquisite tension coiling in his body.

Perspiration broke out on his face, stung his eyes.

“Love…you,” he panted.

She kissed his damp throat. “Love…you…back.”

Her orgasm triggered his, and there was no turning back, no turning away from the pleasure or the future. The tension snapped, hurtling him into a sea of sensation and emotion. Holding her tight, he rode the waves until the orgasmic tide deposited him gasping and depleted in the harbor of her arms.

He slumped and buried his face against her neck, breathing in the steamy scent of their union. He turned his head, and their mouths met in a wet, satisfying kiss.

He’d found his place in the world with her.

“When you apply yourself to a project, you really focus.”

At his chuckle of amusement, his softening cock slipped free. He rolled to his side and tucked her next to him.

“This time was the charm,” she murmured.

“Charm?”

“We conceived.” The certainty of her tone and word choice amused him. It was way too soon to tell. “How do you know?”

“Intuition.” She swirled her fingers over his hip. He felt her slightest touch deep under his skin.

His cock swelled as she continued to touch him. “What is your intuition telling you now?”

“That maybe we should hedge our bets?” She smiled.

“You are intuitive.” He cupped her breast and kissed her.

* * * *

He loves me! I love him. Isn’t life wonderful?

Karma studied her dozing husband, her chest swelling with happiness and contentment.

Words shouldn’t matter—deeds counted more than words—but a girl still liked to hear them.

Perhaps hearing him say I love you mattered because of their rocky start and her history of broken relationships.

She’d just needed a little reassurance. And she’d gotten it.

Insecurities had been put to rest. Her husband loved her.

Their marriage was rock solid. Nothing would come between them.

The vile things that Soton had said—that Falkor would grow tired of her—were merely the rantings of a bitter, jealous man.

From here on out, they had a clear, unobstructed path to a happy, harmonious life.

She was as certain about that as she was that they’d conceived a baby.

She pressed a palm against her stomach. Welcome to Kaldor, little one.

Your mommy and daddy will love you so much.

Her lips twitched. He didn’t believe her yet, but once the physical signs of pregnancy became apparent, he’d see. He’d learn to trust her hunches and premonitions.

The instant she’d laid eyes on Soton, she’d recognized bad news.

Thank the Goddess, Falkor believed her without questions about what happened at the café.

She had no proof. Her sister had been there—but Soton had not said anything suggestive in her presence.

Her husband’s faith in her was another example of how much he loved her.

She was so relieved he would consider extricating himself from the partnership. There might be some fallout—Soton might not adhere to the NDA he’d signed. She would hate for Falkor to incur the king’s wrath and the business to suffer.

But the important things were secure. She eyed her dozing husband. They loved each other and had started a family. What else mattered?

Happy and secure in the knowledge of being loved, she closed her eyes and joined her husband in slumber.