Page 8 of Her Alien Soldier (Asterion Station #1)

M aggie barely slept, so she was already cranky when she got to work. A cursory glance around the corridor let her know that Xarek wasn’t waiting in his usual spot. She took a deep breath and headed into the bar, running a hand through her hair as she did.

When she walked through the doors, it was to find an instrumental band playing lighthearted music on stage while Xarek and the Bellarian lead singer glared at one another over hands of cards.

Her friend Julia was behind the bar, and Maggie made her way toward her, nodding in greeting to a few regulars as she did.

Julia smiled, hugging her in greeting. She followed Maggie’s gaze toward the card game.

“That’s been going on pretty much my entire shift,” she said.

“You’re kidding,” Maggie said as she looked at the two enormous aliens. They both seemed very focused, and she wondered if this was the best way to make sure he didn’t miss his Paraxian. She tore her gaze away from Xarek.

She’d try to act normal today. It wouldn't be easy. She felt like an idiot for propositioning him the night before. And his rejection stung, even though she understood why he’d done it.

“I’m not. It’s mostly been hours of them glaring at each other and slapping cards down onto the table. Every once in a while, one of them will gather up all the cards. I’m not sure if that means they won or lost, though.”

Maggie laughed softly, and Julia watched the two aliens for a while longer. “They keep ordering drinks though. And the Bellarian is a great tipper,” she says. “They both are, but he’s going a little above and beyond.”

“He spends enough time playing here. He probably recognizes you.”

Julia nodded, and Maggie hid a smirk. Her friend couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the Bellarian.

“Anyway,” she said after a moment, pulling her gaze away from the singer again.

“It should be a quiet day today, hopefully. That Izar family reunion ended, so at least our ears get a break,” she said, and Magge laughed.

A loud, exuberant Izar family had been there for the last two days.

They were nice, but holy crap their high-pitched voices had Maggie’s ears in agony by the end of each shift.

Julia was about to say something else, when she looked behind Maggie, then tilted her head, indicating that Maggie should turn around. When she did, Xarek was there, looking at her.

“Maggie,” he said in greeting.

“Xarek,” she responded. “Having fun?”

“I would not go that far. How are you today?”

She smiled, willing herself not to blush. Horny. She was horny, damn it. Her vibrator hadn’t quite been enough, though she’d tried valiantly. “I’m doing well. How are you?”

“Honestly?”

“Yes.”

“Feeling like a damn fool. I could have been with you and instead I have been playing cards with this kalar’s ass all night.”

She couldn’t help laughing at the deadpan way he said it, feeling a little bit of the irritation leave her. “But you were able to focus on your mission a little better.” She leaned on her elbows, looking at him. “If you were with me, you would forget it. At least for a little while.”

He clenched his jaw, and she got more than a little thrill out of the way his gaze heated. Was it mean to tease him, knowing he was as horny as she was? Yes. Did she care? Not a damn bit.

“I was able to focus on a contact that never showed,” he muttered.

She shook her head, and couldn't help reaching across the bar and patting his big hand. When she did, he turned his hand over and laced his big, beefy fingers with her smaller ones. She brushed her thumb along his, and watched him take a deep breath.

“I should get back before he cheats. Bastard,” he muttered, making no movement to pull his hand away. Instead, he rubbed his thumb along hers, then gently trailed it along the back of her hand.

“Probably,” she said softly, looking up to find his gaze on her, those intense dark eyes still holding every bit of need they held for her in her quarters.

“Did you rest well?” he asked, and she shrugged.

“Eventually.”

“I am–”

“Don’t apologize, Xarek. We got sidetracked. The goal still stands, and I plan to spend some time on your lap during and after my shift.”

She couldn’t miss the quiet groan, the muttered curse beneath his breath. “I will prepare myself.”

“How?” she asked with a smile.

“An icy shower and thinking of not-sexy things,” he answered, and she laughed. There was that small upward curve of the sides of his mouth, and she felt that little thrill again, that she’d heard that deep, warm, rumbling laugh when so few here had.

She sighed. “Julia is about to leave. I need to talk to her a bit. And you should get back to your game,” she reminded him.

“Yes. I should,” he said, slowly pulling his hand away, lingering in the touch as long as he could before finally sliding his fingers away from hers. “I will try not to kill him during your shift.”

“Thank you. I’d rather not have that mess to deal with,” she said with a laugh.

The corners of his mouth quirked up for a moment and he gave her a small nod before turning away and heading back to his table.

The Bellarian raised a glass to her, and she waved at him before turning to Julia, who was looking at her with a smirk.

“What?”

“What?” Julia mimicked, then laughed. “Holy shit, the tension!” she said, fanning herself. “You like him!”

Maggie smacked her arm, rolling her eyes.

“I thought you swore off that feelings shit.”

“I did.”

“And yet,” Julia said with another laugh. “You two looked like you were ready to devour each other.”

“Attraction and horniness.”

“Which are both feelings.”

“Not deep ones.”

“Sure, sure. I always look at random hot men like I’m a breath from climbing them and calling them ‘daddy,’” she said with a laugh, and Maggie rolled her eyes, turning away to look at the supplies behind the bar.

“Is there anything I should restock?” she asked, and that only made Julia laugh harder.

“No, I did it already. Like I said, quiet night.”

“Thanks. Bitch,” Maggie muttered, and Julia grinned, hugging her from the side and resting her head against Maggie’s.

“You’re welcome, bitch,” Julia said. “You know I can’t help messing with you. I’m just surprised. We’ve known each other for years and I’ve never seen you act like that with anyone.”

“Thanks. I hate it.”

Julia squeezed her then let go. “You know, there's nothing wrong with scratching an itch.”

Maggie sighed. “If I could just do that, it would make life easier. I would have scratched that itch already. He has to focus on his mission. And.. right now I’m almost grateful nothing has happened.

I don’t think this would be a casual fling for me, and he’s leaving as soon as he’s able to. It’s a bad combination.”

Julia’s mouth dropped open. “It’s worse than I realized. Mags, you’re not the insta-love type.”

“I’m not. And I don’t think it’s love. But it would be easy to get attached to him, and then it would hurt when he left. And I really like not hurting.”

Julia hugged her again. “Yeah. I don’t want you to go through that again either.”

Julia had been by her side during the unraveling of her last relationship. She’d had a front row seat to the ugly crying, and the anger, and the depression and irritation at herself for not seeing what was right in front of her.

“We’ll find ways to distract you until he’s gone,” Julia said, and Maggie smiled at her, even as she knew distraction wouldn’t be enough. It was still worth a try, though, and she’d do what she could to avoid feeling like shit when he left.

Julia left a few minutes later, and Maggie took a deep breath. She mixed a few drinks, chatted up a group of Calarissian businessmen, then finally sucked it up and looked toward where Xarek and the Bellarian were playing.

The second she looked at him Xarek looked up, his dark gaze meeting hers, and she felt her stomach twist, her entire body heat.

He could do that to her with a look. She was an idiot for thinking she’d get through it unscathed if she was perched on his lap all the time.

But she’d do it. The Bellarian was doing his part, even if whether he could be trusted or not remained to be seen. She’d do hers, too.

And get through it and go back to her normal life when he left.

Easy.