Avelyn and the Alien Daddy (Intergalactic Brides 3) (2 page)

“If you’ll give me your address, I’ll have a driver pick you up and bring you to the airstrip. We have our own so we don’t have to go through the Las Vegas airport. It’s less hassle when we have to travel between stations. There’s been talk of one of the alien races who recently joined in the bride program letting us use their teleportation technology so a jet would not be necessary. I’m sure that won’t be put into motion for a while though. Things move quickly once they are approved, but getting something like that going would take some time and a lot of alien species working together. I’m not sure we’re to that point yet.”

She nodded.

“Let Lily and me take you home. It’s the least we can do.”

“Thank you. I rode the bus here so I appreciate the offer.”

Thrace guided her back through the station and out onto the walkway, where he hailed a waiting limo. Avelyn had never ridden in one before and handed Lily to Thrace before climbing inside. Once she was settled, Thrace handed the baby back to her. She cuddled Lily close, then buckled her into the car seat and gave the driver her address. She hoped Thrace wouldn’t think badly of her when he saw where she lived. Once up on a time, she’d had nice things, expensive cars, a huge house… now she lived in an older neighborhood, where most of the homes were taken care of, but the one she’d been renting had not been. The driveway was cracked; the mailbox listed to one side, and the stucco was coming off in huge sections. She would imagine the Terran male lived in a nice home back in Kentucky.

When they pulled up to the curb, Thrace frowned. “This is where you live?”

“It’s just been a temporary place the last six months. It’s all I could afford after I divorced my husband. He’d made me sign a pre-nup agreement, so I didn’t get a penny from him.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“It’s where someone wealthy asks the poorer person to sign away their rights to any money the rich person has or may gain during the time of the marriage. Otherwise, I probably would have gotten half his money, and he was worth millions.”

“Having millions of dollars is important,” Thrace asked, “in caring for a human mate?”

“No. Money is nice, and it’s great to have a fancy car and large home, but those things aren’t necessary. What’s necessary is love and understanding. I didn’t have those two things with my ex. I’d been blinded by his riches and was so swept away by a man like him paying attention to me that I ignored the signs that he was an abusive jerk.”

The Terran’s eyes darkened. “He hit you?”

“Sometimes.” She bit her lip. “I don’t want to be dishonest, so I’m going to tell you now, so you can change your mind if you want to. I was pregnant, about four months along. I got into an argument with my ex and he shoved me down a flight of stairs. I lost the baby, broke my wrist, and bruised my ribs. But it was the wake-up call I needed. Knowing that he’d taken something so precious from me gave me the courage to leave his sorry ass. I called a battered women’s shelter. They picked me up from the hospital and helped me get a divorce attorney.”

“I’m very sorry you went through that, and that you lost your child. Your husband should have been arrested, not allowed to go free and keep his millions. What kind of world is Earth if it allows women to be abused and their abusers to get off without jail time?”

Avelyn smiled. “My ex is cousins with the police chief and he played golf with the judges around here. No way was he going to get any jail time. When they questioned what happened to me, he told them I fell down the stairs. I tried to tell them I was pushed, but no one would listen to me. It was just my word against his, and he has a lot of connections in Las Vegas.”

“Is he the reason you’ve agreed to move across the country without even knowing where you’ll be living or how much you’ll make? I promise I can pay you well. Since my job is security at the Terran station near my home, I’m allowed a housing expense and my transportation is covered. I need very little money to get by each month compared to what the Terran council pays me.”

“I’m not greedy, Thrace. Whatever you can afford to pay me will be more than I’m making right now.” She smiled. “You know, I learned your name inside, but not once have you asked mine.”

“Avelyn.”

Her eyes widened and he smiled.

“I heard you tell Lily your name when I was arguing with the Terran over at the employment department. Lily and I will walk you to your door.”

She held up a hand. “That isn’t necessary, but thank you. I only have one suitcase to pack so it won’t take me long.”

“Why don’t we wait for you then? You could stay the night at the hotel where we’ve been staying and then we can leave tomorrow for the airstrip together. It would save time, unless you prefer to sleep in your own home one last night.”

“I don’t want to impose on you.”

Thrace waved a hand. “It’s no imposition. We’ll wait while you pack and then we’ll get you settled into a hotel room for the night. If you’d like, we could meet for dinner and you could get to know Lily a bit better. Although, it seems she’s quite taken with you. She’s never been this quiet for such a long stretch of time before.”

“She’s a sweet baby,” Avelyn said. “And if you’re sure it’s no trouble, I would be delighted to go back to the hotel with you. Just give me fifteen minutes to pack everything. I’ll need to drop the key off with leasing company though.”

“We’ll take care of it on the way.”

She reached to place her hand over his. “Thank you, Thrace. I mean it. You’re taking a chance on a complete stranger, giving me the opportunity to improve my life and put Las Vegas firmly in my past. Not everyone gets a fresh start in life.”

“Well, they should.”

With another smile, she got out of the limo and went to pack her things.

Thrace spent a good portion of his morning watching Avelyn and Lily. Looking at the two of them, you’d think they were mother and child. His daughter had taken right to the human female, and he couldn’t blame her. At least the child had good taste. Avelyn’s golden blonde hair caught the sunlight and shone like spun gold, making Thrace wonder if it was as soft as it looked. He loved the way her blue eyes twinkled with merriment when she played with Lily. And he’d have to be blind not to notice her curves. He wondered what they would feel like pressed against him.

Maybe hiring her as a nanny wasn’t such a great idea. She was a temptation that he might not be able to ignore, but he couldn’t express his interest in her as a bride, not when he’d offered her a job. It wouldn’t be right, and he would hate to chase her away, especially considering how good she was with Lily. His daughter adored her new nanny, and Thrace had to admit that he rather adored her as well. The more he knew about her, the better he liked her. She was strong to have escaped such a male as her ex, and yet despite what she’d been through, she always had a ready smile on her face.

The jet had touched down two hours ago and they were now safely ensconced in Thrace’s suite. After he’d adopted Lily he’d thought of purchasing a home, but he hadn’t found the right one just yet. He’d called from Las Vegas to have his suite at the hotel upgraded to a three bedroom so Lily wouldn’t have to be with Avelyn all day every day. Their things had been moved while they were on the way to Kentucky. He figured his new nanny could use a break every now and then, which made him wonder about days off. He only worked four days a week, so he supposed Avelyn could have the other three days to herself. But how would that work if they lived in the same suite? Maybe he should have purchased a separate room for Avelyn and given her nights off too. There was no reason he couldn’t get up to take care of his own child at night.

“You’re thinking awfully hard over there,” Avelyn said as she eased Lily down into the playpen across the room. “Are you having second thoughts about bringing me here? Lily is so well-behaved; I don’t see why you needed a nanny.”

“No. I’m not having second thoughts. She’s so well-behaved because she loves her new nanny. She tolerates me. I’d thought after the last several months of us being together that she would have warmed to me, but she fusses with me more than anyone else. It’s almost insulting.”

Avelyn laughed. “She doesn’t mean anything by it. Maybe she just missed having a woman’s touch. You did say her mother abandoned her. Perhaps there wasn’t a male in her life before you. She may just not know how to interact with you.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Do you mind if I take a few minutes to unpack while she’s occupied?”

“Not at all. Don’t feel like you have to hover over her, Avelyn. She knows how to play with her toys. Besides, I’m right here if she needs anything. I don’t expect you to jump every time she fusses, even when I’m not here. I read a book on babies that suggested it was good for them to comfort themselves sometimes.”

Avelyn smiled. “Yes, it is. I’ll try not to scoop her up every time she cries, but it won’t be easy. I already can’t stand to see her upset.”

“At least when she’s upset, you know it isn’t because of you. I’ve questioned several times whether or not I should have adopted her, but I just couldn’t bear the thought of her going to some intergalactic group home until they found a family for her, if they found one. Not everyone will take a Drelthene into their home. The males can be rather vicious when they get older, but little is known of their females. It’s rare to see one away from their home planet.”

“She’s lucky to have you, Thrace. And I think she knows it, she’s just confused. Maybe having a woman around will settle her enough that she’ll start to bond with you like she should have done by now.”

“Go take care of your unpacking. Lily and I will be fine on our own for now.”

Avelyn nodded and stepped into her room, shutting the door behind her. Thrace blew out a breath and wondered how he was supposed to survive the upcoming months or years. Maybe if he had a mate he wouldn’t feel the pull toward Avelyn, but at the moment, he couldn’t conjure a single attractive female in his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw blonde hair and blue eyes. She’d gotten to him, and in very little time. He wondered what she thought of him.

No, he wouldn’t torture himself with those thoughts.

He got up and moved across the room to peer down at his babbling daughter. She’d pulled a foot up to her mouth and was nibbling on her toes. He winced when one of her fangs pricked the skin, but she didn’t cry. Reaching into the playpen, he pulled her out and held her against his chest, smoothing her curls away from her face. She smiled up at him, a genuine smile, and the first ever to be directed at him. It lightened his heart and gave him hope that maybe their future wouldn’t be so bleak after all. Well, not as long as Avelyn was with them. What would happen though, if she ever decided to remarry? What if one of the Terrans at the station caught sight of her and decided to woo her away from Thrace? He knew they wouldn’t poach if they thought he was contemplating her as a bride, but as his nanny? She’d be fair game to them, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“What are we going to do, little one?” he asked Lily. “I can’t change the terms of her being here, and yet already we’re dependent on her.”

Lily babbled a reply and Thrace wished he could understand her.

“You like, Avelyn, don’t you? I think you like her more than me, but that’s okay. I don’t blame you for liking Avelyn. She’s sweet and funny, and she’s very good with you.”

Lily wrapped her fist in his hair and tugged as she babbled some more. Thrace carried her across the room and settled on the sofa with her in his arms. He loved holding her, especially when she was agreeable like this. Thrace had always enjoyed being around small children; he’d just despaired of ever having one of his own. He wanted more of them, a house full, but in order for that to happen he needed a mate, or a very understanding nanny, who wouldn’t mind if he adopted a few more children of different alien races. It would make for an unusual household, but Thrace knew if he had more than Lily in his home, he’d never find a mate.

He flicked through the channels on the television until he found a program he thought Lily might like. It was one of those learning cartoons he’d heard about. There was a lot he still needed for Lily. She had some stuffed animals and baby toys, but he didn’t know if he’d bought the right ones. From what he’d read, a baby’s development was very important, and he wanted to make sure he gave her everything she needed. He hoped Avelyn could help with that.

He sighed. Avelyn. The more he saw her interact with his daughter, the more he wanted to keep her, and not just as a nanny. She would be a perfect mother. He wondered if she’d ever be open to the idea. What if she got attached to Lily? Would it be enough to make her agree to become his mate?

He brushed a kiss against Lily’s head and leaned back, letting her rest on his chest. As his sweet daughter fell asleep in his arms, he closed his own eyes, hoping a short nap would put things into better perspective. If he didn’t rein in his emotions where Avelyn was concerned, he was going to slip up and say or do something he shouldn’t. If she left him, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. Not only did he need her for Lily’s sake, he was already getting attached to her as well. If he hated the thought of her leaving, after having only having known her for twenty-four hours, what was going to happen over the upcoming weeks? He was almost scared to ask.

Thrace wasn’t sure how long he dozed on the sofa, but he felt Lily’s weight shift and he tightened his embrace only to have small hands pry the baby out of his arms. He opened his eyes and found Avelyn leaning over them. She cradled Lily in her arms and pressed a finger to her lips.

“I’ll go put her in her crib,” she whispered.

He got up to follow and watched as she tucked his daughter in, tenderly brushing her fingers through Lily’s curls. It was a touching scene, and one that he wanted to remember for a long time to come.

Avelyn tiptoed out of the room and Thrace followed her, pulling Lily’s door shut. There was a baby monitor in there if she woke up. He watched his new nanny stretch, admiring the way her breasts strained against the material of her sleeveless top. He felt himself harden in his leather pants and willed his cock into submission. The last thing he needed was for her to see him with a raging hard-on. That was the surest way to run her off, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.