Blossom and the Alien Actor

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “Brexton, you shouldn’t have,” she said.

  He could tell she was pleased though. She slipped the earrings into her ears, then smiled broadly at him.

  “There’s one more thing.” He snapped open the ring box and heard her gasp. She stared at the ring and he noticed her hands were trembling. He didn’t know much about the customs of humans when it came to jewelry, but he’d seen a lot of human females with rings on their left hands. He didn’t know what it meant, and he wasn’t going to ask and sound like an idiot. Brexton removed the ring from the box and slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand.

  “Brexton, I…” Tears gathered in her eyes and she blinked them back. “How long have you had this?”

  “Since earlier today. While you took the kids to the bathroom, I bought this stuff from the jewelry counter. I know it’s not as fine a quality as I would get from a jeweler, but…”

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, admiring the ring. Then she went on tiptoe and pulled him down for a kiss. It was a soft, gentle kiss, and his heart felt so full in that moment, he worried it might burst.

  “Are you ready for our night out?” he asked.

  She nodded and smiled up at him, but he noticed she kept glancing at her ring. They stopped in the kitchen to let Mrs. Connors know they were leaving. The housekeeper’s gaze locked onto Blossom’s ring and she gave an excited squeal then hugged them both tight.

  “I just knew when you brought her home that she would be staying,” the housekeeper said.

  What was she talking about?

  “I never expected you to propose so soon though,” Mrs. Connors said.

  Propose? He looked down at Blossom, who was smiling shyly. He noticed she seemed a little nervous too, as she shifted from foot to foot.

  “He didn’t exactly say the words, but it’s the prettiest ring I’ve ever seen,” Blossom said.

  Wait. He blinked a few times, but the two women were smiling and hugging again. By giving her a ring, he’d asked her to be his mate? And she’d not stopped him? After their discussion downstairs, shouldn’t she have tried to stop him? Turned down his gift? Brexton felt a little like someone had knocked him off his feet, and he tried to figure out what was going on.

  “After what you said before, I didn’t think…” He stopped. He didn’t want her to think that he didn’t want to marry her, and if he told her that the ring hadn’t been intended as a proposal then it might upset her. He couldn’t think of anything he’d like more than to claim her as his mate. “When I presented you with the ring, I thought you might refuse.”

  That sounded reasonable enough, didn’t it?

  “We can talk over dinner,” Blossom said, smiling up at him. “That is where we’re going, isn’t it?”

  He nodded.

  “Go have fun. And congratulations to both of you,” Mrs. Connors said.

  Brexton ushered Blossom out to his SUV, and then drove to one of his favorite restaurants. On the way, he noticed she mostly stared out the window, but she twirled her ring around her finger. He couldn’t tell if she was genuinely happy, or if she’d been putting on a show for Mrs. Connors. Humans always confused him, but Blossom was confusing him more than most.

  “You didn’t mean to give me an engagement ring, did you?” she asked softly, still looking away from him.

  Was this where he was honest and told her he hadn’t understood the significance of his actions? Or played it off? He’d always tried to be truthful, except for when lies were necessary, like when he was acting for a part in a movie. But in real life, he’d prided himself on never lying to anyone. Until today. Until he’d claimed Blossom as his girlfriend, then screwed up by not understanding human customs on mating.

  “I did not understand that by giving you the ring I was asking you to be my mate,” he admitted. “But I don’t regret what I’ve done. I would be honored to have you by my side, for you to be mine in all ways.”

  He glanced at her, but she still wouldn’t look at him.

  “I still don’t understand a lot of human customs, Blossom, but I wanted you for my mate. When you accepted the ring and didn’t say anything, I thought I was just giving you a gift. Then Mrs. Connors got so excited about us getting engaged… I didn’t know what to do.”

  She looked over at him, a slight smile curving her lips. “I didn’t think you were proposing when you gave me the ring, until your housekeeper made such a huge deal and you didn’t deny it. I thought maybe I’d just misunderstood. I can move the ring to my right hand.”

  He reached over and placed his hand over hers, the one with the ring, and gave it a squeeze. “I like that people think you’re mine.”

  “I know you do, Brexton, but there’s a difference in your fans thinking you have a girlfriend like me, and accepting that you’re actually going to marry me. Your manager was right to be worried, even if you did kick her out of your house.”

  “I fired her,” he said. “She won’t be working for me anymore. I didn’t realize how ruthless and dishonest she was, or I never would have signed with her.”

  “If you have a contract, can you fire her the way you did?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I will likely owe her some money, but I’m sure I can break it. I’ll ask the legal department at the Terran station to take a look and help me handle the matter. Maybe they can recommend someone else to take her place.”

  Blossom nibbled on her lip and looked at him uncertainly. “Do you want me to keep wearing the ring, or move it to my other hand?”

  His hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Do you want to be mated to me?”

  “I don’t know.” She sighed. “Part of me wants to say yes, but the other part is cautioning me that things are going way too fast. We just met earlier today. You’ve bought us a ton of new things, set us up in your house, and now your fans think we’re dating and that my kids belong to you. It’s all a little much to take in. I feel like… I feel like I’m in one of those funhouse tunnels at a fairground. You know, the ones that spin and you have to try to walk through it without falling?”

  “But the part that wants to say yes?” he asked, trying to latch onto the positive part of what she’d said.

  “You make me feel safe,” she said. “And wanted. The way you kissed me… no one’s ever kissed me like that before. I’ve never been called beautiful, or looked at like…”

  “Like?” he prompted.

  “Like someone loves me,” she said. “I know you don’t, that there’s no such thing as love at first sight, but that’s how I feel when your gaze is locked on me, like every bit of your attention is focused solely on me. I’ve never had that before, and I want to grab on and never let go.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with feeling wanted, Blossom.”

  “Maybe not, but I’ve always relied on a man to take care of me, and it never works out. With you, I feel like we could have a real chance, that me and the kids could be happy and safe, and then I realize that’s not fair to you.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked as he pulled into the lot of the restaurant and found a place to park.

  “I mean, you deserve to be with someone who loves you, someone who is with you for the right reasons. I’m attracted to you, and I could easily fall into your bed, but I think I’d be selfish if I tried to keep you without knowing that I loved you.”

  Brexton stared out the windshield as he contemplated his next words.

  “How much do you know of my people? Of my world?” he asked.

  “Only that females are scarce and you need women from other planets in order to survive. Earth’s government made an agreement with your people and opened the bride program, as well as Terran stations popping up all over the world.”

  “Females were not born to my people for many years, until we started pairing with human females. While a few of us have found mates from other worlds, Earth is the best hope for us, as there are plentiful women here, and we can give you something in exchange for the chance of findin
g a bride.”

  “So any fertile woman will do?” she asked.

  “No. Maybe to some, but most of us want more than that. A lot of my people have formed attachments with females from your world before love was ever mentioned. Some claimed the females to save them, and others were like our Chief Councilor, who claimed a woman who was sent to him specifically. An arrangement made with a high-ranking man on your planet. But in the end they’ve all fallen in love with their mates, and their mates love them in return.”

  “So you’re saying, what? That if I agree to be your mate, we’ll fall in love?” she asked.

  “Nothing in life is ever guaranteed, Blossom, but I know I would die for you and those children. We just met, but all it took was one brief glimpse before you slammed the door in my face, and I wanted to claim you, to make you mine. Maybe it’s my genetics, like Pryntar said. Or maybe I just knew the moment I looked into your eyes that you were meant for me. Fate, I believe you humans call it.”

  “Brexton, I…” She bit her lip and looked away.

  Brexton reached out and turned her face toward his, then he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers. It didn’t have the same heat as the kiss they had shared previously, but he wanted to reassure her, to show her that he cared on some level, and knew that everything would work out between them. “Blossom, let me claim you and the children. Let me protect you.” He gazed at her. “I will do everything in my power to make the three of you happy, to keep you safe, and give you anything you could ever need.”

  “It’s tempting to say yes,” she said.

  “But you’re not going to.” He pulled away and sighed. Earth females were so complicated.

  She twisted and turned her ring, started to pull it off, then stopped. He watched from the corner of his eye, as she pushed the ring back onto her finger and stared at it. If he’d thought for a moment it would be considered a token of his affection, that it would be a symbol of her agreement to mate with him, he would have bought her something nicer. Was that holding her back? “I can get you another ring. A better one, if you’d like,” he said.

  “It’s not the ring, Brexton.”

  “Maybe this was a mistake. Let’s eat and I’ll take you home,” he said as he exited the vehicle. He walked around and opened her door, holding out a hand to assist her from the SUV. She stepped down and wobbled for a moment, but he steadied her.

  Blossom placed a hand on his chest, and the look she gave him nearly tore his heart in two. He could tell that she wanted him, wanted to say yes to being his, but she was scared. He hadn’t taken into account the men who had lied to her in the past, had used her. While he was different from them, she needed proof. He needed to show her that he cared, that he wouldn’t hurt her. “Blossom,” he said softly.

  She reached up and curled her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him toward her. He bent and when she pressed her lips to his, his hold on her tightened. Her scent teased him and Brexton growled as he deepened the kiss. Blossom trembled in his arms, but she didn’t pull away. If anything, she pressed closer to him.

  When he drew back, he didn’t release her. Both of them were breathing heavy, and Blossom looked a little dazed. Brexton was still hungry for her, wanted to taste every inch of her body.

  Her gaze locked onto his. “Don’t break my heart,” she whispered.

  “I would never do anything to hurt you or bring you pain,” he said.

  “Then I’ll be yours,” she said. “I should be strong and walk away, but I can’t. Not when you kiss me like that.”

  “You won’t regret it,” he said, then kissed her again, just as hungry and passionate as the one before. He heard the click of a camera, but didn’t care. Not in that moment. All that mattered was the female in his arms, and the fact she’d agreed to be his mate. “Mine.”

  “Yes, yours,” she said.

  “We should eat before I forget myself and take you home.”

  “Home?” she asked.

  “Yes, home. And straight to bed.”

  She blushed and smiled as he locked the car and led her into the restaurant. He didn’t know how the night would end, but as long as Blossom would be his, then nothing else was important. All the details could be worked out later. Right now, he needed to take care of his mate, and that meant feeding her.

  The staff fawned over him and gave Blossom curious looks, but they found a seat for them immediately, even though there was a line of people waiting for a table. He’d never felt comfortable taking a spot meant for someone else, but tonight he didn’t make a fuss over it. He wanted more time with Blossom, and he didn’t like standing at the front of the restaurant with everyone gawking at her.

  “Order anything you want,” he said. “We’re celebrating.”

  “You know you don’t have to spend a lot of money on me, Brexton. That’s not why I’m here with you.”

  A waitress hurried over, a besotted look on her face, and he braced himself, wishing he had time to warn Blossom.

  “Brexton! It’s been a while since you’ve been in,” the waitress said. “I’m so glad they seated you in my section.”

  Her nametag read “Britney” but he didn’t remember her.

  She placed a menu in front of them, but her gaze was solely focused on him.

  “What is the drink humans order when they’re celebrating?” he asked as he opened his menu.

  “Champagne,” Britney said. “Did you land a new movie deal? I can’t wait to see the one coming out right at Christmas!”

  Brexton looked at Blossom. “Would you like some champagne?”

  “I’ve never had any,” she said.

  He glanced at Britney, who was frowning at Blossom.

  “We’ll have two glasses of champagne. If my mate likes it, then we’ll ask for a bottle.”

  “Mate?” Britney asked, her eyes going wide. “Isn’t that like…”

  “I believe the human term is fiancée, until we can meet with the Chief Councilor. I see no reason he won’t approve of our mating. Then she’ll be my wife.”

  “You’re getting married?” Britney asked. “But…”

  He scowled at the waitress and glanced around until he caught the manager’s attention. Why did the population in general think they had a right to decide who he mated? If this was a sample of what he could expect, he’d better get a new manager soon, someone who could spin his engagement and marriage in a way that would have the people cheering for them, or Los Angeles would soon learn to fear his temper. No one was going to treat Blossom like she wasn’t worthy of him.

  The manager hurried over, nearly running over a few people in his haste.

  “Mr. Brexton! A joy to see you here again,” the manager said, smiling.

  “I would like to request a different server. Preferably one who can treat my mate with some respect,” Brexton said.

  “Mate?” the manager asked, glancing at Blossom. “Of course. A bottle of champagne then, on the house! Perhaps Antonio would be a better server for you this evening. I’ll make the arrangements now.”

  The manger pushed Britney away from their table and Brexton reached across to take Blossom’s hand. Her ring sparkled in the dim lighting of the restaurant, but she looked like she was in pain.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “No one is going to accept me as your mate,” she said.

  “They will. Besides, I’m the one you’re spending your life with. Not them. Despite what they think, they don’t have a say in the matter.”

  A man who introduced himself as Antonio took their order and delivered a bottle of champagne with two flutes. Antonio poured them each a glass, and said that he would bring out a complimentary appetizer to their table before he hurried off.

  “We’ll eat, and then we’re going to the Terran station,” Brexton said.

  “What? Why?” she asked.

  “Because I want you to feel secure with your place in my life, and I don’t think you’ll do that until we speak to Borg
oz and get our mating approved.”

  “Brexton, I…”

  He held up a hand. “It’s not up for negotiation, Blossom. If you want a human wedding later, that’s fine, but I need to do this. For both of us. It will also give the children a higher level of protection.”

  She clamped her lips shut.

  “Forgot about your troubles for a moment?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “You’re going to give the station the name of the man who planned to sell you, and give them any details that may help in locating him. Then I’m going to have him taken into custody for threatening a mate and children.”

  “That simple?” she asked.

  “Probably not, but I can hope,” he said.

  “And the kids? RaeLynn is small enough she isn’t going to understand, but Drew is a different story.”

  “We’ll talk to them in the morning. We’ll enjoy our dinner, maybe have some dessert if we aren’t too full, and then go see if we can reach Borgoz.”

  She gazed at him with hope and concern showing in her pretty eyes. He wished that he could banish all of her fears, but he knew only time would do that. Not only would he have to prove to her that they were meant for each other, but he’d have to make sure the ex-boyfriend wasn’t a threat anymore. Whatever it took, Brexton would make it happen. His family would be safe, no matter the cost.

  Chapter Six

  Blossom twisted her hands together as they stared at the large screen. Brexton had called it a Vid-comm, and it was his way of contacting people on his world. She didn’t understand how such a thing was even possible, but that wasn’t what bothered her. The leader of his people was about to be on that huge screen, and he would be the one to decide if Brexton could claim her as his mate. What if the alien found her lacking? She wasn’t anything special.

  Brexton reached over and took her hand, giving it a squeeze.

  “Everything will be fine,” he assured her.

  “But what if…”

  The screen flared a moment and an image came up. An older purple alien with long hair filled the space. He didn’t look happy about being disturbed, and Blossom wondered if it was too late to hide.