She watched as the princess and the blacksmith’s son went on their journey, making new friends along the way, and falling more in love as the days passed. When it got to the end of the movie and they shared true love’s kiss, Haven couldn’t help but sigh. She wanted a happy ending like theirs, to find someone who would love her no matter what. Glancing at Dryden out of the corner of her eye, she wondered if perhaps she’d already found him.
Love at first sight only existed in the movies, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t have a happily-ever-after together. She rested her head on his shoulder as they watched the credits roll and listened to the music until the last strands faded and the lights came up. Dryden gathered their trash and she followed him down the steps. He tossed everything in the trashcan on the way out and reached over to take her hand.
“What did you think?” he asked.
“I always love a happy ending.”
“I know you aren’t ready for a permanent happy ending with me, but it doesn’t mean I can’t give you happy-for-now. Is there anything else you’d like to do today? We can go anywhere you’d like. Although, as cold as it is, it’s probably best if we don’t go somewhere that requires us to be outside for any length of time. We might freeze.”
She laughed and thought about where she might want to go. “Could we go to the mall to walk around and window shop?”
“We can do that. Or we can do actual shopping if you see something you want.”
He was generous, but she wasn’t going to ask him for more than he’d already given. The clothes and a place to stay were more than enough. It still baffled her that he’d been so ready to start a new life with her, and even when she’d turned him down, he’d still taken care of her when she’d had nowhere else to go. It just proved that he was the kind of man you kept, the kind you married and raised a family with. And he was hers for the taking. So, why wasn’t she grabbing hold with both hands and never letting go?
At the mall, Haven took a deep breath near the leather store, loving the smell of the purses and coats. They passed the perfume store and she ducked inside to let Dryden smell her favorite scents. He bought her a bottle of Masaki Matsushima, despite her protests, then treated her to a new purse from Macy’s. She didn’t think mechanics made anywhere near enough to spend that kind of money all in one day and didn’t want him wasting it on her.
When he tried to buy her a new sweater and a pretty long-sleeved dress at an upscale maternity store, she put her foot down. “It’s too much.”
“Do you like them?” he persisted.
“Of course, I like them, but that doesn’t mean I have to have them. You’re spending too much money on me.”
“I want to buy them for you, Haven. I want you to have nice things again. You deserve to be pampered.”
“But… “
He placed a finger over her lips, then pulled out his wallet, taking a folded piece of paper out of it. He opened it and showed her his last banking receipt. The balance in his account made her gasp and look up at him with wide eyes.
“You’re a mechanic. How do you have that much?”
“I’m poor compared to the warriors and scientists on my world. I can’t afford for you to buy expensive things all the time, but I can pamper you a little today if you’ll let me. You need some nice things, and this maternity store is busy enough that I’m guessing the items are quality. If you like the sweater and the dress, get them. If you see something else you like, get it too.”
She leaned in close. “How does a mechanic who is poor on his world have nearly half a million dollars in his account?”
He smiled a little. “Your Earth government was very generous with the exchange rate between my currency and yours. I transferred half my money to an Earth bank, plus I still get income from the shop. I have very little overhead cost because I paid for the shop and tools in cash.”
“You have more money on your world?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Then I guess I won’t feel as guilty letting you buy me a few things. But no more extravagant purchases after today. I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but if you keep spending money on me, I’m going to feel guilty.”
“Pick out a few outfits while we’re here. You’re going to need them. The few things you purchased at the store last night won’t hold you for the upcoming months. Get at least three or four to get you through the cold months, then we’ll come back when the weather turns.”
She looked around the store and picked up the dress she’d liked, along with the gray sweater. She selected a pair of black pants, then grabbed some jeans and an aqua sweater. Carrying everything into the fitting room, she tried them on to make sure she’d picked up the correct sizes. Everything fit perfectly and she thought the dress even made her look sexy, baby bump and all. After she’d put her clothes back on, she carried everything to the register.
A silver necklace and matching bracelet fell on top of her items and she looked up at Dryden. “What are you doing?”
“You don’t have jewelry. Women like shiny things.”
“Dryden, put them back.”
He looked like he might argue, but he picked them up and returned them to the shelf. He pulled out his bank card and paid for her clothes, carrying them out along with her other packages. He tried to stop at two other stores, but Haven nudged him along and back to the parking lot. Dryden placed her things in the backseat and she went up on tiptoe to brush a kiss against his cheek.
“Thank you for my new things.”
“I’d have gotten you more, but you didn’t seem to want to spend my money.”
“Dryden, if there’s anything I’ve learned in the last few months, it’s that things don’t make people happy. Yes, there’s a moment of happiness when you wear a new outfit or buy a new pair of shoes, but in the end, it’s the people in your life that make you get out of bed in the morning.”
“You’re very insightful for someone so young.”
“I’ve had to grow up a lot recently.”
He pulled her closer and reached up to caress her cheek. “So, who do you have in your life who makes you happy?”
“Until yesterday, no one. My friends abandoned me. My parents are both locked up. Mom may be in rehab, but they aren’t letting her out anytime soon. She might as well be in jail with Dad. Until you came into the shop to greet me last night, I had no one. The money left and they did too.”
“I’m not leaving you, Haven. Not even if you push me away.”
“I know,” she said softly. “And that’s why you don’t have to buy me so many things. I don’t need them. I just need you.”
He leaned down slowly, as if to give her time to move away, and pressed his lips to hers. Haven wound her arms around his neck and leaned against him. The kiss was sweet and light, and full of all the promises Dryden had made to her. Even if they never got married, she knew she’d found a friend, and that was worth more to her than all the money in the world.
Chapter Four
Dryden lay across Haven’s bed, her body tucked in close to him. Her long, silky hair was down, and he twirled the ends around his fingers as he watched her sleep. She’d changed into her pajamas, and after he’d changed as well he’d stepped into her room to say goodnight. He’d found her lying on top of the covers, curled on her side. There had been something in her eyes, the way she looked at him, that had drawn him further into the room. She’d scooted over and patted the bed, asking if he’d hold her for a little while. He hadn’t intended to stay the entire night.
The sky outside the window was lightening, but he couldn’t bear to let her go yet. She felt so right in his arms, her heart beating against him, as the soft puffs of her breath fanned across his bare chest. Her head nestled perfectly under his chin and every time he inhaled he could smell her sweet scent. It was both torture and heaven. She shifted, moving closer. Dryden tightened his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Haven murmured something i
n her sleep and her hand crept up to settle on his chest. Her touch was light but it sent a jolt through him. He’d been hard for hours, wanting her, and yet satisfying himself with the knowledge she’d wanted him close. He’d had a good time with her yesterday, possibly the best day he’d ever had with a woman. Not once in all his years had he ever held a woman at night. The females he’d been intimate with had served a purpose, but they hadn’t been the type of woman you cuddled and talked to after sex. He wanted that, and he thought he could have it with Haven.
Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and she gave him a sleepy smile.
“You stayed,” she said softly.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you.”
“It’s not just your looks that attract the women, is it?” she asked. “They get a taste of how sweet and romantic you are and they want more.”
He smiled a little. “You think I’m sweet and romantic?”
“You know you are, so stop fishing for compliments.”
He smoothed his thumb along her jaw. “You’re beautiful in the morning.”
“Thank you. I’m sure I have dragon breath though. I should go brush my teeth.”
He leaned forward and placed his lips against hers. Haven resisted only a moment before her hand crept around his neck as he deepened the kiss, holding her tight against his body. Dryden wanted her, desperately, but he was trying to satisfy his craving with just a taste. Her fingers curled in his hair and her thigh slid up over his hip. He rolled them so that she lay under him, her body open and responsive to his every touch.
It would be so easy to open the buttons on her pajama top and spread the material to expose the breasts he longed to see. His hips fit perfectly between her splayed legs, and had they been naked, he could have easily slid inside of her. He could feel the heat from her pussy even through the layers of their pajama pants. Her hands slid across his chest, down his arms and back up around his neck, as if she wanted to touch every inch of him.
His hand cupped her breast through the material of her top and he felt her nipple pucker against his palm. Haven moaned a little as she squirmed beneath him. He gazed into her passion-filled eyes. Her body might want him, but that didn’t mean he should take things further. The last thing he wanted was for her to have regrets. When he made love to her, he wanted to know that she wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her, that it meant something and wasn’t just convenient. Dryden already felt more for her than he had for anyone else.
“Make me yours,” she said. “I want you.”
“Will you be my mate?”
She hesitated, but it was telling enough. He wanted her, but he could control himself and give her pleasure without claiming her body as his. When his cock was inside of her, he wanted to know that it was forever. Meaningless sex had lost its appeal long ago, and he could never think of Haven the same as the previous women in his life. She was so much more than a meaningless one-night stand.
Dryden pulled away long enough to remove her pajamas and the pink panties underneath. He swallowed hard when her body was bared to him, tracing the slight swell of her belly with his hand. Knowing there was a baby growing inside of her left an ache inside of him. It might not be his child, but he wanted it to be. He wanted a family, and he wanted that family with Haven. She was everything he’d been searching for.
Settling between her splayed thighs, he marveled at her bare pussy. She was pink, and wet, and so damn sexy. He lapped at her silken flesh, her taste exploding on his tongue. Dryden shifted his hips to ease the ache of his cock pressing against the mattress. His shaft pulsed with need, and he wanted to sink into her tight channel until she was screaming his name.
He circled the bundle of nerves silently begging for his attention, making her gasp as she threw back her head and gripped the sheets tight. Her hips undulated, as if seeking something more. His tongue flicked out and gathered her cream before teasing her again. He gently gripped her clit between his teeth as he lashed it with his tongue. Haven’s body tightened, her thigh muscles clenching.
“Yes! Yes! Dryden!” she called out.
Her back bowed and her pussy gushed as she found her release. Dryden lapped up her cream before kissing his way up her body. She lay replete, blinking up at him as if in a daze. She’d come so hard it was a wonder she hadn’t passed out. Dryden stretched out on his side and pulled her into his arms.
“No one’s ever done that to me before,” she murmured against his chest.
“Made you come?”
He felt her smile against him. “Well, that or put their mouth down there. I liked it.”
He fought back a laugh. “I could tell.”
“Why didn’t you finish? Don’t you want me?”
“More than my next breath, but now isn’t the time.”
She studied him a moment. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? Because I didn’t agree to be your mate.”
“Haven, I’m not going to push you into something you don’t want or that you’re not ready to accept. You wanted time to get to know me, and I’m going to give it to you. I thought we could go on a date today. Starting with breakfast at one of those pancake house places.”
“So, you’re not saying never, just not right now?” she asked.
“I’m giving you what you wanted. I refuse to group you in with the past women in my life and have sex for the sake of sex. When I finally make love to you, it’s going to be because you’re mine and I’m yours.”
“What if it’s not what I need? What if what I want and what I need are two very different things?” she asked softly.
He smoothed her hair back from her face. “Haven, you’re beautiful and sweet, and I will give you anything you want and everything you need. But I think if we took things further right now, you would second-guess yourself later, maybe even regret what happened between us, and I don’t want that to happen.”
She reached up and traced his lower lip before kissing him.
“Go shower,” he said. “Then put on something warm and we’ll get something to eat.”
Haven got out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom. Her scent lingered in the room even after she shut the bathroom door. Dryden went to his own room before he was tempted to climb in with her. He showered quickly and pulled on a black tee and jeans. Using a towel to dry his hair, he then brushed it before cleaning his teeth. He’d noticed Haven liked his cologne, so he spritzed some on. Staring at his reflection, he wondered what she saw when she looked at him. He’d adopted some of the human practices since moving to Earth. He’d cut his hair, pierced his ear, and had even contemplated a tattoo. Was he too human? Was that why she resisted?
He didn’t think he’d assimilated too much. At heart, he was still a Zelthranite, or Terran as humans called his race. While he might not be warrior status, his job was important to his people. He kept their shuttles and aircraft running so their brides could be delivered, and their warriors could protect their planet. He stared at his hands, rough from the hours he spent working on engines, both human and alien. His touch hadn’t seemed to turn her off, even though others had complained in the past.
Dryden leaned his hands on the counter and stared hard at himself. He wasn’t as handsome as most from his world, but Haven had seemed pleased with his looks. He’d seen her pulse flutter when he’d first met her. He stayed in shape, even though he wasn’t bulky with muscle. No, he didn’t think his looks had anything to do with her resistance, and he’d treated her like a lady, so that couldn’t be it. Maybe she was just scared. She’d been abandoned with a baby in her belly, and that had to be scary, especially as young as she was.
He pushed away from the counter and went to see if she was ready yet. He found her standing uncertainly in the living room, looking small and lost. There was a hesitance in her eyes that hadn’t been there before and he blamed himself. Dryden moved closer and reached for her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, tears gathering in her eyes.
“Haven, you have nothing to be sorry for.”
“You’re offering me everything I ever wanted, and I’m too damn scared to take it. I’m too worried that I won’t be enough for you, that you’ll come to resent me for having a baby that isn’t yours.”
He dried the tears that slipped down her cheeks. “Haven, the child you carry is a gift, one that I would treasure every day for the rest of my life, just as I would you. Don’t you realize that I think you’re perfect just as you are?”
She sniffled a little and hugged him.
“We’re a pair,” he said with a smile. “Here I was worrying that I wasn’t enough for you, and you were worried you weren’t enough for me.”
“So, where does that leave us?”
“It leaves us with a day to enjoy together. And later tonight, we’ll see where things go. No expectations.”
“You’re so good to me.”
“Come on, beautiful. Let’s go get breakfast and then we’ll figure out what else we’re doing today.”
They gathered their coats and went down to his truck. On the drive to the restaurant, he noticed she smiled a lot, even if she didn’t say much. He wanted her to be happy. Maybe he should have told her that. Or maybe he’d seen one too many happily-ever-afters in the movies and he was too much of a sap. One woman had called him a hopeless romantic, and maybe he was. He hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with that.
At the restaurant, he requested a table by the window. Haven slid into the booth across from him and picked up her menu. He could hear her stomach rumbling from hunger and hoped they didn’t have to wait long to place their order. As if his thoughts conjured their waitress, she appeared, pad in hand.
“What can I get for you?” the woman asked.
“I’ll take the breakfast special with a side of pancakes,” Haven said. “And a glass of sweet tea.”
“Make it two,” Dryden said, folding his menu.
The woman scribbled down their order and disappeared.
“So, you mentioned you were in college before,” Dryden said. “Do you think you’ll go back?”
Haven and the Alien Mechanic Page 4