by Sue Mercury
Boss Alien
(Reestrian Mates, Book 4)
by Sue Mercury
Copyright 2015 by Sue Mercury
All rights reserved
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Sue Mercury. All names, brands, characters, and settings, etc. are purely from the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real people, real brands, and real locations is a coincidence. Contact: [email protected]
About this book:
Gina travels to Rahatha, the first Human-Reestrian settlement on Earth, hoping to land a new job and get a fresh start. The problem? The ad for an office job she answers specifically advertises for a hardworking male, and it takes a lot of convincing to get the huge, dangerously sexy, Mr. Jax, to hire her, on account of her having breasts. The other problem? Jax is the only unmated Reestrian in Rahatha, and he begins experiencing his mating urge during her first day on the job.
Jax starts up his hovercraft business in Rahatha, knowing his mating urge will strike him at any hour, and knowing he’ll probably have to venture outside of the enclosed city to find a willing mate. But then in walks Gina, with her delicious curves and soulful, dark brown eyes. She ignites his passion and makes his blood burn hotter than the sun of his home planet. Even before the urge to mate comes upon him, he decides he wants her and no other woman. He sets out to court her human-style, but somehow can’t get that right. She keeps turning him down, even though she’s always squirming and flushing in his presence. If only human females weren’t so complicated…
Excerpt:
Jax tried to concentrate on the circular display screen below him, but all he could think about was the fact that Gina was unclaimed. He inhaled her scent from across the room, drawing in a long, deep breath, and puzzled at not detecting the slightest scent of another male. She possessed an exquisite beauty, her pale complexion offset by her dark eyes and even darker hair. She was shorter than him, as all humans were, but she wasn’t so petite that she wouldn’t be able to handle the rigors of his mating.
But she wasn’t Reestrian, and she probably wouldn’t just offer herself to him because it was his biological time to mate. She was a human, a rather headstrong one from what he’d seen so far, and she would need all the pomp that came with human courtship. Lunch and dinner dates, flowers, and thoughtful gifts. He would have to take her to the movies too. Klemm had explained human dating behavior several days ago while urging him to seek out a human female in a town outside Rahatha.
Heat pummeled through him and his cock strained against his pants. He clutched the sides of the display screen as a wave of dizziness assaulted him. He blinked hard several times in order to clear away the stars dotting his vision. Taking deep breaths, he waited for the dizzy spell to pass, while his eyes went wide with realization.
The human female known as Gina had accelerated the onset of his mating urge. It was the only logical explanation for the sudden change in his physical state. Before her arrival, he hadn’t felt his blood heating or his pulse accelerating so abnormally.
He wiped the perspiration from his brow and strode to her side, using his foot to turn around her swivel chair and force her to face him.
“Hey, Mr. Jax, what do you think…” Her words trailed off and she stared up at him, her gorgeous dark eyes widening.
“You will go to lunch with me, Gina, and then I will buy you flowers on the way back to work.”
“Excuse me?”
“Then tonight I will take you to dinner and a movie. There’s a theater on the other side of the city, and I’ll make sure we get the best seats. I will hold your hand during the movie.” When she gaped at him in silence, he backed away a few steps, not trusting himself to keep his hands off her. He didn’t want to scare her by moving too fast, something Alice had warned him about. “I will walk you home after the movie and then kiss you thoroughly.”
Chapter One
Jax scowled at the couple walking ahead of him through the maze of vendors. The Reestrian male had an arm circled around his human female mate, and every now and then he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek and squeeze her tighter. Annoyance simmered hot under Jax’s skin, and he glanced away.
You’re a jealous fool.
Shaking the unwanted thought away, he entered a side street and hastened his steps, needing to escape the happy couple. The entire Human-Reestrian settlement was full of such blissful pairings, and their constant joyfulness put him in a perpetual foul mood.
Jax was the only unmated Reestrian in the newly constructed settlement, a huge city named Rahatha, which had been built as a haven for human and Reestrian couples to live and raise families together. Many of the humans in such pairs worked outside the settlement and needed a quick way to get to and from their jobs each day, so Jax had brought a huge fleet of his hovercrafts to Earth to service the Rahatha inhabitants.
His chosen mate, Tias, was supposed come with him, but she hadn’t wished to leave Reestria. Two days before his scheduled departure for Earth, she’d visited a mountainside town outside of Galattak Clan and offered herself to a male experiencing his mating urge, thus breaking the mating contract she’d had with Jax.
The shock of her betrayal waved through him, causing his hands to shake each time he thought of her. Tias had been a childhood friend and the daughter of his late father’s most loyal friend. Though she’d expressed her reluctance about relocating to Earth, Jax hadn’t worried she’d choose to mate with another and break their contract, yet she had done the unthinkable. Angered, and publicly shamed, he’d left Reestria alone, unsure of what he would do when his mating urge finally came upon him.
Any day now his blood might heat and his biological urge to mate for life would throw his world into a spin. With all the females in Rahatha already taken, his only option would be to look outside the settlement.
A human. He’d have to find a human female to bond with.
Problem was, he didn’t know any humans outside Rahatha.
He exited the side street and headed for his business, a tall dome-shaped building that contained hundreds of hovercrafts. The roof opened to allow the ships to fly out. Business was good and most of the crafts were used every day, many of them traveling as far as Florida on a daily basis. Jax hoped eventually humans would be open enough to the idea of living side by side with Reestrians, but until that day came, settlements like Rahatha were necessary. A second such city was being constructed in Texas, and plans for a third city in Maine were being discussed.
Jax nodded at a few of his pilots as they passed him outside the dome. The sun glowed pink on the horizon, signaling the end of another business day. He strode into the hangar and looked at the checkin screens. Only one craft was still deployed, and as he gazed up at the dimming sky a bright light descended. The last hovercraft landed in a space nearby, and Jax started walking to his office, but paused when he noticed three bodies disembark from the ship.
The Reestrian pilot, Dimal, a regular human customer named Alice, and a third human female he’d never glimpsed before who was carrying a small suitcase. The two human women chattered and laughed as they approached Jax, while the pilot hurried from the building, probably anxious to return home to his mate.
“Good evening, Jax.” Alice grinned and pulled her companion forward. “I would like you to meet Gina, my very best friend in the whole wide world.”
Despite his bad mood, Jax managed a smile and offered his hand to Gina. She put down her suitcase a
nd reached forward, and the moment his eyes collided with hers, his heart skipped a beat and his breath became ragged. He grasped her tiny hand and electricity shot through him. Her dark brown eyes twinkled with pleasure and he immediately liked her. “I’m pleased to meet you, Gina.”
“The pleasure’s all mine, Mr. Jax. Alice has told me a lot about you.”
“Is that so?” He didn’t look away from Gina and held her hand long past the point of decorum for both their cultures. When a blush crept across the pretty brunette’s freckled cheeks, he finally released her hand. Inhaling a deep breath, he thrilled at not detecting the scent of another male on her.
Gina was unclaimed.
His cock stirred to life and he shifted his stance, hoping neither female noticed his sudden predicament. Gina was the loveliest woman he’d ever seen. He peered down at her, thinking her head would rest perfectly over his heart if he surrounded her in his embrace. Her dark brown hair fell just past her shoulders, and he longed to tangle his fingers through her locks and inhale her intoxicating scent over and over again. He also ached to lick the soft spot beneath her ear while whispering about the scandalous things he wanted to do to her.
“Oh yes,” Alice said with a laugh. “I’ve warned Gina about how grumpy you are. But I insisted she would like you once she got to know you.”
Jax suspected he was being set up, but he didn’t quite care. It was common knowledge among the inhabitants of Rahatha that he needed to find a mate soon. With his final growth spurt long completed, his mating urge might strike at any hour. “She’s lying, of course,” Jax said, his palm tingling from the handshake. He wished it was customary for humans to shake hands several times during a conversation, just for the excuse to touch her again. “I’m never grumpy.” Liar. The pilots leave the dome seconds after landing just to avoid you.
“Jax is a serious hard ass, Gina, but I’m sure he’ll be ten times better than your previous boss.”
Understanding dawned as he looked from Alice to Gina. “She’s here for the job I posted?” Almighty One, he’d never thought a human female might respond to his ad. He had specifically asked for a strong male capable of working in a high stress environment. “I’m afraid you don’t meet the requirements of my ad,” Jax said.
Gina drew herself up tall and put her hands on her hips. “There are laws protecting woman against sex discrimination in the work force, sir. You can’t not hire me just because I have breasts.”
At the mention of this particular part of her body, Jax’s gaze dropped to her chest, and his mouth watered at the slight display of cleavage revealed by her snug pink shirt.
“Hey,” Gina said sternly. “Eyes up here, mister.”
Alice laughed, clearly enjoying herself. Jax couldn’t believe the human female, who happened to be mated to his friend, Klemm, had taken it upon herself to bring a woman to his dome for a job interview.
Reluctantly, he tore his eyes from Gina’s enticing, rounded breasts. The word sorry rested on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed hard and tried to pretend he hadn’t just been ogling her, his gaze dancing all around the dome before he once again met her soulful dark eyes.
“I’ve been an administrative assistant for the past six years and I assure you I’m more than capable of handling the job. I also have experience in accounting and payroll. Alice says you’re having difficulty handling the paperwork aspects of your business and following American business practices. I’m certain I can help you, and I’m very interested in this job, sir.” Gina tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear and peered up at him, her demeanor proud and confident.
“I’m sure you could handle the job just fine, Gina, and it really was nice meeting you, however, you’re…a female.”
“Told you he was sexist,” Alice said. “And grumpy.”
“I am not sexist or grumpy.” Jax stepped back and crossed his arms. “This is a high stress job that requires eight to ten hours a day. Females belong at home under the protection of their family, not working long, difficult hours.” He thought of the human females who worked outside the settlement, such as Alice, and frowned. Their mates allowed them to hold outside jobs, and he hoped Alice and Gina didn’t use this as an example to counter his argument. On Reestria, males took care of their mates, and families certainly protected their daughters.
“How about you give me a chance to prove you wrong, Mr. Jax?” Gina tilted her head to the side and gave him a challenging look he found downright adorable.
~ ~ *
Holy hell, Jax was hot. Scorching, panty-wetting, oh-my-lawd in heaven (to quote her Aunt May) hot. Gina had never felt such an instant attraction to any man, or alien, before, and she had to remind herself she wasn’t here to play around. She really needed this job, and she also wanted to be closer to Alice, who was more like family to her than her biological one. Of course, it didn’t help that Jax’s pants were oh so perfectly tight and especially snug around the crotch area, or that his shirt sleeves were rolled up to reveal his powerful, muscular forearms.
The last time she’d gotten romantically involved with someone at work, she’d regretted it immensely. She couldn’t make that mistake again, and besides, Jax probably had a mate. She didn’t know much about Reestrians, but she thought he looked old enough to have already experienced his mating urge. Which made him a total pig for having stared at her breasts.
She glared at him, awaiting his response. If he didn’t give her a chance, she was going to end up crawling back to her hometown and hope her parents let her crash in her old bedroom. Unfortunately, her former boss, Mr. Grabby Hands, was making it difficult for her to find work. Without a good reference and only the one job under her belt since high school, she was having a hell of time finding a job that didn’t include asking “would you like fries with that?”
She realized she probably should’ve had a backup plan before storming out of Mr. Grabby Hands’ office after telling him off and quitting, and maybe working for a leering pig like Jax, however sexy he might be, was a mistake too, but with less than three hundred bucks left in her checking account, she had grown desperate. Maybe she could work for Jax and endure his salacious glances just until she found another job.
“Come on, Jax, it’s getting dark and Klemm is expecting us home soon. I give you my word hiring Gina will be the best decision you ever made. She’s smart as a whip, hardworking, and prompt. Crazy girl gets up before six in the morning each day, so you won’t have to worry about her being late for work.”
Gina gave Alice an appreciative smile. Her childhood friend’s support meant the world. She still couldn’t believe Alice had mated with a Reestrian, and she was still trying to get all the details about it out of her. Tonight definitely called for margaritas and girl talk. Hopefully tonight would also call for the celebration of her landing a new job.
She held her breath, still waiting on Jax to say something, anything. She hoped his silence boded well for her and meant he was actually considering offering her the job.
The desire to prove him wrong rose up within her. She couldn’t believe a race so advanced to travel millions of light years through space in the blink of an eye could be so…backwards.
“All right,” Jax finally said, a deep frown darkening his features. “You start tomorrow. I’ll give you a chance, a thirty day trial period.”
“Thank you, sir. I promise you won’t be disappointed.” Gina beamed inside, but she forced herself to don a polite smile rather than a ridiculous grin. She would jump up and down for joy later, once she was alone with Alice.
“Eight in the morning. Don’t be late.” He turned and headed for his office without another word. Once he closed the door behind him, Gina looked at Alice and grinned.
“What did I tell you, Gina-bo-beana? I got you the job. Now you totally owe me.” Alice giggled and grabbed her suitcase before Gina could snatch it up. They hurried outside into the street.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll make you a strawberry cheesecake.”
>
“With extra strawberries.”
“With extra strawberries,” Gina agreed. “Seriously, Alice, I can’t thank you enough.”
“Oh, it’s no bother. I’m thrilled to have my bestie in Rahatha. Oh, and since you’ve got a full day of work tomorrow, I can stop by your place and get more of your things. Your job comes with an apartment too, so we’ll stop by Housing tomorrow after Mr. Bossy Pants lets you go and get your living assignment. This is gonna be great! I’m so happy to have you here!” Alice wrapped one arm around Gina and squeezed her tight.
As they walked the streets of Rahatha, Gina gawked at her new surroundings and couldn’t wait to get a better look at the Human-Reestrian settlement in the light of day. Dim orbs dotted the sides of businesses, houses, and apartment buildings. The darker the sky became, the brighter the orbs glowed. Many of them were arranged in elegant patterns, lending an artistic flare to the already impressive structures. She was also awed by how much plant life was thriving in this busy city.
Tall, flowering trees lined each street, as well as many other types of colorful bushes. Alien plant life, of course. She’d never seen anything so beautiful, not even in a National Geographic magazine. Some of the flowers planted against the buildings were taller than her, and even though she was still on Earth, in Oregon as a matter of fact, she felt as if she was walking on an alien world. The air felt warm against her skin, and she supposed it was the weather control system she’d heard about on the news. No way was it normally this warm in Oregon during late November.
“So whaddaya think, bestie?”
“Alice, this place is amazing. I mean, wow. I’m not usually a city girl, but I could definitely get used to living here.” Gina noticed most of the Reestrians walking to and fro weren’t walking alone. Everywhere she glanced she spotted couples holding hands and acting all lovey dovey. She sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Alice eyed her with concern.
“Oh nothing. I guess I didn’t realize how lonely I’d feel being the only single person in Rahatha. Everybody here looks so happy, and I’m so pathetically single. I hope there’s a 7-11 around here because I suddenly feel like eating a gallon of chocolate ice cream.”