His lips quirked. “Celeste, I’ve seen more of you than I’ve seen of any other woman in months. I think we know each other well enough for me to offer some help when you obviously need it. Besides, I’ve told you that I’m interested in you, and by extension that means I want to get to know Sophie too.”
She sniffled again. “That doesn’t change the fact I have nothing here for her. And I still have to find a job in order for you to watch her while I work. I’m a mess, Zanar. How am I supposed to take care of her?”
“I know you have your pride and don’t like asking for help, but I’d like to buy the things Sophie needs. Before you say no, you should know that my parents also offered to help with the cost. We want what’s best for Sophie, and for you.”
Celeste wiped the tears from her eyes and stared at the floor for what felt like forever. Zanar began to question if he should have said anything. He didn’t want to upset her or make her feel like she couldn’t care for her daughter on her own. It had been a genuine heartfelt offer of help, but maybe he’d overstepped.
She looked up and a small smile formed on her lips. “It would be selfish of me to deny Sophie the things she needs because my pride got in the way. Sometimes, when we need help, it arrives in unexpected ways. I need to learn to accept help without feeling guilty about it. So, if you really want to buy the things Sophie needs, then I’ll let you.”
Zanar reached out and held her hand. “It’s not weak to accept help. It shows your strength. People won’t look at you with pity. They’ll see a strong woman who knew when she needed help and was gracious enough to accept it.”
“Just let me take a shower and get ready. You can stay up here and watch TV if you want. I’d hate for you to wait in the lobby with nothing to do.”
“Take as much time as you need. Sophie won’t arrive until later tonight, so we have plenty of time to purchase the items we need and get them set up.”
“How can she get here so fast? I was asleep for my journey to and from Vaaden, but I thought it was farther away.”
“Warp speed and worm holes.”
She squeezed his hand then let go and went into the bedroom. A moment later, he heard the shower running. Zanar turned on the television and found something to occupy his thoughts while Celeste got ready. The last thing he needed to do was get hard thinking about her in the shower. If she’d wanted him in there, she’d have offered. Now wasn’t the right time, and he knew that despite the fact his cock was more than interested in the sounds coming from the bathroom.
It took her almost an hour to finish getting ready, and by the time they were heading downstairs, both of their stomachs were growling. Loudly. He convinced her to stop for breakfast on the way, and he let her choose where they ate. It was a little amusing when she chose the local coffee shop and proceeded to guzzle four cups of coffee. She was practically vibrating in her seat by the time they left and headed to the Baby Depot.
Zanar was thankful he had a truck since they would need a bed for Sophie. He hoped the store would have one they could walk out with, and they wouldn’t have to place an order and have it delivered. He had no idea how any of this worked, but he was willing to learn, and it seemed he was going to get a crash course in Baby 101 before the day was over. He just hoped he’d have time to watch some videos about babies before he met Sophie.
“We’re going to probably need two shopping carts,” Celeste said. “Unless you think that’s too much?”
“Celeste, get whatever you need and don’t worry about the cost. Believe me, I can afford whatever you want to buy. And remember, I told you my parents wanted to help. I think they’re smitten with Sophie already.”
She stilled. “They won’t want to keep her, will they?”
He cursed himself for an idiot and took her hand, pulling her closer. “No, they won’t keep her. They think of Sophie as the granddaughter they never had. My mother would never keep a baby from its mother.”
“Okay.” She nodded and moved forward with determination.
Zanar watched as the first cart filled up with bath products, diapers, ointments, bottles, formula, and even more things he had to ask about. He wanted to learn everything he could. The bed fit into the second shopping cart, and he had to convince Celeste to spend a little extra and not get the base model, and get a quality mattress. Then they needed bedding.
“It’s amazing how much stuff one tiny baby needs.” He smiled. “I’m having fun, though.”
“Do you mind if we get some outfits and maybe a few toys?” she asked.
“You can buy all the clothes and toys you want. I want Sophie to be comfortable when she gets here. Anything you think she needs or might want we can buy today, and if you forget something, we can always come back.”
If any of the warriors on his planet had asked, he’d never have admitted that he enjoyed buying pink frilly outfits and tiny shoes. And he might have gone a little overboard on the toys. Once Celeste showed him where they were marked for certain ages, he went a little crazy throwing one of everything into the cart for Sophie’s age group. Celeste had to slow him down and remind him that in a few months she’d need more advanced toys. Except it only made him add more toys she could play with later.
By the time they checked out, Celeste was laughing at him and seemed to genuinely be enjoying herself. He had to admit it was the most fun he’d had in a long time when sex wasn’t involved. Zanar paid for the purchases, then loaded everything into his truck. When they reached the hotel, he asked for help from a bellhop to load everything onto two carts and have them delivered to Celeste’s room. Then he stopped by the front desk and asked for tools to be sent up so he could put the crib together. He’d never done something like it before, but he figured it couldn’t be too difficult.
An hour later, he’d said every curse word he knew and had contemplated driving the damn bed back to the store and asking for the model that was already put together. Celeste had offered her help several times, but he’d be damned if he was going to admit he had no clue what he was doing. Eventually, he got the bed together and tested it to make sure it was sturdy before adding the mattress.
It was a little after noon, and he convinced Celeste to take a lunch break.
“All of the bedding and clothes need to be washed before Sophie can use them. I didn’t even think of that! And we need to get baby safe detergent to clean them.” Celeste was wringing her hands. “We’ll never be ready in time for Sophie to get here.”
Zanar placed a calming hand on her. “Let me take care of it. Gather everything that needs to be cleaned and put them in sacks by the door.”
While she scurried to do as he’d said, Zanar called the front desk. He told them to procure some baby safe detergent, then pick up the sacks by Celeste’s door and have everything washed and returned before dinner. The woman on the other end of the call assured him it would be taken care of and not to worry.
“Now, can I convince you to come with me to get some lunch? You need to eat so you’ll have your strength and energy when Sophie gets here. If she hasn’t arrived by dinner, we’ll eat at the Terran station so we’re nearby when they get here.” Zanar held out his hand, and she melted against him.
“Thank you for everything,” she said before pressing her lips to his. “I don’t know what I would have done without you. Not only are you bringing my baby home to me, but you’ve helped me make this a safe and happy place for her to live while I figure things out.”
“I like taking care of you,” he admitted. “I know it’s important to you that you can take care of yourself, but thank you for letting me a part of this today.”
She hugged him tight and kissed him again.
Zanar released her before he did something stupid, like throw her over his shoulder and haul her into the bedroom. He’d love to strip her clothes from her delectable body and make love to her for hours. But as much as he wanted her, he knew that she needed more time. Despite the little tease in the limo yesterday, he knew she wa
sn’t ready to take things further, and even though he was anxious to claim her, he’d give her all the time she needed.
They went to a nearby sandwich shop for lunch, but once they’d finished eating, Zanar wasn’t sure what to do. There were hours to go before Sophie would arrive on Earth. Would it be presumptuous of him to remain with Celeste while they waited? Or did she want some time alone until dinner to process the fact her daughter was coming home? He knew how to woo a woman into bed, but dealing with an anxious single mom was new.
“I’m sure you have a lot to do,” Celeste said. “And you probably have to work tonight, but I was hoping you might stay with me. I don’t want to be alone while I wait for Sophie to come home, and I’d really like you to meet her.”
“One of the other bartenders is working tonight, so I have the day off. I can stay as long as you want me to.”
She smiled and relaxed a little. “Do you want to go back to my suite and watch some movies while we wait? I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed TV until the first time I turned it on. I don’t know how I survived five years without one.”
“We can do whatever you want. I know you’re anxious to hold your daughter again, and if watching TV makes the time pass quicker for you, then I’m all for it.”
Zanar stuffed a tip in the tip jar and then drove them back to the hotel. In the elevator on the way up, Celeste stood close enough he could smell her shampoo. It would have been so easy to reach out and take her hand, or wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer, but he refrained. Barely. In some ways, their relationship had gone much further than any he’d had before, and in others, they were still feeling each other out. He’d never felt so uncertain about anything in his life, and he didn’t like the feeling.
In her room, she kicked off her shoes and curled up on the couch, patting the cushion next to her. Zanar took a seat and relaxed as she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Is this okay?” she asked.
“More than.”
She selected a movie, and they watched in silence for about an hour before she started tracing patterns on his thigh and pressing a little closer to him. By the end of the movie, her lips were on his neck and her hand was burrowing under his shirt. Not that he was complaining, but he wasn’t certain how far she wanted to go, and the last thing he wanted to do was overstep and scare her off.
“Do you know how hard it is to have sex with a baby in the room?” she asked.
“Um, no. I can’t say that’s something I’ve ever experienced before.”
“It’s really hard. You have to wait until she’s asleep and then you have to be quiet, so you don’t wake her up.” Celeste threw a leg over him and straddled his lap. “This may be our last chance to be alone for a little while. Would you think badly of me if I wanted to make the most of it?”
He clenched his hands to keep from reaching for her.
“I wouldn’t think badly of you, but maybe we should stop for a minute.”
She leaned back. “Why? You want me, don’t you?”
“You know I do. I damn near died in the limo yesterday from wanting you so much. But I don’t want sex with you just for the sake of sex. Do you remember what I told you yesterday?”
“That you wouldn’t take me until I agreed to be claimed as your mate.” Her shoulders sagged a little.
“Is that what you’re offering?”
“I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. I want you, Zanar, and I like spending time with you, but after tonight Sophie has to come first, and she doesn’t even know you. What if the two of you don’t get along?”
“And that’s why I’m stopping you. I’ll watch as many movies as you want, take the two of you out to eat, go on any outing in the city you can think of. But I won’t have sex with you until you’re ready to be mine. I’ve done the casual sex thing, Celeste, and I want more than that with you. I respect you, and I won’t belittle what we could have together by… what’s that human saying? Scratching an itch?”
“I understand, and thank you.”
She crawled off his lap and settled on the couch again. He could practically feel her need, but he knew if they tempted fate again, if he made her come apart as she had in the limo, he wouldn’t be strong enough to walk away a second time.
Zanar reached over and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. He would support her, be there for her in any non-sexual way possible, but he had to remain strong. If he gave in, he knew he’d regret it. Even though they had known one another such a short amount of time, he already cared for Celeste and knew he was going to fall head over heels for her daughter. He just needed to be patient a little while longer, and hope that Celeste wouldn’t decide that she could handle everything without him.
Chapter Six
Celeste paced the Terran Station as she waited for Sophie. The shuttle had landed a half hour ago, but for some reason no one had disembarked. She chewed on the corner of her thumbnail as she wondered what was taking so long. Had something happened? Was Sophie all right? Zanar watched her, but made no move to stop her. Things weren’t exactly strained between them, but she knew that he was disappointed she wouldn’t agree to be his mate.
There was too much on her mind and too much going on in her life to add a male to it right now. She didn’t even have a home! Or a job. It would be oh so easy to agree to be his, let him take care of them, but that wasn’t who Celeste was. Before her abduction, she’d taken care of herself. And if given the opportunity, she’d have done the same thing on Vaaden. Even after Pynder was gone, she’d have made a life there somehow. It was time to get her ass in gear and figure things out, and as much as she loved spending time with Zanar, having him around wasn’t helping.
He’d been instrumental in getting her daughter back, and she truly wanted them to meet, but after that she’d have to push him away. At least for a day or two while she spent some quality time with Sophie and made a plan for her life. Who was going to hire a sex slave? There was always the option of becoming a stripper. She’d heard that kind of work paid well, and few questions were asked, but after everything she’d been through she would love a job where she got to keep her clothes on.
As she was trying to settle her chaotic thoughts, a Terran couple entered the station, and her precious Sophie was clutched in the woman’s arms. Celeste took off at a run and slid to a halt in front of them, tears gathering in her eyes. Her baby looked bigger than she remembered, even though she knew not enough time had passed for Sophie to have grown.
“My baby girl,” she said in a near whisper.
Sophie grinned and reached for her, babbling a string of nonsense.
Celeste reached for her baby, the warm soft skin settling her nerves like nothing else could. With Sophie clutched tightly in her embrace, she buried her nose in her baby’s hair and breathed her in. She smelled sweet, and oh so familiar. Her heart swelled with love, and she fought hard not to cry.
Zanar and his parents had moved off a little ways to talk, giving her time alone with her baby girl. She counted Sophie’s fingers and toes, then tickled her tummy to make her giggle. It seemed that Pynder’s parents had taken good care of her in the short time they’d had her. She didn’t care why they’d chosen not to keep Sophie, but she would be forever grateful to Zanar’s parents for bringing her home. She turned to face them.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I thought I would never see Sophie again.”
Zanar’s mother smiled. “It was our pleasure. She’s a very sweet little girl.”
Celeste moved a little closer. “Zanar, this is Sophie.”
He reached out a hand and stroked Sophie’s blonde curls. The baby grinned at him and grabbed for his finger. There was a flash of panic in his eyes, but he rubbed her little fingers and shook her hand. From their time in the baby store, she knew he’d never been around one before. The right thing to do would be to ask if he wanted to hold her, but Celeste wasn’t ready to give her up just yet.
“I’m sure you want to take her home,” Zanar said. “Any of the limos out front will take you to the hotel. I’m sure you want to spend some time with Sophie.”
“Thank you, for everything.”
He nodded and walked off with his parents. There had been a hint of sadness in his eyes, as if he knew that she was putting distance between them. Maybe he’d been right earlier about not having sex because that definitely would have complicated things. Celeste hurried outside and asked one of the limo drivers to take her to the hotel. When she got there, she carried Sophie up to her room and set her precious baby on the living room floor to play.
It didn’t take long for her to feel like something was missing. She’d spent most of her time on Vaaden alone, but since returning to Earth, she’d either had her mother or Zanar with her. Oh no! Her mother!
Celeste scrambled for the phone and rang her mother’s room. She was the worst daughter ever!
“Hello.” Her mother sounded tired, and Celeste wondered if maybe she should have waited until the morning.
“Mom, would you want to come to my room for a little bit?”
“Is everything all right? I would have thought you’d be spending time with that nice Zanar. The two of you really seem to hit it off.”
“I have someone I want you to meet.”
Her mother groaned. “Don’t tell me you already ran off Zanar and moved on to another man.”
“No, it’s a female I want you to meet.” Celeste bit her lip. “Mom, I want you to come meet your granddaughter. Sophie’s here.”
There was a squeal and what sounded like the phone hitting the floor before the line went dead. Celeste shook her head and went to open the door while she waited for her mother. It was only a few moments later that her mother stepped off the elevator and practically ran to her room.
“Where is she? Why didn’t you tell me she was coming? I could have taken you shopping, and I could have gone with you to pick her up.”
Celeste and the Alien Bartender (Intergalactic Brides 8) Page 7