Even though he checked the craft area, he didn’t see the ornaments you could paint yourself, and he was disappointed. A woman behind the counter near fabrics smiled at him.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked.
“I was looking for the Christmas ornaments you can paint.”
She pursed her lips. “We haven’t carried those for the last two years, but if you stop at the craft shop over on Elm, you might find some there. They should have a good selection of paints too.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Better than anything you’d find here.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to check there.”
Raylic paid for his purchases then stopped by the craft store, selecting a wide range of ceramic ornaments for the tree, then grabbed a dozen paint colors and some brushes to go with them. By the time he pulled into the garage at home, he was near bursting with excitement over seeing Shane’s face when he pulled out the tree and ornaments.
He picked up the sack of books and went inside, looking for his… his what? He’d almost called them his family. Certainly that was what he wanted them to be, but he was giving Heidi all the space she needed. They would take things at her pace, however slow that might be. And if he had a case of blue balls in the meantime, well, that’s what his hand was for.
“Heidi?” he called out as he entered the kitchen.
She materialized a moment later, coming from the direction of the living room. “Did you get a tree?”
“I got a tree, ornaments, and some other stuff.” He handed her the sack of books. “These are for you.”
She set the bag on the kitchen table and pulled out the books, her smile growing with every title she read. “You bought so many. Thank you!”
“I wanted to make sure you had plenty to read. If you get Shane, I’ll bring in the tree and other things.”
Her gaze narrowed. “You didn’t buy more toys, did you?”
He smiled. “No. No more toys. Not until Christmas morning.”
Heidi shook her head and left to get Shane. Raylic went back to the SUV and pulled out the tree, and other bags, then took everything to the living room. Raylic didn’t think the boy would be able to put the tree together, so he began setting everything up before Shane came downstairs. He was just plugging it in when he heard an excited squeal and turned in time for Shane to launch himself into Raylic’s arms.
“It’s the best tree ever!” the boy said.
“Why don’t you and your mom go through the bags and check out the ornaments I bought. I even got some you can decorate yourselves.” Raylic smiled. “Why don’t you put the first ornament up?”
Shane and Heidi went through the sacks. He noticed tears in her eyes as she looked through the ceramic ones he’d picked up at the craft store. She set them aside and helped Shane hang the other ornaments on the tree, leaving the top for Raylic. He’d remembered Brielle and Syl had an angel topper on their tree and he’d found one that reminded him of Heidi. He placed it on top and then turned to see Heidi silently crying. While Shane studied the tree from every angle, Raylic wrapped his arms around Heidi and held her close.
“Are you all right?” he asked softly.
“I’m scared that if I blink all of this is going to go away and we’ll be back in that apartment, waiting on Brent to come home. It’s the most beautiful tree I’ve ever seen, and you’re the kindest man I’ve ever known. I’m worried I’m dreaming.”
He tipped up her chin and placed his lips against hers in a sweet, brief kiss. “You’re not dreaming, Heidi. You never have to go back to Brent or that apartment. And all of this,” he said with a sweeping gesture, “is yours for as long as you want it.”
She sniffled and nodded her head. His thumbs wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“I’m yours for as long as you want me,” he said softly. “I did all of this for you, and for Shane, because I want the two of you to have the best of everything. I don’t claim to be the best male for you, but I can assure you that I will never go a day without showing the two of you what you mean to me.”
She pulled away a little, and he wondered if he’d gone too far. They were still strangers for the most part, but he didn’t have to know them for years to decide that he wanted to be part of their lives. He already knew that Shane was an incredible kid, and Heidi was the sweetest woman he’d ever met. She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek before kissing him again.
“Thank you. For everything, but mostly for being you.” She smiled. “You make us feel safe, and that’s worth more than anything.”
Her cheeks warmed, and something like desire burned in her eyes.
“And do I only make you feel safe?” he asked.
The blush deepened. “No. You make me feel other things too. No one has ever made me feel this way before, Raylic, and it scares me a little.”
“I will never push you for more than you’re willing to give.”
Heidi nodded, and she cuddled with Raylic on the couch while Shane studied every angle of the tree, reaching out to touch the ornaments and lights as if he couldn’t quite believe the tree was real. Raylic found a Christmas movie for them to watch while Heidi popped some popcorn. The movie couldn’t hold Shane’s attention, and after he had stuffed himself, he asked if he could bring his toys downstairs to play by the tree.
Raylic smiled. “That’s fine. If you’d like, I’ll bring your train down tomorrow, and you can leave it in here until Christmas Eve. After that, it will need to go back upstairs to make room for your new toys.”
The little boy’s eyes lit up. “Toys? You mean Santa is really going to come this year?”
“He really is,” Raylic promised. He only hoped Heidi wouldn’t get upset when she saw everything he intended to buy for the boy. He already had his eye on a table at the toy store and a larger train set.
Shane scampered off to get his toys while Raylic and Heidi finished watching the movie. When it went off, she made them dinner. Raylic slid his hand around her waist as she stirred something on the stove.
“What did you make?” he asked.
“Pork chops and rice pilaf. I hope you don’t mind. I should have asked if you had something special planned for them.” She worried her bottom lip.
“It’s fine, Heidi. Make whatever you want. You can use anything in this kitchen, in the entire house, and I won’t be angry with you. I told you to make yourself at home, and I meant it. What’s mine is yours. You don’t need permission to do anything.”
She nodded, relief evident in her eyes.
“Heidi,” he said softly. “I’m not like your boyfriend. I’m not ever going to strike you, and I don’t plan to raise my voice to you. If you ever do something I don’t like, we’ll discuss it like rational adults. But for the record, I don’t see you making me cross. I want you to feel at home here, Heidi, not walking on eggshells hoping you won’t make someone angry.”
“I know, it’s just going to take me a little time. Brent is all I’ve known for five years.”
Raylic brushed a kiss against her lips. “And I’m going to do everything in my power to erase those bad memories and give you good ones.”
“You already are.” She hugged him. “Now, let me finish dinner, or I’ll burn everything. The pork chops should be ready. I hope you like the way I seasoned them. I used your Garlic and Herb mix, and some Worcestershire. They should be good and tender.”
“Sounds wonderful. I’ll get Shane and then set the table.”
He paused in the doorway, watching her another moment, a smile on his face. He’d long wanted a woman in his home, and now that Heidi was here, he didn’t want to let her go. She looked right moving about his house as if it were her own. With a little luck, he’d convince her that she belonged here with him, both Shane and her. He’d never seen himself as being a father to a human child, much less two of them, but he would embrace Heidi’s children as if they were his own.
Raylic went into the living room where Shane was quietly playing
. The little boy looked up, a huge smile on his face. Raylic motioned for him to get up.
“Time to eat dinner,” Raylic said. “Your mom fixed a nice meal for us. Go wash your hands and head to the kitchen.”
Shane shot up from the floor and raced down the hall to the downstairs bathroom. Raylic smiled and went back to the kitchen, washing his hands at the sink. Then he took down the plates and glasses to set the table. The kitchen smelled amazing, and he couldn’t wait to taste Heidi’s cooking. When they were seated, and everyone had a full plate, Raylic took the first bite, the seasonings she used exploded on his tongue.
“It’s really good,” he told her. “Where’d you learn to cook like this?”
“I took a few cooking classes at the library, but I seldom got to use anything I had learned. We didn’t really have money for expensive dinners. Hamburger Helper, frozen family meals, and macaroni were staples in our house,” she said. “Growing up, I used to watch my mom cook though.”
“You haven’t talked much about your family.”
She shrugged and glanced at Shane, who was too busy shoveling food into his mouth to pay attention to them. “They washed their hands of me when I told them I was pregnant. I told you earlier they died in a fire. They never did forgive me.”
“So, you were really young when you had him?” Raylic asked. “I never thought to ask how old you are.”
“I’m twenty-one, so don’t worry, I’m legal.” She smiled. “How old are you?”
“I’m thirty-two. Does our age difference bother you?” he asked.
“No. I mean, Brent was older than me by a few years, but I don’t think he ever really matured. You have a stable job, own your own home, and from the way you carry yourself, I’d say you command respect. Brent couldn’t claim even one of those things. He was still a child in a lot of ways, and I either ignored it or just resigned myself to my fate.”
“You don’t have to worry about him ever again,” Raylic said.
“He’ll eventually get out of jail. What if he blames me for his arrest and comes after me?”
“Then I will protect you, but I don’t think he’s getting out for a while. Something tells me he doesn’t have the means to make bail.”
She smiled a little. “No, I don’t think so. Not unless he was hiding money from me, which I guess is possible. He seemed to always have plenty for alcohol and never enough for things like food or rent.”
They finished their meal and Heidi went upstairs to bathe Shane and get him tucked into bed. Raylic stacked Shane’s toys neatly along the wall near the tree. For the first time since he’d bought the place, it actually felt like a home. And he knew it wasn’t because of the tree or the toys. It was because of Heidi and Shane. They made it feel like a home and made him long for a mate and children. He’d offered to claim her, and she’d promised to think about it, but the more time he spent with them, the more he wanted it to be forever, and not just for right now.
Heidi came back downstairs and stood in front of the tree. Raylic stepped up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. They stood there quietly, marveling at the beauty of the tree, content to stand close to one another. It was probably the closest he’d ever felt to someone before, and he knew that he never wanted to let her go.
“Being here with you, like this, feels more right than anything ever has in my life,” he said. “I said I’d give you time to think things over, but just know that if you were my mate, we would have many moments like this. My job can be time-consuming, but I would always put you first.”
“Raylic, I haven’t agreed to be your mate, not because I don’t want to, but because I think you can do better than me. I don’t want you to wake up one day and regret settling for me when you could have had someone else.”
He tightened his hold on her. “Better than you?”
She nodded slowly.
“Heidi, I’ve been on Earth for a while now, and I’ve gone on some dates during that time. Not once has anyone captured my attention the way you have. None of them made me want to hold them all night or wake up beside them the next day. I’ve never thought of being a daddy to a human child, but I will welcome both of your children into my family and treat them as my own. I already care about Shane and you, and I want you here with me, not just for right now, but forever.”
She relaxed against him and placed her hand over his. “I feel selfish accepting your proposal, but if you truly want us, if you’re sure, then I’ll be your mate. What exactly is involved in that?”
He smiled, kissing the top of her head, happier than he’d ever been before. “I need to speak to the council and ask permission for our mating. There’s no reason they would deny me since you’ve agreed to have at least one child with me. Once we have their blessing, they file some paperwork on their end, and we’re officially mates.”
“No ceremony or drawn out engagement?” she asked.
“Nothing like that. Although, if you wanted a ceremony, we could have one. I know on Earth you have weddings with rings and everything. Would you like a ring?”
She lifted her left hand and looked at it. “Maybe something simple. A plain gold band would suffice.”
“And if I wore one too, would it tell other human females that I’m no longer available?”
“It would, but some won’t care. I think some women like the challenge of trying to get a married man to cheat on his wife. I don’t understand it, but that’s just how it is. Most will respect the fact you’re taken.”
He nodded. “Then we’ll stop and get rings on the way back from speaking to the council. Would you like to go tomorrow? Or do you need more time to talk to Shane about it? Is he old enough to understand?”
“He’ll understand that we get to stay with you forever. He’s never experienced a wedding, but he’s seen them on TV. If we explain it like that, I think he’ll know what it means for me to be mated to you. If we’re going to live here, we’re going to have to redecorate one of the bedrooms and make it a nursery. I’m only a couple months along right now, but the baby will be here before we know it.”
“You can change anything you want in the house.”
“Does this…” She tipped her head back to look up at him. “Does this mean I move into your bedroom now?”
“Do you need more time for that aspect of our relationship?”
Her cheeks pinkened again. “No. I want you, Raylic. I keep telling myself that I shouldn’t, that it’s too soon, but I can’t deny that I go all soft and warm with the slightest touch from you.”
He smiled and turned her to face him. With his hands cupping her face, he lowered his head and kissed her, softly at first and then more demanding. His tongue dipped into her mouth as she opened to him. Her lips were soft and supple under his. Kissing Heidi would always be one of his favorite pastimes. The way she melted against him, gave herself freely, made him burn even hotter for her.
Without a word, he lifted her into his arms and carried her upstairs, pushing the master bedroom door open with his foot. He eased her down on the bed before shutting and locking the door. Prowling closer, he noticed that her eyes had darkened as she licked her lips and looked him over from head to toe. Raylic removed his black long-sleeve tee and kicked off his boots. Heidi stood and reached for him, her fingers skimming his chest and down his abs. He’d never thought much about how he looked, but she seemed pleased.
“Your body is a work of art,” she said as she reached for the button on his jeans. “I only hope you aren’t disappointed in mine.”
“You’re beautiful, Heidi.”
She smiled a little. “I have stretch marks from having Shane, and my boobs aren’t as perky as they were before breastfeeding him.”
He tipped her chin up and kissed her. “You’re perfect just the way you are. Do you think I’ll look down on you because of those things? They’re part of what makes you who you are. You carried your son and nurtured him. That’s a miracle, and something
to be cherished.”
She lifted her sweater over her head and let it fall to the floor. Her bra cupped her breasts, lifting them in an enticing manner. She removed her socks and shoes, then shimmied out of her jeans. He saw the faint white lines on her abdomen where her body had cradled Shane as he grew inside of her. He traced them tenderly, then knelt at her feet to press kisses to them.
“Every part of you is perfect,” he said. “Never think otherwise.”
Heidi’s eyes turned glassy with unshed tears as he tenderly removed the rest of her clothes, before discarding his own. He pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. She felt amazing pressed against him. His hand skimmed her curves before palming her ass and giving it a squeeze. He’d meant what he said. She was perfect in every way. Raylic toppled her to the bed, smiling as he watched her breasts bounce.
“Before we go any further, you’re sure this is what you want?” he asked.
“I’m sure. More certain than I’ve ever been of anything before. I want you, Raylic. I want you to make me yours.”
His fingers skimmed up her leg to the juncture of her thighs, brushing over her damp curls. Even if she hadn’t told him she wanted him, the evidence was clear. She flushed a pretty pink as he explored her body. His lips traveled the curve of her hip, across her ribs, and closed over a rosy peak, drawing her nipple into his mouth.
“Feels so good,” she murmured.
He lavished the other side with just as much attention before settling over her body. He wanted to spend hours worshiping her body, but he ached to be with her. His cock had never been this hard before, and he worried he’d embarrass himself if he didn’t get inside of her soon. Her thighs spread wider as her calves hooked over his legs. Heidi opened herself to him, welcoming him in, and Raylic sank into her one inch at a time.
“You’re so tight,” he said, straining to hold himself back and not hurt her.
Heidi bit her lip. “I think it’s more that you’re huge.”
Heidi and the Alien Cop Page 5