Victoria and the Alien Doctor (Intergalactic Brides 2) Read Free Page B

belongings outside. Victoria held up her key. “I need to return this to the manager and let them know I’m not staying.”
    “I’ll have someone take care of it for you tomorrow. Tonight, we’re going home and getting Evie settled. Then tomorrow starts your new life.”
    She shook her head. “We can’t get used to a new life until the blood work comes back, and you determine whether or not I’m allowed to be a mate. I don’t want to give her false hope that things are changing if they’re only going to remain the same. I just ask that you let us remain with you long enough for me to find a place to live and another job.”
    Xonos smiled. “Have a little faith, Victoria. Things will work out the way they’re supposed to. If we’re destined to be a family, then that’s what will happen.”
    She nodded. Ned returned and took the other bag. They followed him down, Victoria pausing only long enough to lock the apartment. She handed the key to Xonos and they walked out to the limo that waited for them. Victoria had never ridden in one before and wasn’t sure what to expect. There was enough space for Evie to stretch out and lay her head on Victoria’s lap, while Xonos sat on her other side. She found his presence comforting and hoped for the best.
    When they arrived at the hotel, he took Evie from her and led the way to his suite on the top floor. The view outside his living room window was breathtaking, unlike anything Victoria had seen before. She followed him into the second bedroom, where he gently tucked Evie into bed. The bed would be plenty big enough for her, but she didn’t dare sleep with her daughter for fear of hurting her if she accidentally bumped Evie’s leg or arms. It wouldn’t take much to fracture a bone and Victoria was a restless sleeper.
    “I’ll have Ned bring your things up,” he said as they backed out of the room.
    “I’ll take the couch,” Victoria said.
    Xonos frowned. “Why the couch?”
    “If I sleep with Evie, I might hurt her. I’ve slept in worse places than your couch. It won’t be a hardship. I bet it’s more comfortable than any of the beds I’ve slept in before.”
    “You’ll be sharing a bed with me soon enough. You might as well sleep there. I promise to keep my hands to myself, if it will ease your mind. I’ll not expect anything of you.”
    “Until we’re mated?” Her heart fluttered in her chest at the thought of sharing a bed with him, whether sex was involved or not. What would it be like to wake up in those muscular arms?
    He nodded. “Even then, I don’t expect you to just jump right in. I know we need to get to know one another before things progress between us. I’m willing to give you the time you need, as long as I have your assurance that we will be intimate at some point in the future.”
    “Thank you,” she said softly. Please don’t embarrass yourself and try to cuddle him in the middle of the night .
    Ned returned a few minutes later with their belongings and Xonos carried Evie’s to her room and Victoria’s to his, leaving the box in the living room. She reached inside and pulled out the few pictures she had of Evie and her and placed them around the room, putting one in her daughter’s room on the dresser. She wanted Evie to feel at home when she woke in a strange place.
    The rooms were spacious, with furnishings nicer than anything she’d seen before, except for in shop windows when she’d gone uptown. When everything was put away, and Evie’s clothes had been placed in the dresser, she returned to the living room where Xonos was staring out the window.
    “You should get some rest,” he said. “We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Evie can come with you to the clinic in the morning and we’ll take your blood. I’ll need several vials; the tests are extensive. You’ll also need a wellness exam, but if you’d prefer, I can ask my assistant to handle it. I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”
    She felt her