Free Sex, Love, and Aliens, Volume 1 by Beth D. Carter, Ashlynn Monroe, Imogene Nix, Jaye Shields Page B

on Gia’s face. The slow rhythm of her heartbeat sped up. Was he…was he proposing to her?
    “It’s okay. I think I know what you mean.”
    “No. I will do this right for you, Gia.” He closed his eyes, inhaled, and held it for a second before sighing. Then he opened his lids and pierced her with his violet gaze. “Marry me. Make me the happiest man in our galaxy. Be the woman I spend my life with.”
    Joy filled her, and she slid from the bed to kneel before him. Her hand shook as she raised it to his cheek and cupped it. “For all my days, Cedun. I can think of no one I’d rather walk beside and share my life with.” Then she leaned in and kissed him.
     

 
    About Imogene Nix
     
    Imogene is a mother of two, compulsive reader, and bookstore owner. She lives in regional Queensland, Australia with her husband, two daughters, dog, cats, guinea pigs, and chooks. She has a particular fondness for vampires, star ship captains, and things that go bump in the night (especially vampire types).
    Imogene has tried many varied roles in her working life including kindergarten assistant, teacher, principal, and kindergarten and child care director, but rates owning a bookstore and writing her own novels as the absolute highlight.
    In her mother and wife alter ego, she has traveled widely and lived in some very unique places including Far Western Queensland, Cape York, and even Tasmania. She loves to travel and rates China and Hong Kong among her favorite destinations.
     
    Imogene’s Website:
    www.imogenenix.com
    Reader eMail:
    [email protected]
     
     

 
    The Spaceship Captain’s Wife
    by Ashlynn Monroe
     
    Some treasures are the hardest to see.
    On a dying planet, treasure waits for an honorable man to claim it. Captain Ric Julius believes the cargo of gems is what he’s come for, but there is one jewel he never expected. Her name is Kateri, and she changes everything.
    Saving the woman’s life, and making a fortune in the process, requires only one thing of Ric—his freedom. In order to obtain the gems he has to agree to take Kateri to safety…and to make her his wife. Every man has a price, but is Ric willing to pay in full on a debt he owes to a dead man on a decomposing world?
     
    Content Warning: contains sensual sex scenes
     

 
    Dedication
     
    Beth D. Carter, thank you for being my biggest cheerleader and letting me bounce ideas off you. I appreciate that you’ve read my rawest work and still let me send you more.
     
    Acknowledgements
    Thank you Beth, Imogene, Jaye, Pam, and Tara—you all make me smile. I listed you alphabetically because you are all at the top of my list.
     

Chapter 1
     
    The dying planet held a terrible beauty as a kaleidoscope of colors blurred into a macabre vista. Aydric Julius gazed out the dusty window to avoid looking in the Daroo male’s eyes. Ric held himself stiffly as he sat across from the pensive exporter. This strange, foreign man had gone to a great deal of trouble to arrange this meeting to request his services.
    Outside, a red-orange haze obscured the peaks of the sacred mountaintop. A subtle humming drew Ric’s gaze upward to where the ventilation purifier ran. Condensation dripped down to create a puddle on the marble mosaic floor. Ric’s heart beat faster as the muscle responded to his growing anxiety over his fear of contamination from the poisoned world.
    Sitting in the cool, pristine room it was hard to remember the planet was dying. This culture created stubborn and devoutly religious people. Most of them were just waiting for the end, refusing sanctuary, and preparing to die. He shook his head over the massive waste of life. The citizens were already beyond hope now.
    If Daroo custom didn’t dictate these meetings take place with both men equally matched and dressed in the customary leather hoxha —tight to knee short pants—he’d still be in the multilayer protective suit.
    The shorter, pale male fidgeted nervously. He rubbed his hands on his