Free Alien Adoration by Jessica E. Subject Page A

captivated you back then, didn’t I?”
    So much for the vulnerable alien she’d seen earlier. He’d returned to the confident man women everywhere admired. How would she ever keep his attention?
    Setting down his duffle bag, he gripped her hand tighter. “Why don’t we take a seat, for old times’ sake?”
    She led him over, and he sat down first, guiding her onto his knee. “We don’t quite fit now, do we?”
    “No, but I like it just the same.” Several people had suggested she get rid of the chair, including Christine, but she could never bear to part with it, or the memory of the little alien boy. And now he’d come back to her, a grown and sexy man.
    Still unsure of his feelings for her, she leaned on his shoulder, seeking the same comfort she had gained when trying to escape her parents. He ran his hand down her arm, her own nerves lighting up with need. “You feel so good in my arms.”
    Yes, if only he had never left. They could have grown up together. Her childhood would have been so much different. Maybe she would have had more than one friend. For a moment, she held onto the hope of finally having everything she’d dreamed of. A good career. A man who cared for her, loved her. And she never wanted the feeling to end. He had to know about next week, and with any luck, he wouldn’t find someone else.
    “Um, Luke, starting next Monday, I’ll be out of town for training. I was wondering….”
    He gently squeezed her thigh. “Yes?”
    Lifting her head from his shoulder, she gazed into his mesmerizing eyes. “Would you check on my house while I’m gone?”
    “That’s it? That’s all you want?” With one eyebrow raised, he cupped her cheek. “What happens if I move away before you get back?”
    She drew in a deep breath. Please let him be joking. “I’ll only be gone for a week.”
    “Good, because I don’t think I could stand not seeing you spy on me from your bedroom window for more than that.” He caressed the side of her face. “And I couldn’t stand not kissing your for that long, either.”
    His lips brushed along hers before he devoured her. Gripping his shirt, she gave into her desire. With every touch, he made all of her worries disappear. The passion of his kisses filled her soul. He made her feel like no other man had, wanted. Though it didn’t matter. She only wanted him.
    A car door slammed behind them at the same time the buzzer on her oven went off.
    Gasping for breath, she pulled away.
    “I take that as our cue to go inside,” he said. “Sounds like dinner’s ready, and I don’t want to see who’s trolling through my own home.”
    She nodded, sliding off his lap. “Yes, might be a good idea before the food burns.”
    On their way inside, he grabbed his bag. “While we eat, I need to show you something.”
    Show me something? Apprehension twisted her gut. Sure, she trusted him, but why wait to tell her? She lifted dinner from the oven and served it onto plates, trying to calm her shaking hands. When she’d waltzed into his house, uninvited, she’d done so with more confidence.
    With a deep breath, she circled around, plates in hand, and set them on the table. On the corner, Luke had placed a cantaloupe-sized object resembling hundreds of tiny crystals formed together. A pale blue light emanated from inside, growing in intensity until it filled the entire kitchen. The same glow from his home.
    “It seems to like you,” he said, a wide grin plastered on his face.
    Like me? “But what is it?” Some kind of high-tech device she’d yet to hear about? Wouldn’t surprise her since she didn’t even own a cell phone. Never had any need. No one called her but Christine. And most of the time, her friend came over rather than call.
    Luke pushed back from the table and guided her onto his lap. “It’s my orb from home. That’s why I left you. My parents had kept it by my bed for as long as I can remember. I carried it with me the day I came to this planet. I thought