Free Irresistible: A SciFi Alien Mail Order Bride Romance (TerraMates Book 9) by Lisa Lace Page A

told me I was stupid. I couldn’t help it. Whenever I found myself around people smarter than me, I felt like an idiot. I tried to focus on what Emmy was saying, but I had a terrible feeling in my gut.
    At the same time, I fixated on her soft, pink lips. Perhaps if I kissed her, she’d stop talking about Higgs boson particles and bringing up my old issues. But I couldn’t kiss her because I wasn’t going to get involved with her.
    What kind of guy couldn’t handle having a woman who was smarter than him? A pathetic one.

    * * *
    E MMY
    I tried to ignore how close Ven was to my body. I knew I owed him an explanation. I couldn’t sum up everything in three sentences. He was getting annoyed with my vague statements. I had to start at the beginning, or the motivations of the people involved would be confusing.
    His arm was touching me, and I could feel warmth and tingles at the point of contact. When I was this close to him, I couldn’t deny the attraction. In fact, I could hardly focus on my story. Energy rose in my torso and spread out, making me feel giddy. I forced myself to concentrate on how I had ended up here.
    “Everything started when I was still a little girl. My mentor and teacher, Morley, began searching for Zelia's ladle. He had been searching for it for about twenty-two years when I met him. I was a graduate student in archeology at the top of my class.”
    Ven wrinkled his nose. I realized I probably didn't need to add the part about being the best.
    “He hired me to work with him when I finished school. I started as an assistant and worked my way up.”
    “Because you both became obsessed with a utensil?”
    I scowled. “We weren’t obsessed,” I said, objecting to a word that implied I was nuts. “We were enthusiastic.”
    He stared at me.
    “Persistent?”
    No response.
    “Okay, driven. But not obsessed.”
    “You sound like treasure hunters to me.”
    I pressed my lips together. That was the most insulting thing he could have said to me. I didn’t like to be called a treasure hunter. It made me feel gauche. Treasure hunters were classless money-grubbing jerks. I thought of myself as a sophisticated archeologist. With a single comment, Ven had implied that Morley’s work was an obsession, and my assistance said the same thing about me.
    I resolved to control my temper.
    “Morley pieced together many clues about the ladle. He worked on it between paying projects until he had enough information to start an expedition. We were close. We narrowed it down to a single planet and thought a mountain concealed it. I got sick and had to go back to Earth. Morley continued without me.”
    I glanced up at him quickly. Did he think I was a coward? I wondered if he had anything to say but he only lifted his chin, indicating for me to continue.
    “Once I had recovered enough to speak again, we talked every day. We discussed his progress and tried to decipher the riddle of Zelia's ladle. One day was different.”
    I didn’t think about Morley's death often, but whenever I did, I choked up. I tried to pull myself together. I knew Morley wouldn’t want me crying over him. I couldn’t help it. I missed him so much.
    “He was a father figure to me. I never knew my dad.” I didn’t know why I needed to explain my emotions, but I couldn’t stop talking. Ven patiently waited as I wiped my eyes.
    “He called me one day with a cryptic message and then the men who were chasing him...” The tears were falling again. “They caused a cave-in somehow and killed him. I never heard from Morley again. Morley died, and all his knowledge vanished.”
    I sat silently, absorbed in my memories and thinking about my loss. I wasn’t the only one affected. Morley’s death hurt the archeological community as well.
    “Everything wasn’t lost. You’re still here. Part of Morley lives through you.”
    I stared at the floor. “That’s right.” I lifted my eyes again. “The last transmission he sent me held a key to