Free Cosmic Love (Stargazers Book 1) by Thalia Frost

Stargazers 1:
     
    Cosmic Love
     
    by Thalia Frost
     
    All rights reserved. Copyright 2015.
     
     
    Cover Art by Melody Simmons
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
                 
                  Gina looked up at the blazing sun in a bland New Mexico sky. “It's going to be a scorcher here.” She pulled up to a security gate, her palms sweating—not just from the heat.
                  “Hello, Miss. We need to see some ID before you can get in to the facility.” The young man didn't crack a smile.
                  “Sure. I'm new here, but these are the clearance papers they gave me.” She cleared her throat, making a mess of the stack of documents as she fished them out and passed them through the open car window.
    The serious man scanned each document, taking his time. Sweat beaded on the steering wheel where Gina gripped it too tightly. “Alright, Dr. Forester. Everything looks fine. You'll be heading in to Building A where you will meet Dr. Crosset and the team.”
    “Thank you.”
    Now the real fun begins.
    The facilities struck awe into Gina's soul. The labs sprawled out over the desert, and the observatory rose up like a rounded beacon in the hazy, blue sky.
    The view was almost enough to make her forget John.
    “Ugh,” she whispered, fighting visions of his smiling face.
    Why am I doing this? It had better be worth it—this fresh start I'm hoping for and the making of my career.
    For this top secret position as a physicist working for the U. S. government, she had given up the only man she had ever loved. The life of a female physicist in research was anything but cocktails and romance, but John Rawlings had been fine with that—as long as she came home to him after the long nights at the lab while she had been working on her doctoral thesis.
    But moving here had been too much.
    “The desert? Thousands of miles away? I'm sorry, babe, but I just started at the university. I thought we were going to make a life here.”
    She would never forget the shock and sadness on his face. When Gina had suggested a long distance relationship, John hadn't even considered it. “I won't do well with that. I have to have you...someone...nearby.”
    And those words had sealed it.
    Sayonara, baby. I'm not just someone.
    He'd moved out of her place the next day after living there for three years. Gina had found herself single again at 32.
    Gina parked in front of Building A and check her makeup. Not that anyone would notice, but it never hurt to try. She got out of the car and smoothed her skirt.
    Here goes nothing.
     
    * * * *
    The older lady working at the reception desk gave her a warm smile. “You must be Dr. Forester!”
    I'm glad she's delighted to see me.
    “I am.”
    “This way, please. Dr. Crossett has an hour blocked out in his schedule to show you around and let you meet the team.” The woman pushed a button. “Dr. Forester is here to see you, Dr.”
    “Great. Send her back and bring a tray for us, please.”
    “Certainly, Dr. Crossett.”
    He sounds young.
    Gina licked her lips, hoping her hair didn't look too wilted. As if most physicists cared.
    Gina had found men in her profession to be less than appreciative of women in the lab, let alone notice attractive women. They were too busy with particles and the wonders of the universe to be too interested. She had never even dated another physicist. John was a professor of English.
    Forget about him.
    The thought flew out of her head when Ellen—as her button read—opened Dr. Ford Crossett's door.
    Oh. My. God.
    Dr. Crossett wore a crisp white lab coat. Straight, long blonde hair spilled down his cheeks, and eyes as green as a four leaf clover fastened on her.
    What a hunk. Do they all look like this here?
    “Hello, Dr. Forester. I'm Ford Crossett. Please, have a seat.”
    Gina melted into the chair in the plush office. Shiny plaques hung on the wall behind the hunky physicist.
    “Thank you. It's nice to meet