Page 7 of The Alien's Runaway Bride

“You look like there’s something weighing on your mind.”

She gave a dry laugh. “Can I tell you a secret?”

He leaned in and gave a serious nod. “Yes.”

“I’m supposed to get married in a week to a guy I’ve never met.”

He raised his brows. “So is this you having a last taste of freedom?”

She shook her head, a frown marring her brow. “This is me putting it off as long as possible. It’s an arranged marriage. I’m supposed to marry some important…guy. Create some special link between my family and his.” She shrugged. “Basically, I have no choice. So meeting you tonight… it’s been... nice, talking to someone who gets it.”

Vex’s expression softened, and for a moment, Raelee glimpsed something vulnerable beneath his stoic exterior. “I know what you mean. It’s not often you meet someone who?—“

He broke off suddenly, his gaze sharpening as he looked over Raelee’s shoulder. Raelee tensed, the easy atmosphere evaporating in an instant.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice low and urgent.

“Don’t turn around,” Vex murmured, “but there are three men in suits who just walked in. They seem to be looking for someone.”

Raelee’s blood ran cold. She didn’t need to look to know who they were searching for. Her mind raced, calculating escape routes and potential distractions.

“I need to go,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Now.”

“Wait.” Vex studied her face for a long moment, then nodded. “I’ll help you. Follow my lead.”

They rose from the booth, moving with forced nonchalance. Raelee could feel the weight of the agents’ gazes sweeping the diner. She resisted the urge to look back, instead focusing on Vex’s broad back as he led the way toward the exit.

Suddenly, one of the agents turned, his focus locking onto Raelee. His eyes narrowed and he started moving toward them with purpose.

Panic surged through Raelee. Without thinking, she grabbed Vex’s arm, spinning him around to face her. “Kiss me,” she hissed urgently.

Confusion flickered in Vex’s eyes for a split second before understanding dawned. In one fluid motion, he pulled her close, one hand cupping her face while the other wrapped around her waist.

Their lips met, and Raelee’s world narrowed to a singularity. The kiss was electric, sending shockwaves through her body. It was meant to be a distraction, a way to hide her face, but the moment their lips touched, it became something else entirely.

Vex’s lips were surprisingly soft, contrasting with the firmness of his body pressed against hers. Raelee found herself melting into the kiss, her hands clutching at his shirt as if he were an anchor in a storm. The warmth of his breath, thesubtle scent of his skin—everything about him overwhelmed her senses.

For a moment, Raelee forgot about the agents, about her escape, about everything except the feel of Vex’s lips on hers and the safety of his arms around her. A small, traitorous part of her mind whispered that this felt right, felt like coming home.

The sound of footsteps passing close by snapped Raelee back to reality. She broke the kiss, her breath coming in short gasps as she peered over Vex’s shoulder.

FOUR

“Kiss me,” Raelee hissed urgently, desperation clear in her voice.

Time seemed to slow. The fluorescent lights of the diner buzzed overhead, casting a harsh glow on the woman. Raelee Arison—or “Emily,” as she’d introduced herself— had tension coiling through her body like a spring ready to release.

Vexor saw the panic in Raelee’s eyes, the way her breath caught in her throat. In that moment, all his carefully laid plans, all his thoughts of duty and alliance, faded away. There was only Raelee and an overwhelming need to protect her.

The short time they had been together, Vexor had found himself captivated by her.

The irony of the situation hadn’t been lost on him. Here was his intended bride, the very woman he’d crossed galaxies to marry, plotting her escape from a union she knew nothing about. The universe, it seemed, had a wicked sense of humor.

But what had struck Vexor most wasn’t the absurdity of the situation, but the undeniable pull he felt toward her—a magnetic attraction that caught him completely off guard. This wasn’t the demure political pawn he’d expected. This was a force of nature barely contained in human form.

Hearing her plea, Vexor didn’t hesitate. He reached out, cupping her face with one hand while the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. Their lips met, and Vexor’s world exploded into sensation.

Her lips were soft, a stark contrast to the fierce woman he’d come to know in the past hour. She tasted faintly of coffee and something sweet—maybe the pie she’d been eating earlier. But it was more than just the physical sensation that overwhelmed him. It was the electricity that sparked between them, the way his heart raced in a way it never had.

---