Page 27 of Alien Protector's Mate

Stepping into the room, he beat down his panic and looked around. Jay had no possessions to speak of, but there were signs he’d been here. The door to the washroom was open from this room, and he could see dental cleaning equipment had been used. He turned and his eyes narrowed as he realized thebedding had been removed from the sleeping platform. He’d missed it on his first glance into the room. He frowned. That was a lot of bedding, so unless Jay was running around wrapped in it, he was still here.

Somewhere.

But the last place S’aad expected to find him was in the closet.

The little human was hidden behind a large trunk, curled up at the very back of the closet in a makeshift nest of blankets.

S’aad’s heart clenched as he crouched there, looking down at the human. Even in sleep, Jay’s face was pinched with tension, his body coiled as if ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

Understanding dawned, and S’aad sighed softly, wanting nothing more than to reach out and stroke away a strand of pale hair that had fallen over Jay’s face from under the cap he still wore. This wasn’t the behavior of someone who was a potential threat but of someone who had learned to protect themselves, even in sleep. The closet, small and enclosed as it was, had obviously offered a sense of security to Jay that the bed in the middle of the room couldn’t.

Keeping his movements silent, S’aad retreated from the closet, leaving Jay to his sanctuary, and headed for his own room to get ready for sleep. It had been a long day, and he had another one ahead of him tomorrow. Using the facilities, he stripped off and slid into bed. Even though he knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t resist the temptation to check his personal comms again before sleeping. But like every other night, there was no match notification for him.

Disappointment filled him, but strangely not as keenly as it had on previous nights. He must be more exhausted than he’d thought. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep, his last thoughts of the odd human hiding in the closet.

A jaunty tunewoke Jade up, the melody reaching her through the crack in the door in front of her. She blinked, her brain fuzzy and disoriented from sleep as she looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. It must be the middle of the night. Her “room” on the balcony outside the Morgans’ apartment was never usually this dark except during the hours the city lights were shut off between one and three in the morning.

She moved, feeling the soft, plushcleanbedding, and the memories of yesterday flooded back. The closet. S’aad’s quarters. Safety. Her muscles screamed at her as she uncurled from her makeshift nest, her body stiff from sleeping curled up.

Jade inhaled deeply, as a wonderful smell reached her, her stomach growling loudly. Quickly, she checked her cap, making sure all her hair was still hidden. She emerged from her sanctuary on her hands and knees and then smoothed her rumpled clothing down before making her way toward whatever smelled so good.

As she walked into the kitchen area, the sight that greeted her stopped her dead in her tracks. S’aad was already up, standing at the cooking unit, his broad back turned to her.

He was naked to the waist.

And he was ripped. Utterly ripped.

Her eyes widened as they traced the contours of his muscular frame. He was lean, yes, but every inch she could see was rippled with well-defined muscle. Scars crisscrossed his golden skin over his back and sides, making her wince. What kind of battle had he been in? Or had he been in an accident? Surely with all the advanced technology the Lathar had, they could have dealt with his scars for him?

Heat burned her cheeks, and she quickly looked away. It wasn’t fair for anyone to look so damn perfect. The smooth planes of his back, the strong set of his shoulders… it was like looking at a sculpture from one of the ancient masters.

As if sensing her presence, he turned, flashing her a brilliant smile that made her heart skip a beat when he saw her.

“Good morning, little one,” he rumbled, and his deep voice sent a shiver down her spine. “I hope you’re hungry. Please, sit down.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice as she slid onto a nearby stool. The kitchen counter was set with plates and utensils, the matching set totally different to the chipped, mismatched dishes she was used to.

S’aad turned back to his cooking, and she looked at him again, unable to tear her gaze away. The way the muscles moved beneath his skin mesmerized her. For such a big man he moved with a grace and strength that spoke of years of training and discipline.

She shook her head and forced herself to look away. This was dangerous. S’aad… couldn’t know she was a woman. So she couldn’t look at him like that in case he turned around and saw her. He wasn’t hers. Never could be. He would hate her for lying to him.

“I hope you like bacon and eggs,” S’aad said as he set a plate in front of her.

Her eyes widened. The plate was piled high with the kind of food she’d only ever seen on screen. The bacon sizzled enticingly, its rich aroma mingling with the buttery scent of perfectly cooked eggs. Her mouth watered and she had to hold herself back.

“This is real food?” she asked, looking up at him in surprise. “Like not reconstituted? You must be very wealthy to afford this.”

He chuckled, the deep, rich sound doing things to her body that should be illegal. “Not wealthy, exactly. But I do have access to certain luxuries because I work for the mate program.”

She froze.

“The mate program?” she asked carefully. Shit. She hadn’t realized that. Was that where the job was? It was the last place she wanted to be. What if they figured out she wasn’t the boy she was pretending to be? “That thing they keep banging on at women back home to sign up to?”

“Yeah, that would be the one.” Amusement washed over his face as he slid onto the stool next to her, a large plate in front of him.

She blinked. There was less food on S’aad’s plate than on hers. And he was much larger than she was.

“You’ve given me more than you have. Are you trying to fatten me up?” she asked, attempting to keep her tone light, even as her heart raced with anxiety.

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