Page 10 of An Alien for Her Heart

Must be the Raki. I don’t have a watch but I know he’s early. The sun—or whatever they call this star, hasn’t fully risen yet. The only reason why I’m awake and on the field is because, like most other nights, I couldn’t sleep.

I turn my attention back to my grass cutting. The Raki doesn’t give two quacks if I rise to greet him or not. It will be just like those other days when I’ve tried to make conversation or just be polite. I’ll say hello and he’ll reply with something like, “Nice dawn. Greetings.” The conversation will end there.

Turning my attention back to the work in front of me, I use both arms to work the tool in my hand. It’s hard going. My arms protest. It’s like using one of those chest fly machines at the gym, except I’m on my knees and my goal really isn’t perky breasts—although those would also be appreciated.

I get a few more snips in when I tug on the scissors as they snag on a bunch of grass. I pull and nothing happens. Grunting, I tug again.

“Gosh darn it.” The blades have locked and won’t reopen. Putting all my weight into it, I tug, but the grass roots are deep and the scissors aren’t opening. I ease up off my knees and squat now, putting my every strength into it as I tug. Nothing. It might be anger. It might be frustration. It surely is annoyance, because I brace my shoes into the earth, giving it all my might. My stubbornness wins as the root suddenly gives. The moment of release is abrupt and I’m thrown back because of my overuse of strength.

“Whoops!” I go down, landing on my back between two dark boots. Blinking, I don’t immediately understand what I’m looking at until clarity chases away the confusion.

I’m not alone.

My heartbeat quickens as I stare dumbly up into the crotch of the alien’s trousers. My throat goes dry as my gaze shifts up along the hard planes of his chest, perfectly smooth iridescent scales coming into view, showing me glimpses of pink, purple, and blue under the sunlight. Corded muscle jumps as if aware of my attention as my gaze slides higher to his face.

He’s back. He’shere.

Varek tilts his head, looking down at me. “Good dawn, Catherine.”

His voice is a deep rumble that sends a shiver down my spine. The fact makes me stiffen because that shiver has no place. It has nothing to do with the cool morning air.

“Are you alright?” His concern makes me stiffen, too. He’s here. Why? Perhaps for payment for his help yesterday? He left in such a hurry, I didn’t even offer him anything for his time.

My breath hitches as he extends a clawed hand, offering to help me up. I stare at it for a moment, my mind still trying to catch up with the fact that he’s here, standing over me, looking at me with those intense yellow eyes. They’re slit like a reptile’s and completely focused on me. So much that his attention is making the hairs on my arms stand on end. Despite that he’s so calm, I feel completely bare underneath his attention.

Swallowing hard, I nod and reach up to take his hand. His skin is warm, the scales smooth against my palm as he effortlessly pulls me to my feet. I stumble slightly, my body colliding with his solid chest before I can catch myself.

“Whoops,” I mumble, my cheeks heating as I quickly step back, putting some distance between us. “I didn’t expect…I thought you were the Raki.”

Varek’s lips twitch, and I’m not sure if it’s amusement I see in his gaze or something else. His eyes are almost impossible to read. “Disappointed?”

“No!” I say too quickly, then clear my throat. “No, of course not. Just surprised. What are you doing here? Is it about yesterday?” I’m still not used to alien customs and there are so many. So many different species exist, while we humans wondered if we were alone in the universe. Oh how very wrong we were. “I can pay you for your help. Actually, I should have paid you yesterday. An oversight on my part.” I smile at him. “I just have to get my comm. I left it in the cottage.”

I’m about to walk around him when his next words stop me.

“I’m here to work.”

I stop in my tracks, my neck snapping in his direction so quickly that I almost sprain a tendon. “What?”

“I’m not here for payment. I’m here to work,” he repeats, a little bit louder this time as if he’s unsure what pitch he should speak so I can hear him. But I heard him fine the first time, I just can’t believe what he said.

“Work?” When did I hire him? Was his help yesterday some sort of initiation into working here? Some sort of interview? I blink at him, trying to piece together the information I have. I mean, God knows I need the help, but I haven’t discussed a contract with him or anything. I’m thinking about all this, thoughts racing across my mind as my brows crease a little. And then I remember his last words before he left the day before.

“I’ll be back tomorrow with supplies and tools. We’ll get this outbuilding in proper shape.”

Oh God. He was serious?

He crosses his arms, the movement making the muscles in his shoulders and arms flex. I force myself to keep my eyes on his face, ignoring the traitorous flutter in my stomach that’s so sudden and misplaced, it arrests me.

I’m shaking my head as I speak, already thinking of reasons why this is a bad idea. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m sure you have better things to do than help an old woman with her chores.”

Varek tilts his head, his brow furrowing as if he doesn’t understand what I’m saying. “Old?”

My mouth opens and slams shut. I resist the urge to say “Um, yes, me obviously.” Can’t he see it? The gray hairs. The fact my skin has freckles that weren’t there when I was twenty. The fact I feel so…diminished. But I guess he can’t seethat. A sudden rush of self-consciousness goes through me as I wonder if thedifferences between our species mean he doesn’t perceive age the same way humans do.

“Yeah, old,” I repeat, a bit more firmly this time. “I’m not exactly a spring chicken anymore.” I add a soft laugh to the end, just to soften my words a little. But…whatdoeshe see when he sees me? Just a woman? Just a ‘female’ as these aliens say?

It’s not something I considered before with any alien species I’ve encountered this far. You start seeing yourself a certain way and that’s all you perceive others see you as, too.

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