Page 20 of The Alien's Major Dilemma

Chapter 9

Cooper stared at Marissa. There was no evidence that he’d pushed her to that conclusion, no sign that she wasn’t making her own decisions. Still, he’d never thought she’d make this one. He could feel the emotions bouncing around her brain but she'd laid a cool layer of logic and professionalism over them.

“I worry I won’t be able to accommodate those plans,” he said slowly. “But I would like to stay alive and try.”

She looked so anxious. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. He wanted to comfort her in ways he’d seen humans employ but which he’d never experienced as a nymph. Nor as an adult, for that matter.

“I think you’ll be surprised at what you’re capable of,” she said with a grin. “And I have no idea if our anatomy is even compatible for some of it but I think we’ll be able to rub along very nicely.”

He snorted and she grinned at him.

“We’re compatible enough,” he said. “We’ll figure out the rest, I think.”

“Good,” she said.

There was space between them and he didn’t like it. He felt like there was something he could do to bring her closer but he wasn’t sure how to start.

He felt her amusement before she stepped into the space in front of him. It was the most natural thing to put an arm around her waist and pull her closer. She rested her chin against his chest and he realized how much taller than her he was. He’d never noticed before, never cared, because she seemed so much larger when she was moving and talking.

“You really want to stay with me?”

“I think I do,” she said. “Which means, as much as I’d like to explore how compatible we are, we need to make a plan and start opening negotiations. Because if my people storm in here like it’s a rescue operation, things are going to go bad fast.”

“And you don’t think we can hide until my people get here?”

“Can you get a return message from your people without whatever it was you stole from the Orvax?”

“Not really,” he said.

“Then no, I don’t think we can just hide. I think it’s tempting to try, but I don’t think we’ll manage it. That leaves us with diplomacy and you’re going to have to start that without the fake uniform and face.”

“But you like that face,” Cooper protested. “Don’t bother denying it, I saw how you reacted to it. You think my disguise is sexy.”

“I think you’re sexy,” she corrected him. Her heart sped with the admission and he could feel it where she leaned against him. “I think it’d be better for everybody involved if you came cleanwith who and what you are. I’ll back you up and explain about the mate thing. Contact with the Orvax should help with that.”

Cooper took a deep breath and inhaled her scent. The smell of what they’d done earlier lingered, and he couldn’t help but react. She cuddled deeper into his arms, and he groaned when her soft belly brushed against his cock.

“Alright, we’ll try and contact your people. Do you think the drone is still out there? Maybe if you just went and waved at it I wouldn’t have to turn my phone back on.”

She laughed and the sound thrilled through his soul.

“I’m not waving down a drone. Turn on your phone, make a call, and we’ll start heading back to the base.”

“I don’t like that idea,” he said. “Actually, I really don’t like that idea. They’ll separate us once we’re back there, and that will go badly.”

“Why?”

“They’ll want to debrief you privately,” he said. “And if anybody is taking off your briefs in private, it should be me. And I kidnapped a Marine which means they’re going to want to lock me up and torture me just on principle. No, I don’t think we’ll head for the base.”

“We can’t hide in your ship forever,” Marissa pointed out. He wanted to gnash his teeth at her for being reasonable, but he couldn’t deny it.

“Why not? I have food and water. Okay, not much of either, but I have something that almost acts like a shower. We could hold out for days before you wanted to kill me. Days!”

“We have weeks or months before your help arrives,” she pointed out with a giggle. “And that’s if they got your message and replied right away.”

“Fine,” he said. “Be reasonable. See if I care. Just for that, no pre-surrender nookie for you.”

“What?” she asked with a laugh. When she tried to pull out of his arms, he held her close and enjoyed the feel of her breasts pressed against him while she struggled.

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