Page 10 of Princess for the Space Cowboy

ASHER

A mere day later, Jane stands beside me, nervously clutching a small bag. My eyes coast over her. Her hair is pulled up in some kind of twist with a few wayward brown curls dangling around her cheeks. Her skin is flushed, and her tongue darts out nervously to slide across her bottom lip. Lust sizzles inside, cracking through my system like a whip through the air.

“Um, how does this work?” she asks, puncturing my thoughts.

I don’t want to talk at the moment. What I want to do is carry her away and keep her all to myself until I get enough of her to slake the need rampaging through me. However, what Imustdo is get her on our transport and back to Aphroditea as swiftly as possible.

The deadline for me to find a princess has created some scuffles on our planet. An uprising in a smaller town has been vying to intercede in the order of succession.

I don’t care about power for the sake of power, but I do care about the fate of my family and our people. We must keep our tribes and people strong. Ever since humans came to our planet centuries prior, some saw it as weakening our people. A small and noisy faction in another town has been trying to strike outand take over. They call themselves purists, yet they are dying as a result.

My family has led our planet for centuries. We claim the throne, and we have presided over the safety and protection of our planet without fail. I must return quickly and marry within hours of landing.

“Asher?” Jane’s voice interjects.

I bring my focus to her. I step closer and reach for her hand, curling mine around it. I can’t help myself. I need to touch her. Lifting her hand, I turn it over, dropping a kiss in the center of her palm and nuzzling that sweet, soft skin inside her wrist. Goose bumps rise on her skin, and I can feel her shiver. I bring my eyes to hers as I lift my head.

“We take the fastest transport to Aphroditea. Normally, we coordinate with the collective transport among the planets because it’s more convenient, but we need to move quickly, so we’re taking one for leaders only. We will arrive on my planet in a few hours.”

Jane blinks up at me. “Okay,” she says, her voice a little breathless.

A single word in her voice quickens the drumbeat of need inside. I can’t wait for so many things with her.

The next hour is a rush to get situated with transport. Once we are traveling, Jane and I are in a private suite. Questions spill out of her. She wants to know about the food, the weather, so many things. She’s also worried about learning a new language. I quickly explain that our people speak English. “There are other languages,” I add, “but on our planet, we speak primarily English and French.”

“French?” she prompts, her brows rising.

I nod. “Yes. When the cowboys from the United States were recruited there to mate and strengthen the health of our ancestors, there were also French cowboys from the same era,known as gardians. Our people’s original language is spoken by some. I suppose you could think of it like the old tribal languages in so many areas centuries ago.”

“Oh, this is so interesting. Obviously, we learned about our own history and traveling to other planets, but I didn’t know this. Why were cowboys recruited to your planet?”

“You’ll find many aliens travel among planets and mate. Cowboys have always been nomadic. At the time, people from Earth were looking for safe havens; many came, and some of the languages became primary.”

Jane nods slowly. “Do you speak French?”

“Oui,” I reply.

Her cheeks flush. “I know a little bit of French. That was the language I took in high school, but I haven’t had much chance to use it since then.”

I can’t help myself. I lean over to brush my lips over hers. I’ve been keeping my need for her on a tight leash. We have to wait to consummate until after our marriage ceremony.

When her sweet tongue glides against mine and I hear the little whimper in the back of her throat, I have to lift my head. “Soon,” I promise.

We arrive on my planet, and Jane stands from her seat as soon as I do. She looks around for her bag. “Should I —”

“Your belongings will be taken to our home.”

Her eyes are wide as we step off the transport. It’s a beautiful day on our planet. She looks around, her eyes alight with wonder. I follow her gaze, absorbing what, for her, is entirely new.

Our planet’s capital, Misti, is lush and green. There are mountains to the side with a blue mist shimmering over them. Green trees with silver moss surround a nearby lake, which is deep blue and glimmers under our sun. Our planet’s sun isn’t as hot or bright as Earth’s sun.

A large bird calls, and Jane’s eyes seek it out. “That is called a green heron,” I offer. “It’s related to the herons that used to be on Earth. Our environment is very similar. Like humans, wildlife also travels. There are some differences, though.”

At that moment, there is a flash of brown to the side. “What’s that?”

I glance over. “That’s a wild hare. They’re everywhere here and similar to hares and rabbits from Earth, but much larger.”

Before we can talk further, we are surrounded by a bustle of activity. Someone is getting Jane’s bag and directing us away. We are swept up into the official events, already organized before our arrival. Helena had sent notice back that I’d found my princess. My parents arrive, and I gesture toward Jane.

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