Page 9 of Princess for the Space Cowboy

I’m still not sure if the job isn’t a massive joke on me, but I don’t think it is.

I let my gaze arc around my little apartment once more. In the months following the blowup of my engagement, I’d hated this apartment. I had hopes and dreams. Kyle and I were going to try to buy a house together. Maybe it wouldn’t have been amazing, because life on Earth wasn’t all that amazing these days. But we had been vying to get into the green belt area where things were a little better than the desert conditions on most of Earth.

Instead, Kyle screwed my friend, and I’d felt trapped in my tiny apartment, knowing that my chances of finding something new and moving on were limited. And now, all because I had a few too many glasses of wine and recklessly applied for a job, I just might be moving on. In a major way.

I ignore the text from Kylie. She’s made her own bed, and she can lie in it alone, just like I’ve been doing for months.

I swipe past her text and pull up the information Helena sent me. My thoughts spin back to the meeting with her after that crazy-wild kiss with Asher. Helena gave me the job details and sent over more information about their planet.

I’m meeting with her tomorrow morning to confirm the travel details. I can’t wait.

Helena smiles at me from across the table. It was only after I’d looked through all the information she’d sent me that I realized she wasn’t fully human.

She’s tall and pretty and intimidating with sharp features and a slender tail. “Jane?” she prompts.

“Oh, yes?” My wandering thoughts aren’t helping move the conversation along.

“What did you think?”

“The planet looks beautiful,” I say.

“Itisbeautiful,” Helena says, her tail snapping like a tiny whip. “It is similar to how Earth used to be. With some differences, of course.”

Before we destroyed the environment, many areas on Earth were green and lush. Now, Earth is like a giant desert with a few tiny pockets of fresh water and plants.

“Where will I be living?” I ask.

I’m honestly game for anything. I feel so free. I have nothing to keep me here.

“You will live in Lapis Loch, the capital of our planet. There are mountains and a lake nearby. I’m confident you will love it.” Her gaze shifts to look out the grimy window. The wind blows sand through the air, and no speck of green is visible. “I do believe you will find our environment more welcoming than here,” Helena says.

These days, life on Earth was rather grim, just one endless hot day.

“We have seasons as well, including snow in the winter,” she adds.

Excitement bubbles in my chest, and I clasp my hands together. “So, um, Asher said you would explain the matchmaking job?”

“Yes. Two years ago, we had a massive storm. Our people revere women, and we hold an annual festival to celebrate them. Lots of women were at the festival, which was hit hard by the storm. As a result, many women perished.” Helena lifts her chin, deep sadness flickering in her gaze. “We need more women for mates. Our people have mated with humans for centuries. We intend to set up a matchmaking service here on Earth.” Shepauses, a glint of humor entering her gaze. “I understand from Asher that perhaps the bit about royalty might’ve been a little much in the ad?” Her eyes twinkle.

Laughter bubbles in my throat, but I try to hold it back until she adds, “Go ahead and laugh.”

I laugh softly. “It’s not that royalty isn’t a thing here. It is, but it’s mostly in the tabloids, which are sort of junky news. Royalty hasn’t been anything real for a long time, even before Earth became what it is now. I always wanted to be a princess when I was a little girl.” I shrug sheepishly. “But it wasn’t anything I could ever plan on.” I feel my old childish excitement rise inside. “Is royalty not a joke on your planet?”

Helena studies me before nodding, her expression shifting to solemn. “Absolutely. Asher’s parents are the current king and queen of our planet. Asher must find a princess, or his rightful role as the heir to the throne can be challenged. This may seem like a lot, but you must marry and consummate the marriage on the same day you arrive on our planet. Are you ready for that?”

I stare at her with my heart about to beat its way out of my chest. So many questions bounce around in my thoughts, and I don’t even know where to begin. I think briefly about my life here. I have no one here. The idea of being somewhere new is wildly appealing, even if I’m afraid.

“I realize there’s no way to get all my questions answered,” I finally say. Just as I begin, there’s a sharp knock on the door. I don’t know how a single knock can be commanding, but it is.

Helena stands immediately as Asher steps into the room. I know it’s him without even looking because I canfeelthe voltage of his presence. It’s like an electric charge vibrating in the air between us as I turn to glance over my shoulder.

That intense attraction, twined within an unfamiliar emotion, shimmies to life between us. Our eyes meet. While Istill have a gazillion questions, my doubts burn in the ashes of the heat of our connection.

Okay, maybe that sounds corny, but it’s true.

I take a quick breath, glancing back at Helena. “I’m ready,” I say with more confidence than I feel. About the only thing I feel confident in is Asher. Maybe I shouldn’t place my trust and faith in an alien space cowboy, but I do.

Chapter Ten

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