Page 4 of Mate for the Space Cowboy

“Yes?”

“That’s a lovely name.” He takes a step closer, and I feel a visceral pull in my chest, almost as if a cord connects us and draws tighter with every step.

Heat rises in my cheeks, and my pulse skitters wildly out of control, racing at a breakneck pace.

“Thank you,” I whisper breathlessly, a little disconcerted. I swallow and scramble for my composure. “I forgot your name.”

“Hunter.” He takes another step closer, reaching for one of my hands.

I don’t hesitate or pull away, which is unusual because I’m terrified of men. Ever since I was selected to come to this planet to mate with an alien space cowboy, I’ve been so relieved to escape the desolate, lonely life I’d been leading on Earth. I’vebeen here almost four months now and have started to despair over ever meeting a mate.

Jane keeps telling me that it takes time. It’s not that I doubt her, but Nadine found a mate before we even left the planet. I tell myself it’s okay, that I don’t need to experience the mythical infinity pulse that’s supposed to exist here.

With Hunter near, it feels like my body is lit with sparks, and I wonder if it’s the infinity pulse. I’ve never even kissed a man or touched a man beyond being beaten by my own father and later, my brother. I have no idea what to expect. Simply not being abused is more than enough for me.

But this feeling is overwhelming. There’s a pleasurable, unfamiliar sensation between my thighs, making me slick and needy.

Hunter’s hand is warm, his grip strong and firm. He lifts my hand and turns it over. He dips his head and drops a kiss in the center of my palm. It’s a shock to my system and sends a sizzling sensation rippling throughout my body.

I inhale sharply. He takes another step closer. It feels like an electrical force field around us, snapping and crackling. My knees feel wobbly, and that strange sensation between my thighs becomes more powerful.

I lick my lips. “What’s happening?”

He takes another step closer. When he brushes against me, my skin feels electric.

“We will mate,” he says with slow deliberation, his voice low and gruff. “I will talk to the prince tonight, and we will marry in a week.”

After Hunter tells me this, he steps away to ask Jane if he can have a moment alone with me.

Jane holds my gaze, pulling me aside. “Would you like to be alone with Hunter? It’s completely your choice.”

Although I feel unsettled, churning as though there’s a storm inside my body with my emotions stirred up by a fiery wind, all I want is to be alone with Hunter. I’m near desperate for it, and it’s confusing for me.

“I do,” I say.

Jane's lips curl at the corners. “You feel the pulse.”

“Is that what this is?”

She nods slowly. “I can’t say for sure, but I believe so. It’s like a pull that is so powerful that you cannot turn away from it.”

I blink, trying to breathe through the rushing sensation inside.

“I will give you a few minutes alone.” She walks me back over to where Hunter waits beside the prince. I study the prince for a moment. He’s beautiful, tall with bronze skin and golden eyes, like all the men on this planet.

The moment my eyes shift to Hunter, my belly feels hot and fluttery. That sensation between my thighs begins to throb.

Jane looks at Hunter. “You must respect the guidelines.”

Hunter’s eyes narrow. “Of course. I know what that means.”

My heart is casting out beats so fast I can hardly breathe. He takes my hand and leads me away after Jane tells him where to go. He leads me swiftly down a hallway before he opens the door. His palm is hot on my back.

Once I step into the room, his palm slides down over my bottom, and I gasp. My knees go weak. I feel moisture between my thighs, so much so that I can feel the slickness on my skin.

Hunter’s golden gaze holds mine. “We will have to wait a full week.”

I lick my lips, swallowing and trying to gather myself. My pulse is racing, and heat blazes like a fast-moving fire through me. “To get married?” I prompt.

---