Page 31 of Her Alien Soldier
He gave her one of those small smiles, nodded, and lumbered away, leaving her watching him in confusion.
Chapter Sixteen
One cycle later, Maggie told herself she definitely would not be waiting for Xarek.
Except that she totally was.
And unlike the last time he’d left her he stayed in touch. A message greeted her every morning when she woke, and they communicated throughout the day, every day, about what was going on in their lives. For his part, he seemed to be in a lot of meetings, talking to people. Apparently, the Bellarian spy, Andethor, and the Paraxian they’d worked with, were around as well.
She filled him in on which crafting projects she was working on, how much the current book they were reading for book club annoyed her. And when the Tilesian band announced a new lead singer, she knew she had to tell him.
It was literally her first thought: I have to tell Xarek!
And she did.
He shared images of his home planet, with its bright skies and white sand beaches. Beautiful, except for the destruction. She could see the rubble of buildings in the background of a few of the images he sent. She shared pictures of her knitting project, a few things she’d cooked. A selfie of her and her friends out for dinner.
He never pushed, never pressured. In their own way, they were getting to know one another again, and in a new way. He let her into his life, even showing her his home on Altaris, and she let him into hers in ways he hadn’t been before.
When she started sending him “good night” messages before she fell into bed at night, she knew she was only kidding herself. They were more than friends. They had been since the moment she’d laid eyes on the big, grumpy soldier.
Other than her messages with Xarek and her time crafting and cooking and being with her friends, she worked. Georgina hadn’t been able to join their last few get-togethers because work was busy, some diplomatic thing, but she was hoping to catch up soon.
As she chatted with a group of Izar ladies who were having their annual getaway, there was a sound overhead, signaling a station-wide announcement. She gestured to the band, and the music stopped. Usually, these announcements were for things like organized events, news about maintenance upgrades, that sort of thing.
“Greetings, residents and guests of Asterion Station,” a calm voice said, the same one who announced all of the station news. “Our station is about to become even busier! Asterion Station is now home to this quadrant’s branch of the new Interplanetary Alliance. The Interplanetary Alliance formed during the recent efforts to bring the Redlian Empire under control. The Alliance is formed on the principles of mutual aid, understanding, andfriendship. At the current time, eleven planets have joined, and it is likely more will join in the future.
“As part of its outreach, the Interplanetary Alliance has set up embassies at strategic areas throughout the galaxy, and as a busy port and destination, Asterion Station was chosen as a natural place to house an embassy. In the coming days, you will notice work being completed on Deck 12 to prepare it for the Alliance. You will also see new faces: the ambassadors and their staff who will now be calling Asterion Station home! We regret any inconvenience the work and additional population may cause, but are thrilled to host this vital organization. Thank you.”
Maggie nodded. That was great news. If nothing else, what had happened with the Redlians showed how important something like that was!
She parted ways with the Izar, heading to the bar to restock some of the glassware, when she stopped, turning around.
And there he was. Big, bulky, those dark eyes on her. He was dressed more formally than last time she’d seen him. A dark suit, pins on his chest. His military uniform, she guessed.
Xarek gave her one of those small smiles as he walked toward her, and she couldn’t help but take a few steps, meeting him partway across the lounge.
“Xarek,” she said softly, smiling up at him as he took her hands.
“It is Ambassador Xarek, now,” he said warmly, and her smile widened so much her face hurt. She didn’t care. Her heart pounded.
“You… they just said the Ambassadors live here,” she said softly.
“We do indeed. I may need help making my quarters more warm and comfortable.”
“You know I love that kind of thing.”
“I do,” he rumbled, his eyes never leaving hers. “You could decorate them as if they were your own. Because they are, if you want them to be.”
She stared. “Xarek…”
“Maggie. I would move the planets themselves if I could, to spend my life with you. It turns out, making politicians move quickly may be a feat nearly as difficult,” he said wryly, and she smiled, tears coming to her eyes.
“That was you?”
“Me, and then Andethor. Once we had the Paraxian on board, things moved quickly. Everyone wants to be friends with those sneaky miscreants.”
She laughed, and stepped closer, letting go of his hands to wrap her arms around him. The second he folded her into his big, strong arms, she was lost.
