Page 20 of My Christmas Alien Mate

It didn't take long to find the half carat solitaire that had been my mother's wedding band and bring it to Galexor. "This was my mother's wedding band, a ring given to her by my father to show the world they were married," I explained while I held the ring in the light so it could sparkle off the cut surface.

Carefully, as if he sensed how much this ring meant to me, he picked it up and imitated my moves. He scrutinized it between narrowed eyes. "That looks like good craftsmanship. You must have excellent gem workers here."

"Jewelers, yes." I nodded and took the ring back to return it to its box.

It was kind of sad, the ring was indeed magnificently cut. Grampa told me that my father had bought it from one of the most accomplished jewelers and spent more than the diamond was worth just because of who had done the work. The ring was supposed to be worn, shown off, see the sunlight. Instead, it had been sitting inside a dark box for decades.

On a whim, I put the ring on my middle finger, deciding since I was going into town with an alien, I might as well live dangerously in other ways as well. The ring was meant to be worn and loved. It had belonged to my mom, and now I would carry something of hers with me on a not quite date, but as close to it as I had come to in years. In a way, I felt as if she was with me.

Galexor noted the ring on my hand but didn't say anything when I grabbed my purse and coat. I apologized that I didn't have a coat for him, but he would have looked too out of place in Grampa's.

"The cold, as you call it, doesn't bother me," he said as if reading my mind.

"I know, but you will still look out of place," I fretted. It was barely thirty degrees outside.

"We'll go to the jeweler first, then we'll buy me some clothes so you can relax," Galexor suggested, and I gave in, it was the best we could do.

My truck stood outside where I left it yesterday morning, unlocked and with the keys in the ignition. Nobody came out this way, and even if they did, nobody stole anything around here. I slipped behind the steering wheel and noticed Galexor curiously observing me as I pumped the clutch a few times before I turned the key and the old truck sputtered and rumbled but came to life. Cold air rushed out of the vents, and I turned it down, giving it time to warm up.

I turned on the wipers to get the snow from last night off. "Buckle up."

"Buckle what?" Galexor asked.

With a grin, I leaned over him and felt his sharp intake of breath at our closeness. I pulled the seatbelt from the side and moved it over him.

"You are tying me up? Why?"

I laughed. "You wish."

His eyebrows rose in challenge, and I laughed harder. More to hide how much his words turned me on though. Because having his delicious body bound to the bed, while I kissed every inch… I shook my head to stop the flow of intimate images forming inside.Focus! What was wrong with me? Ever since I met Galexor, my mind had turned into an abyss of dirty images. If he could figure out half of them, he would jump onto his spaceship and take off.Or not, my mind teased, and if my mind had eyebrows, it would have suggestively wiggled them.

"It's for your safety in case we have an accident. The seat belt will keep you safe and—"

"Accident?"

"Like if another vehicle hits us," I explained.

"This contraption is not safe?"

"Well, the roads are icy and—"

"The vehicle will not stay on the road if it's icy?"

I sighed. "Galexor."

He raised his hands. "Fine, I'll trust you."

"Thank you!" I said with an exaggerated huff and put my seatbelt on.

"Accidents happen sometimes. That's why they're called accidents. Don't your spaceships…" Unfortunately, I had no comeback as much as I racked my brain.

"We don't haveaccidents. Our spaceships don't fly on ice, and they don't run into each other."

Feeling a bit defensive toward my species, I said, "Most cars have more safety features now. This truck is very old, twenty years or so, it doesn't have any of the fancy stuff the newer vehicles have."

"You should buy a newer vehicle then."

"They cost a lot of money," I said, putting Ol' Nelly, as I called the truck, into gear.

---