Page 9 of My Christmas Alien Mate

"Sometimes," I admitted. "It was harder when I was a teenager and wanted to be with my friends, but the older I got, the more I liked it. Grampa did put in state-of-the-art satellite dishes so we have the best internet available."

"Internet?"

"Wi-Fi."

And when he still looked as if he didn't understand, I explained, "It's what makes our computers and phones work with others far away. It's how we communicate with another person who lives further away."

"Oh, okay," he nodded, but I wasn't sure if he understood. It had been my lifeline as a teenager though. And it had been my grampa's love for communication that got me into programming and app development.

"So what exactly are you scouting? Us humans or…" I drifted off because his face closed up, and I realized he wasn't about to tell me.

"Your tablet looks dope." I pointed at the air where his screen had been up a little while ago.

"Dope?" He arched an eyebrow. "Isn't that like a drug?"

So his translator device wasn't allthatgood. I snickered.

"It's just an expression. It means awesome, great, exciting," I clarified.

"Oh," he chuckled and shrugged his impressive shoulders. "I guess for a Class-D planet it would—" he broke off, looking guiltily at me.

I laughed. "Don't worry, this," I indicated my cabin, "must look provincial to you."

"It's cozy," he said, and his expression changed to something almost wistful.

I fought another sneeze coming on and lost. This time, unladylike snot ran down my face and embarrassed heat rushed through me. I leaned over the couch to pull a few tissues out of the handy dispenser there and blew my nose in an even more unladylike fashion.

Fascinated, he stared at me.

"Your people don't sneeze?" I questioned a bit defensively.

"We don't get sick. Are you getting sick?"

I coughed. "I might be. Swimming in the lake in the middle of winter will do that to a human."

Once again, I remembered that I was naked under the blanket. "I should probably put some clothes on."

"And I should probably leave," he offered, rising.

Regret rushed through me. I didn't want him to leave. "Where will you go in the middle of the night?"

"It's excellent cover for my… scouting," he grinned.

This time, I managed to finally get off the couch and stand on my feet. "Please eat something, it's the least I can do after you saved my life and all. Plus," I gave him a what I hoped was an enticing smile, "it would be rude of me to not offer you some hospitality after you came such a… long way." Then I remembered something. "That is, if you can you eat our food?"

"Only one way to find out," he said, and his mischievous dimples flashed again, weakening my knees for other reasons than tiredness. "But you probably shouldn't be cooking. You are… sick."

"Just give me a moment. I'm alright." I held the blanket tight around my chest and indicated the short hallway. "I'll be right back."

"I'll be right here," he responded in his deep voice, making my stomach flutter some more.

No member of the opposite sex had ever made my stomach flutter before. Oh, I had been nervous when Tom came to pick me up for prom night or when he kissed me later that evening, or in college when Josh had invited me to his apartment, but not like this. Not with this tingling sensation in my stomach that warmed me from the inside out and made me yearn for more time with this alien.

I didn't even try to tell myself that it was normal curiosity about a species from outer space. I mean, how freaking awesome was that? But the truth was that there was more to it than that. I felt attracted to him.

I hurried to get into a pair of black tights and an oversized sweatshirt before I blow-dried my hair. While looking into the mirror, I realized I looked a fright, while the hottest guy in the world—no, universe—was camped out in my cabin. Seeing my flushed face though, there was no denying that I was running a slight fever, one that no amount of makeup would be able to cover.

What was I thinking anyway?

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