Tristan_Intergalactic Dating Agency Read online

  “Wait a minute,” I say. I reach for the book but Tristan pulls it back. “What did that last sentence say?”

  “It’s nothing.” Tristan grabs the menu and pushes it at me. “What kind of ice cream do you want?”

  “Nice try,” says Hannah. She holds out her hand. “Give me the book.”

  I scowl at him. “Don’t make me get all lawyer on you.”

  “Every seen a crazy artist?” asks Hannah.

  Jake holds up his hands. “Dude. Cut your losses. You better tell them what it said.”

  “Okay, okay.” Tristan lowers his voice. “It says you’ll lose the extra weight once the baby begins to nurse.”

  “Extra weight?” both and Hannah and I ask.

  I ask, “How much?”

  Tristan practically whispers. “An additional thirty to fifty pounds beyond normal.”

  I moan. “Oh my god.”

  “Me too?” asks Hannah.

  My friend has always been thin without giving it an ounce of effort. I’d feel bad for her, but at least she doesn’t have to go to work every day with a bunch of cut-throat women. “Great,” I say.

  “Ladies,” says Jake, “it’s not a big deal. I’m sure you two will lose it in no time.”

  “That’s easy for you to say.” I groan. “What judge is going to take me seriously when I’m the size of a whale?”

  Tristan winks at me. “You’ll just have more for me to hold on to.”

  Jake says, “Right. All those soft spots...” He gives Hannah a smoldering look.

  “Well.” Hannah turns to me. “Since we can’t help it, I’m getting ice cream.”

  I’m tempted to chastise her, but my stomach actually growls, and I let out a sigh. I suppose if it’s only going to be temporary I might as well embrace it. “Me too.” I have a feeling this is only the beginning of the life changes I’m going to make for motherhood, and I’d better get used to it.

  Chapter 3

  “Hey,” whispers Tristan in my ear, and I force my sleepy eyes open to see my husband on the pillow next to me. When we got home from dinner last night, I was too tired for sex and promised if he woke me early I’d be game.

  I smile as he nuzzles my neck, and I thread my fingers through his hair when he begins to kiss me lightly. “Now this is how I like to start my day.”

  “Um-hmm,” he says as he slides his hands under my sleep shirt. “I think your breasts are getting bigger.”

  My nipples harden in the cool air, and I arch my back up reveling in the increased sensitivity I can now attribute to my pregnancy. “They are.” I let out a moan of pleasure when he begins to suckle me. “Oh does that feel good.” I squirm as my insides heat up.

  Tristan releases my breast to flutter light kisses down my belly. “Hey, baby,” he says, “You need to close your eyes and cover your ears, because I’m about to show your mommy how much I love her.”

  I chuckle as he places a hand between my legs to stroke my sensitive folds. I let out a little noise when he slides two fingers into me. “You have a magic touch.” I lift a leg to wrap it around his waist as I reach down and take hold of his thickening cock. It pulses in my palm as Tristan reacts to my touch.

  “You do too,” he says as he hovers over me.

  We begin to pant as we both stroke each other, and when I can’t take it any longer I guide him to my entrance and whisper. “Make love to me, Tristan.”

  He thrusts into me slow and deep, and now he’s the one who moans. “You are so amazing, Cassie.” My husband pumps in and out of me, and I raise my hips in the same rhythm to meet him. It’s a slow sensual dance, and we both fall deeper into our connection. Tristan asks, “How long until I can’t do this any longer?”

  “What?” The pleasure of our connection is taking over my conscious thought, and it takes me a moment to focus on his words. I try to imagine going without sex. “Oh. I think we can—oh.” I shudder as my orgasm begins to build. “I—” I dig my fingers into his butt to pull him closer, and the shift in position make his erection run against a sensual place. I let out a small cry as my body revels in his movements. Ecstasy courses through my veins as the warmth of pleasure fills me.

  Tristan moves faster now, and from his deep guttural noises, I know he’s close too. I throw my head back and let my climax rush to the surface before I cry out with my release. My alien isn’t far behind me, and his fingers bruise me as he clutches my hip in one hand and shatters over me. The mattress shudders when he rolls over to lay beside me. “Wow,” he breathes out.

  I lift up on my elbow to kiss him, and when I do I savor the taste of my husband as our tongues intertwine lazily. This man has made me happier than I ever imagined, and I want to hold onto that joy forever. It still boggles my mind that I’ve managed to fall so hard for a man, considering if I didn’t want children I’d have happily stayed single for the rest of my life. When I pull away I say, “I love you so much, Tristan. I wouldn’t want to start a family with anyone else.”

  “I love you too, Cassie.” He cradles the back of my head and tugs me down for another kiss. This time he uses his alien powers to reach inside me and hold my heart. It’s as if it’s in the palm of his hand as he fills every cell of my being with the joy of his love.

  “Nichols!” Lara, my boss, yells from the hallway before she sticks her head in my office. I shove the remaining bit of a cinnamon roll in my mouth as if I can hide the evidence. Her perfect eyebrows shoot up into her hairline before they fall back down to a scowl. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  I shake my head as I frantically try to swallow down the food I’ve barely chewed. I rushed out of the house after round two of sex with Tristan and didn’t have time to eat breakfast. I hoped to get a quick snack in before my meeting.

  She lets out a huff of air. “Wipe the crumbs off your chin and march down to the board room. Now.”

  I jump up from my desk. “Yes ma’am.”

  Lara glances down at my stomach. “I never expected you to be a binge eater. Whatever is going on with you and Tristan, fix it.” Lara is single, and it’s no secret she thinks Eroscians are a lesser race.

  When I stand up and tug my snug skirt down, she lets out a noise of disgust. “Fat lawyers do not win cases.”

  What about pregnant ones? I scramble to follow behind my boss as her heels click down the hall like a ticking time bomb. I know I need to tell Lara and the other partners I’m expecting a baby, but it’s hard to do since I fear it will mark the day my career begins to free fall. While legally I can’t be fired for being pregnant, Lara’s fat-shaming comment sums up the general atmosphere at Sawyer, McCall, Underwood and Garret. We’re the best firm in the city, and my bosses believe our appearance should reflect our success. Right down to the woman who manages the office, each employee is required to wear suits chosen from a handful of top designers. Jewelry is limited to precious gems and metals, and there’s even a rule about age-appropriate makeup.

  When we enter the boardroom, my mood improves drastically. My high-profile client is a sly-as-a-fox older man named Henry Wyatt who’s taken a liking to me as if I were his daughter. He stands when he sees me, and his blue eyes twinkle as he smiles. “Cassie.” I walk over and let him kiss me on the cheek. He steps back and scans my body in a fatherly way. “What’s changed? You’re positively glowing with—” His mouth opens a bit as if he’s had a light bulb moment, but he covers it quickly. “It must mean the newlyweds are doing well.”

  I let out an internal sigh of relief, because Henry used to be a criminal lawyer, and he doesn’t miss a thing. I bet he knows I’m pregnant. I say, “We are. Tristan’s book is coming along nicely, and I think it’s going to be a winner.”

  “Good. Very good,” says Henry.

  Lara cuts in. “Mr. Wyatt, I know your time is precious, so shall we get started?”

  “Yes. Of course,” he says, and we all take our places at the table.

  When Henry Wyatt retired from law, he became a real estate developer. He�
�s now credited with turning an entire section of our city into a prestigious neighborhood, and he did it with compassion. When he put people out of their homes by snatching up the run-down apartment buildings to raze and rebuild on the land, he also built new rental housing on the side of town that is more convenient for public transportation, access to shopping and public schools. And he did it all for comparable prices to ensure he improved the standard of living for the people he inconvenienced.

  He’s a client of ours because he’s been accused of having a hand in the breaking scandal of President Stone’s plan to eliminate men from Earth. Supposedly the virus that only affected the male population and killed ninety-five percent of them was cultivated and administered by a secret task force headed by our country’s current president. And it’s suspected that it was done to eliminate the roadblocks in her rise to power.

  It is my belief Mr. Wyatt is being targeted because of his gender and success, and I have no intention of letting our home-town hero go down. Besides, President Stone is one shady character. Recently I came across evidence that makes me think she’s also behind the caffeine problem some alien men have.

  We review the motion I’m filing later today, and when the meeting is over Henry pulls me aside. He speaks loud enough for Lara to hear. “Cassie. Can I steal you away for lunch?”

  My stomach clenches, because I’m afraid he wants to talk to me about my pregnancy. He probably thinks I won’t be able to do my job. And the way these cases can take years, I bet he’s concerned that I’ll want to leave law to be a full-time mother. I force out a happy voice. “I’d love to.”

  “Great. My car will be waiting for you at noon.”

  As soon as Henry leaves Lara shuts the door of the conference room with a click. We’re the only two present when she says, “Seems you’ve got more than a business relationship with our client.”

  “No. Of course not.” I let out a sigh. “You know how personable he is. He probably wants me to think of him as a friend so I’ll give him my best work.”

  Lara squints as she studies me for a moment. “Right. Let’s use that leverage. Whatever it is he wants, you’ll give it to him. Understood?”

  I blink in surprise because I think she just offered me up for sexual favors. I ignore her implication and say, “Got it.”

  She walks over to the door, and once it’s open she turns to me. “Your career depends on it.”

  Wow. I sink down into a chair as I contemplate the situation. When I first started working here, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to get a position at the top firm in the city. I’d heard that it was a firm full of sharks and that I’d have to grow a thick skin. I worked my tail off to make the most of it, and fortunately my skill was noticed and appreciated. It was clear from the beginning that I’d have to make sacrifices in my personal life to do well, and I haven’t had an issue with it. I even managed to find the perfect husband, because Tristan never complains when I stay late at the office or have to work on things at home over the weekend. But as I get closer to the top rung of the ladder, the stakes are getting higher. Not that I think a physical relationship is what Henry wants, but I’m not willing to compromise my principles to keep him as a client. And the fact Lara suggested it makes me very uncomfortable.

  My laptop is slick in my hands as I pick it up to make my way back to my office. I think about the clients I gave away to my peers so I could keep my schedule clear for the Wyatt case. What if Henry is just a kind man who treats all women my age like a daughter and I’m fooling myself about how much he likes me? What if once he learns I’m pregnant, he requests different counsel? I’d be without a single client. I bet Lara would usher me through the door and then slam it so fast it would likely hit my growing ass. I gasp for air as panic sets in. How did I end up in such a precarious position?

  I walk over to my desk and open a drawer. Change rattles and a coin slips through my fingers to land on the floor as I gather some up for the vending machine. Damn it. I squat down to get the quarter. What am I going to do if I lose my job? Tristan is wonderful, but he’s not paying the bills. That wasn’t our deal, and if I can no longer support him… I know what financial stress can do to a marriage. Our expenses aren’t exactly extravagant, but we live in a nice apartment, and I’m not sure my husband could find work that pays enough to cover us. I have to work.

  I clutch the coins in my hand so hard the edges dig into my palm as I imagine life without Tristan in it, and I make my way to the vending machine. While I know the only thing a bag of chips and a candy bar will do is contribute to my weight gain, I don’t care, because that’s the least of my worries.

  Chapter 4

  A candy bar thuds in the bottom of a vending machine, and I reach in to grab it before I begin to walk back to my office with enough calories worth of food to gain a pound. My stomach hardens as if it’s warning me I should rethink my binge. Since I’ve got to try to focus on work before I meet Henry for lunch, I settle behind my desk to review this afternoon’s motion one more time.

  After the third bag of salty goodness, my belly cramps up, and I lean back in my chair to stretch it out. I let out a moan. Perhaps junk food wasn’t such a good idea. When the pain subsides, I decide it’s best to move the rest of my vending machine treats into a drawer for another time, and I wonder if I’ll be stuffing them into a box with my things later today after Henry lets me go and I get fired. I manage to spend the next hour working with the hope it’s not all in vain before it’s time to leave to meet Henry.

  I’m still not feeling well as I make my way down the hall to leave, and when the elevator doors whoosh shut I get another cramp. I place my hand on my stomach and whisper. “I’m sorry, baby. I swear I’ll get a salad for lunch. Okay?” As if my child heard me, the cramp loosens. My skin is damp with sweat, and I wonder if I’m letting stress get to me. I know it isn’t good for my child or me, and I try to concentrate on something other than the idea that I may be jobless soon.

  I take a deep breath as I step off the elevator. I’m looking for Henry’s car, and when I see it I walk over. As the driver opens the door, a breeze blows through my hair and cools me down. No matter what my client has to say to me, I plan to handle the news with dignity. I’m known for always maintaining my cool under pressure, and it occurs to me that I have a darn good reputation as a lawyer. I may not get to keep my current job, but there are plenty of other firms that would want me. And plenty of them have a friendlier environment for parents than where I am now. I recall one that even has on-site daycare set up for the new babies who have been arriving since men from Eroscia started moving here almost two years ago. Many female dominated workplaces are actually a warm, nurturing environment for mothers. I let that knowledge soothe me as I gaze out the windows of Henry’s Town Car while it weaves in and out of traffic.

  When we get to Antoine’s, the Italian bistro where I’m meeting Henry, I thank the driver as he helps me out, and I take a moment to inhale the odor of garlic wafting out the doors as I think about my favorite pasta dish. But instead of making me salivate, it makes me a little queasy. Am I experiencing the morning sickness I thought I’d managed to escape?

  The moment I step inside, Henry sees me. He gets up to meet me as I walk toward the table. “Cassie.” He takes my arm and leans in to whisper. “I’m so sorry I almost blew the whistle on you this morning. Congratulations. When are you due?”

  I chuckle as I sit in the chair he pulls out for me. “You don’t miss a thing, do you?”

  “I try not to.”

  “November,” I say. I glance around. “I’ll be telling Lara soon.”

  “I understand, and that’s—”

  Searing-hot pain slices through my lower back, and I let out a small noise as my stomach cramps up harder than it did before. Sweat trickles down my brow as I hunch over. “Oh no.” I wonder if this is what a contraction feels like, and the icy cold fingers of fear grip my heart. Am I having a miscarriage?

  “Cassie, my dear, are
you okay?”

  I shake my head as my pain becomes mixed with fear. “I think something’s wrong with my baby.”

  “Hold on.” Henry grabs his phone. “I’m going to get you an ambulance.”

  I think about the scene it’s going to cause, especially considering the fame of my lunch companion, and I say, “No. But I do—” I moan as another wave of agony rushes though me. Henry’s words are faint in the background as I fight the urge to cry.

  He takes my hand and tips my chin up with a finger. “Can I reach in your purse to get your cell and call Tristan?”

  I nod and croak out my passcode so he can unlock the phone. I focus on long slow breaths until a siren blare announces the ambulance. Henry gets up and begins to clear people out of the way. He kneels beside my chair and takes my hand. “I’m going to be right by your side until Tristan comes. It’s going to be okay.”

  Hot tears roll down my cheeks because I don’t think it is. I’m afraid I’m losing my child, but I say, “Thank you.”

  Henry offers me a wry smile and wipes a tear from my cheek. “You’re welcome.” He steps out of the way as a paramedic swoops in to help me onto a stretcher.

  The ride to the hospital goes by in a blur as I answer questions. They give me a light sedative, and by the time I’m being wheeled into the emergency room my pain is bearable. Tristan rushes over to me and grabs my hand. His expression is fearful, and his grip is strong. I hear terror in his voice when he says, “Cassie.”

  “It’s the baby, Tristan.” I squeeze his fingers. “I’m so scared.”

  “Sir, you’re going to have to wait out here,” says a nurse as I’m wheeled toward the emergency room doors.

  “But I’m her husband,” says Tristan.