my skin before I set foot out of my bedroom.
Covered.
I wasn’t smooth-skinned and stunning like the other ladies. Queen Jessica was the perfect, Barbie blonde. Rachel had that dark hair and skin the color of a perfect latte going on. Lindsey, Kristin and Caroline were fair, like me, but they weren’t cursed with a road map of spots covering every inch of their bodies. I shouldn’t even get started about Mikki, with her perfectly straight black hair and petite, athletic surfer’s body. She didn’t have a speck of cellulite.
“That’s… impressive.” I ran my hand over my hair, which had been pulled back into a pretty twist I’d thought would show off my bare shoulders.
No, not bare. Covered in makeup. And the twist had been just as much about hiding the wild curls as about the overall look. Not that my plan had worked. My hair had a mind of its own, and my face was framed with escapees.
Who was I kidding right now? I wasn’t ready to reveal myself to these two godlike warriors.
I was not what these aliens expected from a human female. I didn’t look like any of the others, nor surely any females they might have met in the Coalition. If the freckles weren’t enough, the red curls pushed me over the edge from cute to… odd. Even the queen of Viken had straight, perfect red hair and unmarked skin. I looked like a road map without the roads connecting the dots.
Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all.
Or maybe I could do this and not get naked? Would they do me in my dress?
Nik held out his hand, and I realized I’d been standing like a mute, staring at him for far too long. Not wanting to give myself time to panic, I stepped closer and placed my hand in his. His huge, warm fingers wrapped around mine, and something inside me settled instantly. Like he’d just unplugged the panic button and set me on a slow, warm simmer.
I could do this. If they didn’t like me, I never had to see them again. One and done.
“We do not have the advantage of a mating collar surrounding your neck, Lady Lucy,” Nik said, his voice calm and even. Yeah, I doubted he was having body image issues right about now. I doubted either guy was modest. “We do not know what you are feeling. You will have to tell us.”
Oh shit. “Mating collar?” I squeaked, then swallowed hard. “I don’t want a mating collar.” Just to make that perfectly clear. This was a one-night stand. Mikki, Kristin and Rachel all had a collar, and I knew what it meant, the power of it. “I have to return to The Colony after the birthday ball. I’m only here for two more days. Two days.”
“You must return there for your work?” Niklas asked.
I put my hand to my chest. “Me? No. On Earth I cut and styled women’s hair. Well, some guys, too. I worked with Olivia on the Bachelor Beast show doing makeup. I’m a makeup artist and hairstylist.”
Sam’s pale brows winged up. “I’ve heard of the Earth comm program. It is fortunate I am not an Atlan, as that did not sound enjoyable for Warlord Wulf.”
I shrugged. “He found his mate, so he thinks it was worth it.”
Both of them looked me over. “Yes, I can understand,” Nik said, glancing at my hair. “Did you style yourself tonight?”
I patted my curls. “Yes.”
“The color is lovely. Everything about you is beautiful. Is styling females necessary on The Colony?”
I held up my hand to stop his words. “Necessary? No. Not on The Colony. There are only a few women. Besides, my goal is bigger than just being a stylist.”
“Oh?” Sam asked. “What is your desire?”
“To run a spa. A place for women—females—to go to relax, to pamper their bodies and make themselves feel confident and beautiful. I want to give them a place to take care of themselves.”
“That is a mate’s job,” Nik added.
“No. It’s really not. If a woman feels good about herself, then that comes out in everything she does. I want to help with that.”
“You wish to care for others’ health and well-being. Your goal is admirable.”
I gave Niklas a funny look. “Admirable? I’m talking about makeovers and massages. What you guys do is admirable.”
Sam stepped up behind me, his hands gentle as he placed them on my shoulders. I could feel the heat radiating from him. “If not for this work, then why must