filled out and shaped. The same peach shade kisses my cheeks, and my lips are perfectly filled with a natural pink tone.
I find what is unmistakably a brush and run it through my hair. After brushing out my curly red locks for a few minutes, I look in the mirror and find that my curls are shinier, bouncier, and more manageable than I’ve ever been able to achieve in my entire twenty-seven years of life.
I’m so distracted by my appearance that I jump when the AI informs me someone is at my door.
10
I hurry to the door and tell the AI to let it open. I take a step back when the panel recedes and reveals who is standing on the other side. It’s the captain. I let out a startled squeak, immediately mortified, wondering why this gorgeous man is here in my dorm.
“Doris Gray,” he says in a low rumble.
“Hi. You’re the captain who saved us. How can I help you?” All that’s running through my mind is how stupid I sound.
“I am Captain Jaxxo Noru,” he says with a slight bow, his eyes never leaving me.
A hot wave of awareness washes over me as his eyes scan my face, my body, and the flesh of my chest revealed by the low-sweeping neckline.
“I see you’ve found the Martian garments. I hope they are to your liking.”
“Yes. They’re nice.” Every word out of my mouth sounds like total garbage. It’s like I’m a twelve-year-old fangirl talking to my rock star crush. I start sweating under my gown, and I’m sure he can see it breaking out on my brow.
“May I come in?” he asks.
“Yes. Of course.”
I stand back and allow him to enter my suite. The AI closes the door automatically behind him. We stand staring at each other in the sitting room. My heart pounds. I can’t imagine why he’s here. He steps closer, his deep blue eyes bright with an inner fire. The scent of his body intoxicates me.
I go weak in the knees, like I’ve lost my balance. My body becomes tightly aware of his masculine presence. He stands at least a foot taller than me. His shoulder span would cast me in shadow if there were any in this well-lit room.
I gulp, trying to remember that I am a civilized person and not a teenage groupie.
“Can I get you something to drink?” I take a step back and turn to the replicator. “I’m having wine.”
“I will have the same.”
I replicate us both glasses of chilled Chardonnay and carry them to the living room where he’s still standing at attention. My eyes slide over his frame, catching for too long on the bulge between his legs. My eyes widen, and I look away with a blush. I try to get a grip on myself. But if my eyes aren’t deceiving me, he’s as aroused by this meeting as I am.
“Have a seat,” I say, handing him the glass. I must sit down before my legs go out. “What brings you to my humble abode?” I take a long swig of wine. I seriously can’t deal with my own lameness right now.
“I have important news,” he says, sipping from his own glass. He sits forward in his chair as if he might bolt from it at any moment. I get the sense that he’s like a crouched tiger, always ready to strike. I take a deep breath, flushing at the thought of him pouncing on me.
Maybe I should be more intimidated by all this. Maybe I should be terrified or angry or confused. I think I am all those things on some level. But after what happened in the library, and our imprisonment by the Mantis, I am more than grateful to have ended up here.
I feel hot and flushed, gazing into his eyes as I drink my cool wine. I wish it would cool me down more than it is. Instead, the alcohol fills me with even more of this buzzing heat.
“What news is that?” I ask.
As he is about to speak, I am sure I know what it is. My heart races in my ears, and I can barely hear him when he says the words.
“You and I have been matched. We are to be mated. To produce a child. Children. For Mars.”
“I…” I stare dumbly at this Martian who looks like an ancient god carved out of marble. I might appear pretty, dressed up in these exotic clothes, but underneath, I’m still the same old