Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador Read Online Free PDF Page B

important. I was always an embarrassment to him and hidden away when there were parties or political functions. The few times he took me he swore he would never do it again, but the public expected to see both of his daughters with him when he went out. He tolerated me for the voters’ sakes. The only mates he thought would be suitable for me were men old enough to be my grandfather.”
    “The more I learn of your father, the more I dislike the man. You’re not something to be hidden away. Any male worthy of you would be honored to have you by his side.”
    “I talk funny.”
    “I like the way you talk.”
    The heated look in his eyes said he liked a lot more than that, but it warmed her from the inside out. Charlotte had never believed in love at first sight, despite all the romance novels she’d read as a teen and adult, but if anyone could make a believer out of her, it would be Borgoz. He was stunning to look at, funny, and he seemed to genuinely like her.
    Now she just had to convince him that she was worth keeping.
    “Are you ready to shop?” he asked, eyeing her empty plate.
    “You really don’t have to take me around the stores.”
    His lips twitched. “Is this where you point out again how busy I am? Or are you inferring that you aren’t worth my time?”
    Her eyes widened because that hadn’t been her intention. If anything, she wanted him to see her as very worthy of putting work aside. But on Earth, men hated to shop. Were the aliens really that different? She’d assumed all males detested shopping with women.
    Borgoz rose from the table and held out his hand, helping her to her feet. Then, he surprised her even more when he wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her out into the sunshine, or what was left of it. The multiple suns were setting, casting the sky into beautiful shades of pink and orange.
    Charlotte might have leaned a little closer to Borgoz as they walked to the nearby shops, and she might have sniffed at his heavenly scent a few -- hundred -- times. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had turned her on, but none of those encounters had ever ended well. The men who dated Charlotte really just wanted to secure their future in politics, and thought by taking out the Senator’s deaf daughter, they would score some points. It hadn’t ended well for them or her.
    “You look sad,” Borgoz said. “I thought you’d enjoy shopping.”
    “I do. I was just remembering something.” She smiled. “I’ll try not to think about the past so much. It’s full of unpleasant memories.”
    “No sad memories. I want your time here to be happy. Besides, once you start meeting eligible males, you won’t have time to be sad. It will be one -- what’s that Earth term? Date? -- yes, one date after another.”
    She sighed and tried to muster a smile for him. It wasn’t that she would mind going on a date, but she didn’t want to date multiple men. She only wanted to date one man. The one walking beside her right now. But something told her if she said as much to him, he’d run the other direction. She needed to work on him subtly, try to worm her way into his heart, until he realized that he couldn’t live without her.
    “Borgoz, what will happen to me if I don’t find a mate here? What if I don’t get along with your councilmen or warriors? What if they don’t like the way I talk or that I can’t always hear everything they say? What if they think I’m defective, just like everyone on Earth did?”
    He drew her to a halt and then turned her to face him. “Charlotte, I’ve told you our males are different from your men on Earth. You’re going to make some lucky Terran a terrific mate, and I know there will be several males who wish to have that honor. You’re going to have your choice of who you spend the rest of your life with, so don’t think for a moment that no one will want you.”
    “What if I don’t want them?”
    He seemed momentarily startled. “You don’t wish