Her Alien Hero (1Night Stand) Read Online Free PDF Page B

you’d just tell me what’s going on. I-I won’t tell.”
    “No, don’t tell.” He placed his palm on his forehead and turned away from her. “I should never have done this. This was such a bad idea.”
    The burn of his rejection boiled into anger. Melinda tossed on her dress and shoved the rest of her clothing into her clutch. “Fine, if that’s the way you want this to end. I can be very open-minded, but you don’t seem to care. Have a nice life, whatever the fuck you are.”
    Melinda grabbed her pumps then stormed out of the bedroom and the suite. So much for her fantasy man. He’d dropped in ranking to her worst date ever.

 
     
     
Chapter Six
     
     
    Cooper’s hand shook as he held the phone to his ear. “Tabitha, she knows what I am.”
    “Wait. What?” He heard the confusion in her voice. “Who knows what?”
    “Melinda, my date.” He rubbed his temple, his head pounding. “She knows what I am.”
    “How? Did you tell her?”
    “No!” He regretted yelling right away, worry blocking out all common sense. “She saw my skin, the way it changes. I couldn’t help myself after we…. I’m in trouble.”
    “Why? Did she react badly? Did she run away?”
    “No, I kicked her out before she had the chance.”
    “Cooper….” Her voice remained calm, too calm, the way his mother had spoken to him the night she’d caught him coming inside, wet to the bone, after the grade-nine dance. “Go after her.”
    “And do what?” Restrain her? Make it impossible for her to tell anyone what she’d seen? He would rather move away, go into hiding, than hurt anyone.
    “Tell her you’re sorry and that you overreacted.”
    “I can’t.” He could never fix what he’d said, what she’d seen.
    “Do it. Then, when you’re both back in the suite, tell her the truth.”
    “But—” He’d never told anyone about his extraterrestrial father, been reminded of the consequences of revealing his secret over and over again.
    “Madame Eve would never have set you up with anyone she didn’t believe could handle learning the truth about you. Now, get your ass in gear and go find her.” Tabitha hung up.
    Shit! Melinda had asked him to explain. But he’d panicked, stopped thinking with reason. And kicked out the one woman he might have had a chance with, someone who perhaps wouldn’t fear his alien ancestry. After all, she did write about romances with extraterrestrials.
    After a quick glimpse in the mirror to ensure he’d return to his human image, Cooper slipped on his shoes and grabbed his key card. He didn’t know Melinda’s room number, but he would acquire it. He rushed out the door and down the hall to the stairwell, no patience to wait for the elevator. When he reached the lobby, he sidled up to the front desk.
    A balding, middle-aged man raised an eyebrow at him. “Can I help you?”
    “Yes, I need the room number of Melinda Rose. She left something in my room, and I’d like to return it to her.”
    “You can leave it with me.” The man rested a hand, palm up, on the upper portion of the desk. “I’ll ring her and have her come down and get it.”
    “No.” Cooper stepped back. “It’s a little personal. I’d rather deliver it to her in person.” He didn’t have anything but couldn’t let the desk clerk know.
    “I’m afraid I can’t give you her room number. It goes against hotel policy.”
    “But it’s not as if I’m some stranger off the street. I’m a guest here, too. And I just spent several hours with Melinda. It must have slipped her mind not to tell me which room she’s staying in.”
    “I’m sure.” The clerk pursed his lips and shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
    Cooper threw his hands in the air. “Geez!” How was he supposed to apologize if he couldn’t find her?
    At the ding of the elevator, he instinctively peered over at the opening doors. Melinda strolled out, her hair rolled up in a bun, and her lips a brighter red than when she’d