Jacie and the Alien Bodyguard (Intergalactic Brides 6) Read Online Free PDF Page B

properly, but didn’t want to draw attention to it in case it hurt her feelings.
    Jacie’s stomach rumbled again, reminding him that he needed to feed her as quickly as possible. He’d have to ask the doctor if she should be eating more than three meals a day, even though that was standard for both humans and Terrans. He might be her bodyguard, but he was also entrusted to keep her healthy and happy while she sought a mate. Now that she knew Myro wasn’t an option, perhaps she’d get serious about finding someone else. The sooner she was mated, the better.
    “Ready for breakfast?” he asked.
    She nodded and followed him out the door. He should probably ask her preference for a place to eat, but until they spoke with Vyrex, he thought it best to take her to the place that served human food. What if Terran fare upset her stomach? She needed all the nutrients she could get and he wanted to make sure everything she ate stayed down. He’d heard that some human females became sick when they were pregnant and threw their food back up. Thankfully, that hadn’t happened with Jacie last night. It probably would have scared ten years off his life if it had.
    When they stepped inside, they claimed the same table as the previous night. Now that Jacie knew what to expect, he watched as she made her food selections, then made his own. While they waited on their food, she looked around the room. Everywhere but at Barimere, and he wondered if he’d said or done something to make her uneasy.
    “Are you all right, Jacie?” he asked.
    Her wide blue eyes met his gaze. “I’m fine. Just hungry.”
    “I didn’t do something to upset you?”
    “No, I just…” She nibbled her lower lip.
    “You just what?”
    “I’m feeling the sexual tension between us and I’m not sure what to do about it. You’ve made it clear you aren’t looking for a mate by keeping me at arm’s length, even though it’s obvious you desire me. And if I have to choose someone to live with the rest of my life, I need to be able to go to them, free of any desire for anyone else.”
    His jaw dropped a little. Sexual tension? Was she trying to say she was sexually attracted to him? Barimere wasn’t sure what to do with that knowledge. While he’d love to spend a night in her bed, he knew it would never last. Even if she said she wanted to become his mate, he knew one day she would regret it. He couldn’t give her additional children, and she’d have to see his scarred body every day.
    “I shouldn’t have brought it up,” she muttered. “Just forget I said anything. You might want to sleep with me, but we both know you don’t want anything else from me.”
    Barimere wasn’t sure if he should correct her or not. If she thought for one moment that he might desire something more permanent with her, she would throw her future away to stay with him. He was fairly certain of that. But it would be a disservice to her. She deserved someone whole, a warrior who could still serve their world on missions and not get left behind. He was half the male he’d once been. The stares around him never went unnoticed. Jacie should be with someone as lovely as she was, not some monster people talked about behind her back. Hell, he wasn’t even sure they would bother to hide their comments from her.
    Their food arrived and they ate in silence as he contemplated their situation. If she truly desired him, and thought she might want to spend her life with him, he would consider it. But only if she went on a few dates with other warriors first, to make sure she didn’t feel any sparks with anyone else. If she went out with males who were unblemished, who could still fight if war started, and after that still wanted to be with him, then Barimere would consider taking her as his mate.
    The fact she was pregnant was a blessing to him. He’d never thought to have a half-Terran child and had resigned himself to adopting from the Intergalactic Adoption Agency, but the idea of