Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador (3 page)

She meekly followed the doctor into a back room and stretched out on the table at his direction. He explained the procedure to her before giving her some gas to put her to sleep. When next she woke, her wrist and the back of her ear hurt a little, but otherwise she couldn’t tell she’d had anything done.

Charlotte found the other male pacing in the lobby.

“Can you understand me now?” he asked.

She nodded.

“I have a translator, so I understood everything you told the doctor. You’re not Charity Mayweather, are you?”

“Charity is my younger sister.”

The Terran’s face flushed with anger. “Your father lied to me. He said he was sending Charity here to find a husband, not her deaf older sister.”

She felt shame burn through her as she realized she was about to be cast aside again. Charlotte knew she should be accustomed to it by now but it still hurt, knowing she wasn’t good enough for yet one more man.

“If you send me back to Earth, I’ll be homeless,” she said. “My father said if I didn’t come here and find a husband, I would be thrown out of the house and all my accounts would be closed.”

The Terran muttered something, raked a hand through his waist-length hair, and then faced her with his hands on his hips. “I’m Chief Councilor Borgoz and you’ll be staying in my home. You may not be the sister I was expecting, but I’m not about to leave you stranded here. Especially with your condition.”

“I’m deaf, not stupid.”

The harshness of his face relaxed into an apologetic look. “I didn’t mean to imply that you were stupid, but there are many dangers on a new world for anyone, much less someone who can’t hear. I didn’t mean to make you feel unwanted or as if you were a burden.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time in my life I’ve felt that way.”

His gaze narrowed. “Your father made you feel unwanted?”

“And my sister. Be thankful she didn’t come in my place. She’s a spoiled, selfish brat who always has to get her way or she screams and throws things.” It felt good to be honest about her sister without fear of being punished. Everyone always treated Charity as if she was a princess, and Charlotte was tired of it.

“Right. Well, let’s get you settled. I’m sure you’ll want more things than what you brought with you. Once you’ve had a chance to put your belongings away, I’ll take you shopping for anything you had to leave behind.”

“I don’t need much. As long as you have something to wash with, I’ll be fine. I have enough clothes to last a week before I’ll have to do laundry.”

“An Earth week is seven days, correct?”

She nodded.

“A Terran week is eleven days. You’ll need more clothes. Things are different here on Terran. We don’t have machines in our homes to launder our clothes, and the shop in town that handles it is usually busy. You’ll want as many outfits as possible.”

He crooked his elbow and she curled her hand around it, watching as he hefted her bag as easily if it contained no more than feathers.

Charlotte tried to take in the scenery as they walked through Terran Prime. Borgoz explained that, while he had a vehicle to maneuver through the city, he thought she might like the walk to stretch her legs after such a long shuttle ride.

When they reached his home, her jaw dropped as she stared at the massive structure. She’d lived in a mansion all her life, but Borgoz’s home surpassed that of her father’s by a fourth floor and probably another twenty feet in width. She tried not to stumble over her feet as he led her up the stairs and into his home. Charlotte looked everywhere, not wanting to miss a thing.

Borgoz handed her bag to another male, and they followed him up the stairs to her room. It was twice the size of her bedroom at home with doors that opened onto a balcony overlooking a garden. It was gorgeous, and for the first time in her life she felt lucky. She was glad her father had sent her here, and had hope that her future would be bright and wonderful.

She turned from the fantastic view to find Borgoz studying her. Charlotte couldn’t guess his age. There were no wrinkles on his face, but the silver in his hair told her he was probably forty at the least. But then, she didn’t know how Terrans aged. For all she knew, he was pushing seventy like the vile old man her father had tried to force her to marry.

Borgoz was a handsome man. His purple eyes were dark like a pansy and quite beautiful. Those eyes were taking her in, and she wondered if he found her lacking like everyone else in her life. If she’d known she was coming to a palace, she may have dressed a little nicer for her trip. She tugged on the hem of her tank and wondered if she should change clothes before going shopping with him. He was being kind enough to give her a place to stay, the least she could do was not embarrass him in front of his people.

“I’ll come back in thirty of your Earth minutes to see if you’ve finished unpacking. If you’re hungry, we can stop for a bite to eat while we’re out and then go shopping. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything you need. If you can’t find me, Helio will help you,” he said, indicating the other male.

“Thank you.”

Borgoz gave her a regal nod and then he exited with his servant.

Left alone, she quickly unpacked and changed into a pretty sundress so she would be appropriately attired for an outing with someone so important, then she spent the rest of her time admiring the view. Charlotte hoped she’d get a chance to walk through that garden and admire the petals of the vibrant flowers close up. This world was amazing and full of new and wonderful things. She couldn’t wait to explore as much of it as she was allowed.

Borgoz could feel his cock rising and hurried out of Charlotte’s room. It had been so long since he’d reacted to a beautiful woman that he’d almost forgotten what it felt like. He was upset with her father for the deception, but he couldn’t hold it against her. She seemed sweet and gentle. Her deafness could pose a slight problem in finding her a suitable match though. Not many would be willing to take on a woman who would need extra care.

You could claim her
. He shook the thought away. She may be older than her twenty-two year old sister, but that didn’t make her old enough to want to marry someone like him. She might be impressed with his house, and might have possibly drooled a little over his garden, but what else did he have to offer her? He spent a large amount of time either at work or in his home office, and Charlotte seemed like the type of woman who would want to spend a lot of time with her mate. He hadn’t been around her much just yet, but she had such a sweet disposition. He imagined with her hearing problem she would need extra help. Borgoz knew he’d never be able to give her what she needed, not with his hectic schedule.

“You want her,” Helio said, a smile on his face. “It’s about time you showed interest in someone. I think I speak for all of the council when I say it is past time for you to take a mate.”

Borgoz frowned at him. “I appreciate your help around the house, Helio, but don’t you dare breathe a word of this to the rest of the council. With any luck, she’ll find a match with one of them. If they think for one moment that I’m interested in her, they won’t even ask her out for a meal, much less consider taking her as a mate.”

“What is so wrong with you taking her for a mate? I saw the way she looked at you. She wasn’t immune to you. There was interest in her eyes.”

Was Helio right?
Doesn’t matter. She deserves better than me
.

“I know that look. Don’t even think she would be better off with someone else. You know you would treat her kindly, despite her affliction. She speaks funny and most won’t give her a second look because of it.”

“She doesn’t speak funny.” Borgoz scowled at him. “I think her way of speaking is pleasant. It’s different from all the other females who have come here seeking a mate, and different is good. Are you saying our males are so small-minded that it will bother them?”

Helio shrugged. “Most will think she’s defective. They would be worried she would pass the trait to their children, especially if she was born that way. Was she?”

“Yes, she said her mother had some condition while she was pregnant causing Charlotte to be born early and deaf. But perhaps it was the mother’s condition that caused the deafness and not genetics. It’s possible Charlotte could have a healthy pregnancy and deliver a hearing child.”

“Would you be willing to take that chance?” Helio asked. “Because many won’t be.”

Damn. He hated to admit it, but Helio had a point. No, it wouldn’t bother Borgoz if he had a child like Charlotte. There was obviously a device in her ear that helped her hear to some degree, and he was certain they could replicate the technology if needed. But would the other council members, those seeking a mate, be as eager to accept a deaf child? Probably not.

“I promised her father that I would see her mated. I intend to uphold my promise. Besides, she said she has nowhere to go. If I send her back to Earth, she’ll be without a home and without a way of supporting herself. Her only chance is to make a match here on Terran.”

Helio smiled.

“What?”

“You can’t even say Terran without a grimace. If you aren’t careful, she’ll realize that isn’t our planet’s true name. And while her mate may wish to tell her that at some point, if you don’t plan to claim her, it isn’t your place to, as the Earth people say, spill the beans.”

Borgoz snorted. “What an odd saying.”

“But you get my point? The only reason we were able to interact with the Earth people so smoothly was by changing our name. You decided it would be better, back before the first communication went out. If they found out we lied to them…”

“I understand.” He looked down at his crotch. “Now that I seem to be more in control of myself, I suppose I should go back for her. I promised to take her shopping, although why I did that, I don’t know. I can’t stand to go shopping, as well you know. Maybe it won’t be so bad with a female at my side, but what do I know of fashion?”

“At least we carry Earth clothes here in all sizes, so she should be able to find something,” Helio said. “Go gather Charlotte and try to have fun. You never know, you may enjoy shopping with her. While you’re out, you should take her somewhere nice to eat. Maybe that Earth style diner? She may not be ready for Terran food just yet. I’ve heard it takes some getting used to.”

“This isn’t a date.”

“Of course not.” Helio smiled. “I never called it a date.”

“Next you’ll want me to take her flowers,” Borgoz grumbled as he walked away.

“Why give her flowers when you can just show her the garden?” Helio called after him.

Borgoz tried to shove the thought from his mind. There were too many hidden corners in the garden, places where a romantic embrace would be too tempting. No, it was better to simply show her the direction of the gardens and let her explore on her own. Keeping his hands to himself was going to be difficult enough in public, but in private? He couldn’t allow himself the pleasure of touching her soft skin, of breathing in her delicate scent. She was far too much of a temptation.

He knocked on her door, unprepared for the vision that greeted him. She stood silhouetted by the sunlight, and he could see all of her delicious curves in the simple dress she wore. The material clung to her, cupping her breasts like he longed to do, then flared out over her hips and stopped above her knees. Despite the amount of cleavage she was showing, it was a rather demure dress compared to what most of the Earth women had been wearing around Terran Prime.

“You look beautiful.” The moment the words slipped past his lips he wanted to smack himself and call them back. He didn’t want her to realize that he wanted her. And he couldn’t deny that he did. Even now, his body was responding to her again. How was he supposed to walk around the city to visit the various shops with his dick tenting his pants?

Her cheeks flushed and she smiled up at him. The look in her eyes did funny things to his heart, and he knew in that moment that he was in way more trouble than he’d first thought. He pulled her hand through the crook of his arm and led her down the main staircase and out into the sun.

“Thank you for taking me shopping,” she said. “I know you must be a busy man.”

“You’re my guest, Charlotte. I want to make sure you’re comfortable and have everything you need. You’ve been traveling for quite a while. Would you like to stop for something to eat before we shop?”

Her stomach rumbled and he smiled.

“I don’t know what time it is here,” she said. “I don’t want to spoil my dinner.”

“It’s a little early for the evening meal, but if you’re hungry we’ll stop now. When we return to the house, you may explore or visit the garden. I’ll have some work to do. I promised your father I would find you a match, but I’m afraid as Chief Councilor, I will always have other responsibilities to see to.”

“I understand. With my father, work always came first. He’s an important man, like you.”

Borgoz wasn’t sure he liked being compared to her father. From what he’d heard, the man was an ass. He wanted Charlotte to see him in a favorable light, even if he wasn’t going to claim her as his mate. Then again, as attracted as he was to her, perhaps it was better if she didn’t like him. If he thought for one moment that she felt even half what he was feeling, Borgoz wasn’t sure he would be able to hold back.

“When would you like to begin meeting eligible males?” he asked.

The light dimmed in her eyes, and he found it curious. Didn’t she want a mate? She’d said it was her last hope, that she had nowhere else to go. Wouldn’t that mean she would want to find someone quickly?

“I suppose the sooner the better,” she said softly. “Are they nice? The males you wish for me to meet?”

Truthfully, he knew the council members in a work setting only, so he couldn’t say for sure if they were nice or not. He knew they could be ruthless when going after what they wanted and when it came to protecting Zelthrane-3, but he doubted she wanted to hear that. No, she wanted to know how they would treat her as a female, and that wasn’t something he could guess on. Zelthranites, or Terrans -- gods but he hated that term -- were known for being kind to females, but he couldn’t promise they wouldn’t treat her like property.