โ Scribed by Bristol, Cara
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
How to lose an alien in fourteen days
Matchmaker Jessie Hancock has a perfect record helping others find their Mr. or Ms. Right through the Intergalactic Dating Agency until Caid arrives. The sinfully handsome, smooth-talking alien is everything sheโs dreamed ofโbut canโt have. Even if he was interested in a curvy, freckle-faced redheaded wallflower, itโs forbidden for employees to date clients, so she works hard to find him a woman. But when none of the dates meets with his approval, her boss gives her an ultimatumโfind Caid a match or else! With her heart breaking and her job on the line, she launches a plan to introduce Caid to a woman heโll find irresistible.
The instant Caid from planet Dakon lays eyes on Jessie with the beautiful orange hair, he knows the Fates have chosen her for him. To get closer to her, he goes along with her attempts to โmatchโ him with someone else while doing his best to charm her and convince her theyโre meant for each other. Despite his efforts, she continues to insist she canโt be his mate. Now time is running out, and if he canโt up his game, heโll lose her forever.
Dakonian Alien Mail Order Brides is a new science fiction romance series and a spin-off from the Alien Mate series. In the Alien Mate books, Earth women travel to planet Dakon to become the mail order brides of aliens. In this new series, the Dakonians come to Earth through the Intergalactic Dating Agency to find their human mates.
**
*An excerpt from CAID: Dakonian Alien Mail Order Brides #3 *
Taking a deep breath, I pasted a bright smile on my face andopened the door. "Caid? Sorry for keeping you waiting. You can come in now."
Sprawled in a chair, the Dakonian flashed a sinful smile."No problem, beautiful. You're worth the wait." He lumbered to his feet andsauntered into my office, ducking to avoid hitting his head.
"What's that smell?" I sniffed.
"Panther Cologne...the scent that drives women wild. Is itworking?" He winked, leaned in close, and whispered, "You dropped something."
I glanced at the floor, and my hand went to my ear. No, notmy earring. "What?"
"A piece of my heart." Dark-brown eyes fixed on my face, andleathery horns pulsed.
Pickup lines didn't get any cheesier, and this alienLothario probably flirted with every woman, but my breathing hitched, and mycheeks heated.
"Sit down, Caid." I gestured to a chair and shut thedoor--then opened it to signal he shouldn't get any ideas. Then I shut it again.I never knew what would come out of his mouth.
"Something wrong with the door?" He folded himself into thetoo-small guest chair but managed to look perfectly comfortable.
And sexy-as-sin. Forget six-pack abs, Caid had a wholefreakin' case of muscles. Most Dakonians preferred their native attire,buckskins made from kel , an animal ontheir planet, but, Caid had adopted Earth fashion from the beginning. Today he wore a black Henley that tautened across his broad,brawny chest and bulging guns. He stretched out his long, powerful legs, and Icouldn't help but notice how his faded blue jeans cupped him in all the placesI shouldn't be checking out.
I tore my gaze away and took cover behind my desk. "So, youhad a date last night. With"--I pretended to check my computer--"Loretta."
Ialready had the deets on the summacum laude Miss Galaxy winner who'd surrendered her crown to found anorganization to end world hunger. I'd handpicked her for him. She was slim,beautiful, accomplished, personable, poised--everything I wasn't. Ifreincarnation existed, I hoped I came back as Loretta. "How did it go? Did youlike her?"
Muscles flexed as he shrugged his broad shoulders, and mymouth went dry. Every woman's dream, he was way out of my league. Who was Ikidding? I had no league; I couldn't even attract the bottom feeders.
"She was okay. Just not my type," he said.
Instead of consternation, I felt wrongfully relieved. I have to get over this stupid infatuation. I had to prepare myself, because, despite his pickiness, the day would come whenCaid would meet his "mate" and fall head over heels in love. What would I dothen?
Do my job. Just do myjob. Provided I still had one to do. I had to make this work!
"Did you give her a chance?" I asked.**
"Yes."
I squinted, tilting my chin upward. "Tell me about thedate."
"I met her for dinner at Luigi's Italian Restaurant. When Iarrived, she was sitting at a table by the window. I approached her and toldher she wasn't my mate, and I couldn't continue with the date."
"That's not giving her a chance!" He brought new meaning tothe phrase "speed dating." I massaged my temples. How in the galaxy could Ifind him a match when he didn't stick around long enough for attraction to kickin?
He leaned forward. "Did it hurt?"
"Did what hurt?"
"When you fell from heaven." His horns twitched, and hischeeks dimpled with an impish grin. "Because you're an angel."
Caid didn't like me. He only thought he did. I hadaccidentally been insinuated into the process. Like many players, he desiredwhat he couldn't have. Even if I could date him--which I couldn't due to IDArules--he'd drop me in an instant once I showed an interest.
I'd informed him up front I couldn't be his mate. After adozen failed matches, I'd gently suggested he might prefer to opt out of theprogram, but he'd insisted on continuing.
So, what did hewant?
"Do you know what heaven is? What an angel is?" Thoseweren't concepts his people were familiar with. Dakonians didn't have heaven orhell or gods or angels.
They believed in the "Fates," a supernatural energy guidingpeople to their lifemates--which hindered my ability to match Caid. Although thecomputer identified compatible women based on IDA personality assessmenttesting, Caid seemed to expect the Fates to shout in his ear, "This is theone!" So certain of his belief, he hadn't given the women a fighting chance.
"Heaven is the sky. An angel is a beautiful being withwings." He looked at me. "You don't have wings, but the moment I met you, youmade my heart flutter."
"Where are you getting this stuff?" You expected that kindof a come-on from a bothersome man whose gold chains got lost in a rat's nestof chest hair displayed under his unbuttoned, shiny polyester shirt--like acentury or two ago. Uttered in a Dakonian accent by a seven-foot-tall alienwith pulsing horns, and a seductive, yet somehow innocent smile, it sounded...damn him...charming. "Is that how yougreet your dates?"
"Just you, boo." His cheeks dimpled.
What was I going to do with him? In truth, the IDA'spersonality assessment and compatibility software beat out old-fashioned datingfor finding love matches by ten to one. Clients usually found their Mr. or Ms.Right in the first match. Rarely did it require more than two. Most likely Caidalready had met his "Fated" mate, but hadn't given her the time of day.
Chemistry provided the glue that bonded couples until truelove could grow, but even lust required longer than ten seconds to develop.
If he'd hang around long enough to get to know his date, hemight realize there was something there. If I could get him to give the women asecond chance...
And bingo! An idea came to me.
"We're going to do something different," I said. "I'm goingto throw a mixer for you." I'd pull a shortlist of previous matches with thehighest compatibility ratings and bring them together in one room. He'd have tospend at least a few minutes with each woman. I would be there to enforce it.
"What's a mixer?" he asked.
"It's a small cocktail party, ten to twelve people. You'llbe the guest of honor. I'm going to invite some of the women you've alreadymet." Hopefully, he hadn't offended them too badly, and I could get them tocome. I had to be prepared for some nos. Fortunately, he'd left me with a longlist to choose from.
Shaking his head, he opened his mouth. "N--"
"I'll be there."
If I had to offer myself as bait, I'd do it. I couldn't losemy job over this. Attending the mixer would allow me to observe his behaviorand nudge him in the right direction.
He believed in the Fates; I believed in the IDA'sassessment.
He smiled. "In that case, sugar, I'll go." Ordinary words,but in his husky, suggestive tone, it sounded almost indecent. When this manswitched on the charm, he could melt the panties off a nun.
The mixer would do the trick. I could feel it in my bones.Caid would meet his match and fall in love, and I could close out this case andsave my job. I only hoped my heart wouldn't get broken in the process.
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