Khol (Rescued by the Alien)

19. Nancy

Chapter 19

Nancy

W e put Flora to bed, each of us telling her a story, then went out to the living area, shutting her door behind us.

The wind howled outside, telling me the storm had arrived, but we were safe and comfy inside Khol’s snug home.

“Do you have a better idea now for how long the storm will last?” I asked as I collected Flora’s toys and books and placed them in the wooden box.

“A day or more. I sense it’s a big storm.”

I dropped down onto the sofa, and he joined me, both of us staring forward. I wasn’t much of a TV person, but right now, I’d welcome one if only to distract me from how amazing he smelled, how warm his body was sitting close to mine, and how my heart kept flipping around just because our thighs were touching .

I’d gone from worrying about falling for someone who’d treat me like Richard to falling for Khol who was nothing like the other man. My feelings were changing. He’d plunged into the sea to save us from a pack of sharknados. He’d done all he could to make my daughter happy. He was kind and considerate and thoughtful.

Our kiss had just cemented the feelings in my mind.

I wanted another kiss, but I wasn’t sure how to ask. He’d loved someone deeply, and he was still working through her loss. He might never have room in his heart for someone new.

Without intending to, I’d slipped from liking into something precariously close to love.

Why had I let it happen? I gnashed my teeth and fisted my hands on my thighs. I was a fool. I’d told myself I’d never trust anyone again after what happened. That mistake had given me a precious gift in Flora, but it had also broken my heart.

Or had it?

When was the last time pain had stabbed through me when I thought about Richard?

Not since I was on Earth.

Sometime between focusing on the upcoming birth of my child to caring for her as a single parent, I’d fallen out of love with him. Coming here and meeting Khol had shoved Richard farther away, not only physically but emotionally.

Had I actually ever loved him, or had I been in love with the idea of being in love with someone?

The feelings churning through me right now were stronger than what I’d had for Richard. Sharper. And I suspected much more lasting. Leave it to me to truly fall in love with another male who might never fully want me.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.” My shoulders curled forward. I couldn’t speak. It was all I could do not to cry. Why did I do this to myself again? I thought I’d learned my lesson with—

He cupped my face and gently turned it, making me look his way. “Tell me.”

“You love Weela.”

“I did love Weela.”

See? “You’ll always love her. She was your fated mate. The only woman you’ll ever adore.”

“Nancy.” When I continued to stare at his chest, he tipped my chin up. “Look at me. See me when I speak to you.”

I didn’t dare. Couldn’t he just let me wallow in my misery?

“I loved Weela,” he said. “You’re correct.”

“She was amazing.”

“She was . . . a challenge.”

“What?” Surprised, I looked up. He stared at me with so much warmth that it stole the breath from my lungs. “What does that mean? If you loved her, she was flawless, everything you could have ever dreamed of in a woman.”

“No one is flawless; especially me. Yes, I thought she was perfect. Time can change perspective. I knew back then but ignored that Weela was self-centered. She wasn’t mean. I don’t say that. But she was young. I was too, a year younger than her.”

“How old are you now? ”

“Twenty-six.”

“I’m thirty. Does that bother you?”

His head tilted, and he frowned. “Why would it?”

“Never mind.” Jeez, I had it bad. He wasn’t interested in me that way, so he wouldn’t care that I was four years older than him. “Tell me more about Weela.”

“Her parents indulged her and her older brother adored her. I loved her as well, as a fated mate always does—”

“Wait, what?”

“As a fated mate always does,” he said gently.

“You’re compelled to love your fated mate?”

“A fated mate is a gift.” His sweet smile rose. “It’s a joy to love the one you’re fated to adore until your dying day.”

“Weela.”

He sighed. “I told you I loved her but . . .” His eyes closed and when he opened them again, I saw vulnerability there. A touch of sadness. And hope, something I’d lost when Richard walked out my front door. “I don’t feel the same about her any longer. Is that bad?”

“I don’t feel the same about Richard either.”

“You loved him.”

“Maybe? I thought I did then, but I know I don’t any longer.”

His eyes widened. “You’re saying you have room in your heart . . .”

“For more than him? Totally.”

“Nancy,” he sighed.

What did that mean? “As for not feeling the same way any longer, no, it’s not bad. I think life helps soften the rough edges. It has to, or we wouldn’t be able to go on.”

“I’ve finally put the feelings I had for her into perspective.” His fingers traced down my arms, and I marveled that someone so big and muscular could be this tender. “Do you know how rare it is for someone to have two fated mates in their lifetime?”

“We don’t have fated mates where I come from. Some people do love for a lifetime, though. We call them soulmates, but it’s not the norm.”

“The gods have been good to me. Weela might’ve been my first fated one, but she isn’t my last. That’s you, Nancy. You.”