Wanted by the Alien Warden (Cowboy Colony Mail-Order Brides, #4)

by Ursa Dax

Speaking of murder?’” I repeated in disbelief. “What sort of segue is that?!”

“Excuse me,” I said after a long moment. “I’m beginning to believe that I never actually woke up this morning, and this entire conversation has been some kind of stressful fever dream. When I wake up, we’ll have the real call. Have a great day.”

Marrying a killer looked like it was the best damn thing that had ever happened to her. Which was… good?

“I am busy,” he bit out testily. “But I…” “But you what?” White streaked through his eyes, then disappeared. He hitched up his pants by his belt and fiercely uttered the next words. “But I’d make time for you.”

“I will not let you break your butt.” “It’s my butt!”

“I’m not having a mental breakdown!” “We are currently hiding under a blanket in a closet,” Cherry pointed out dryly.

Disappointment about not getting to ask the warden to drop his drawers in the pursuit of my (purely academic!) curiosity.

“Are you calling our homicidal husbands sweet?”

Now stop arguing with me and tell me what sort of jamdanglies you’d like.”

No one had ever told me I deserved anything pretty before.

Oh, no. This was bad. I was having feelings for the warden. Poky, squishy, sappy sorts of feelings.

By all metrics I’d valued most, I was successful beyond my wildest dreams. But sometimes, alone in my cold Elora Station bed, I had to acknowledge how terrifyingly hollow that success felt now that it was actually mine.

I sighed internally, wishing that this new Tasha-worshipping voice inside my head would kindly shut up.

Fun. I was having fun. With the alien warden in charge of an entire province of convicted cowboy murderers. Not something I had on my bingo card.

Us. Together. In the tent. The singular tent.

There was only one tent!!!

What is it with me and baby angels these days? And bats out of hell? You’d think the warden was some ancient demon or fallen god, with all the symbolism my stupid brain was coming up with.

“I’ve got nothing but time out here, Tasha. And if you want it, I can give you it all.”

“No. I don’t want to try the kiss thing with someone,” he said instantly. “I only want to try it with you.”

Tasha had done nothing but rain down her human sweetness upon me. And now, I was all cut up. Broken open. Ravaged as if by a storm. I’d never felt so alive.

“I’ve been wanting to comb this beautiful hair from the very first day I met you.”

“How does it feel,” he murmured, “to be the only one in this world capable of making a Zabrian warden beg?”