The Scorpion's Mate (Iriduan Test Subjects #1)

by Susan Trombley

I was deep into my brain candy when the SUV made our first stop at the gas station and both men bailed out of the vehicle—Mike to pay for the gas and John to get snacks.

Romance Books = Brain Candy

Her grin widened as she glanced over at the abandoned romance novel. “Not a fan of Blaze’s Fiery Embrace?” I didn’t want to answer her first question. “The story is so predictable, and the so-called barbarian is such a gentleman when it comes to Tiffany. She travels back in time and meets the one warrior who doesn’t just knock her over the head and drag her back to his cave? Talk about a letdown.”

Despite my complaints about the book, I couldn’t help thinking how nice it must feel to be literally carried away by the man of your dreams. If I could find my perfect man, there would definitely be some carrying involved. Even if I have to hogtie him first to keep him still while he’s slung over my shoulders. I couldn’t stop my grin at the mental image.

“You’d rather read about a caveman, huh?” She grinned wickedly, and it must have been a mirror of my earlier grin. “Remind me when we get back home, and I’ll let you borrow my copy of Priscilla’s Neanderthal.” “I didn’t say I wanted to read a caveman book. I also didn’t say I liked that sort of thing.” In truth, the romance novel depressed me because it reminded me of what I didn’t have—someone wholly devoted to me.

It figured I got abducted by a blue-skinned alien that wasn’t masculine and of the barbarian variety. Oh well, what was one more disappointment? This was so not going like it did in the romance novels.

“Do you ever miss the before-time?” His upper hands stroked over my hair. “No. You weren’t there.”

What had happened to me had been terrible—and remarkable. It had changed my life so drastically that I didn’t think I could ever go back to “normal.” Even my career, my hobbies, and my friends wouldn’t be enough to make me forget that there was an entire galaxy out here filled with crazy aliens, and that one of those aliens had become my lover.

I had no illusions that Thrax would have been able to return with me to Earth, though he would have been a hit at Comicon, and people would have probably assumed his appearance was a phenomenal example of my costume-making talent.