Maid for an Alien Prince (Intergalactic Exchange Program, #1)

by Roxie Ray

I didn’t even care that what I was doing now might make me late for a meeting I’d been planning for weeks. I didn’t know who she was, what type of service she was auctioning. I only knew one thing. That I wanted to purchase her contract, no matter the price.

“I used my position for my own selfish desires,” I admitted. “And I’m not even sure why. I don’t know what came over me. All I knew was that I couldn’t leave without her on my ship.”

“He really is a good man,” Dina said as she took the vegetables I’d chopped and added them to a flavored broth. “One of the good ones, truly. In fact, he has more than his fair share of women—human and Hollander both—who have their eye on him.”

How I felt this overwhelming urge to treat her like a princess—my princess.

“If you had any class whatsoever,” Yivonne said, fuming, “you would immediately request to be moved to the maids’ house.” “Brittany is exactly where she’s supposed to be,” a familiar deep voice said, and my body went on high alert. Niall.

“You don’t have to pretend with me, Brittany. I’m pretty sure you don’t like her any more than I do.” She looked at me then, mouth parted slightly, which made me chuckle once more. “Yivonne is spoiled, pretentious, and everything you’d expect from the only daughter of one of our planet’s wealthiest merchants. She’s never lacked for anything and has almost certainly always gotten anything she wanted. Her family isn’t much better.” “Wow,” she said. “You really don’t think that highly of her, do you? I’m not sure your mother has gotten the memo, though.”

Something was shifting between us, and for the first time, I had reason to believe she might actually be interested in me. Even if she did deny it or try to fight it. That was enough—for now. Besides, I was still trying to figure out what I thought about all of this mating gene stuff and what it meant for the two of us.

A look of relief washed over his chiseled features. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. You just looked so… For a minute I thought—” He sucked in a breath. “I just had to make sure you were okay.”

“You can’t look at me like that and expect me to be a gentleman, Brittany.”

He took another deliberate step back, dropping his hands from my waist, and I could see the war raging within him. He swallowed, then spoke, his voice rough and gravelly. “I won’t cross any lines you’ve drawn, Brittany… But I can’t bring myself to regret that kiss.”

The draw to her was unlike anything I’d ever experienced, and I knew this would only intensify it. Every day that passed, it seemed to increase exponentially. At this rate, I had no choice but to tell her what was going on, and soon, or the pain might become too much to bear. But how was I supposed to tell her I needed her as much as I needed my next breath without scaring her away? I had no idea, but I had to figure that out. And soon, before I lost control completely.

Something swelled in my chest—something different than the usual pull of the mating gene, and I didn’t know what to make of it. The fact that she wanted to cook one of her favorite dishes for me had me smiling a goofy grin, and the urge to reach out and touch her, even just to brush a stray hair back from her face, was hard to resist.

Holding her even tighter, I spoke, my voice rough with emotion. “I promise to always keep a smile on your face, sweetheart.”

I was in love with her and had been perhaps from the first moment I’d seen her. I’d felt it in my bones that morning at Novis Station—that I needed her in my life, that she belonged with me.

But the only thing I knew for certain was that I loved her. And now that I’d found her, I would rather die than lose her. I was in love with Brittany, and if there was any chance at all that I could make this work, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

“I love you, Brittany. I’ve loved you for a while now, I just haven’t had the courage to tell you. I wanted to be sure you were happy here with me. I didn’t want to scare you away, and—” “I love you, too,” I said softly. He paused, absorbing what I said, then a brilliant smile flashed across his face, lighting him up from the inside out.

“The thought of not being with you frightened me more than I thought possible. You’re my mate, Niall, my heart, and I want to spend my life with you.”

“Brittany, with this ring, I promise to love, honor and cherish you above all others. When I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were special, that we were meant to be, and I am forever grateful that you came into my life. You’ve made me a better man, and I will continue to strive to be the best man I can be for you. I vow to love you with all my heart, from now until forever.”

“Niall, you are my everything, and I am equally grateful the universe brought us together. I thought I knew what love was, but I had no idea until I met you. You are the kindest, most generous man I’ve ever known, and I’m looking forward to spending every day for the rest of our lives showing you just how amazing you are. I vow to love you with all of my heart, from now until forever.”