Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador by Jessica Coulter Smith Page A

everything that had been said. As tears streamed down her cheeks, she begged for him to find her a place to live. Someplace away from Borgoz. Knowing he was under the same roof was too much temptation. And far too painful. Charlotte knew that putting distance between them wouldn’t stop the ache in her heart, but maybe it would buy her some time before he found out about the baby. And just maybe, he’d come running after her and realize he couldn’t live without her.
    “Get some rest, Charlotte. I’ll come for you in the morning so have your things packed. I’ll get you approved for a suite in the building where single females stay who are seeking a mate. Even though you don’t want one, you might like having the other women around. I’ll put out the word that you are no longer here to mate with someone and that should keep the males from pestering you.”
    “Thank you, Larimar.”
    “You know, it’s only a matter of time before he finds out about the baby.”
    “I’m hoping he comes after me before then. I don’t want to mate with him because of the baby. I want him to want me . Is that really too much to ask? To be wanted?”
    “No, Charlotte,” Larimar said softly. “That isn’t too much to ask. Borgoz is a fool if he can’t see what he has right under his nose. If you weren’t in love with him, I’d have convinced you to be mine, but I could tell from the very first that you were already taken.”

Chapter Eight
     
    Borgoz stood on the balcony for hours after Charlotte had left his suite, time spent gripping the railing to keep himself from going after her. Watching her walk away had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, but it was for the best. She would eventually come to her senses and settle for a younger male, one who had more time to devote to her and a family. Never before had Borgoz resented his position, but this one time he wished he wasn’t the ruler of Zelthrane-3. The council could easily run without him, but his was the voice of reason, the final say on all matters pertaining to their world. If he stepped down, he wasn’t sure who would take over.
    Startled, he realized that, for the first time in his life, he was actually thinking of abdicating his position. But even that wouldn’t solve all of their problems. He was years older than Charlotte. She needed someone closer to her own age, someone who would enjoy going on all of the outings she seemed to like. He was too old and set in his ways to change now. Wasn’t he?
    As the suns crept over the horizon, he realized he’d spent another night thinking about Charlotte instead of sleeping. He’d barely slept at all since their previous night together. And when he did, he dreamed of her. She haunted him whether he was awake or asleep. It was wrong of him to spy on her, but he’d found he couldn’t help himself. Every time she returned from an outing with Larimar, he’d hidden in the shadows and watched, wondering if she enjoyed her time with him more than her time with Borgoz.
    Every smile she gave Larimar was like a knife in Borgoz’s heart. Every touch filled him with despair that she would never touch him that way again. He couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and no matter how many hours he spent in his office, he didn’t get very much work done because he spent all of his time pining after Charlotte.
    What if she was right? What if they could have something together? Maybe he was being ridiculous, pushing her away when he should be pulling her closer. He hadn’t missed the tears in her eyes or the look of devastation on her face as she’d turned from him last night. By denying what he wanted, what he needed , he was punishing them both. He’d promised to watch over her, take care of her, and now he was hurting her. Would her father approve of a match between them? Or would the man even care, as little as he seemed to care about Charlotte.
    Borgoz turned on the Vid-Comm and recorded a message to be sent to the