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“How about we go one better on that deal? You show me around your ship and let me spend time enjoying your quietness, and I’ll find you your perfect mate.”

Talyn squinted at her. “That’s not a great deal for me. I already know what I want.”

“So do I! If it doesn’t hurt you, I’d like some more. A few hours, that’s all I ask.” She’d be willing to beg to get another shot of calm from Talyn.

“Will that help you to make up your mind?”

Sinead wasn’t sure what he meant. “I already know you’ll make a suitable candidate for My Single Alien. I’ll bring the contract, and we can sort everything on the ship.”

Talyn nodded slowly. “Then we have a deal.”

“Great!”

He raised his eyebrows. “Are you certain about this? You don’t even know me.”

“Of course. You seem like a guy who knows his own mind, and I’m the same. When I want something, I go for it.” She flashed him a big smile.

Talyn tapped his fingers on the table and nodded.

“How about I come by at the end of the day? It’ll take me all day to sort everything out and push things through. You might like to go to the induction starting soon to give yourself time to think about this.”

He grimaced and shook his head. “Do I have to?”

“It won’t do any harm. And you’ll get a real flavor of My Single Alien. Joining with a human will be a new experience for you. You don’t want to give her a fright on your wedding night.”

“Why would I frighten my mate on our wedding night?”

Sinead chuckled. “We all do things a little differently in the bedroom. We spend a whole day on female anatomy to ensure both parties get a pleasurable experience when they join intimately. That’s one not to miss. Avril Anwell takes the classes, and she’s great. You’ll learn a lot from her.”

When Talyn didn’t reply, Sinead grabbed his hand again. A sigh slipped from her lips. There it was again, that amazing feeling of calm. “A deal’s a deal. I’ll get you your perfect woman, and you go to the induction. We’ll meet later at your ship and finalize everything.”

He looked at their joined hands. “She doesn’t have to be perfect, just good enough.”

“Don’t set your sights so low.” Sinead reveled in the peace in her mind. “The perfect woman is waiting in the stars for a gorgeous alien to sweep her off her feet and show her an amazing time.”

“Will she settle for a comfortable ship and travel through the stars for a few years?”

Sinead smiled. She’d always wanted more space adventures. She enjoyed her time on Prodigy, but there was so much to explore. She hadn’t even been through the wormhole. She knew there was a war raging in certain sectors, but more planets were becoming stable and safe. She’d love to see all the amazing cultures.

“You know, if you keep on like this, I’ll have to beat off the competition and sign up to be your mate.”

Talyn nodded. “What competition?”

Sinead reluctantly released her hold on Talyn’s hand, and the chatter in her head returned. “We’ll just have to see if we can make that happen.” She fluttered her lashes at him. A little flirting always made things smoother.

Talyn scratched his head. “Whatever works best for you.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “I’ll meet you at the ship at eight.”

Sinead watched him walk away. He seemed almost immune to her flirting. But Talyn was a decent guy. She’d have no trouble finding him a good mate. He was easy on the eye, and when he relaxed, he was interesting to talk to. And the way he’d filled her with such calm, she could handle a lot of that in her life.

When she was ready to settle, she might have to pick a Lillip.

Sinead finished her coffee, did a final check of her make-up, and hurried to the My Single Alien office. She was looking forward to tonight. She’d beat everyone in making the first match and get to spend more time with Talyn. Things were looking up.

Chapter 4

Talyn had fought as hard as he could, but his brain was shutting down. Nothing he drank or ate kept him awake. He had to sleep. It would only be for a short time, just enough sleep to survive.

He collapsed on the bed in his quarters, his head aching and eyes throbbing. What nightmares would come to him? They were always a variation on the same theme. His mom haunted his sleep. She was always there, vying for his attention, breaking into his thoughts and filling him with her scattered, dark emotions.