Inferno: Alien Castaways 5 (Intergalactic Dating Agency) by Cara Bristol

Author:Cara Bristol [Bristol, Cara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cara Bristol
Published: 2021-06-24T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Mandy set a mug of mocha in front of Inferno and settled onto the opposite sofa. “Things not going well with Geneva?” she asked.

“You can see that?” He sipped the chocolatey coffee. She’d fixed it exactly the way he liked it—sweet.

“If you mean did I have a vision, then no. It’s written all over your face. I’ve never seen a man so despondent.”

He’d stopped by the Inner Journey before the store opened. Once customers descended, Mandy would be too busy to talk. He needed advice. While his brothers were sympathetic to his plight, none of them had had to deal with rejection. And Tigre was unmated. Crying to him felt like he was rubbing salt into the wound. Tigre probably wished he had Inferno’s problem.

Mandy was a wise woman with the gift of second sight. She would be the most likely person to have a solution.

“When I think I’m making progress, I fall behind,” he explained.

“What happened?”

“We mated, and then she said she needed time and space.” He tapped his chest. “The bond between us is so strong, I don’t understand why she can’t feel it. How can we be genmates and her not realize it?”

“Shadow and I didn’t.”

“But you were drawn to each other. Even believing you weren’t meant to be together, you couldn’t stay away from each other.”

“Humans don’t move as fast as ’Topians. Humans prefer to choose their mates. At least they like to think they do. Geneva is skeptical by nature. She’s cautious and methodical. The fact she’s slept with you is big! Until you came along, she didn’t believe aliens were real. You’ve achieved tremendous progress with her. Give her time to trust her own feelings.”

“So what do I do in the meantime?”

“Don’t give up. Be a steady presence. Be there for her. Let her get to know you at her pace.”

“What if she never comes around?” That was his biggest fear.

“It’s way too soon to worry about never or always. Spend time with her, but don’t be pushy.”

“Be a presence.”

“Yes.” Mandy coughed into the crook of her elbow then wrinkled her nose. “Do you smell smoke? Something burning?” She glanced around the shop.

He sniffed, smelling herbs, aromatherapies, candles, and potpourris. “No.”

She shrugged. “Must have been a vision because I don’t smell it anymore.”

A couple of women came up to the store and pressed their noses against the glass. Mandy patted his hand. “I need to open up; we can talk in between customers.”

“No, I’m all right. I don’t want to distract you anymore.” He downed the last of the mocha and slid out of the booth. “Thank you for the mocha and for talking with me.”

Mandy let the customers in, and Inferno left.

Be a presence. I have to be a presence.

* * * *

After Inferno had gone home, Geneva had tossed and turned into the night, her emotions pushed and pulled in two directions. Move forward? Or retreat? Surrender to emotion? Or listen to her head? She felt guilty for hurting him.

He’d practically asked her to marry him.

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