Alien Love Too! (18 page)

       “My love,” Jonathan softly murmured into Melody’s ear as he wrapped an arm around her expanding middle and nuzzled her neck, “you’ve made it a beautiful place once again.”  With his unoccupied hand he indicated the twinkling lights in the patio-garden trees and all the lovely flowers she’d had installed around the pool.  She’d had floral arrangements and living flowering plants woven throughout the rear area and in the main areas of their house. 

       She looked at him with a happy smile and her eyes bright.  “You really like it?”

       Jonathan fought the emotion he was feeling at the moment.  “I had prayed that you might one day grace these places once more.  I had all but given up hope of ever seeing you again, sweetheart, much less you being hostess in our home once more.”

       Kissing his cheek she whispered as she rubbed her belly, “Bet you didn’t think you’d have a son growing inside me again either, huh?”

       His face grew gentle and loving as he bent to kiss her belly.  “Another brilliant son like David, I imagine.”  He caught himself and added, “I should say two wonderful sons.”  Seeing her smile at that he asked, “My love, are you sure you are feeling up to all this excitement?”

       They both saw an excited Jonathan J come down the patio steps.  Seeing them together he stopped, looked away for a few seconds then decided to continue her way. 

       “My baby, you look so beautiful tonight!” Jon J stated as he greeted her with a short kiss on her lips and another on her forehead.  “You’ve made this place a sparkling castle tonight, sweetheart.  I love it!”

       Both men were dressed identical tonight, to prevent the visitors from knowing which man might be giving excessive loving attention to Melody, his wife.  That way they could befuddle any who might think Melody was acting unfaithful to her Jonathan.  If the guests couldn’t tell the difference, it helped the situation.

       She smiled at his enjoyment and taking his elbow with her right arm and Jonathan’s with her left she said, “Shall my two wonderful and most handsome husbands escort their portly wife into the main foyer, I do believe our guests are arriving.”

       They had decided to let people think what they wanted regarding them both being with her, on most days.  For special situations they would dress alike and confuse the matter for Melody’s sake. 

       Melissa excitedly came almost running toward them as they entered the main foyer.  “Mom, huh, Mel, hum, guess who’s here?  Let me introduce you to Mister Vannese from the International Space and Research Into Foreign Life Bureau.  Isn’t that nice?” 

       Melody was stunned at the expression on Melissa’s face.  It was clearly fear, excitement and something else.  That something else is what made her come to full alertness and so had Melissa’s dads.  Her eyes were twinkling like sparklers. 

       David was smiling easily as he brought forward one of the most handsome men, outside their own family that Melody had ever seen.  And she’d met many of the “beautiful people” of the world in her travels.                          

       “Melody, Jonathan and Jon J, allow me to introduce you to one of the newest members of the secret and exclusive space interspecies committee known publicly as . . . .” David began.

       Jonathan J interrupted and stepped forward with his hand extended, “Sam, it’s so good to see you again, man!  How’s the International Space and Research Into Foreign Life Bureau treating you?”

       Melody and Melissa looked shocked that he would know this young man, who looked to be about the same age as all three men appeared, mid twenties.  Surely they hadn’t mentioned him or that agency to them. 

       The ladies looked at each other, then shared a tiny girly smile as they peeked through their lashes at the new hunk of gorgeous masculinity standing before them.

       Jonathan J turned to his brother and wife and said, “Sweetheart, this is Sabastian Vannese.  We met through Grandfather quite a while ago.  Jon, my brother, you will certainly enjoy discussing many things with this brilliant man.  He’s very knowledgeable in things we’ve only yet heard rumors of.”

       Turning to Melissa he asked, “Daughter, mine, have you two been properly introduced?”

       Melissa blushed brightly to her further embarrassment and said in a subdued whispered voice so others around them could not hear, “No Daddy, not really.”

       Hugging her up against his side Jonathan J proudly said, “Sabastian, this is our Melissa.  She’s the one who broke through our security and located her half brother and my identical twin.”

       Everyone saw Mister Vannese’s eyes grow brighter as he took in Melissa’s beauty.  He took a tiny step closer, for he was already almost standing on top of her feet.  Looking down into her eyes he crooned, “So, you’re the genius all the planets are abuzz about huh?”

       Frowning, Melissa straightened her shoulders and asked with a bit of defense in her voice, “Whatever do you mean, sir?  I may have a high IQ, but I’m sure no one other than our little family is aware of that or of any thing that I might research.” 

       Sabastian threw his head back and laughed, heartily.  With an honestly astonished expression he declared, “Dear beautiful lady, I hate to be the first one to tell you, but you are already quite famous.  As is the rest of your fantastic family.  Everyone on all the known planets that matter have heard of you.  Don’t be so modest!  I would be strutting if I was in your shoes.”

       Whirling, she glared at her dad, just as her mom was doing.  Both ladies had their mouths dropped in surprise. 

       “Jon,” Melody began.  “What is he saying and why is he saying it?”

       Sabastian’s expression immediately changed to upsetness.  “Jon, ole man, I didn’t mean to speak out of turn.  I thought perhaps she was teasing me about not knowing.”

       Jonathan J gave him a crooked smile and announced, “I have not shared certain things with her and my Bonded mate, knowing how inquisitive her mind is, rather, how both women are.  I was afraid Melissa might try to travel to places unknown, doing research away from home.  As her father, I’ve been a bit selfish in wanting her to stay close to me and her mother.”

       Melody demanded with her voice low, “You will discuss this with us at great, very great length, will you not, after the party?”

       Kissing her head he assured her he would reveal all.  Behind Sabastian came a flow of people, mostly nice looking men entering the foyer to be greeted by the host and hostesses.

       Melody and Melissa left the four men in a huff as they walked forward in a hurry to charm the newcomers. 

       Sabastian asked, keeping his voice low, “She doesn’t know all the scientific teams here and on several other worlds are studying her hypothesis on interspecies intelligence growth within certain currently know groups?  Her own great grandfather is a loud promoter of her last published paper.  She herself is a perfect example of how the H’traeian mental capacities have multiplied within the Royal blood linage.  Your son David here is another perfect example.  Does she not realize her work is being studied in the greatest circles of higher learning?”

       Jonathan and Jon J immediately took David and Sabastian aside into a small office off from the foyer. 

       Jonathan was first to speak.  “Our Melissa is first a female, a wonderful young woman, and secondly a scientist.  There is not a conceited bone in her body.  We felt if she knew how closely her works were being examined it might hinder her free flowed thinking.  And let me assure you, she has many free flowing thoughts, exactly like her mother does.  None of us want to stifle her creativity by making her unsure or being made to feel self-conscious.”

       Sabastian looked down at his shoes, nodded that it seemed reasonable.  He asked without looking up, “Has she felt the Stirring yet or is she still too young?”

       The men of Melissa’s family cut their eyes at one another, immediately understanding his obvious interest in asking.  Though he is from another planet, his mother is H’traeian and therefore perhaps he has a Stirring as well?

       Jonathan J answered slowly, “No one worthy yet has caused her any serious distress.”

       “Good!” the man exclaimed with perhaps a little too much relief. 

       David plowed forward, “My sister is the prize of all prizes for the man who Bonds with her.  She has many of the wonderful attributes of my mom as well as the royal heritage of my father, Prince Jonathan.  Melissa’s unique talents are too many to begin to name.  We simply feel blessed having her near us.  She is also totally committed to her family, just as Mom is.  She has already told me she will not be leaving her home planet here.  That whoever she Bonds with must agree to remain here as well, or she will pass up the Bond, medicate herself and remain unbonded for life.”

       Sam’s eyes look startled.  “She’d remain unbonded?  But, what about, her, uh, you know, the Bonding drive?”

       “She’s devised a medication to ease the symptoms to a tolerable level to aid those who lose their mates.  Having watched all the vids of her fathers in torment drove her to work on that problem, even before her mom knew the truth.”

       Jonathan J asked point blank, “Sam do you think you will one day experience the Stirring or any Bonding emotions?  Or, have you already done so and found a mate?”

       Sam avoided looking any of the men in the eyes as he answered, “Yes, I seem to have inherited that from Mother.  Though Dad feels I might be able to resist it long enough for it to go away, given time.  I’m not so sure.”

       With a gruff cough Sabastian suggested, “I must let my hostess’ know I am very pleased to be here.  Seems I let my mouth get me in trouble with them already.”

       David smiled at him warmly and said, “Join the club.  That seems to be what the males do around here all the time.  But the scenery here is quite breathtakingly beautiful, so us men, well we endure.”

       The four men chuckled as they exited the small office.
 

*  * 
CHAPTER 15 *  *

MELISSA’S STRANGE MATE

Melody watched from the corner of her eye as the men emerged from the tiny conference room.  She also noted that Melissa had been keeping an uncanny interest in the room too.  When she saw her two dads, brother and the new visitor emerge Melissa smiled a quick smile and winked at her mom.

       “Missy, are you being Stirred?” Melody asked her blushing daughter.

       “Oooooh Mom, am I ever!  Isn’t he just the cutest and most masculine man you’ve ever laid eyes on?” came Melissa’s whispered reply. 

       With a twitch of her lips and a quirk of her brow and a slight nod of her head Melody let her men know that something was up with Melissa.

       Sabastian seemed to all but run to where Melissa was standing greeting the newcomers.       Melody was almost certain she heard a low growl emanate from Sabastian as he came to stand beside her daughter, as yet another group of males entered the door to the foyer to be received.

       As soon as the young man had hurried to Melissa, David and Jonathan J turned to Jonathan and began talking rather rapidly in low whispers.

       Jonathan and his brother soon came forward to join the ladies and Sabastian.  They’d noticed the man was standing almost wedged up against their daughter.  His arm had begun to go around her waist several times before he stopped himself and they’d seen his fingers twitch, almost constantly.

       “Melissa, sweetheart, why don’t you and Sabastian go ahead and take your seats.  We’ll greet the guests while you entertain those already at table,” Melody stated.