"Good." A knife taps as he slices the tuna. "I'd like our kids to be able to have a swing set in the backyard."

  I chuckle as I imagine what show he watched for that idea. "Okay. Swing set it is."

  "I’d also like you to continue to work from home so you can be there for our children when they get home from school."

  "What are you planning to do?" I hate that I didn't read his profile now, because I know next to nothing about my alien mate.

  I think Jake realizes that because he tilts his head at me. "I'm an accountant. I expect I'll work nine to five except during tax season."

  "Right. Makes sense."

  A sauté pan clatters on the stove where Jake places it, and he asks, "Did you read my profile?"

  "Ah. Well..." I give him a sheepish grin.

  His expression gets hard. "What? I was at the bottom of your list and you were getting desperate?"

  "No. My gosh, no. Not at all." I sigh, because I think Jake probably did read each and every profile of the women who requested him, and I know I should be flattered he chose me.

  "Then why did you pick me if you didn't know anything about who I am?"

  I don't think he's going to let me off the hook, and even though I'm tempted to lie, I'd be caught in it as some point. So I decide to tell him the truth. "I closed my eyes, scrolled down the list of possibilities randomly, and put my finger on the screen. It landed on you."

  He blinks a few times before he says, "You drew me out of a hat." A scowl covers his face, and oil sizzles in the hot pan as he pours it.

  "Jake. Please don't be upset. I had over three hundred guys to choose from. Since most of you don't even write your profiles, I didn't see the sense in reading through them with the hope I was getting the truth."

  "I wrote my profile, Hannah." His eyes flash as he looks at me. "I didn't lie." He slaps tuna into the pan, and it hisses as if it's angry at me too. "Did you lie on yours?"

  I shake my head as he stares at me, and I notice the way his brow furrows is sexy, even when he's not happy. "No. Although my friends did help me focus on my better qualities."

  "Yes." Jake darts his gaze around the kitchen before he pours the boiled potatoes into a colander--one I don't recall owning, so I suspect he had to dig to find it. "You did leave out your lack of organizational skills."

  "I did." He's not exactly perfect either. I recall what little of his profile I did read which said he was easygoing. "I think you left out your strong need for order."

  "Doesn't me being a CPA tell you that?"

  I suppose he's got a point. One would definitely assume that about an accountant. "Fine. I'll let you rearrange the kitchen to your liking. But you're not as easygoing as you think."

  "I—" He stops himself. "You got me. I want to be someone who can ignore details, but I'm not." He frowns at me. "You really picked me at random?"

  I imagine what it must feel like to discover you were a random selection, and that your human mate didn't bother to research who you are. Given Jake seems to prepare for everything as if he's being graded, I doubt he can fathom what I did. He's mashing the potatoes with enough force he might break through the pan. I need to give him something before he decides I'm not worth it. "Jake." He glances at me as I say, "I'm really sorry. I did read that you wanted to cook for me and cuddle on the couch." He tilts his head at me, and I push on. "But it was your eyes that got me. Something about their warmth made me hit initiate."

  Jake's expression softens a bit. He nods toward his wine glass. "Pour me some Pinot Noir. Dinner is almost ready."

  We're silent as I get his drink and we put food on the table. He's not slamming the dishes down, so I think his anger is subsiding and I attempt once more to make peace. "You look like a natural in the kitchen. I can't believe you've only done this with a simulator." It occurs to me he didn't taste anything as he cooked, and I wonder if that's because of his nature or if it's because he's never used real food before. I'd ask, but he's still not talking.

  When we sit I hold out my hand and say, "Jake. Please don't be mad. You're here and until this point, we were getting along well. I don't want this to come between us. I'm committed to making us work."

  He wraps his fingers around mine and gives me a squeeze. "I'm not mad at you, Hannah. I'm upset with myself for not remembering the fact that we're opposites is exactly why I said yes to you."

  "Really?" I'm pretty sure if I'd known Jake was a CPA I wouldn't have picked him.

  "I thought our differences would complement each other. I need to accept that you live intuitively while I analyze situations before making a decision. It's going to take some adjusting. That's all." He lifts up the chopsticks I put out and expertly holds them to grab a piece of tuna. After he tries it he smiles at me. "I'm a really good cook. You should try some."

  I smile with relief that he's no longer angry, and I wonder if being opposites can work. I remember how I joked with my friends about needing someone to take care of me, and I may have found him. I dip a piece of fish in my soy sauce with wasabi and say, "I could use a little more order in my life, Jake. I'm glad you're here."

  "And I could use more spontaneity." Jake smiles back as he lifts his wine glass to me in a toast. "I think we had our first fight." Our glasses clink. "To making up." I nod as he leans toward me to brush his lips against mine. He pulls back and winks. "Next time we'll do more than kiss."

  "Before we clean the kitchen?" I cover my mouth with my hand in mock horror.

  Jake glances over at the dishes in the sink and shrugs. "I can compromise."

  I chuckle before I say, "I can too."

  Chapter 5

  Jake lets out a big sigh as he stretches out on the couch. "I now understand what it means to be full," he says. "I don't like it."

  "You've really never eaten too much?"

  He shakes his head. "Our food isn't very good. I've never had a desire to eat more than necessary to feed myself."

  "What does it taste like?"

  "Nothing, really. Our coffee is about the only thing that had flavor, and that's because we got the plants from your planet as a gift. The bitterness is something I find even more unpleasant than our food. I think we all grew to like it because of what it does."

  "Does it affect you the same way it does us? By giving you more energy?"

  He shrugs. "I guess, but I think it's more in our minds. Everyone wants to believe we got an energy drug from Earth. I didn't notice much difference, so I stopped drinking it."

  I try to imagine life without good tasting food, and it makes me sad. "We should have given you something much better."

  "Like fish." He lets out a moan of pleasure. "I may become obese."

  I chuckle as I remember how he didn't drink more than one complete glass of wine, even though he was getting tipsy enough to let his guard down. "I doubt it. You don't strike me as the kind of person who loses control."

  "No. I'm a bit straight-laced, aren't I?"

  I smile at his choice of words. Eroscians spend a lot of time using American television to practice their language skills, and their slang expressions come from shows that were produced over a span of decades. "I wouldn't say that. But I do think you're a rule-follower."

  "I am." He sits up and leans toward me with a mischievous grin. "But I can think of one rule I'd like to break."

  He places a hand on my cheek, and I lean into it. "Gee. I wonder what that is."

  "Let me refresh your memory." Jake kisses me and tempts me as my insides melt in his touch. My alien is very good at this, and I'm filled with a warm glow that makes me want to drown in him. I'm the one who stops us this time, though, because while I'd like to break the no-sex-before-marriage rule, I heard about the consequences. Being whisked off to Eroscian prison doesn't sound worth it.

  I ask, "Would you like to watch a movie?"

  He shakes his head. "I want you to tell me about Hannah. What were you like as a little girl?"

  I chuckle. "I was a strange child. I spent a lot of time playing in my own little world. You know how many little girls get in trouble for talking in class? I got in trouble for singing to myself as I stared out the window."

  "You would sing to yourself in school?"

  I nod as Jake chuckles. "I was the kid who raised his hand first."

  "An overachiever."

  "Yes."

  I think about how all the aliens I've seen have hard bodies like the athletes on earth. "Is every Eroscian male as built as you are?"

  He nods. "We're required to be physically fit and strong. It's not optional like it is here."

  Working out is definitely something I do, but not to an extreme, and I don't think I'd like having to maintain top physical condition at all times. I say, "Don't get me wrong. I appreciate your body like this, but if you decided to cut back on exercise and soften up, I won't mind."

  "You want me to get fat?" Jake grabs at the slight roll of skin at his stomach from sitting down and grins at me. "Maybe get a beer belly?"

  Trying to picture an out of shape Jake is like trying to imagine him leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight, and I shake my head as I slide my hand up his arm to squeeze his bicep. "Forget I said anything. I like you the way you are."

  "Whew. Because there are some things a man can't change." He flexes his chest. "Being strong for you is something I want to maintain."

  I smile. "I'll try to manage, but what's inside you is the part that matters most in a relationship." An idea comes to me. "You researched this city, didn't you?"

  "I did. I could probably give you a tour."

  I stand up and walk over to my phone. One of my favorite ways to recharge my creativity is to walk around the city while blocking out all the noise by listening to classical music. At night with the buildings and billboards lit up, it will be even more visually pleasing. Colors shift, and often my perspective does too. I have an urge to rock Jake's black and white world a little by letting him experience it too. "I'm going to give you a different kind of tour."

  I unravel my ear bud cords as he stands up. "What do you have in mind?"

  "Do you like classical music?"

  "I do." He glances at what I'm doing. "Hold on." Jake goes to his room and returns with his own earbuds and phone.

  "C'mon," I say as I lead him out of my apartment and down to the street. As we stand on the sidewalk, cars honk and a siren blares in the distance. I hand Jake my phone that is playing Vivaldi, and he plugs his earbuds in. "Your job is to just see. Got it?" I crank up the volume as he nods. I grab his hand and walk him toward the section of town where the department stores are. We weave in and out of the people as if we're dancing, and whenever I glance over at Jake I find his head is swiveling around as he takes in the sights and he's smiling.

  We make our way to the nightclub section, where the voices of the people we're walking past are louder and their steps more erratic. The pulse of the neon signs seems to reach inside us, and Jake slips an arm around my waist as we walk. He stops me when we get to the end of the street and turns off his music to say, "Let's walk that street again. But this time you do the listening.” He pulls out his phone and taps it. I hadn't thought about what they listen to on Eroscia, but considering their language is composed of sounds we humans can't pronounce, I bet it's interesting.

  When he hands his cell to me, I attach my earbuds and begin listening to something melodic made up of notes I've never heard before. I stare at Jake in awe as the song reaches into me. He smiles as he slides his hands down my arms slowly. My skin tingles from his touch and he mouths, "Feel it."

  I close my eyes and focus on the way the music seems to weave its way through my being. "Wow." I gaze at Jake, and he grins before he grabs my hand and tugs me back through the club section of town. It's a whole different experience than before, and I realize it's beyond sensual. He guides me through the people as desire builds inside me. The experience is sexual as well as sensual. It's as if Jake is reaching inside and caressing my soul. I lean into his body, and he grips me low on my hip. We move more slowly, and I'm filled with the warm glow of my growing feelings for Jake. Simmering passion is mixed in, and I want to feel his body against mine.

  As we approach a club I know well, I lead us through the door. Bills are crisp in my fingers as I pull them from my pocket and press them in the hand of the bouncer. Jake's music fills my ears as the damp heat of the people in the club engulfs us. I take him to the dance floor and let the sounds in my ears dictate the way my body sways.

  Jake grabs my hips and moves with me. His hands travel over my clothing, pressing against me, making my body tingle. I wish we were alone, because I want to feel his bare skin on mine. He turns me so that my back is to him, and he leans down to kiss my neck as he holds me tight. I shiver with my need as the music from his planet strokes my insides. Every cell in me is pulsing, and my breathing gets heavy as the intensity becomes almost too much.

  Sweat is slick on my skin, and it trickles down my chest as I reach up to thread my fingers through Jake's hair as his mouth descends up on mine. Our tongues entwine as our movements slow, and I turn around to mold myself into every nook and cranny of my alien. The warm sensation of something wrapping around my heart and pulsing through my veins is strong, and I gaze at my alien, convinced he's making it happen. I'd read that they can get inside you like this. I put my mouth to his ear. "You're touching my heart."

  He pulls back and smiles. "Do you like it?"

  I nod, and he turns up the intensity. The only thing keeping me from stripping him naked right now is the fact we're in public, and I think Jake must be feeling the same way because he breaks contact with me, his chest heaving. The fire I see in his eyes practically scorches me on the spot, and I discover I'm trembling.

  Jake takes my hand and leads me back outside. We stand for a moment in the coolness of the night air, but I don't stop listening to the music from his planet. Jake takes the phone from me and switches to a different song. It's a haunting mix of sounds that draws me in, and while I can't sing it, I'm sure it will stay with me by the way it fills my head. His thumb strokes mine as we walk slowly, and I lead him to the park. Hundreds of tiny lights illuminate the trees as we make our way along the path toward a pond. When we get there, we go sit on a bench. It's cool on my thighs as I listen to the end of the song, and tears fill my eyes with the beauty of its sound. When it's over, I turn off the phone.

  Neither of us speak as silence surrounds us. Slowly the sounds of the night creep into my consciousness, and the cicadas are a low buzz that mimics the hum of my feelings for Jake. I stare into his eyes as I place my hand on his cheek. I see love in my alien's gaze, and my heart swells with what I realize are more than just feelings of affection. I love him. "Jake."

  "I know. I love you, too." He leans in and kisses me tenderly.

  I gaze at the alien I ordered to be delivered to my door. A man who is my opposite, with his orderly ways, and who will likely be frustrated by my chaotic ones. But tonight he showed me he's also a man who knows how to feel, and he wants me to as well. I place my hand on his chest, and his heart beats against my palm. "How did you know?"

  "When I was inside you earlier, I saw your heart. Will you marry me, Hannah?"

  Tears of joy spill from my eyes as I realize this is something I want. Something I'm afraid I'll ruin, but before I can talk sense into myself I answer, "Yes, Jake. I will."

  Chapter 6

  The next morning I wake to the sound of pots and pans clashing, and I climb out of bed to wander toward the noise in the kitchen. The aroma of coffee fills my nose, and I stare in amazement at what appears to be every item from every cabinet covering all available surfaces.

  As I watch Jake move with efficiency I notice his hair is spiked up from a cowlick he hasn’t tamed, and it makes me want to smooth it down. He’s not perfect either. I can do this. He loves me for who I am, and I love him. Everything is going to be okay—as long as I don’t screw it up like I do with anything good in my life. Stop it. I swallow my insecurities down with a gulp and force a smile.

  "Good morning, my love. Coffee?"

  I gingerly step into a spot on the floor just big enough for my foot. "No, thank you. I thought you didn't drink it either?"

  "That was before I discovered all the amazing selections." I notice he's speaking faster than usual. "I woke up early and went down to the newsstand on the corner to get a paper, and when I was there I smelled the most amazing odors coming from the shop across the street." He glances around as if he's looking for something.

  I smile, because it has to be my friend Morgan's coffee shop he’s referring to, and I imagine the scene. "Let me guess. You got into a conversation about the coffee bean with Morgan, and the next thing you knew she had you buy a bag of every flavor they carry."

  "Close. Morgan recognized me right away, and she let me taste every flavor as she pumped me for information about us." He ducks down behind the counter and pops back up with a large lid in his hand before he places it on its corresponding pot and grins at me as if he solved a complex problem. "You should really text her." He grabs another lid to repeat the process, and as he searches for the next pot he says, "I left with a coffee maker, a grinder, and a few pounds of beans."

  I chuckle. "How much coffee have you had?"

  He sighs. "Probably more than I should have. I think your leaders gave Eroscia a placebo, because the coffee on my planet never made me feel this good. I could run a marathon right now."

  "I wouldn't suggest it." I pick my way over to the shiny new coffee maker on the counter and a stack of dishes rattles as I bump it with my leg. "You might have a heart attack. I bet your pulse is racing."

  Jake places his hand on his chest. "Oh no. It is racing." His eyes widen. "You don't think I'm going to—" His eyes flutter shut as he sinks to the floor.

  I crouch down to see if he fainted. He opens one eye to me, and I smile before I kiss him. “You’ll be fine.” I stand up and grab the carafe of coffee. I guess if aliens are sensitive to alcohol, caffeine is likely the same way. Steam rises as I pour hot liquid down the drain. "But moderation is key with coffee. Okay?"