I pull away and look at him as I think about how little he knows about the real me. He has no idea that everything I want goes wrong. What will he think when he finds out I'm a one-hit-wonder of a painter? He said he was enchanted by an artist and a woman who was his opposite. How do I tell him I’m a failure? He's going to find out eventually, and I should let him know before he ends up married to a loser. I blurt out. "I can't marry you."

  Jake drops my hands and steps back. "What do you mean?"

  "I'm not the woman you think I am. I'm a mess, and you deserve so much better."

  He opens his hands to me. "I'm aware of your chaos. I organized your kitchen, remember?"

  My heart feels as if it's being ripped apart because I'm afraid I have to be brutally honest to get him to see. "Jake. I fail at everything I do. It's only a matter of time before I ruin us too."

  "Hannah."

  He steps toward me, and I hold up my hand to make him stop. "Seriously. Tomorrow I'm going to call and send you back."

  Jake swallows hard as he shakes his head. "This doesn't make any sense. You aren't a failure. What about the art show in the most prestigious gallery in town? Can you not see how amazing that is?"

  I force myself to keep the sobs that want to escape locked inside me. "Trust me, Jake. Please. I'm not anywhere near amazing."

  "So this is it?" His eyes flash with anger. "We're over?"

  I nod. "You should go get packed."

  He turns on his heel to go. When Jake slams the door shut, I sink to the floor and listen as his feet pound away. Once he's out of earshot, I fall apart. My chest heaves as I cry for my broken dreams of love and my life as an artist. I glance at the paintings I've completed and realize that the one I should be working on is the proof I've continued to make the wrong choices all my life.

  The floor is hard on my back as I stretch out and stare up at the ceiling. Spots of paint dot the smooth surface, and I wonder how much will be deducted from my security deposit to pay for it when I have to move. My eyes burn from crying, and I close them to block out the light.

  I must have dozed off, because the next thing I know I'm awakened by a knock on my studio door. "Hannah," says Jake. "We need to talk."

  I get up, and my back screams in pain from sleeping on the floor. "Come in."

  Jake enters holding my phone up. "Miranda Johnson has been blowing up your phone with calls and texts. I thought there was an emergency, so I took the last call."

  My ears burn as shame flushes my face. "Oh."

  "She said you've been avoiding her for days. I made excuses for you and said you'd be in touch as soon as you could. What's going on?"

  I close my eyes and let out a big breath of air before I look at Jake. "I'm not even close to being ready for my show. I never should have gotten it in the first place."

  "But this is your second show. Morgan told me you did so well with the first that's why she asked you to do another one."

  "I did well with the first one because my friends Cassie and Morgan know a lot of rich people with more money than sense." I sweep my arm around the room. "This body of work is awful."

  Jake walks over to the canvas of the little girl in a tutu. "I saw what you were painting in this, remember?" He lifts up another one that shows a mother with her child. "And this one makes me think about how mothers have dreams for their children. Is that what you wanted to say?" I nod, because he is seeing what I intended. "Seems to me, you've got a good start on your show."

  "I guess." I get up and walk over to lay out the order of the paintings I've completed by leaning them against the wall. When the last one thuds on the floor I turn to Jake. "This is it so far."

  "That looks like enough to me,” he says.

  "No. It's not finished and people would know. Miranda would know."

  Jake takes his time studying each painting, and when he gets to the girl with a suitcase and canvases rolled up in her hand he turns to me with a smile. "It's the story of an artist who follows her own dreams no matter what people in her life wished for her instead."

  My jaw drops. "You saw that?" I recall how he knew I loved him before I said it and stiffen, wondering what kind of game he's playing. "You looked into me and dug it out, didn't you?"

  "No, Hannah. I wouldn't do that." He frowns. "Not intentionally. I didn't mean to look at your heart last night. I went in to hold you, and that's when I saw your love for me. I'm sorry I invaded your privacy."

  I take a moment to study his face and see the sincerity in his eyes. "I believe you." I glance over at my easel and sigh.

  "How many more paintings do you need to do?"

  "Three more at least. And there's not enough time."

  He steps over to my work in progress. "You're struggling with this one."

  "Yes." I drag my finger over the canvas, and fine brush lines are rough on my skin. "It's about finding love." I gaze at him. "I can't seem to show it the way I'd like. I've been stuck on it for a while. And—" I shrug. "I'm blocked and can't seem to finish for the show."

  Jake frowns for a moment and then says, "Maybe I can help." He leaves the room and then returns with his phone.

  I smile as I recall the music I listened to last night. I think about how deeply it made me feel, and it makes me think Jake's idea could work. I take the earbuds he hands me. "Thank you." As Eroscian sounds fill my head, I close my eyes and replay the way Jake held me when we danced.

  Jake comes behind me and slips his arms around my waist to hold me tight. He leans down and kisses my neck softly, and he reaches inside me to wrap warmth around my heart as if he's trying to tell me to let myself feel. I let out a sigh of pleasure before he releases me. He pauses in the doorway and I smile at him before he walks away.

  I walk over to my paints and reach for warm colored tubes. The yellow one is slick in my fingers as I squeeze some on my palate, and the image I need to create comes to my mind in swirls of color that weave in and out of the music. My brush strokes over the canvas as I paint the story of being in love with my alien.

  Chapter 9

  I work well into the night, and Jake must come to check on me with tea and snacks because they magically appear. When I finish the painting I let out a sigh of contentment. It's good. I take my earbuds out and let the silence wrap around me like a blanket. I'm tired, but hope has blossomed inside of me. It's as if the Eroscian music I listened to opened up my mind to let my creativity flow, and I think I'll be able to do the show after all. Although, I need to take stock of what I've got, and I glance at the previous paintings I have lined up on the wall. I walk over to them slowly and realize I'm seeing them with fresh eyes, because now I think they're good too. I can do this.

  I wrap my arms around myself as I smile. Jake helped me break through my barrier of self-doubt to see what I couldn't, and I want to tell him thank you. I leave my studio to find him. He's not in the kitchen, and when I notice the dim light of dawn I think he's sleeping in his bedroom. I should probably get some sleep too, but I don't think I could. I feel as if I've been in deep slumber for weeks and I've woken up refreshed.

  I open the fridge to grab a yogurt, and silverware rattles in the drawer when I open it up to get a spoon. I eat as I wander over to the window to gaze out at the city below. Traffic is light, and a few people walk on the sidewalks as they start their day. I wonder about the next painting in my series. I think it needs to be about the joy of family. The family Jake and I will create. Our wedding! Happiness fills me as I imagine standing across from my alien match later this morning. I walk back to my studio with that thought in my mind and find Jake's phone has recharged enough for me to listen to his music as I get a couple hours of work in.

  I dive into my new painting with a strong idea, and my brush seems to flow on its own as I create a blissful image of parents with a baby in a loving embrace. I'm humming along to a tune when I notice Jake standing before me. I take the earbuds out to give him my attention. I grin at him as he asks, "Can you take a break?"

  "Of course. Did you see I finished my painting?"

  He smiles back. "You have incredible focus. I’ve been in here for ten minutes looking at it. It's wonderful."

  "It's because of you, Jake."

  He shakes his head. "No. I only helped you see what's been inside you all this time. I'm glad I could help you knock down the wall of doubt you'd built up." His brow knits as if he's considering how to choose his words. "But this isn't why I'm interrupting you. We need to talk about the wedding."

  My heart stops as I wonder if he wants to call it off. "Sure. What is it?"

  "I think we should postpone it."

  "What?" My breakfast churns in my stomach. While I was blissfully painting, was he soul-searching and realizing I'm not who he should be with? I can’t breath as I feel myself freefall from a glorious high to a dark abyss. Bile rises to my throat, and I’m dangerously close to losing my breakfast as I croak out, "Okay. If that's what you want."

  Jake comes over to crouch by my side, and his hand is warm on my thigh when he touches me. "Hannah. I still want to get married, but you're in the zone, and I think you can finish in time for your show if I take away the distractions."

  Relief floods my body, and I place my hand on his. "It's our wedding."

  "And we can have it in a few days when you've finished your work."

  I glance over at the canvas I'm working on. He's right that I'm on a roll, but the thought of Jake in my bed holding me and the promise of our lives together fill my mind. "Are you sure you want to wait?"

  "Hannah, I've waited my whole life. I can handle another few days." He reaches up to place his hand on my cheek. "Besides, this show is important for you for more than the money. It's about your career and reputation. You have to do it."

  "You're more important to me than any show."

  "I know that, honey. You're the same for me, and that's why you need to do this. Your happiness means everything, and I'm here to support you in any way I can."

  I place my hands on his strong shoulders and gaze at him with love. I think about how I had hoped he would take care of me, but what he's done is help me do this myself. "Jake, how did I get so lucky?"

  He lifts my hand to his mouth. "You used your clever fingers." He sucks one into his mouth and sends a shiver of desire through me. After he releases my digit he leans in and kisses me tenderly. When he pulls back he says, "We have the rest of our lives together. We'll get married when you're done. Now get to work."

  * * *

  The next few days fly by as I immerse myself in painting, and with Jake making sure I get sleep and food, I manage to finish my body of work in time for Miranda to hang it and offer a preview to her VIP clients before the opening. But more importantly, Jake and I can now get married. I take a deep breath as Morgan and Cassie hold the door of the small chapel open for me to enter. I gaze down the aisle at my groom, who fills out a tuxedo in all the right ways. He smiles at me with love as I approach him. I say, "You only have a few more minutes of being a single man. Are you sure you don't want me to throw you back to the wolves for another chance?"

  He gives me the once over with his gaze and lets out a low noise from the back of his throat. "No way. I'm about to be Mr. Hannah Sullivan, husband of the famous painter. Why would I miss out on all the perks?"

  I think about when we first met and ask, "Oh, you mean the chance to be seen with the woman who usually has paint on her face?"

  "Exactly." He kisses the tip of my nose where the paint was that first day. "You are the most incredible woman I've ever known, and I plan to show you off for the rest of our lives." He takes my hand, and we turn our attention to the ordained minister who is performing our ceremony. The words spoken are a blur, because Jake has wrapped himself around my heart and all I can do is focus on the glowing energy of his touch. When it's time for us to kiss, I pour everything I've got into our connection, and it's as if our emotions intertwine to become unified love. When Jake and I pull back he whispers, "I love you, Hannah."

  "I love you too, Jake."

  The minister asks, "Do the newlyweds have any plans for a honeymoon?"

  Tonight is the opening of my show, and I shake my head as I continue to gaze into Jake's eyes. My husband says, "We're going to Miranda Johnson's gallery for the best art show she's ever had, and there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be."

  Morgan kisses my cheek. "Congratulations, Hannah."

  I turn to my friends, and Cassie hugs me as she kisses me too. "You're on the road to an amazing life. I'm so happy for you."

  I grin with happiness at my friends. "Thanks."

  Jake says, "We'll see you ladies later tonight." He scoops me up in his arms, and I let out a yelp before Jake carries me out of the room.

  Cassie yells after us. "Don't you dare make her late!"

  Jake chuckles and whispers to me, "They won't turn us away over a few minutes."

  I waggle my eyebrows at him. "No they won't. Let's go make them count."

  Chapter 10

  Jake and I walk hand-in-hand through the streets of our city to get back to our apartment, and people congratulate us as we walk by. My dress sways in the wind of cars rushing by, and the odor of exhaust is mixed with the aroma of coffee wafting out of Morgan's shop as we pass it. I glance around at the tall buildings and colorful window displays and realize everything is now being seen from the eyes of Jake's wife. When we get to my building and into the elevator, I lean against my strong alien mate as he wraps his arms around my waist. "I'm so happy, Jake."

  "Me too, honey." He raises his eyebrows at me as the doors begin to open, and I chuckle when he lifts me off my feet to carry me over the threshold of our home.

  He doesn't stop walking until we're in my bedroom, and he sets me on my feet gently. My breathing is shallow as I stand across from Jake, and he smiles as he slides his tie from around his neck. He says, "I've been fantasizing about being with you since we first met."

  I recall how I thought the fire in his eyes I saw that first day was anger. His burning gaze has returned, and I now know it was pure desire. The same kind of desire that is making me tremble with anticipation. I turn my back to him and ask, "Unzip my dress?"

  Jake steps close, and his breath is warm on my neck as he tugs the zipper down slowly. I'm not wearing a bra under my gown and his hands are hot on my skin as he slides the shoulders of my dress down. It falls to the floor with a whoosh of silk fabric, and I step out of it before I turn to face my husband. He lets out a sigh at the sight of me in only a thong. "My god, Hannah. You are so beautiful."

  I smile. "And you're overdressed." I move closer to him and tug on the tuxedo studs that hold his shirt together. When I reveal his firm chest, I place my hands beneath the stiff cotton and slide my palms over the hard ridges of his muscles before I push his shirt off his shoulders. He yanks his shirt out of his pants and lets it fall to the floor. His slacks follow quickly, and I gaze down at his erection before he lifts my chin with his finger and kisses me.

  The heat of his body as he presses against mine makes me want to feel all of him, and I reach behind my husband to grip his firm back. I let out a moan when he releases my mouth and begins to flutter kisses down my neck. When he gets to my breast, he sucks in my nipple and nips lightly. I pant out, "Jake."

  He moans his appreciation as he spends time fondling and licking me, creating shockwaves of pleasure that race to my core. Jake stops abruptly to turn me and press his stomach against my back. His firm cock is hard on my bottom as he slides a hand between my legs. He kisses my neck and whispers, "I'm going to memorize every inch of your delectable body." He drags his tongue up my neck toward my ear, and I quiver when he slides his fingers beneath the silk fabric of my panties and between my slick folds. When he rubs over my clit I let out small noises I can't contain. I arch my back as I inhale deeply and let out a shaky breath. "Jake. I need you."

  He nudges me forward toward the bed, and the mattress sinks beneath my knees as I climb on it. He lets out a low, deep noise from the back of his throat as he drags my thong down my legs, and when it's off he flips me onto my back. His grip on my thighs is rough as he pushes them apart and latches onto the juncture between my legs greedily as if he's starving for me. He laps and sucks to the point I'm squirming from his ministrations. Sensations of ecstasy rush through me like a freight train as my desire becomes just as frantic, and I thrash beneath him as my orgasm takes over.

  I begin to come down when he moves to lie next to me, and Jake's strong hands grip my hips to roll me on top of his body. "I want to be inside you, Hannah. Put me there."

  Uncertainty washes over me. I don't want to do the wrong thing. "I—"

  "You're going to make me yours as I make you mine."

  I get up on my knees and place myself over his groin. Jake takes his cock and slides along my opening. "Guide me, and feel it, honey," he says.

  I gaze down at the man who loves me more than I could have imagined. He's taught me how to feel deeply and break through the barriers that hold me back from what I want. I take hold of his dick and lower onto it. His thickness stretches me as my sensitive flesh wraps around it, and I seat him deep inside my channel. "Oh, god."

  "That's it, make it feel good."

  I move in a way that makes Jake's cock rub against my g-spot, and another climax begins to build. "So good." I mewl as Jake rocks his hips up to meet me each time I move. White-hot pleasure builds until it numbs my thoughts and fills every cell of my being. When it's almost too much, I throw my head back and cry out.

  My core flexes and quakes around Jake, and his thrusting becomes erratic as he utters the sounds of his language. I keep moving until he too cries out with the guttural sound of his release. When he stills, I lower my chest to his and he wraps his arms around me so that our bodies are melded together as one.