Teacher For An Alien Doctor (Intergalactic Exchange Program #3) - Roxie Ray Page 0,2

for you to take home with you. Other than that, Dylan is all set.”

That had been quick. Soren pulled out a Holopad and tapped a few buttons. “There. Shouldn’t be too long now.”

I expected him to leave then, but instead, he leaned a shoulder against the wall and gave me a smile that had my body standing up and taking notice once more.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what is it like to come to this planet from Earth? My brother is a big-shot at the IEP, but I don’t actually know much about it. I’m assuming that’s how you came to be here. It’s always good to hear firsthand about people’s experiences.” His voice was deep, his words sincere, and the way he spoke set me at ease.

“Oh. Um.” I cleared my throat, surprised yet again by how kind and considerate this doctor was. “It’s been nice. Hollander is absolutely gorgeous, even though it wasn’t my first choice.”

“Wasn’t your first choice?” Soren placed a hand to his heart as if he were offended, but the smirk on his face told me otherwise.

I laughed. “No. With the IEP, at least in their dealings with Earth, humans can request certain contracts, but of course nothing is guaranteed. When you’re brought to Novis Station—do you know of it?”

He nodded, his attention fixed on me now. Novis was a space station in neutral territory where the Intergalactic Exchange Program headquarters were located. All manner of business was conducted there, including the contract auctions.

“So, once you’re there, your contract is put up for auction, and there’s no guarantee, though I’m told they try to accommodate requests as much as possible. That wasn’t the case for me, but I don’t have any complaints about this planet.”

“I love it here!” Dylan chimed in, his eyes lighting up. “It’s beautiful. And I especially love my school, right by the river.”

“That does sound nice.” Soren smiled at Dylan, then back at me. “So you had a good experience with the IEP, then?”

I shrugged. “I guess so. The IEP spokespeople on Earth can be very two-faced. Fake and manipulative, and I’ve heard horror stories from some women. But overall my experience was fine, other than not getting my first choice of planets. I think the coolest part was the translator device.”

“Those do come in pretty handy,” Soren agreed.

The translators were actually developed here on Hollander, or at least that was my understanding. Once implanted, they enabled the bearer to understand any alien language that was spoken, translating words instantaneously so that what I heard made it seem as if people were speaking my own language. Everyone on Hollander had one since the planet had such a diverse population.

“How long do you have left on your contract?” Soren asked, his gaze intent on me now.

I swallowed, feeling something unfamiliar pass between us. The only way I could explain it was an intense awareness, as if every fiber of my being was drawn to him, wanting to be closer, to know him better.

“Two months,” I stammered, my skin heating under his scrutiny. I couldn’t seem to tear my gaze away. A warm, throbbing sensation began to pulse low in my belly, and I recognized it then for what it was.

Attraction. Desire. A longing like I’d never felt before.

And that was a clear indicator that it was way past time to get the hell out of this exam room that was smaller and smaller by the second, the space taken up by Soren’s compelling presence.

“Um, so actually,” I said, glancing at my watch, my stomach jumping with nerves. “I need to get back to work. I can just grab the prescription directly from the pharmacy. Thank you.”

In a rush now, I reached for Dylan’s hand. “Let’s go, buddy. Back to school.” And then I dashed out the door without a backwards glance, needing to get as far away as possible.

As we headed out to the transport pod, I knew I’d been rude, but that had been way too close for comfort. The absolute last thing I needed was to start finding a damn alien attractive. Who knew what that could lead to?

I certainly couldn’t go around trusting them, not when I’d been specifically warned against it, even if Soren had seemed genuinely kind. No, I had to be more careful with my thoughts and emotions as long as I was on an alien planet. Especially after what happened to my sister.

By the time we made it back to school, classes were nearly