Zane (Alien Adoption Agency #4) - Tasha Black Page 0,3

for dragon warriors where she came from.

Pleasure pulsed in her limbs, an unfamiliar sensation. She gulped in a breath of delicious, humid air as she took in other details about the baby’s guard.

He was tall, taller than any Terran she’d ever known, and positively rippling with muscles. That golden skin looked rich and lustrous under the cloud cover, and she found herself wondering what he would look like in true sunlight.

But he was holding the baby out now, and she had to cut off those thoughts. She lifted her arms again, feeling tentative this time.

No matter how much she had imagined this moment, she wasn’t really ready for it in real life. The responsibility was staggering.

Sarah Flynn had never so much as held a baby before. She had never been all that interested in motherhood, and had no younger siblings.

But as soon as her fingers wrapped around that chubby little body, she instinctively pulled him close.

The baby accommodated himself to her arms, filling in all her empty spaces and warming her, though she hadn’t realized she was cold.

He was large, but his weight did not bother her, especially in the reduced gravity. His big blue eyes were serious, in spite of his round, dimpled cheeks, and Sarah felt her soul settle in around him.

“Reginald Bowen Flynn, we are a family now,” she told him.

“Who is Reginald Bowen Flynn?” the guard asked, pulling her out of her own little world.

“It’s the baby, of course,” she shot back at him, angry that he had ruined the moment.

“Isn’t that kind of… a long name for a small whelp?” he asked dubiously.

“It was my daddy’s name,” she retorted. “And he’ll grow into it. For now, I’ll call him Bowen.”

“Bowen,” the guard said thoughtfully. “That’s nice.”

Sarah chose not to reprimand him for his impertinence. What he thought was nice didn’t matter. He might be a big hunk of a man used to getting what he wanted by being strong or batting those sexy blue eyes. But the Flynn family wasn’t interested in being told what to do, never had been, never would be. And who was a hired guard to judge her actions anyway?

“I think this is our conveyance,” he said politely, gesturing to a hover carriage pulled by a large, many-tentacled creature.

“You’ll accompany us to our home?” she asked him.

“Of course,” he said. “May I carry your bag?”

She nodded. It would be good to have a little help getting settled in.

She tried not to admire the movement of his muscles as he bent to lift her bag and carry it effortlessly to the hover carriage. It was only when they reached the carriage that she remembered to turn back for her friends.

But they were both equally busy attending to their first meetings with their new children. She didn’t want to intrude, so she offered them a friendly wave and turned back to the carriage, hoping that one day she would see them again.

Lachesis was vast, but there was always hope. They were three very determined women. She had no doubt they could meet again if they chose to do so.

Bowen let his head rest against her shoulder, and she nuzzled his feathery hair for a moment.

“Are you ready?” the guard asked.

“Of course,” she said, rousing herself.

He offered her his hand to help her up. Much as she wanted to refuse it, she had to remember her bad leg and the fact that she was carrying the baby.

When her hand touched his, a sizzle of electricity seemed to sing through her veins, and she let out a little gasp.

He pulled her up quickly, and let go as soon as she had settled into the seat beside him.

But the chorus in her body wouldn’t stop its melody, and she snuck a glance at the big golden warrior.

Who had he said he was again? A dragon shifter? That seemed like overkill to accompany a baby for adoption on what was supposed to be a peaceful frontier moon. The only dragon warriors she knew of were the Invicta, and she didn’t think it was even possible to hire one of them.

“How long did you say you were with this baby?” she asked.

“I didn’t,” he said. “I didn’t tell you much at all. I’ve been with the babe a few weeks now. My name is Zane, of the Invicta.”

So he was Invicta. Incredible. And maybe very lucky for her plans. If he was already here, he might be willing to take on a small side job for her.

“Nice to