Freeing Luka: The Clecanian Series Book 2 by Victoria Aveline (readict books TXT) 📕

almost tripped over his own feet when you gave him our supply list, and I can tell you, it wasn’t because I asked.”

Daisy smiled wider. “Anyway, how did your meeting go? Did you talk to Luka?”

Alice’s smile faltered. “Yeah.”

Even inebriated, Vanessa noticed the change in her demeanor. Her brows knit in concern. “Oh no, what happened?”

She didn’t want to spoil their good mood, but she was bursting to talk to someone about this. She took her time retelling everything that’d happened between her and Luka. The women gasped and scowled in all the right places, and when she finally described how they’d left it, they sat in silence.

“So, wait,” Vanessa said, looking around. “He’s been watching you? Like, all the time? Is he watching us now?”

Alice stared out into the tree line, feeling a rush of…excitement? “Maybe, I don’t know.”

“Kinky.” Daisy giggled, sinking into the pool of water until she was half submerged.

Rita threw a hand over her heart in mock surprise. “Daisy, my word. Has that shy little exterior really been hiding an undercover freak this whole time?”

Vanessa rose to her knees. She cupped her hands around her mouth, yelling into the tree line, “Luuukkkaaa! Are you out there, you big perv?”

“Vanessa!” Alice shushed the woman with a laugh.

She turned back to Alice, refilling her drink. “So, what’s the problem? If you really thought he was a dick, you wouldn’t be talking to us about him. You like him, but you think you shouldn’t. Is that it?”

That’s exactly it, Alice thought, surprised by the woman’s candor and intuition.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like Luka. She liked him a lot, but she knew, from experience, what she’d be getting into with a personality like that. She’d told them about Luka so they’d persuade her away from him. Talk her off the ledge, not make her question herself more. “Is it wrong that I do? He’s controlling and possessive and…”

“And makes your lady parts rejoice,” Rita chimed in.

Was that it? Was she just insanely attracted to Luka and only thinking it was more because she couldn’t separate her emotions from sex?

“There have been so many red flags, though. Back on Earth, this guy Randy did creepy stuff like this. He didn’t stand outside my house, I don’t think, but he’d randomly show up at my work, or he’d take a class I was taking, even though he was working towards a communications degree. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but later on, when he got really controlling, I started to put it together.” Vanessa quirked a brow, looking unconvinced, and leaned over the edge of the pool to refill her drink. Alice continued, “And another guy, Jorge, he was always so sweet to me in private, but whenever we went out, he’d treat me like crap. Like he was embarrassed to be seen with me.”

“Jesus, you have really bad taste in men,” Rita said, wincing.

Alice threw her hands in the air. “That’s what I’m saying! My instincts are never right.”

“Do you really want my advice, or do you want me to tell you what you want to hear?” Vanessa asked, reclining on the hard edge of the pool.

She bit her lip, unsure if she did want her advice. Alice had learned that, although Vanessa didn’t always soften her words, she was actually really good at reading people and giving advice, even if it was hard to hear. Vanessa had admitted that, in another life, she’d have liked to have been a psychologist.

Alice tensed. “I want your real opinion.”

“It’s true, you’ve picked a lot of duds in the past, but this isn’t Earth, and you can’t base your decisions on what you know about Earth men. You’re comparing apples and oranges. He’s an alien. A mated alien. From what we’ve learned, that means they have some seriously crazy shit going on in their brains, and despite being trained for everything else in husbandry school, they weren’t trained on how to deal with and manage the mating bond, because no one thought it existed anymore.” Vanessa gave a small hiccup then resumed. “For all you know, stalking is normal. It’s not like he can come knock on your door like a regular person. You’ve only talked to him a handful of times and, yes, he hasn’t been the best, but you still like him for some reason. If it’s just attraction, then get to know him more. If he’s really an ass, your attraction will wear off in time, but maybe he’ll end up surprising you.” She smiled. “There’s something endearing about a guy who makes you the center of his world. As long as he’s not trying to control you, I don’t see a problem in how you feel about him.”

“So, you’re saying I should just ignore how he acted at the meeting and him watching me?”

Vanessa sighed. “No. I’m saying you have to put that stuff into context. Take it from someone who says stupid shit without thinking all the time.” Suddenly, her eyes turned glassy, and she downed her drink in one gulp.

Alice slid to the ground, sympathetic tears springing to her eyes at the glimpse of pain she saw on her friend’s face. She reached out to her, but Vanessa shooed her away.

“I’m fine. Really. And if I thought you were in danger of ending up with an asshole, I’d tell you, okay? Keep your guard up, but give him a chance. That’s all I’m saying.”

“You go get that ass.” Daisy smiled dreamily, sweeping her arms and legs through the water as though making a snow angel.

The women all dissolved into laughter at the outrageous comment coming from the painfully shy girl. “I think you guys broke Daisy,” Alice wheezed.

The rest of the afternoon passed happily. After migrating indoors, the women joked and drank long into the