Page 7

It wasn’t just the bad dreams he experienced when at the mercy of other people’s emotions; it was the uncontrolled feelings and desires that had him dreading sleep.

With several strong coffees inside him, he could stay on his feet a bit longer.

Talyn thought about exploring the station, but the idea of surrounding himself with strangers didn’t appeal. Instead, he opened the My Single Alien info pods and sipped on his dark, bitter coffee as he settled in a seat.

As he watched the first one, introducing him to the agency and showing images of happy couples they’d paired, he shook his head and slumped down.

He was nothing like these well-adjusted couples. Talyn was a mess, but was he too much of a mess to find love at My Single Alien?

Chapter 3

What a night! Sinead stumbled into the dining room. She hadn’t meant to have an all-nighter but had lost track of time and the number of drinks she’d downed. It had been such fun. The music in the Enchanted Captain had been on point, and the other customers were up for a good time.

As her mom always said, you’re not here for a long time; you’re here for a good time, so make the most of it.

Her mom lived by that motto. With five marriages under her belt and a slew of boyfriends, she knew how to enjoy herself. When her mom was younger, she’d been movie star stunning, with long dark silky hair and curves to die for. She had almond-shaped green eyes and a cute upturned nose covered in freckles that made men weak at the knees.

Sinead had inherited some of her mom’s physical traits, but they were mixed with her late father’s, so she was taller and leaner than her mom but came with the same killer hair and cute nose.

Sinead’s mouth felt furry as she smacked her lips together. She shouldn’t have gone so crazy on a weeknight. So long as Diadora didn’t find out she hadn’t gone to bed, Sinead wasn’t worried. She could put on a professional face when she needed to do so.

Besides, she’d been doing this for six months. Sinead knew how things worked at My Single Alien. Today wasn’t going to be tricky. The new aliens were getting their inductions. She’d round them up, hand them to Avril, and leave them to it. She might be able to sneak off for a couple of hours for a nap if everything went smoothly.

She wiped smudged mascara from under her eyes as she headed to the counter to grab a jumbo-sized mug of coffee.

Sinead glanced around the dining room, and her eyes widened. Talyn sat in one corner on his own. Was he up early or chilling after an all-nighter? Maybe she had a sneaky party boy on her hands. Her mom always said to watch out for the quiet ones.

She smoothed her hands over her hair and checked her lip gloss in her compact. It was only polite to see how he was doing after his first night on Prodigy. As she studied her reflection, she noticed the tiredness under her eyes, but she was presentable enough.

After grabbing another coffee, Sinead walked to Talyn’s table. As she approached, she noticed his foot tapping on the ground and his fingers matching the rhythm. He was jittery.

Talyn glanced up as she stopped by the table, his bleary eyes not seeming to register her for a few seconds.

“Hey! Did you have trouble sleeping?” Sinead placed the coffee in front of him. “I’m always the same when in a new bed. Everything feels different, doesn’t it?”

Talyn looked at the coffee but didn’t speak.

Sinead’s brow wrinkled. “That’s for you. I thought you might want it.”

He pushed it back toward her. “It won’t help.”

“It’s the strong stuff. Holly keeps it out back and only gives it to the people she really likes.” Sinead winked at him. “They’re Colombian beans.”

He tilted his head. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

Her smile faded. This guy was hard work. “You won’t know until you give it a try. Unless of course, you want to go to sleep.” She went to take the mug back, but Talyn’s hand shot out, and he grabbed it.

She gasped as his fingers covered hers. Holy stars on a stick! That felt incredible. Her frantic thoughts vanished. She could think clearly. Although, was she even thinking? A quiet Sinead had never experienced slid from her head and down to her shoulders.

Sinead blinked slowly as Talyn went to pull the mug away. “No, you don’t.” She sat at the table, clamping her other hand over his.

His mouth dropped open. “What are you doing?”

Sinead’s breath felt shaky as the calm sensation continued to pulse through her. “How do you do that?”

Talyn winced and glared at her hands. “It’s no secret what Lillips can do.”

“Sure, but you have empath abilities. This isn’t empathic. It feels like heaven.”