Chosen Alien Gene: The Complete Collection (SciFi Alien Menage Romance) by Meg Ripley

customer base of goths, hipsters, club kids, and hip hop lovers kept the atmosphere interesting.
    As she was beginning to unwind, the copious alcohol in her Long Island loosening the grip of panic that overwhelmed her, Jessica felt the uncanny sensation of someone watching her; someone close by, rather than across the room. Darting her gaze around, she spotted the source. She had seen the guy in the bar before, sporting some rather odd—at least to her eyes—ensembles. He would’ve been a unique sight even without his romance novel cover outfits , she thought idly, turning back to her drink. She had heard from James that the guy’s name was Banek; the foreignness of the name made her think that he must have come from some very isolated country. Probably close to Chernobyl , she thought wryly. The man was tall—taller than she was, which was unusual in and of itself. He was also massive, with shoulders so broad that Jessica thought it would be impossible to wrap her arms around them and legs that a tree trunk would envy.
    His hair was strange, too—falling down to his shoulders in a cascade, it was a bizarre orange-gold color, contrasting weirdly with his brown-gray skin. Jessica realized that half of her drink was gone and shook her head in amazement; when she stopped to consider it, she realized that she could feel the hum in her veins, the subtle fogginess that came along with the alcohol entering her bloodstream.
    Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat, right at her elbow, almost making Jessica jump. “Excuse me, ma’am.” Jessica swallowed the sip of her drink that she’d nearly choked on and turned her head to look at who had approached her. It was the strange foreigner; she tilted her head up slightly to be able to meet his gaze. Up close, his eyes were just as strange as the rest of him, an oddly appealing cerulean color. Where in the world did he come up with that combination? she thought in bewilderment. Somehow, in spite of how strange he looked, Jessica had to admit to herself that she didn’t feel any instinctive creepiness about the guy.
    “Yes?” she said, setting her drink down with unsteady hands. The guy may not be creepy, but he was big—and so close to her. In all the times she had visited the bar, Jessica had seen him on several occasions, but he had never introduced himself to her, never done more than casually glance at her from across the bar. She had seen him talk to other girls—but he never seemed to leave with anybody. If that’s even his intention, she reminded herself. Not every guy who went out to bars viewed them as a meat market.
    “Forgive me if I’m being forward,” he said, “but you look like you’re very distressed, and I was wondering if a sympathetic ear might be useful.” Jessica glanced at James, who was leaning against the back of the bar, surveying the slowly growing crowd. She worried at her bottom lip, mentally calling to the bartender. James’ gaze fell on her and he grinned, raising an eyebrow slightly and inclining his head just as subtly. If Banek had James’ approval, then Jessica thought to herself that it probably wasn’t a bad idea to accept his invitation.
    “Have a seat,” Jessica said, gesturing to the stool next to her. Banek sat down, and Jessica almost laughed at how improbable he looked. “I’m Jessica, by the way,” she said, extending her hand towards him politely. She steeled herself; guys of Banek’s size tended to almost crush a person’s hand without even realizing it.
    She was shocked when Banek took her hand lightly in his—more lightly than she would have thought possible—and leaned forward, pressing a soft, gentle kiss just above her knuckles. Jessica felt her cheeks burning at the chivalrous gesture without knowing why. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Banek said, sitting up once more and giving her a smile. “My name is Banek.” For a moment, flustered, Jessica was not