Page 17 of Secretly Married To My Monster Alien Boss
“Thank you,” he said, voice open and happy, if a bit scratchy. As if he hadn’t used it all that much in the last few days. “I’ve been waiting to hear that all weekend.”
Before she could stop herself, Alissia smiled back, her fears evaporating. “Were you that sure I’d say yes?”
“I was actually terrified you’d tell me to go to your human hell.”
“Nah, you like the heat too much.” Why was she smiling so widely? “Maybe Antarctica.”
“Your world is too cold to even joke–” His eyes widened as he scanned her. “You must be freezing.”
“My numb toes would agree with you.”
“I apologize, where are my human manners?” He stepped to the side and motioned toward the hallway. “Please, come in.”
It was hard to move her uncooperative legs, which wouldn’t stop shaking from the adrenaline, but somehow, she stepped inside. Like she was on autopilot.
The interior of his house was even more striking than the exterior. The hallway was bare, except for the line of potted plants, winding high toward the ceiling, enhancing the exquisite wallpaper. It was a dark blue, again flecked with golden symbols.
To one side, a massive living room spread out. Here, the wallpaper was dark green. Everything in the room was green, actually, from the thick drapes, to the leather armchairs and couch and even more potted plants, all pointed toward the huge roaring fireplace. Black accents broke the sea of emerald. The floor was as dark as the one Rynar had back at the office. The fireplace wall had been constructed out of exposed inky stones, with gray veins running between them.
It was the kind of decadent, sumptuous luxury that spoke of old riches.
Alissia felt like an intruder.
But that weird feeling snapped her out of the adrenaline fog which had taken over her mind.
She looked at Rynar’s fancy robe again–making sure her gaze didn’t linger on his abs, thank you very much.
“Now I get the decor back at the office,” she said.
“Red, green, and black are all found in nature,” he said. “They reference the cycle of existence, youth, life, death. And I quite enjoy them.”
“Good tastes.” Alissia fisted her palms, straightened her back, and turned to him with all the haughtiness she usually reserved for the office. “I want a contract. Clear clauses, clear deadlines.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way either.” He jutted out his chin at the comfy armchairs. “Shall we?”
As the heat seeped into her bones, a certainty settled within Alissia.
This was going to be the negotiation of her life.
“Why dowe have to be married for a full month? The will states you get everything after marriage.” Alissia leaned back in the armchair, reveling in the sumptuous softness.
Her back hadn’t felt this cradled since she was a kid; the mattress back at the cramped apartment was lumpier than the porridge she forced herself to eat each morning. Getting nutrients on a budget was nothing but bland.
She and Rynar had already gone over the most important clauses of their secret marriage contract–with a few bumps.
Alissia didn’t want half of his fortune, no matter how much he’d insisted. She wanted enough money to pay for Damian’s tuition (which she hadn’t told Rynar about–yet) and her bar exam. He’d considered that sum much too low, and wouldn’t accept anything less than giving her triple the amount of money.
Fine. She could always donate what she didn’t need.
She wanted to get by on her own and she was mad that she hadn’t been able to do it when a real emergency had appeared. She tried not to beat herself over it too badly–tried.
Thankfully, she and Rynar agreed on most things.
They would get married next week in a small ceremony, with Deruzian and human witnesses. She’d move into his place and they would live together during their short marriage. Alissia had only gotten a small glimpse of his house and she liked it. It was cozy in a very alien way that she couldn’t quite place. Almost like it felt familiar. But it couldn’t, because she hadn’t seen anything quite like it.
Maybe it was the fact that the housefeltlike it belonged to Rynar, with its imposing, yet comfortable decor–andhewas familiar.
He needed to become even more so in the following weeks.
