Page 13 of Secretly Mated To My Monster Alien Boss
When he’d accepted the position of Head of Security and Protection, everything had changed. Kiara didn’t know just how much things had transformed, but she remembered seeing the burliest Deruzians coming down here, day in and day out, carrying construction materials, big surveillance screens, and curious looking chairs.
The secrecy of the remodel had given this level an ominous feel and people had started calling it Deryg’s Domain.
The universe had picked the absolute worst time for her to delve into the building’s depths.
A shiver ran down her spine as the elevator carried her further down inside the shadowy bowels of Alien Inc. At least that’s what it felt like.
Kiara wasn’t a fan of tight spacesoranything having to do with the underground. Back when she’d been a student, she’d choose the hour-long commute just to avoid the thirty-minute ride on the subway.
“It’s going to be okay,” she muttered to herself, not believing a word of it.
It wouldn’t beokay.
Not only was she battling her claustrophobia and had the massive party details to still deal with, but she had to see Deryg. She was excited and fearful, all at once.
Desire still pulsed in her veins, which didn’t help. At all.
She had to apologize to Deryg for what had happened in her office.
The last thing she wanted was for their friendship to be ruined with one kiss. Fine, the greatest kiss of her life—which she already suspected might have ruined the experience for all the other guys she’d be kissing in the future—but still just a kiss.
She’d get to the basement level, try not to freak out, fill out the police report, then clear the air with Deryg.
Simple.
Easy.
Peachy.
She had a plan.
Her phone rang again. Kiara tensed.Not again. But it was just Darcy, the new hire from the innovations department, calling.
“Okay, so I have two rotating tables that also loop around their axis,” Darcy began, efficient as always. When they’d first met, Kiara hadn’t exactly vibed with her curt demeanor. But then she’d realized Darcy was just shy. The quicker she could go through a successful interaction, the better. And, damn, was she brilliant–and a good friend. “Nazyn said the blue one goes next to the ice fountain and the red one goes next to the bar. Correct?”
“Incorrect. The blue one needs to be next to the balcony and–” But what if Nazyn was right? After all, he was the Deruzian genius who had opened the portal between their worlds. Maybe he saw something Kiara didn’t and–No. This was just the conversation she’d had with her mother getting into her head. “Blue next to the balcony, red next to the refreshments. B and R, easy to remember.”
“Clever.” Darcy gave a very efficient laugh. “The installation on the column will take about an hour and thirteen minutes, then you can come check it out.”
“I might be a while,” Kiara said as the metal elevator groaned around her. Damn it, why couldn’t Deryg have picked the tallest floor for his lair? “I’m going down to DD level.”
“Deryg’s Domain?” Not even Darcy’s even inflection could hide her surprise. “How come.”
Don’t scare the staff, Deryg’s words echoed in her mind. His imagined voice sounded lower and gruffer than in the past.
“Oh, you know, something came up and I have to sign off on something,” Kiara said.
“Ah, you mean the police report?”
Kiara rolled her eyes. So much about keeping it a secret. Though she shouldn’t be surprised–Darcy was Nazyn’s soulmate. Or fated mate. Or whatever Deruzians called being so completely and utterly in love and devoted to another being that they’d wither and die without them.
“Deruzians are such gossips,” Kiara said.
“Oh, you have no idea. I heard Deryg’s a bit out of sorts, too.”
Honestly. She’s been in that bathroom for ten minutes, tops. Did they just communicate telepathically or what?
“Yeah, the party planning is getting to all of us,” Kiara said. Because what else could she say? Oh, he just made out with me and maybe that’s why he didn’t feel like himself? Which…howexactly had the kiss affected Deryg? Kiara had been in such a whirlwind of emotions, she hadn’t thought about that.
