Page 35 of Pulled By the Tail
“Very. Thank you.” She kicked her feet, trying hard not to think about his tattoo or that flimsy piece of cloth over his dick. It was a nice dick, with a generous girth but not so much that it’d make her clamp her thighs together and wince. A ring of soft, flexible spines was under the head, but she knew to expect that from the reading materials the agency supplied her. She’d never seen an alien dick before. Honestly, she’d never seen anyone’s dick but Kevin’s, at least in the flesh. She’d seen plenty in porn and had watched human-Tal videos—for research—during her long trip and Talen’s looked better than anything on film.
Stop thinking about his dick. Stop.
She coughed, clearing her throat. “Is the pool open to guests?”
“Not yet. Some of the steps are loose and uneven. It’s not safe,” he said.
“The steps could use a railing, too. We don’t need any slips or falls.”
“I planned to do that in the spring. Charl and I spent a solid week just clearing leaves and debris from the water.”
She shivered at the thought. “I’m surprised you even bothered. It had to be disgusting.”
“Hmm,” he said, stretching out onto his back and tucking his arm behind his head. “I found some old photos of the pool, so I knew its potential. Winter is long and cold here, and the temptation of a thermal bath was too good to pass up.”
Georgia didn’t think she’d trudge out to the pool in a foot of snow, but on a day like today? Yes. It was perfect.
The silence stretched out between them in a perfect, golden moment, at ease with the lapping of the water.
“So, all of this from a card game?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“For those,” he pointed to the flowers clinging to the stone walls. “Moon violets. They are very rare and only found in a few locations. They only bloom in the dark.”
“They’re lovely.” They seemed to thrive in the warm, humid air.
“Quil nearly pissed himself when we finally found this place.” Talen’s laugh was low and rumbling. “He’s a plant enthusiast. Has been since we were kits.”
Georgia thought back to the lush conservatory and the potted plants in every room of the house. “He must be happy here.”
“Like awuapin mint.”
Georgia didn’t understand that phrase but let it slide. Context told her enough. “I think when you finish the repairs, the house will be quite the draw for guests.”
“It has to be,” he said, still staring upward. “No one travels to Corra for a holiday, but I think we can get enough trade from nearby towns. Drac’s population has doubled in the last five years. We’re close enough for a quick getaway but isolated enough to feel like a destination. This house was built for entertaining.”
She saw that, in the way the rooms flowed into one another and partitions could be removed to make the spacious rooms even larger.
“The house has debt, which we’re responsible for when we took ownership,” he confessed.
“What kind of debt? This place was abandoned.”
“For almost a hundred years,” he said with a nod. “Unpaid taxes, mostly. I don’t want you to think we’re paupers. We have a sizeable inheritance.Had. I’ve sold assets but that money went directly into the house. The accounts aren’t in the red and we have enough for the major repairs, but we need to turn a profit by spring. Tomorrow we’ll look at the accounts and you’ll see for yourself.”
“You don’t have to—”
“A manager needs to understand the financial situation. I don’t trust Quil not to cheat the vendors, so I’ve been doing the books myself but there’s no time. Busted pipes seem more important than sorting through invoices and billing.”
“I’m going to disagree with you there.” She’d use her office ninja skills to whip things into shape. “And thank you for being frank. Do you have the budget to pay my salary?”
“I’m counting on you being an investment. You’re going to help me pull this house together.”
“You have a lot of faith in a woman you don’t really know,” she said.
“I have faith in my mate,” he replied.
“I’m not your mate.”
“If you consider it from a certain vantage, you are.” That teasing tone returned.
