Page 26 of The Marriage Bargain

“Some more than others.”

He may have been an alien, but he had a sense of humor. I felt a grin twitch at my lips.

“And I guess all the girls around here, human and Asterion, can’t keep their hands off you, huh?”

“You are the only one I have had to pursue,” he admitted, scratching his head as if bewildered. “Why I chose to offer this bargain to you when I had many other willing females is beyond me.”

Truthfully, it was a little beyond me too. I couldn’t imagine this guy would have a hard time finding a willing human wife to keep him from returning to his home planet, if that’s all he wanted out of the deal.

“Then why did you make the offer to me? Because of my brother-in-law?”

He shrugged. “I like Zyn. But I did not offer you this bargain because of Zyn. I offered it because of Delle.”

“So, out of all the willing human females around here, you picked the one girl who wasn’t interested in you, to offer marriage?”

“I thought you needed help,” he said, more serious now.

“And other girls didn’t?”

“I wasn’t aware of any particular plights. But I knew yours. And I knew you. I knew I didn’t want you bound to an Asterion you would hate, or one who might abuse you or be cruel to you. If I could prevent that, and also help myself, why would I not?”

Again, I felt confusion. This made it sound like he was interested in me for more than simply bored or casual sex, or even out of obligation to Zyn. This made it sound like he was interested in me for me. At least, insofar as wanting to protect me from a potential bad experience as an Asterion breeder. I tilted my head to the side, studying him. I wanted to ask, Why me? Why would you care?

The expression in his eyes stopped me. There was a curious softness there that scared me.

“Well,” I said finally. “Well, I still think we need to tack on my addendum. No falling in love. Love just complicates matters. Sex complicates matters too,” I admitted, “but we could have sex without falling in love.”

“Hmm,” he grunted. A response I couldn’t interpret.

“Hmmm what?” Again, he shrugged, shaking his head. “It is nothing. Very well, then. To ease your mind, I’ll agree to your terms if you agree to mine.”

“Then it’s settled.” I said it as a statement more than a question, telling myself that it was done and I couldn’t back out now. It was settled. I was going to marry this…alien.

“I believe humans usually have ways of sealing bargains,” he observed.

“Sure. We shake hands.” I stuck mine out for him to take.

“In a non-personal business agreement, yes,” he agreed. “I know that is customary. But when a human male and female agree to marriage, do they shake hands?”

“Uuuuhhh…” My hand fell to my side. I felt like an idiot. “No, not usually. Usually they, uh, they kiss.”

“Do they?”

Judging by the gleam in his eye, I thought he already knew that. Also, judging by the way he shifted a half-step closer, he already had an idea in mind.

“Usually,” I affirmed, “but this isn’t a typical engagement.”

“But it is an engagement.”

“Sort of.”

He came another step closer. It was all I could do not to shift away.

“They also get down on one knee,” I threw in hastily, trying to get him to back off.

Kissing him was a bad idea. A really bad idea. I knew that instinctively.

It worked. He halted, but still stood much too close.

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