Page 15 of Alien Dragon's Bride

Chapter 9

Megan

Megan forgot to breathe. All the air left her lungs in a whoosh and she felt lightheaded. What exactly was he suggesting? That they date before she got pregnant—no, not pregnant—artificially implanted with his and his dead wife’s embryo.

Whoever his wife had been, she was damn lucky. The guy was muscular, handsome, and polite. His office had expensive furniture along with silver and gold figurines that she wouldn’t doubt were real. They looked pricey. Like everything about him and his office. He wore a silk emerald shirt and gray pants that hugged his muscles. His golden eyes seemed to study her like a lion does its prey before pouncing. It both excited and terrorized her. A rush of adrenaline to flee or fight raced through her. Yet, at the time, the desire to strip and crawl across his wooden desk filled her.

He was right. There was some kind of connection…attraction between them. But right now, she had to decide if she would take this leap and do what he asked or not.

“What happens if you decide I’m not the right fit for you and your…child?” The fine hairs on her arms raised. Last thing she needed was to agree to this, have him decide he couldn’t stand her, then owe even more money than she did now.

His dark blond eyebrow cocked. “Then the contract would be null and void if either of us decides to terminate the agreement for any reason.”

“And the loan? The upfront payment for my dad’s hospital stay?” Why did her throat feel like it burned?

“We can think of it as a retainer fee, one that will remain with you to do with as you wish,” his voice sent chills through her and she had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t only referring to the contact.

Get a grip, Megan. It’s not like he’s going to actually date you, fall in love, and you’ll marry and have a dozen kids. Still, her whole face heated. “That seems fair enough.”

“Good. Give me a few minutes to write this up and you can take it with you.”

“How long before I need to sign it.” She needed time to visit a lawyer. Could she even find one that wouldn’t cost her a fortune to review the contract?

“How about we meet over coffee on Sunday?” he asked.

She cleared her throat. “I-I’m working at Sal’s that day.”

“When do you get off work then?” He tapped a button and a printer churned down the hallway from his office.

“On Sundays? Midnight.” Half the day she spent cleaning houses and she had Mr. Harrison’s lawn to mow and his St. Bernard to wash. Her neighbor had a bad hip and gave her free sandwiches and milk to do his tasks for him once a week.

“I thought the diner closed early on Sundays.” He frowned, his eyes slightly narrowing like he didn’t believe her or maybe he thought she just wanted the money and would bail out the second she could.

“It does, I do other odd jobs when I can.” She hated admitting that but she felt calm inside like she could trust him. Weird cause she hardly knew him.

Rather than sympathy or pity that she’d seen from so many others before, his expression was like he would do the same if in her position.

“I understand.” He pushed a notepad toward her and a pen. “Please write down how I can contact you including the information about your dad and the hospital he’s staying at.”

He made it sound like her father was on a retreat somewhere and not dependent on a dialysis several times a day.

“Thanks.” She filled out everything she could think of that he might need and pushed the notebook back toward him.

When he reached for it, their fingers touched and a shiver of excitement curled through her.

“Excuse me while I’ll grab your paperwork.” He dashed out of the room like she’d told him she had a fatal disease that he could catch by being in a confined space with her.

And how much money would they pay her up front? Enough to pay her dad’s bills? Did he even realize how much she owed? She glanced across the desk, the notebook was gone. Had he taken it? Nausea washed over her. Oh god, what if he called the hospital, found out the amount of her debt, and decided to withdraw his offer?

She stood on shaky legs and peeked out of his office door. The hallway was empty. No sign of him. The printer sounded like it was a few doors down. She crept forward, her stomach knotting with every step.

“Who are you?” a little voice asked behind her and she yelped.

A little boy who couldn’t have been older than four stared at her with wide, blue eyes. Another youngster, with a dinosaur mask, skipped out of an office.

“Are you Renjerian or human?” a third boy asked and she whirled to find him watching her from behind a column, a fake sword in his hand.

“I-I’m human.” She smiled. Must be some game they played. “But I think I heard a monster down the hall.”

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