Page 19 of Asher

Admittedly, I can understand why he might be feeling that way. Things have been a bit… intense. My grandmother is so excited that I’m getting married that she’s determined to have the wedding as soon as possible. She cornered Garrett and demanded contact details for his family so they could start the planning immediately. It was only Garrett’s firm insistence that he wanted to plan his own wedding—I have no idea if this is actually true or just an excuse—that slowed her down.

Then my dad showed up on his doorstep at the crack of dawn the next day to insist he spend the day with them so they could get to know each other. That led to an in-depth debate about our living situation… and whether he’s “saving himself for marriage like the humans do.”

That was a very awkward conversation that ended with me threatening to put my parents in a human nursing home.

Then Garrett and I spent half a day hotly discussing the details for our marriage. It’s fair to say that if thiswasa real relationship, we might have broken up after that.

None of this has been helped by my cousins, who watch and listen avidly and throw in the occasional inciting comment when it looks like things might be calming down. I’m pretty sure the only things keeping Garrett from going on a killing spree are a) the lure of demon cultural rituals, and b) sex. He came home with me after Grandmother’s party, mostly because it would have looked weird if he hadn’t, and we spent the night confirming that yes, we actually are dynamite in bed together. Some other parts of our relationship still need work, but not the sex.

Which means that two days after our surprise engagement announcement, I’m making careful notes of things I need to talk to Garrett about this morning. I figure if I write it all down—including my explanations and justifications—and stick to it, there’s less chance of pissing him off. Maybe. I need him to agree to let me cover all his expenses while we’re married. The school is paying for the house his team is staying in this year, and for the housekeeper who’s looking after them, since they’re not only here to teach but also to consult on attracting other species to the town. But their day-to-day expenses are their own responsibility, and I want to cover Garrett’s. I know he thinks he’s getting something out of this agreement, but it’s not as much as I am.

Ideally, he’d move into my house, but I can see how it might be awkward with my cousins living there too and me away so much. We’ve decided to just wing it until the wedding and see if we can find an option that works for us. But whatever that turns out to be, I want to pay for it. Garrett’s a teacher and anthropologist; even if he’s been very frugal with his income for a long time, he can’t have that much money. I, on the other hand, could literally wipe my ass with thousand-franc notes for the rest of my life and still be stupidly wealthy.

I skim down the list one more time, then slip my phone into my pocket with a sense of satisfaction. This negotiation is going to go well.

* * *

This negotiation is not going well.

Garrett was in a shitty mood when he opened the door to me. Apparently he was on the phone to his mother and several aunts earlier, who have plans for “the wedding to end all weddings.” He shut that down by threatening a courthouse wedding, but they somehow managed to extract a promise from him that they could host an engagement party for us.

Now he’s pacing the limited floor space in the room designated as his office, muttering to himself about how it wouldn’t have beensobad to have no family, surely, and maybe he could change his name and disappear. I don’t bother trying to talk to him—he might be the most sensible hellhound I’ve ever met, but he is still a hellhound, and they’re prone to high drama and silliness. He just needs to work it all off, and then we can have a sane conversation.

“This is all your fault!” he declares, rounding on me, and I blink.

“It… is?” I don’t deny it, just in case that makes it worse, but I’m not sure how his family being hellhound-y and overbearing is my fault. Isn’t it bad enough that I have to take responsibility for my own overbearing family?

“Yes! If you hadn’t been in that bar with your wide shoulders and your sexy scowl and your huge fucking cock, I wouldn’t be in this situation. You owe me!”

Skipping over the fact that he was the one who approached me, I seize instead on the opportunity to change the subject and further my own agenda. “I do owe you,” I agree. “I owe you so much. Let me make it up to you.”

Suspicion flits across his face. “How?”

“Hmm, let me think… off the top of my head, I could pay some of your expenses. Groceries and incidentals, maybe?”

He stares at me. “What?”

Was that not clear? I thought it was pretty clear. “I’ll set up an account for you, or if you prefer, you can keep the receipts and I’ll reimburse you.”

“Are you…? Do you really not get what I’m saying right now?”

I mentally replay his words. It’s my fault and I owe him. That’s it, right? I didn’t miss anything?

“I owe you,” I try, hoping for confirmation.

“Yes. You owe me for tempting me with your big cock.” He says it slowly, and I get the idea that’s relevant. I owe him… because he’s attracted to me?

I glance through the office door into the hallway. Sid and Annie were leaving to set up the classrooms at the school when I arrived, and I haven’t heard them come back. Still, I lower my voice as I say, “Could I maybe pay part of this debt with a blowjob?”

Garrett throws up his hands. “Finally, you get it.”

Smirking, I stand and go to close the door. The last thing we need is for his colleagues to walk in on us. “You could have just asked, you know.”

He sniffs. “We’re getting married. You’re supposed to be able to anticipate my needs.”

I’m not touching that. Instead, I say, “Would you rather stand or sit?”

In response, he stalks over to his desk chair, spins it around, and plants himself in it. Then stands back up, opens his pants, shoves them down enough that I’ll have clear access, and sits again. His eyebrows rise impatiently as he looks at me and then his crotch.

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