Page 42 of The Protector
“How awful,” Laura exclaimed.
“So, they don’t do that here?”
“No!” She blinked her eyes. “I don’t know why any man would think that way.”
“But will he force me to have sex with him?”
“Probably. Magni and I had sex on our wedding night, that’s normal.”
“Did you resist him?”
“No, of course not. It’s my duty as his wife, everyone knows that.”
I paled and closed my eyes. “This can’t be happening to me,” I muttered.
“I’m sure he’ll be gentle if you ask him,” she said and squeezed my hand. It made me open my eyes and lock eyes with her.
“Tell me the truth, how awful is it?”
“The sex?” she asked and I gave a solemn nod preparing myself for the horrible truth.
“I like it.”
“Youlikeit?”
“Yes. It feels good.”
I couldn’t believe that she would actually say that, but I had to ask. “So he doesn’t force you? You do it voluntarily?”
“Uh-huh. Sometimes I’m not in the mood, but once we get started it’s nice.”
My mind was exploding and I knew I had to change the subject away from sex. “And what about last names? Did you have to take his last name?”
“Of course. My maiden name was Laura Metz, but now I’m Laura Aurelius.” She looked proud when she spoke the name and it made me shake my head in frustration.
“I’m not giving up my name. No way will I be Christina Boulder, that’s just ridiculous.”
“What’s your last name?”
“My middle name is Sara and my last name is Sanders.”
She tasted my name “Christina Sara Sanders. I like it.”
“Exactly. I can’t be Christina Sara Boulder. Even if it’s just for a few months.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I’m not staying, Laura. I’m here to do a job and as soon as I’m done, I’ll be gone.”
“Oh!” She pulled back. “Does Boulder know?”
“Yes.” As soon as I said it a welcome feeling of calmness spread. The initial shock was subsiding and my haze was lifting. “Boulder knows and he also knows that it’s not a real marriage, so I’m sure he won’t expect any sort of intimacy.”
Laura got up from the bed. “Well, in that case you have nothing to worry about.”
“No, I don’t think I have,” I said and got up from the bed too. “This is all just a big storm in a glass of water, and soon I’ll be excavating all day long and laughing about the whole thing.”
Laura bowed her head. “It was very nice to meet you.”
