“What money?”
She let out a long sigh of frustration. “Included in this ancient marriage arrangement is a provision for the groom’s family to not only pay for the probably elaborate wedding ceremony, but also to make a substantial financial payment to the bride’s family once the nuptials are completed. Like a bride price. It’s not a common practice, but it’s a contracted part of this particular arranged marriage.”
“Why, I wonder.”
She lifted one shoulder, her expression scornful. “Maybe because he was the fourth son and his parents and family wanted to ensure he moved out one day. Or more likely because we were of a lower class, but a stand-up family and that was how it worked all those years ago. I’m not sure about that either, but I do know my mother is counting on those post-wedding funds to let her live her life the way she thinks befits her station, as the widow of a Governor.” An exaggerated eye roll came with that assessment.
Cam took his mug from the brewer and inhaled the scent of his favorite coffee. Rainforest Reserve was the thickest, darkest, richest coffee he’d found. It never failed to jumpstart the mornings when he suffered from lack of sleep. After a sip or two, he was more alert, but Ria seemed to have a calming effect on him. He’d love nothing more than to curl up with her anywhere and simply sleep until tomorrow morning.
Another sip of powerful coffee brought with it a relevant thought. “What about your lady’s maid?”
“Prudence? What about her? I assume you know about her from my mother.”
He didn’t correct her. “Does Prudence have any family on Earth?”
Ria nodded. “She has an aunt and a cousin or maybe two cousins. I’m not certain and I can’t remember their names or anything. Why?”
Inside, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. At least the imposter was an Alpha, not a wayward earthling. “Your mother sent Prudence to look for you. She came back with someone pretending to be you. It sounds like maybe she just co-opted a vacation for one of her relatives.”
Ria’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t sound like something Prudence would do. Perhaps her aunt or cousins talked her into something. I’d believe that more easily than any deception from Prudence, who, let’s be clear, is really my mother’s maid, not mine.”
“Did Prudence know about your escape plans or where you might go on Earth?”
“No. She probably guessed that I wanted to visit some places on Earth besides the way station. And she also knew I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere once we docked, but she certainly didn’t know about my escape plans, the karaoke bar or that I’d end up with you.”
He grinned. He couldn’t seem to help it.
“I mean,Ididn’t even know I’d end up here in your house, so how could she?”
“My singular concern is whether she’d bring an earthling aboard the ship to pretend the woman was you.”
Ria’s eyes widened. “Oh. No. Prudence would never do that. If she brought someone onto the ship—and that’s a big ‘if’—then it was one of her Alpha relatives living here on Earth.”
Cam allowed his shoulders to lower a fraction of an inch. “Well, that’s something anyway. I won’t have to do an extreme memory wipe on some unwitting human when the ship gets back in ten days. Or explain how I knew a human was aboard, but didn’t mention it or try to warn anyone on the ship.”
“You aren’t going to do a memory wipe on me, are you? I don’t want to forget you.”
“The Defender I developed doesn’t work on Alphas. Besides, we only wipe the memories of earthlings who find out about aliens living here in plain sight.”
“You developed the Defender? I’ve heard of it.”
He gave a self-conscious nod. “I like to tinker with things.”
“Well, color me impressed,” she said. “From what I understand, that’s some pretty impressive technology. I’m certain you’ve invented other things to keep not only earthlings in line, but to keep rebellious Alphas like me from doing things we aren’t supposed to.”
The shackle sticker’s subduing impact on Alphas drifted into his mind and he smacked it right out again. Shackling her was equal to a blinking red warning sign of unbelievable temptation. She’d be cooperative to the nth degree. She wouldn’t resist any suggestion he made. Yes, dangerous with a capital D.
Not that she’d been less than compliant with any suggestions he’d made to this point. Besides, the shackle sticker inspired the kind of loss of will that was anything but enticing to him. No, what he liked was the idea of Ria submitting totally to him. Willingly.
He swallowed, hard, and reminded himself of his vow.
“Like sneak off a ship and allow an imposter to get on that same vehicle so you can play around on Earth for ten days?” He stared into her luscious hazel eyes.
She stared back. “Yes. Like that.”
They watched each other rather intensely for several moments. He didn’t dare move in her direction. After a few seconds, it seemed she planned to stay across the room, too.
Finally, he broke the silence. “I wouldn’t use anything on you, Ria, even if I had it. Honestly, I don’t want you to forget me.” Why did simply staring at her beautiful face make his brain go so soft that he’d admit something volatile like that out loud? He should consider the shackle sticker an option. If this were anyone else, he already would have slapped one in place and led the renegade alien back to the basement brig for safekeeping until the ship returned.
