Atlas: Arkadian Alien Mail Order Brides #2 Read online

  He nodded, that felt like a good future for her, a perfect future.

  “So, this is what you’ll do with your share?” he asked her.

  “I used my bonus from the brides program to purchase these pieces,” she told him. “They’re very rare, so even damaged pieces like these are precious. I will use my share from our arrangement to get a space for my shop.”

  Her eyes were luminous as she spoke, and he found himself transported by her passion.

  “The only thing I’ve ever been that passionate about is this house,” he found himself telling her.

  She nodded, a touch of sadness crossing her features.

  “My grandfather passed away years ago, and my grandmother wanted to be in the city,” he told her. “That’s when I moved in here permanently. At least, with your help it will be permanent.”

  “Can your cousin really stop us?” she asked him, her eyes suddenly wide and anxious. “If he finds out we’re not intending to stay married?”

  “I hope not,” he told her honestly. “But we may have to spend the next couple of days convincing him that this is legit.”

  She nodded thoughtfully.

  “So how far have you gotten with your plans for the shop?” he asked her, hoping to change the subject.

  “I’m going to start looking at spaces right away,” she told him, her eyes sparkling again. “I have my first appointment tomorrow on King’s Row.”

  “King’s Row?” he echoed in horror.

  “What?” she asked. “It sounds really fancy. And the price is right.”

  “Gods, no,” he told her. “King’s Row is a rough location. I don’t know how it would work for a tea shop.”

  “I guess I’ll find out tomorrow,” she said, shrugging. “Our tea should be ready now. Would you like to pour it out, or should I?”

  “Please,” he said, gesturing for her to prepare the tea.

  She lifted the painted metal pot and poured the tea slowly into two cups.

  “Hold it in your hands first,” she told him. “Feel the warmth of it.”

  The happiness and peace in her voice were so beautiful.

  He did as he was told, wishing he could feel her warmth instead. The cup was gratifyingly warm in his palms.

  “Now taste the fragrance,” she told him.

  He watched as she held her cup close to her face, eyes closed in rapture as she took in the scent of the chamomile.

  Mimicking her, he found himself carried back to the past again, the sound of his grandfather’s voice telling him funny stories as they gazed into the crackling fire, his grandmother’s arm tucked comfortingly around him.

  “Want to sit in the back parlor?” he offered. “We can have a fire.”

  “That sounds nice,” she told him.

  They stood and he led her back through the dining room into the small back parlor behind it.

  The old floating leather sofa was still just as his grandfather had left it, opposite the fireplace. A faux fur rug covered the wood floor in front of the fireplace.

  He handed Valerie his tea and went about starting a wood fire with the old iron implements, feeling a sense of old-fashioned masculinity as he did.

  He didn’t spend much time back here these days. It always made him feel lonely.

  But with Valerie here, the room felt the right size again, warm and welcoming.

  Once the flames were dancing in the grate, he stood back to admire his handiwork.

  “Come sit,” Valerie said, patting the seat next to her.

  She was radiant in the flickering of firelight, which brought out glints of copper and bronze in her hair that he hadn’t seen before.

  What other secrets did this woman hide? He wanted to explore her, unravel her like a mystery.

  She’s not really your bride, a voice in the back of his head reminded him.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked, concern in her lovely eyes.

  “No, I’m fine,” he told her. “Let’s enjoy some tea.”

  5

  Valerie

  Valerie awoke feeling warm and blissed out. She opened her eyes to see that the fire had gone out, and she was leaning on Atlas’s mighty shoulder.

  Atlas was still asleep. His head was leaned back, his left arm laid possessively across her lap, as if he had dreamed they were driving too fast and stopping too suddenly.

  Holy rings of Idris.

  They had been drinking tea and talking about how to set up her shop, they must have drifted off.

  And now she was surrounded by his intoxicating heat and more inappropriately attracted to him than ever.

  She glanced around the room. The windows were covered, so it was impossible to get a sense of how late it was.

  At last, her eyes lit on the old wooden clock hung beside the built-in.

  “Oh no,” she gasped, shooting off the sofa and halfway across the room in one frantic movement.

  Atlas made a sad sound in his sleep.

  It was morning. Her appointment to see the space on King’s Row was in less than an hour.

  “Valerie?” Atlas growled, sounding like a bear waking up from hibernation.

  “We must have fallen asleep,” she said. “I’m so sorry. And now I have less than an hour to get to King’s Row, wherever that is.”

  “Go shower and change,” he said, stretching like a lion. “Meet me in the kitchen after, I’ll have coffee waiting. We’ll get you there on time.”

  “Thank you so much,” she called out as she sprinted for the staircase.

  After the world’s quickest shower, she used the wardrobe printer to make herself what she hoped would be a conservative yet pretty outfit - the kind of outfit that might impress a landlord.

  She dashed back downstairs, and she could smell the richness of the coffee before she pushed open the door between the dining room and the kitchen. Of course, she was more of a tea person, but she wasn’t a snob. There was something to be said for a strong cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

  Atlas was leaning casually against the counter, a mug of the fragrant coffee already in his hand.

  “Wow, you look amazing,” he told her appreciatively. “Like a sexy teacher.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I didn’t realize that’s what I was going for, but it seems like it might be effective.”

  “Effective for what?” he asked, his eyebrows flicking up with interest.

  “You know,” she said. “Winning over a landlord.”

  “Oh.” He looked a little disappointed as he handed over the steaming mug. “You don’t have to worry about that. Money wins over landlords.”

  Valerie laughed and took the coffee, warming her hands with it. “I guess we’ll find out.”

  “You’ll find out,” he amended. “I have to meet the guys over at the Club this morning.”

  “Oh, okay,” she said. “Of course.”

  She chided herself for feeling so crestfallen. Naturally, her pretend fiancé wasn’t interested in tagging along on a bunch of real estate showings. He’d had his own life before her, and would have his own life after she was gone.

  Last night had just felt so… special. But maybe that was because she hadn’t had that many friends or connections before, especially in Upper Arkadia.

  A man like Atlas, with time and credits to spare, could make friends with anyone he wanted.

  “Jonx will take you wherever you need to go,” Atlas told her. “And if you need anything while you’re out in town, you can just tell them to put it on my account.”

  “Oh,” she said, feeling surprised at his generosity.

  “I suggest some jewelry,” he told her. “Can’t have anyone thinking I don’t lavish my fiancée with appropriate levels of bling.”

  “What kind of jewelry?” she asked, astonished.

  “Just pick out whatever you like,” he told her. “Nothing too showy, but make sure it looks expensive.”

  “O-okay,” she said, knowing she would not buy jewelry, even if she did know what he meant. The whole idea was overwhelming.

  “Ready?” he asked. “We can walk out together.”

  She swallowed down the last gulp of her coffee. It was surprisingly good.

  “Cinnamon,” he said, as if reading her mind. “I put a little cinnamon in with the grounds.”

  “Perfection,” she told him.

  He beamed back at her, and for a moment something seemed to pass between them.

  Then he turned away quickly, but not before she saw a hint of sapphire glow in his eyes. It was different than the hungry green from yesterday, softer, more welcoming.

  She followed him down the tiered veranda to the driveway.

  He whistled, three sharp, high notes, and she heard the hum of a sports hover starting up.

  “This one is my favorite,” he confided, as a glossy green hover with the top down slid to a stop in front of them.

  “It’s lovely,” Valerie breathed.

  She wasn’t normally much of a craft person, but this one was truly unusual. The rounded body was like nothing she had ever seen before.

  “This is the bug. It was my grandfather’s roll-craft,” Atlas explained. “My mechanic and I found a way to retrofit the old body onto a modern, S-lane hover. Then we refinished it with bullet-proof triple sheen hue, replaced the top cloth, and here we are.”

  “Isn’t bullet-proof kind of ineffective when the top is just cloth?” Valerie asked.

  “Bullet-proof is a type of hue that is impervious to weather conditions,” he explained with a half-smile. “It definitely doesn’t stop bullets. Which is why I’m not taking it to King’s Row.”

  Valerie gasped.

  “Kidding,” he said quickly. “I’m kidding. Mostly.”

  Before she could ask any foll
ow up questions, there was the familiar squeal of rocket-brakes, and she looked up to see Atlas’s cousin careening toward them in his own car.

  Ryk managed not to hit Atlas’s beautiful craft, for which Valerie was grateful. But she didn’t care for the look on Ryk’s face when he emerged from his vehicle. Or the drone that hovered just over his shoulder to film them without their consent.

  “Where are you two going?” Ryk demanded, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  “We’re going to check out some real estate… together,” Atlas said, wrapping an arm around Valerie’s shoulders.

  She felt bad for him, she really did. But she was very glad if he was coming with her. He had her kind of worried about King’s Row.

  Before Ryk could ask them anything else, Jonx pulled the car around and hopped out, holding open the door.

  “Ready when you are, Miss Valerie,” he said with a bow.

  For one awkward, horrifying moment, it was plainly obvious that they had not been planning on leaving together.

  “Never mind, Jonx,” Atlas called out to the butler. “Valerie and I decided to take the bug instead.”

  “Very good, sir,” Jonx said.

  Valerie admired how Jonx was able to ignore Ryk, instead of giving him the satisfaction of a dirty look for nearly killing him yesterday.

  If he could do it, so could she.

  “We’re in a bit of a hurry, Ryk,” she said, giving him an apologetic smile. “But it was so nice to see you again.”

  Atlas gave her shoulder a squeeze with one big hand as they breezed over to the bug, where he held her door for her like she was a princess.

  “He’s still got the hover trained on us,” Atlas whispered. “So put on a show until we’re out of his sight, pussycat.”

  A show. Don’t forget that’s all this is, Valerie reminded herself.

  6

  Valerie

  Valerie snuggled close to Atlas as he slipped behind the wheel, telling herself it was only to put on a show for his cousin, not because she longed to feel those solid planes of warm muscle again, and breathe in his masculine scent.

  “Kiss my cheek,” he murmured.

  She pressed her lips softly to the roughness of his square jaw and felt his quick intake of breath.

  It was almost like he was responding to her too, soaking in her nearness like it was a drug.

  She felt her heart pounding in her chest.

  The bug darted forward with an ear-popping whoosh, and they were sailing down the long driveway.

  Valerie was pinned to Atlas with the sheer force. She heard a squealing laugh, and realized it was her own.

  Atlas removed one hand from the wheel and wrapped it around her upper thigh.

  She had no idea if it was meant to be comforting or sexy, but the heat of his hand seared through her dress, and she felt her body responding urgently to his.

  “I’ll slow down the second we lose him,” Atlas whispered into her hair, sending a tingle of electricity down her spine.

  The bug whipped out of the driveway and onto the main road back to town, as Valerie begged her lungs to take in air.

  At last, they followed the curve of a side street and the craft slowed to a normal pace.

  “Valerie, are you okay?” Atlas asked turning to her.

  She pinned her lips together.

  His eyes widened.

  But the laughter bubbled up inside and came out in spite of her best efforts.

  Atlas stared at her for a second and then began to laugh too.

  “I’m sorry,” she gasped. “That was just so wild.”

  “You’re not as proper as you look,” Atlas observed in an admiring way.

  She grinned and he leaned forward to brush a piece of hair out of her eyes, like a hero in a holo-reel.

  “Shit,” he murmured.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “He’s still following,” he told her. “He’s better at this than I thought.”

  He leaned forward and deliberately brushed his lips against her forehead, sending tingles through her.

  Before she could recover, he steered the bug back on the road with another whoosh.

  Valerie watched Atlas as he guided the craft. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he moved them swiftly and confidently.

  They were moving faster and faster. The increase in speed was subtle due to his good driving, but Valerie could see the trees and pulse posts whizzing past.

  Behind them, Ryk was still visible. He must have been pushing his red sports hover as hard as it could go.

  “Hold on tight,” Atlas announced.

  There wasn’t even time to ask him why. The bug slid across traffic and made a hairpin turn onto what looked like an industrial road.

  They were heading into the city.

  The pulse points blurred, and Valerie felt her hair fly free of its constraints.

  So much for the pretty updo she hoped would impress the landlord. But she couldn’t seem to care. It felt good to let loose - drive too fast and laugh her head off.

  This was dangerous and she knew it, but somehow with Atlas at the wheel, she felt safe.

  The bug whipped in and out of side streets and finally slowed to a normal pace as the industrial buildings gave way to commercial spaces.

  “I think we lost him,” Atlas said.

  “Who cares?” Valerie said, feeling like she’d just won the lottery. “Let him follow us. I want to travel everywhere like that.”

  Atlas threw his head back and laughed again.

  “Hey, thanks for the ride,” she told him sincerely. “I know this isn’t what you planned to do with your morning.”

  “It’s fine,” he told her. “We’re in this together.”

  “You could have made me go to the club with you,” she pointed out. That was actually exactly what she had expected him to do when he told her to get in his car.

  “And miss the story of how you looked at a space on King’s Row for a tea shop?” Atlas said. “Oh no, no way. This is a priority. And now I’ll get to see it for myself, instead of relying on your eyewitness account.”

  “Eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable,” she said, nodding sagely. She was actually quoting an old fashioned holo-reel, but no one would recognize the line.

  “Do you watch Detective Drake?” Atlas asked, his mouth dropping open slightly.

  “Of course,” she said. “I thought I was the only one.”

  “Nope,” he said. “I used to watch it with my grandfather. He said it was from his grandfather’s day.”

  “We don’t get many hologram channels down on lower side,” she told him. “It’s mostly infograms and newsfeeds. But Detective Drake comes on in the middle of the night. My sisters and I used to stay up way past our bedtime and watch it together. We loved Delilah Little.”

  “Oh yeah, Miss Little is super hot,” Atlas said nodding.

  “She’s also a hotshot lawyer,” Valerie pointed out. “But yeah, we really liked her outfits.”

  “She’s a dresser,” Atlas agreed.

  “For her day, those outfits were cutting edge,” Valerie said. “And I would argue that they still hold up.”

  “Here we are,” Atlas said, pulling the bug up to the sidewalk.

  Valerie looked around and gulped. The King’s Row she had pictured as an upscale shopping district was more of a boarded-up ghost town.

  “What happened here?” she asked.

  “D-19,” Atlas answered. “Among other things.”

  Valerie nodded, feeling a pang of sadness.

  D-19 was originally a military chemical compound designed to make its victims compliant. But the formula had been leaked to the black market and now it was sold in low doses to club goers who were often hopelessly addicted after one hit. In Lower Arkadia, D-19 wiped out whole neighborhoods. This street full of beautiful, boarded up buildings told her Upper Arkadia wasn’t any better at resisting its effects.

  Atlas got out of the bug and opened her door for her.

  She took his hand, and the shock of heat that came with it, and allowed him to help her to the sidewalk.

  When he let go of her hand, he tapped a button that caused a hum around the bug.

  “Low intensity security,” he told her.

  “Meaning?”

  “If anyone without the fob touches the bug, they’ll get a low-level shock,” he told her. “Something the mechanic and I are working on.”