Page 36 of Not In The Contract

“How long is this driveway?” Tamera mumbled, carefully picking over the gravel road to keep the damage to her new car as minimal as possible.

“I looked down at my phone, the map offering nothing but a vast expanse of green. “It’s not on the map,” I said, lifting my eyes back up just as a large building slid into view.

“Holy shit,” Tamera breathed, pulling to a stop in the entrance way.

“At least it’s not a haunted castle,” I mused.

“No, it’s so much bigger.”

‘Architectural marvel’ was the only coherent thought my mind could produce as I stared up at the high arches that trickled down into walls like water into a river.

It only stood around two stories high, but I knew for sure there wasn’t another building like it. The high walls glimmered ivory in the midday sun, the light bursting into shattered rainbows on the floor to ceiling length windows.

“Is that Alex?” Tamera asked and my eyes dropped to the front door.

Alex stood in the shade of the house, her arms folded across her chest, wearing what I could describe as displeasure on her angular face.

“Yeah,” I murmured.

Tamera was the first to exit the car. I trailed a few steps behind her, my last meeting with Alex doing laps in my head.

“Ms. Bell?” Tamera said, holding out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Alex eyed my best friend, the distaste on her face shifting into something else after a moment. She shook Tamera’s hand, something like interest swirling in her eyes.

“The best friend, I take it?” she asked, her sharp eyes sliding to mine.

I nodded. “Tamera Rylee,” I said, my throat working around the fluttering anxiety.

“You own Raiden Solutions,” Alex said, and Tamera blinked in shock.

“Yes, how- how did you know?”

Alex lifted a shoulder in a noncommittal shrug. “I’m in the business of ensuring I know who lives with me,” she explained. “And if they know anyone who might pose a threat.”

The dark implication of her words was not lost on either of us and I fought the urge to swallow.

“Come in,” Alex said after a tense few seconds. “I’ll show you to your room.”

She turned on her heel and Tamera immediately sent me a wide-eyed glance that screamedwhat the hell just happened?

I followed Alex inside, trying and failing to not gawk at the interior of her home.

Half the forest lived inside. Plants of every species crawled along spotless walls that were otherwise left bare. The black marbled tiles practically sparkled as we walked over them, barely a speck of dust on them. She led us up a sweeping staircase made of glass, and my heart skipped a beat at the thought of tumbling down while still groggy with sleep.

The top of the staircase opened out onto a wide landing with a reading nook in one corner, complete with a bookshelf filled with books. My attention snagged and it took Tamera’s incessant tugging to get my feet moving again.

“This is yours,” Alex said, opening a door to our immediate left.

“Thanks,” I said quietly, ducking into the room and trying to keep my distance.

She was still, much to my dismay, achingly beautiful, and I was hyper aware of her gaze.

“Woah,” Tamera whispered.

I lifted my gaze andwoahwas an understatement.

“I’ll let you unpack,” Alex said, disappearing back down the stairs and leaving me and Tamera gaping at the room.