Page 80 of Badass Alien Boss

He grabbed a bottle of liquor, a couple of glasses, and, balancing it all, returned to her.

“You think of everything. I was wishing for a drink,” she said.

“For you, anything.”

They toasted their future and good health, and, after eating, made love again. Afterward, replete and relaxed, they curled up in each other’s arms. Within minutes, her eyelids began to droop, and she stifled a yawn.

“Go to sleep,” he said. “You don’t need to fight it on my account.”

She closed her eyes. He kept his open, awash in gratitude but watchful. Thus far, her skin remained smooth and clear, her breathing slow and steady. But previously, the allergic reaction had developed hours later, in the middle of the night.

He thought she’d fallen asleep when she opened one eye. “I’mokay.”

“I know.” He did. Mostly. Trust but verify.

“Then close your eyes.”

“I will.”

“Do it. Trust me.”

He closed his eyes because she insisted. He didn’t expect to fall asleep, but the next time he opened his eyes, gentle, brightmorning light filtered through the window slats, and Michaela was propped on an elbow watching him, her face smooth and clear, her breathing normal. He broke into a relieved, believing smile.We made it. She made it.It is really over.“You’re okay.”

“We’reokay,” she said.

He cupped her smooth cheek and kissed her. “We are.”

Epilogue

One year later

Payday!“I found you, you wily bastard. You can run, but you can’t hide.” Michaela grinned at the computer. Her distraught client would be relieved. The Luturnan woman had come to Perine & Ruyn Investigations when her husband had closed out their accounts and vanished without a trace.

Michaela had taken the case on contingency—she’d get paid when she located the missing husband and funds. It hadn’t taken long.

“Sounds like you solved another one,” said her husband and business partner, entering their shared office.

“I did.”

“Which one?”

“Douchebag spouse. I’m glad to be able to put this one to bed, since we’ll be taking off for a couple of weeks.” She messaged Mandy to finalize the case and contact the client.

Her family was coming for a visit, arriving tomorrow. It would be their first trip to the planet, and only the second time she’d seen them since relocating to Luturna. She’d changed her mind about returning to Earth to live, but she had gone home for the wedding. As she’d figured, her brothers and Ruyn had hit it off famously.

This would be their first vacation in a year, too. Business was booming; they’d had to turn down some cases. When they first started the agency, the government and even Tervik had thrown a few hard-luck cases their way and then word had spread, and now, they had a full caseload.

They’d worked out of their new, more comfortable apartment at first, but soon their growing business had demanded a separate office.

“I’m so glad we have Mandy,” she said. Six months ago, they’d hired a temp through GAL Friday. Supremely capable and sharp, she’d morphed from an admin assistant to an investigator-in-training, handling the simpler cases and freeing her and Ruyn for the more complex ones. After Mandy’s contract with GAL Friday expired, she hoped to continue to work for their agency long term.

They wanted that, too. They were counting on it.

“Hopefully, the government will extend her work visa like they promised,” Ruyn said.

“Fingers crossed.” They had a good working relationship with the government, who’d expedited Michaela’s citizenship application since she and Ruyn had been instrumental in helping them capture a Prellim operative. She now held dual Earth and Luturnan citizenship.

“How’s Korsan?” she asked. Ruyn had gone to visit his brother in prison. She often went, too, but this morning, she had followed up on the lead enabling her to crack the case of the missing husband.