One day of missing work turned into two, and then a full week. After a while, it became an exercise in futility trying to figure out plausible excuses for her lack of showing up, especially considering the fact that Joshua knew her well enough to cut through most of her bullshit.

When news hit the tabloids that a ‘mysterious woman’ had been spotted on the arm of one of the most prominent bachelors in Crete, even Alexis couldn’t figure out a way to weasel herself out of Joshua’s demanding questions and incessant phone calls.

“Look, I can’t talk about it,” she said, leaning against the cool stone of the side of the massive Calder family home.

She’d spent her whole week in the house, mostly with Galen when she could. He was a busy man though, and after their first twenty-four hour escapism session and meeting both his brothers, it felt as if both of them were a little less comfortable around each other. The spark was more a blaze every time they kissed and touched each other (which was often, to Alexis’ joint mortification and joy) but their conversation seemed to stall and stutter far more.

We’re essentially business partners, Alexis reminded herself. We’re not supposed to be brilliant conversationalists.

Then again, as ‘business partners’, they certainly weren’t supposed to be having endless sex and sharing a bed, but that was something that Alexis preferred not to dwell on.

“You’re dating Galen Calder now?” Joshua’s terse voice demanded on the other line. “Alexis, we have work to do. I don’t have time to wait until you gallivant around with your boytoy.”

“Firstly, he’s not a ‘boytoy’. And secondly, if I remember correctly, you’re about a week or so away from destroying the basis of my work anyway, so I’d say it’s mostly your fault that we’re low on time.”

Okay, so she might not have been the most diplomatic she could be by talking to him like that, but Alexis wasn’t exactly in a warm, fluffy, giving mood at the moment when it came to Joshua. She felt incredibly betrayed by him and while her deal with Galen might have not been the purest of undertakings, at least it was for a good cause.

At least that’s what she kept telling herself when the ludicrous nature of planning a wedding that was now supposed to be a week away, and that Galen was remaining incredibly tight-lipped about, hit her particularly hard.

“I don’t care what you want to call him. You’re still on the payroll and if you want to waste time with worthless flings, you might not be suited for this line of work.”

Alexis couldn’t be sure whether it was the tone he said it in or the words he used, but she saw red in that moment. She could hear her voice raising, but all she could hear was humming in her ears, pent-up rage bursting forward.

“For your information, I’m getting married to him in a week. He’s going to be my husband. And you’re not the man to tell me who I can or cannot see, or what career I should be following. I sent in my vacation request a couple of days ago. I still have a right to that, so respectfully, shove it.”

She hung up the call before Joshua could answer. When a heavy, familiar palm grabbed her shoulder and squeezed it as she lowered the phone, Alexis jumped a little from surprise.

“Making friends?” Galen asked.

“I wouldn’t say so,” she replied with a sigh, tucking the phone away in the back pocket of her pants.

Unexpectedly, Galen pulled her against him, leading him down from the house in a casual stroll. Her arm slipped around his waist and she felt the pressure relieved off her shoulders by his mere presence. It was uncanny how he did that to her.

“We haven’t been spending enough time together,” he stated, sounding matter-of-fact, like he was stating some sort of a misdeed on both their parts.

“Are we not selling our torrid love affair well enough?” Alexis asked, finding herself reverting to a small dose of snide as her base setting.

Instead of taking it personally, Galen chuckled lightly.

“No, I think we’re doing just fine.” As if to confirm that, he leaned in and stole a small kiss off her lips, which Alexis surrendered willingly. “I was thinking more along the line of quality time together. I’ve been busy. I feel I’ve been neglecting you.”

How could you neglect your fake bride? Alexis thought, swallowing the words before they could slip out.

Honestly, day by day, she was beginning to feel less and less like anything about their time together was ‘fake’, but at the end of it all, they were here because a deal had been made. She’d been on the phone every day, talking to officials in the capitol city of Heraklion, trying to manage a stay on the permits granted to Joshua by throwing the Calder family weight around, but Icarus had been telling the truth. They wouldn’t budge so easily.

Though she had gotten further than she thought she would, mostly on account of her last name and the fact that she namedropped her predecessor a couple of times per conversation. She had the feeling that Icarus had been on the money the whole time – for something to change, she and Galen would have to present a united front.

Drawn out of her thoughts, she felt Galen’s arm moving from her shoulder and grabbing her palm instead, his warmth emanating through her like a safe embrace.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked, Galen’s curious gaze considering her.

She’d probably been mulling over her personal insecurities for too long instead of participating in the conversation.

“I want to show you something,” he said solemnly.

That was all he offered, so they walked down to the gardens hand in hand, quiet. The sun was warm as always, even though it was nearing sunset. There was a light breeze mussing Alexis’ hair. Galen had remained steadfast on the notion that she had to stay with him every day, so Alexis had slipped home one day and packed a bag, though most of her clothing was still provided by Galen (“You have to dress befitting of your stature,” he’d tell her).

She was close to asking if he was about to give her a hint when they reached the edge of the gardens. Galen hesitated for a moment, but then closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. When he exhaled, Alexis saw remnants of that inner fire she’d come to spy around him. She didn’t have time to focus on it, though, as the ground rumbled under her feet ever so slightly.

Galen held her hand firmly, turning a solid gold gaze on her, the one she only saw in their most intense moments of lovemaking and when he’d been arguing with Georg.

“Don’t be afraid,” he told her, his voice enough to soothe her sudden anxiety as the ground seemed to literally swallow them.

They sunk below the surface and Alexis’ heart skipped a beat in her chest as the darkness collapsed in again over them, only to be exchanged for light as thousands of small, flickering bulbs came to life around them as the lift descended into the depths of the mountain below.

“What is this?” Alexis asked when she found her words again, clinging to Galen.

“It’s the Calder family secret,” Galen said with a chuckle just as the lift came to a stop.

They had to be hundreds of feet below the surface by then. He stepped forward, gently tugging her along, and Alexis relented. They walked down a long, wide corridor, wide enough to let a dragon pass, maybe two. The lights went on a couple dozen feet before them as they moved forward, until reaching massive doors, which swung inward when they were close enough.

The view revealed to Alexis stunned her into complete silence, like much of what had happened since she met Galen had. In front of her were mounds and mounds of indescribable riches. Gold and copper coins, mountains of jewelry, statues of fine marble and exquisite craftsmanship, even some furniture and chests, the latter of which Alexis could only presume held more of the unimaginable wealth on display in the vault.

“Is this…” she started, the words dying in her throat again.

“It’s the Calder family hoard. Or most of it, at least. We have spread it out a little in this day and age,” Galen explained as he led her deeper into the chamber, the doors closing behind them.

It took a while for Alexis to get her bearings. Her attention kept getting drawn away by pieces of history that she was oh so eager to explore. She couldn’t be sure, but she felt that she’d seen some tiling and ceramic work that looked like it could be from the same era as when Knossos was built. She had so much to ask Galen, but for now, she just took in the magnificence which he was sharing with her.

Only after a long stroll in the hoard did she realize that Galen was gripping her hand so tight it hurt, and that his grip burned hotter than it usually did. She stopped abruptly, bringing Galen to a halt as well.

“Something the matter?” he asked, his gaze still that mesmerizing gold, accentuated by the literal gold all around him.

“I think I should be asking you the same question,” Alexis said evenly, glancing down at the deathgrip he had on her hand.

He loosened it immediately, looking as sheepish as she could imagine a dragon ever looking.

“Sorry, my gem,” he said, using that endearment that Alexis was so fond of by now. “This… this is not a small thing. Dragons don’t simply let people into their hoard.”

Alexis nodded softly, feeling that jumble of butterflies in the pit of her stomach again that she’d come to expect during her time with him. She knew he was opening up to her with this, but she could hardly imagine by how much.

He trusts me with this and I’m still getting jumpy about whether or not he’s in this for the right reasons, she thought guiltily.

“Here,” Galen said, reaching a hand into his pocket and pulling out a small black velvet box.

Opening it revealed a simple, but intricate pendant on a silver chain. The pendant seemed to both radiate darkness and suck it in at the same time. It was as hard to look away from as Galen’s eyes were.

“This is a dragonstone pendant. Please wear it from now on,” he said as he moved to put it around her neck.

The touch of it against her skin was hot, but it turned into a pleasant, soothing heat soon enough, just like Galen’s touch did. She touched it with her fingertips, feeling like she’d somehow taken a long step closer to Galen in the process of this simple act of accepting his gift.

“Galen,” she whispered as he moved to stand in front of her. He glanced from her pendant to her eyes and she saw his expression shift, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders too.

Before she could say any more, he kissed her deeply, surrounded by his greatest riches and his greatest vulnerability.

In that moment, Alexis knew that this wasn’t just a game anymore. It couldn’t be.