So she'd started with cracking the door open. She heard two voices, and wondered if it was Alistair or one of his brothers conversing with Meg.
Then the male voice had grown louder, clearly upset. Slowly, she'd inched out of the room until she'd been standing in the dining room, rooted to the spot as she listened to Meg and Alistair's heated conversation.
It became apparent rather quickly that Meg had either misjudged Alistair or had used the wrong tactics to bring up the agreement.
Regardless, it was enough for Kiyana to step into the kitchen and end the madness. She'd meant it earlier, about not forcing Alistair. Whatever heat he'd displayed before had been split-second lust, and nothing more.
She'd let her girlhood fantasies cloud her better judgment earlier. She'd be careful not to let it happen again.
So when Alistair asked what was going on, Kiyana somehow managed to speak before Meg could. "I'm here because your mother asked me to be here. She made a proposition earlier, one that tugged on a dream of mine, which then made me hasty. But don't worry, I see now you have no interest in me or any other woman, and so I'll back away."
Alistair frowned. "Interest in you?" He looked at Meg and back to her. "Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?"
Meg beat her to the punch. "Kiyana and I had a lovely chat earlier, one concerning you. She was all set to be your pretend mate-to-be, but you've ruined that now. If I didn't love you so much, I'd wash my hands of you, Alistair."
Alistair's mismatched eyes bored into hers, and she did her best not to step back. Alistair may be a teacher, but he was still a dragon-shifter, which meant he was part animal. His steely voice bit out, "What. Is. She. Talking. About?"
Used to the fierceness of his gaze, she raised her chin a fraction and never looked away. "It seems your mother has an eye for legal contracts and noticed a loophole inside the DDA's terms when it came to mine. I won't tell you how she knows about my contract as that's something you'll have to ask her. But just know that she's correct in that if I am engaged to a dragon-shifter, I can keep my job and be with them, at least until I marry—mate—the dragon-shifter. Even if you didn't want me physically, the situation would give us a chance to share information. I also thought it'd help keep your mum off your back."
"Och, now wait—"
Kiyana ignored Meg. "But I said I wouldn't force you, or trick you, and so I rescind my offer. Unless there's anything else you need to know, I should be going."
Alistair stepped closer, until he was near enough she could feel the heat from his body. Even with his flashing pupils, Kiyana didn't look away. Correction, she couldn't look away. Alistair's eyes were full of anger, yes, but heat, confusion, and something she couldn't define.
Maybe her initial gut feeling had been right.
He murmured, "You're not going anywhere until we talk more about this."
"About what? Your mother made an offer, one that I should've dismissed immediately but didn't. I heard your protests and decided to call it off. There's really nothing more to discuss."
Leaning another inch closer, Alistair said, "There is much to talk about. Just not in front of my mother." He moved away and looked at his mum. "You and I will revisit this later. But right now, Kiyana and I need to talk."
"About what?" Kiyana asked.
He put out his hand, palm up, and waited. "Not here."
She raised an eyebrow. "While I appreciate you trying to be nice and not just grab my hand, I can easily walk out that door and ignore you."
"You don't want to do that."
His voice wasn't threatening, but rather…husky.
Kiyana resisted a shiver and made her brain work. Maybe Alistair had changed his mind, but did she still want the ridiculous situation proposed by his mother?
The responsible thing to do was to walk away and pretend the day had never happened.
And yet, as she watched Alistair's pupils flash between slits and round, she burned to know what he was thinking.
The instant she placed her hand in his, Alistair tightened his grip and guided her down the hall. He threw over his shoulder, "See you later, Mum."
They hit the cool evening air, but she barely noticed. Every inch of skin that touched Alistair's sizzled, the electricity moving through the rest of her body.
And all she did was hold hands. If he kissed her, she might explode.
No, Kiyana. Focus.
The short trip from Meg's house to another cottage she assumed was Alistair's took less than five minutes. She used the time as best she could to think with only her brain and not also her lady parts. Whatever Alistair needed to discuss, it had to be done rationally. No more allowing her childhood dreams to make everything appear rosier than it really was.