Matched with my Alien Boss (Alien Mates)

1. Clay

Chapter One

CLAY

I practically threw myself through the doors onto the elevator just as they were shutting, narrowly missing being crushed between the heavy metal.

My damn suit didn't quite make it though, and the edge of the fabric got pinched. I yanked it free just as the box started to move and then collapsed against the railing, next to Karen who was watching and laughing, trying to hide it. The middle-aged mother of three somehow looked neat as ever and had a folder in her hand, already deep into her day, it seemed.

“Another late morning?” she asked.

“What do you think?”

Glancing at the reflective back of the door, I grimaced. My blond hair was unkempt in a decidedly not-sexy way. I had missed a spot shaving this morning and it looked like the butter had stained my tie where I had dropped my bagel on it during the run to the building.

“ Ugh ,” I groaned.

“Good luck!” she said cheerily.

The door opened, releasing Karen to her receptionist post on the first floor of our offices, technically the seventh floor, as I carried on to the eleventh. The same one where dear Mr. Boss had his office. Lucky me.

I tried to catch my breath as quickly as I could, and attempted to fix my messy, windswept hair.

Normally, I like to wear it down and loose and free, but this was an office building and being professional, something, something , yadda, yadda .

I already cursed myself on the daily for getting into finance, but it was too early, and I was too tired for that.

Sighing, I straightened my shoulders as the door opened on my floor and I hurried in, walking briskly to my desk with head held high as though it was totally in my rights to walk in ten minutes late for the third time this week.

Still, I more or less dove into my cubicle chair.

“He's not here yet,” Lloyd informed me from his cubicle without looking away from his screen.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“Finally, some bit of good luck.”

“What happened?” he asked.

“The usual. The bus was late. The SkyTrain was too full, so I had to wait for the next one. Ended up having to eat my bagel while I was running here.”

He finally paused and gave a look over the top of his thick glasses. Lloyd was a good five years older than me but somehow, he always came across like a little boy. I maintained it was all the sweater vests combined with the baby face and matter-of-fact attitude.

“You still stopped to get breakfast?” he asked.

“I had to!” I argued. “I can't function without my dear, sweet coffee.”

I lifted the cup that had splashed all over the lid and took a grateful sip.

“Look busy,” Lloyd suddenly said under his breath.

Instead, I turned to glance at the elevator just as it opened, revealing the most breathtakingly handsome, non-human man I had ever had the displeasure of laying eyes on... again and again. Everyday.

That's right. My boss, the hard-assed Onasal Kort from the planet Kroets was an unfortunately good-looking bastard.

As he walked in, green skin practically glowing and horns gleaming, I couldn't look away for a moment. He was practically going in slow motion in that navy Armani suit.

Only when he was passing my cubicle did I snap out of the trance and remember that I was supposed to be working.

Turning around, I hoped he hadn't noticed me staring, but the bastard spoke.

“Late again, Mr. Reed?”

His deep, smooth voice sent a shiver of frustration through me. Even his damn voice was sexy. It was probably a trait of his people meant to draw you into a honey trap. Damn him.

I bit my tongue and slowly glanced over my shoulder at him.

I hadn't expected him to stop to talk to me, but he was standing just behind me, looking down at me with those deep red eyes and a smirk on his face.

“Perhaps I should add all of your missed time together and start docking pay,” he suggested. “Or perhaps you can just be here when you're supposed to be.”

My cheeks heated, embarrassment traveling down my spine.

Did he have to say that in front of the entire damn office?

“I apologize, sir,” I managed, sounding depressingly meek.

He nodded and turned around, ready to head back to his office leaving me with nothing but a warning and a frustrating thought.

You were late too! I thought angrily. Why was I getting in shit when the bastard always got here after me?

He paused in his stride and turned back around to look at me, red eyes flashing, and his forked tongue shot out of his mouth, a deep green, darker than his skin.

“Do you have something you want to say to me?” he demanded.

I was too shocked to speak for a minute but managed to shake my head.

He seemed to collect himself, nodded and carried on to his office as though he was the same as any other businessman and you know, not a freaky alien from a far-off planet.

Once he turned the corner toward his office, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Can he read minds?”

Lloyd shook his head.

“Not as far as I know.”

“Then how did he even know I was late?” I demanded.

“Well, your computer's not even on,” Lloyd informed me, glancing at me and giving a once over. “Your bag is still over your shoulder, and you still have your jacket on.”

“...goddamn it!”

“Again. You could just leave earlier,” Lloyd reminded me, as he always did.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”