Hazel in the Demon's Den

Forget what she thought about new things seeming exciting, Hazel was terrified of getting off the plane. Utah was the farthest east she had ever traveled.

The flight wasn't long and she spent it working on her character designs just like on the flight to San Francisco. It didn't give her nearly enough time to mentally prepare herself for change.

She stalled for just a moment in the aisle before people behind her got impatient. She meekly followed Will off the plane and stepped onto foreign ground. Well, foreign for her anyway. This was going to be her home however long she and Will were together. She better get used to it.

Once they got their luggage off the carousel they headed to long-term parking. Hazel was a bit confused. The flight to Las Vegas couldn't be more than an hour and a half. Why hadn't he driven there instead?

She got her answer about an hour later when they arrived in front of his house. Will didn't have to worry about money. Why would he waste extra time driving?

It was a three story log cabin in the mountains with a lot of land surrounding it that he apparently owned as well. Hazel didn't know much about real estate but she had heard that rich people often bought vacation homes in the mountains just to visit. Was this a vacation home or his only house?

"Will, are you rich?" Hazel asked faintly as she took in the opulence from the dirt road that functioned as a driveway.

He laughed. "You're asking me this now?"

She shifted uncomfortably in place. She hadn't thought about it before but this was definitely a question she should have asked before they got married. She supposed she assumed he was a regular person. Did real estate developers really make so much?

Witnessing her prolonged silence, Will smiled reassuringly. "I don't know what you would consider rich but I will say that you don't have to worry about money. You wouldn't even have to work if you didn't want to."

After struggling to scrape by for all of college, Hazel couldn't even imagine that. Not having to sell her paintings…not having to bow down to unreasonable authors' demands…being able to create whatever she wanted to create…it was too good to be true.

Of course, she still had to finish this comic she was working on. They had a contract. But not having to worry about this sort of thing afterward was a very appealing concept.

No, she couldn't be thinking like this! She wasn't going to stay with Will forever. He was helping her out right now but that was all.

She could not allow herself to get used to being taken care of. Ever since her parents died, aside from that one golden year with Billy, she had been forced to rely entirely on herself. Even Billy Lawson hadn't been the kind of person she could truly rely on.

"How is this going to work?" she found herself asking. "I don't want to take advantage of you. If I need art supplies or something I can use my own money."

Will narrowed his golden eyes but didn't push her. He seemed to sense that she would fight him on this.

"If you insist. I'm going to put you on one of my credit cards anyway so you can buy food and household necessities as you see fit."

Hazel couldn't argue with that. It was his house; he was welcome to pay for the things that helped it stay running. But she really didn't feel comfortable using his money for anything else.

They had such an odd relationship. He seemed almost like a sugar daddy even though they hadn't so much as kissed. What kind of fairy godfather was this?

In the last twenty-four hours Will had been nothing but kind, helpful, and friendly without asking for anything in return. It was highly suspicious if she was being perfectly honest. But what could she do? She had already married him.

"Shall we go in?" he asked, holding out his hand to her.

Hazel took it apprehensively and allowed him to lead her inside. The house looked large from the outside but she still wasn't fully prepared for what greeted her when he opened the door.

The living room was huge and boasted a large stone fireplace and an assortment of comfy looking tan couches. A wooden dining table and chairs that could seat six was in the dining room just off of the kitchen filled with gleaming appliances.

There were a few other doors on the first floor as well but she wasn't sure what they contained. Bedrooms? Bathrooms? Closets?

She found out when Will began his tour. Turns out her guesses hadn't been far off. Of the three doors there was one bedroom, one bathroom, and one closet where a few men's winter coats hung.

He also showed her the surprisingly spacious pantry. A small hallway that held laundry machines had a door at the end that led outside to a wraparound porch encircling the entire house.

Hazel was overwhelmed already and she hadn't even left the first floor. Upstairs there were more bedrooms, bathrooms, and another living area with a recliner and a few other comfortable chairs. They were obviously for reading; every wall in this part of the house was covered in completely full bookshelves.

She only got a brief peek but she saw fantasy novels, murder mysteries, and a whole lot of nonfiction. Will must really like to read. She had never seen a library like this inside someone's house.

He took her to the basement last. There was another space similar to a living room but this one boasted a large flat screen TV with a bunch of appliances discretely hooked up to it inside the glass-doored cupboards of the entertainment center.

Another bedroom, bathroom, and closet were also in the basement but so was the garage. Or what used to be the garage. It was carpeted and a bunch of power tools hung on the walls. A pool table stood in the center of the room. Hazel barely recognized what it was since she had never played.

Who on earth had she married? This house was crazy! What person living alone needed five bedrooms and a pool table?!

She didn't feel comfortable enough with her new husband to voice any of those thoughts aloud so instead she asked which room was hers.

Will frowned. "OUR room is on the second floor. Heat rises so it stays the warmest in the winter."

Hazel definitely noticed how he emphasized 'our.' She really wasn't sure what to make of this. He didn't act like he was interested in her body or any sort of repayment but he still wanted to share a room?

"There are so many rooms, why should we share one?" she managed to get out, mustering all of her bravery.

"Because we're married. Married couples share rooms. Unless you would rather be my roommate? I assure you, you can't afford the rent," Will said lightly.

Hazel eyed him distrustfully. "You said you wouldn't touch me unless I wanted it."

"And I meant it. But it does get cold here at night so at least do me the courtesy of being a human space heater. You have no idea how many extra blankets I have to pile on in the middle of winter."

A mischievous glint had appeared in his eyes. She got the feeling he was teasing her but what could she do? There was no arguing with his logic.