Falkor marched through the palace, his newwifetagging along at his side.
What had possessed him to kiss her? He couldn’t believe what he’d done. Now, he couldn’t get the feel, taste, and scent of her out of his head. Gods of Kaldor help him, he ached to do it again. Do it again and not stop. Craziness.
Nor had the kiss been one-sided. She’d responded. What did that mean?
He snuck a glance at her. He’d swear she’d gotten prettier overnight, and she’d started out quite comely. Her dress molded her curves and swirled around her shapely calves.
“Where are we going?” A subtle rose, a muted shade of her dress, colored her cheeks. Bejeweled clips pinned her brunette hair in a coil atop her head, leaving a few curls to frame her delicate face. Inquisitive, bright eyes blinked.
His attention drifted to her soft, pink lips. His lower body tightened.
She cleared her throat. “Falkor?”
“My—our suite,” he said. He hadn’t been heading any place in particular, just walking, but his stroll had led him into the family wing.
“Oh,” she said. “I guess I need to move in with you.”
“It’s pretty much expected—if we want the marriage to look real.” He veered toward his apartment.
He had no grand foyer like Jaryk, but entered into the parlor, a fairly generous room with comfortable seating facing a small hologram stage. Instead of a formal dining room, he had an alcove with a table and seating for four next to a glass door. Heapproached, and the panel slid open, allowing him to step onto the balcony. He needed some fresh air.
She followed him out and leaned on the rail. “There’s a pond!” Below, a pool nestled in a private grotto of grasses, leafy bushes, and flowers.
“When I left the nursery, I got to pick my suite. I chose this one because of the grotto.” He pointed to the flowers climbing up a trellis on the wall. “When I was an adolescent, I used to climb down and swim at night. In the nude, of course.” He’d never told anyone this before.
Her gaze shifted to the windows on the other side of the garden.
“Unoccupied rooms,” he said. “Let me give you the tour of the suite.”
They returned inside. “Behold—the parlor, library, and dining room—conveniently all-in-one. Extra bedrooms over here.” He strode toward the guest sleeping area.
She peeked into a bedroom. “There’s no furniture.”
He grinned and punched a code into a wall screen.
Panels slid back, and a huge bed rose from beneath the floor. “I invented and built this system. I tinker with electronics. There were some bugs at first. Once, I got smashed against the ceiling.”
“Oops!” She laughed and tilted her head. “It’s cool, but why put the bed under the floor?”
“To save space. It can be a sleeping room by night and a playroom by day. Or an exercise room until the guests arrive.”
She arched her brows. “Doesn’t the palace have enough rooms to avoid having to double up functions?”
“Yes, but most people live in much smaller homes.”
He stowed the bed under the floor again. “I didn’t need the extra rooms for family or guests, so I practiced on them. They share an adjoining bath.”
“Does the commode pop out of the floor?”
He laughed. “No, it’s stationery.”
“Is the other bedroom the same?”
He paused. Should he show her the rest? Contrary to rumor, he didn’t spend all his free time partying and seducing women. “Come see.”
In the other bedroom, he keyed in a code, and a massive computer system with multiple screens rose from beneath the floor. “My workshop. I’m the founder and silent partner in a home-modification business.” A friend served as the public face of Kaldoronics at Home, but Falkor did most of the actual work. “This is where I tinker and come up with my ideas.” He paused. “You’re the first person I’ve shared this information with.” He might not have told her, except since she would live with him, she’d find out anyway.
Her eyes widened. “Why? Is it a big secret?”
