“Just a Stealer. No biggie. You’re also a Vampireanda Mage who doesn’t turn into a floppy doll when someone puts a stunner in you. Not to mention you’re immune to Chitah venom. If this is a contest, you win.”
I buried a laugh when Claude let out a sudden snort. “No wonder he’s still single.”
Gem’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Every perfect man has a flaw.”
“Does that mean that every flawed man has something perfect about him?”
“Food for thought.”
I stood up and cleared my throat. “Are you sleeping in here?”
She nodded as if there was no other answer.
“But you’re just partners.”
She swung her legs over the edge and hopped off the bed. “I could use something to drink. Let’s walk.”
After she closed the door and we paced away from the room, Gem folded her arms. She smiled at the sudden height difference between us. Just four inches, but I could tell she didn’t like looking up at people.
“I should have put on my slippers,” she remarked before turning to face me. “You haven’t formed a special bond with Christian yet? That concerns me.”
“It’s just work.”
“True, but when you work closely with someone—when you put your life in their hands—the relationship becomes like one of my energy balls.”
“Deadly?” I said with a snort.
“Well, once you learn each other’s weaknesses and strengths, yes. But I meant powerful. I like everyone in this house, but Claude gets me. He doesn’t know everything about my past, but we’re there for each other. We trust each other completely. And even though Shepherd is going through some kind of a mid-immortal crisis, Wyatt’s there for him. I just thought that you and Christian were finally getting along. He’s going to be your partner for a long time.”
We continued our pace and turned a corner.
“I love Claude,” she said. “We butted heads a little in the beginning, but we found common ground and forged a friendship. He doesn’t show his real side to everyone, but he’s such a giving man.”
“Sorry, it’s none of my business.”
“But it is. I don’t want you to think because I spend the night in his room that there’s something going on between us. People are a lot like languages. We each speak with a different vocabulary and dialect, and our job is to try to understand one another. I regret that you don’t have that kind of closeness with Christian. It must be hard to feel forced into a partnership you don’t care about.” She gripped my wrist as we walked. “I’m still here. If you can’t talk to Christian about stuff, just come see me.”
“Thanks, Gem. I think Christian and I are getting along a little better. At least we’re not trying to kill each other as often,” I said, thinking about our near-sexual encounter in the bathtub.
Not to mention our blood sharing.
And grinding.
And almost-kissing.
I studied her as we walked. “Aren’t you afraid you might mix up those chummy feelings and accidentally sleep with him?”
She blurted out a laugh and let go of my hand. “I’m not sure what you mean. I’ve never had accidental sex before. And feeling close to someone doesn’t automatically mean I’m going to share bodily fluids with them.”
I scratched the back of my head. “That’s one way to put it. Look, I didn’t mean to offend you or anything. I’m still trying to work on my people skills. I lived alone on the streets for a long time. That’s no excuse, but I lost my filter somewhere along the way.”
She worried her lip, her violet eyes wide and doe-like. “Can I say something?”
“Sure.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you’re… you know… lonely, maybe you should fill those needs outside the house. I don’t think that you and Christian will be doing the naughty, but if you’re afraid to get close to him because you might accidentally sleep together, then maybe another man isn’t such a bad idea.Hecertainly does. With women, I mean.”
“Is that what you do?”
