“So we find someone else.”
“He’s the only one with the right qualifications. I didn’t want this to be an impulsive decision. I gave myself weeks to mull it over and decide if Switch was the best fit. Isn’t it better to have workers with a personal connection to someone in this house? That’s the only reason Kira’s here. Besides, Switch is practically family.” I stood up and squared my shoulders. “I get that you’re jealous, but you need to think about what you’re saying. If you really trust me, then it wouldn’t matter if ten horny men who wanted me as their wife moved into this house. If you and I have an argument, I’m not the type who’ll run into the arms of another man. If you go on a long trip, I won’t become so desperately lonely that I’ll sleep around. That’s not who I am. And if that’s who you think I am, then you don’t really know me at all.”
He crossed his legs and stared in my direction. “Perhaps Lenore has experience.”
“Sleeping with men? That I don’t doubt.”
“I think you know the point I’m making.”
I did, but Switch and I had a platonic relationship, whereas Lenore and Christian’s was mired in years of manipulation and blood sharing. And none of it by force. No, Christian had delighted in drinking her ancient blood, so I had reason to be jealous of someone like her in the house. It had nothing to do with my trust for Christian and everything to do with the control she had over him. Switch had zero control or influence over me, and that should count for something.
I stared at my elongated reflection in his glasses. “This isn’t about us. It’s about what’s best for that little boy running around on the lawn. If we don’t give him a fair shot in life, you might be the lucky Vamp who has to scrub away ten or twenty years of his life when he betrays us out of spite. I want you to sit here for a while and consider that.”
“Why did you not just go around me and ask Viktor?”
I strode up to Christian’s chair and planted my hands on the armrests. “Because if I pitch this idea to him, it would be nice to have your support. He’s known you a little bit longer. Maybe it’s not my place to get involved in what Shepherd wants to do with his kid, but I see an opportunity to help two people. Switch might not even agree to it, but maybe we should entertain the idea before tossing it out the window.”
Over the top of his sunglasses, I could see the aim of his gaze was straight inside my blouse. Good thing I’d skipped the bra this morning and wore a wide collar.
I kissed him on the lips. “What are you willing to do to please me?”
He lifted his chin. “Another man living here would please you?”
“Your support turns me on.” I playfully nipped his bottom lip, and he growled low and sexily. “Think about it.”
While heading back inside, I could feel Christian’s hot gaze all over my legs and ass. Reluctance was his middle name. It was his nature not to trust anyone, least of all someone he perceived as competition. But Switch had shown loyalty to my father and to me. Anyone who would put his life on the line for my father was family in my book, and I couldn’t turn my back on the opportunity to repay him. Why hire a stranger when we could invite someone whom I trusted with my life? It might give Keystone peace of mind that Switch would never betray us.
The real question was: Would they go for it?
Chapter 2
After jogging upstairs to grab something from my room, I ventured down to the first floor along the east wing. When I reached the first alcove on the left, I noticed the lantern that usually hung on the wall was gone. Gem used it to light her way when she went into her private study, so when it wasn’t on the wall, I knew she was working.
When I pushed on the stone wall, the door pivoted and created a gap on the right side. I slipped through the entrance and entered a dim room with lofty ceilings and bookshelves for walls. A lantern and several candles lit up the large wooden desk in the middle where Gem was sitting, studiously working on translating a book. Lanterns affixed to the dividers between bookshelves added extra light to the windowless room.
I walked barefoot across the cold floor until I reached the green area rug beneath the table. “Why do you work in such a dark room? You could have chosen one of the larger rooms upstairs with oversized windows.”
Gem set down her pen and gently turned the page of an old book. “Ultraviolet light is bad for paper. Some of the light bulbs are also harmful, but I can’t keep track of all the new technology. It’s better to store books in a cool, dry place with no ambient light.” She sat back in her chair, her eyelids still sparkling with the glitter she’d put on earlier that morning. The false eyelashes only enhanced her round eyes. “I store some of the older books in acid-free boxes. The temperature in here stays cool and dry most of the year, so it’s an ideal storage room.” She pointed to what looked like a clock on a shelf. “That’s my thermo-hygrometer. I’m the guardian of history. If you have any photographs or notes you want to preserve, let me know and I’ll give you some tips.”
“I hadn’t thought about it.”
Her brows arched. “You should. You’re an immortal. You’ll last longer than your keepsakes if you don’t know how to store them. Wyatt can also scan them, but like I said, technology is always changing. They might not have USB ports in the year three thousand.”
“You work too much.”
She gave me an elfin smile. “Tell me about it. I’ve been so buried in work these past weeks that I haven’t even gone swimming once since the last snow. Such is the life of a bibliophile.”
“I didn’t mean to barge in, but I’ve got something for you.”
She hopped out of her chair and clasped her hands together. “Oh, I love surprises!”
Gem still had on her platform sneakers but had changed into a pair of pink shorts and a long-sleeved white shirt.
“I know how you like stones, and I thought you might like this.” I retrieved the letter opener from my back pocket and presented it to her.
Gem’s eyes widened like saucers. “It’s gorgeous!” She snatched it from my hand before the words were spoken. “The opal is divine! How much did you pay for this?”
“Apparently less than it’s worth in a human store. I got it for a steal.”
