“You heard me, Charming. Search the house so we can get out of here. And next time you take me out for tacos,threeis the legal limit.”
CHAPTER8
While Prince scrubbed the basin of the stainless-steel sink, thinking about all the events that had transpired that day, he had a feeling it was going to be another sleepless night. After leaving Vlad’s house, he drove Kat to Nadia’s apartment and suddenly found himself cleaning the kitchen.
Prince didn’t clean.
Ever.
But it gave him a reason to stay longer since that scoundrel was still on the loose. While Kat was a competent fighter who could take care of herself, Prince found himself battling instincts he’d never felt for another woman. The desire to protect her took over all sense of reason. In any other situation he might have hired one of his men to watch over her, but this was something he couldn’t walk away from. At first he thought it had to do with her being Alex’s daughter, yet that didn’t explain why his wolf stirred in her presence.
Being near Kat was intoxicating. Her feminine scent. Her confident voice. Her alpha temperament that made her capable and fearsome. And most especially… her candor.
A warm breath skated across his left arm. “If that sink gets any cleaner, I might take a bath in there.”
He set down the scrubbing brush and looked over his shoulder at Kat. “It’s the least I can do for the inconvenience I’ve caused your sister.”
“I’m the inconvenience. You haven’t done anything to deserve shining her garbage disposal.”
He turned and leaned against the counter. “Our dinner was not up to her expectations.”
“Because of me.”
“I haven’t spent as much time with her as I should have.”
“Because of me.”
Prince brushed a lock of hair away from her face, admiring her gentle features. “Why are you so eager to take all the blame?”
She shrugged and tucked her hands beneath her armpits. “It’s just easier that way. You shouldn’t have to apologize for something that’s not your fault. If she’s going to hate someone in this scenario, let her hate me so you’re off the hook. Anyhow, you’re going about it all wrong.”
He inclined his head, amused by the last statement. “And how is that?”
She motioned toward the sink and lowered her arms. “Nadia doesn’t care if you make her toilet and sink sparkle. She wants devotion, not servility. Most of the guys treat her good at first, but then it’s all downhill. Every girl wants to be a princess, but she has a warped sense of reality and expects no less. I think what shereallyneeds is someone who’ll see past all that—who can get her to open up. But she thinks devotion is a man at her beck and call. If she asks you to take out her trash, tell her no. Then kiss her neck and suggest a rooftop dinner or something fancy. There’s a difference between devotion and obedience, and a woman will never respect a man who isn’t her equal.”
He sighed and looked around at the immaculate kitchen. “You’re giving me advice in love?”
“Maybe I don’t know anything about it firsthand, but I thought I’d give you the inside scoop. No charge. I understand Nadia better than anyone, and I know what she wants even if she doesn’t.”
He stepped closer and placed his hand on her shoulder. Kat’s expression softened, and she gave him a guarded look. “And you would have no qualms about me pursuing your sister?”
“If… if it’s what you want.”
Had he only imagined the heat between them? “Your face looks better,” he said tenderly, caressing his knuckles against her cheek.
“I shifted in the bathroom.”
Prince stepped closer and leaned down, whispering in her ear. “If any man ever harms you again, I’ll disembowel him.”
Her body hummed beneath his touch, and he remembered their brief kiss before she’d blacked out. Did she remember it?
“How old are you?” she whispered.
“Ancient. I’ll live many more centuries to come.”
“Did you have loving parents?”
No one had ever asked about his mother and father. His cheek brushed against hers, moving lower—his mouth grazing across her smooth skin as he drew in her scent.
