“See you tomorrow, Ni.”
He paused, shoulders tightening just slightly, before slipping on his coat and walking out the door with a wave.
As soon as it clicked shut, I collapsed back into my chair with a groan. What a damn day.
Honestly? It had been great. I did a tour, signed a new top-tier member, had some mind-blowing sex... but something in my gut told me this was just the beginning of something complicated, and I really didn't want to do complicated.
Thinking it over, I realized Van and I hadneveradded anyone into the mix. It was always just the two of us or an audience. Maybe that was what changed the energy. Maybe that’s why he kissed me. He knew the rules, but he still did it.
And then there was Mr. Lucus Kingsley, the stuck-up London vampire billionaire who’d come here looking for some fun. Who knew he hadthatin him?
I had an inkling he had something lying dormant inside him. Even without my powers, I could feel it. I just didn’t expect it to break out like that.
A heavy knock rattled my office door, and I didn’t need to ask who it was. Setting aside my tangled thoughts of Lucus and Van, I braced myself to deal with yet another man in my life, one who was just as complicated in his own way.
“Come in, Alic.”
The door swung open, and his massive green frame filled the doorway, barely squeezing through. Ever the dutiful soldier, he marched to my desk, hands clasped behind his back, silently waiting for orders.
Just looking at him made my body sag with exhaustion. I didn’t have it in me to fight anymore, not tonight. I was too drained, physicallyandmentally. Sighing, I grabbed the white to-go box from my desk and padded around it barefoot, placing a gentle hand on his arm.
“At ease, soldier,” I joked weakly.
No reaction. Not even the twitch of a smile.
Typical.
So, I shoved the box into his hands instead. “Here. Peace offering, okay?”
He glanced at me, then at the box, before taking it from my hands and opening it. He stared at the lone eggroll for so long I almost told him to give it back, then he pointed at my feet. “You’re barefoot.”
I looked down, then back up at him with a small shrug, tucking loose strands of hair behind my ear. “Yeah… When I’m emailing Ezra, I like to have my feet flat on the floor. I don’t know why. It just… makes me feel more grounded.”Why the fuck did I tell him that?!Now, he’s going to think I’m nuts.
“Weird, huh?” Since it was already out there, I should just own it and make fun of it myself.
He shook his head, eyes still fixed on my toes, making me want to hide them behind the desk again. Instead, I stood my ground. Literally.
“It makes sense,” he said finally. After a pause, still staring at the eggroll, he admitted, “I get nervous around her, and I’m like four times her size.”
I barked out a laugh and sat on the edge of the desk, crossing my arms. “She’s always been that way, even when we were kids.” Losing my mind to my childhood memories with a smile, I explained, “She’s been mean mugging everyone since she knew how to walk. It wasn't until she figured out she could get more out of others by smiling instead of scaring the shit out of themthat she stopped. Not that it helped much. That aura she’s got? Still terrifying.”
I shook my head, fondness and frustration tangled together. “Most people chalk it up to her sitting in the Desmond seat, but that's not it. Ezra’s just Ezra. One scary-ass bitch.”
“You know I could never agree with what you just said.”
His no-nonsense tone had me doubling over, laughing like I’d lost a lung. God, why was he so freaking cute? Did he realize that being so straight-laced only made me want him more? It made me itch to see what my chaos could unravel in him.
“Yeah, I know,” I said, catching my breath. “That’s why I said it for both of us.”
He gave a small nod, lifted the eggroll to his mouth, and took a crunchy bite like that was the end of it. Just like that, the world was calm again.
Then a softdingsounded from my computer.
I darted back around the desk to check it, not expecting anything major until Alic pickedthatexact moment to ask, “So, why was the camera on floor thirteen turned off?”
His voice wasn’t accusing, just calmly curious, which somehow made it worse.
“I forgot to turn it back on after I used the space to practice for yesterday’s performance,” I easily lied, but we both knew it was a lie.
