“Miss Quinn?” He wore a suit, light gray with a white button down underneath it, no tie. Dark belt, dark shoes, and, thankfully, socks, which meant I could take him at least partway seriously. There wasn’t a man on earth I’d take seriously if he wore pants without socks. Fifty-fifty on the no-show socks.
Then again, it was winter, and the suit was too close to white. Maybe I’d judge him a little until I figured out why he was here.
“Depends on who’s asking,” I answered.
A flash of teeth, the amusement there and gone. “My name is Dario Sanchez. I’m here to introduce myself to you.”
“Why?”
“Right to the point. Refreshing.” He leaned against his vehicle, an action that took me by surprise. He didn’t care if he got his fancy, pressed suit dirty. “I’m in the running for Donovan’s former position, though my intel has given way to an…odd rumor.”
“Oh?” Another new Lord. Goody.
He tilted his head and studied me. Dario was, like most shifters, very pretty. Olive skin, green-dominant hazel eyes, full lips, high cheekbones. Tall and with a swimmer’s build, and a mop of unruly dark hair, Dario looked like he walked off the set of one of those circa 2000s teen dramas. Too pretty for my taste. I liked my men a little less polished and a lot more dangerous.
“You’re a Floromancer, yes?”
“You’re a stranger on my property, Mr. Sanchez?—”
“Dario, please.”
“Dario, you’re a stranger to me. I’m not in the habit of telling strangers anything. And don’t you know it’s rude to ask someone about their magical heritage?”
He snorted. “They told me you could be prickly.”
Anger sparked in my veins. “Insult me at your peril,Dario.”
Brighter gold flashed around the ring of his iris. “Feisty,” he murmured. “I see now why you’ve won the heart of a Lord.”
“You’ve got about five seconds before I throw you and your fancy car off my land,” I said in a low growl.
He laughed, the sound low and husky. “Forgive me, Miss Quinn.”
I did not tell him he could call me Evie, so at least he wasn’t reaching too far for informality.
“I’m here because you appear to have claimed Donovan’s territory.”
“And if I have?”
“I’m here to see what it will take for you to give it back.”
I blinked. “Um. You aren’t a Lord yet. Why are we discussing this?”
“My appointment is merely a formality. I hope you understand how stepping into a Lord’s position without full dominion of his assigned territory could be detrimental to their rule.”
“The Lord’s problems have nothing to do with me. I claimed his land because I’m more powerful and the land responded to me.”
His eyebrows flicked up with surprise. “Interesting.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Donovan’s lack of strength aside, do you believe you are more powerful than the other Lords?”
I sighed. “I have no idea, nor do I care. I’ve asked the Lords multiple times to leave me alone, and they continually fail.”
His eyes sparked with amusement. “And if they did succeed in leaving you alone?”
“I’d throw a big ass party.” Adjusting my purse over my shoulder, I pushed off the car. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to start dinner.”
“Is Caelan coming over?”
“If you ask me another question like that,” I warned, “I’ll show you exactly how powerful I am.”
