Spencer’s eyes narrowed, his calculating gaze bouncing between Lilith and Andrei. Was that jealousy she sensed rolling off him in waves? She hoped so.
“Pity.” Andrei placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed before dropping his arms to his sides. “Well, welcome anyway.”
“Andrei, this is Spencer, my…friend.” Was that what she should call him? Or should she have said boyfriend? Lover? Judging by the way Spencer’s jaw ticked, friend was most definitely not the right word.
“Always a pleasure to meet a shifter. What’s your animal?” Andrei offered his hand, and Spencer slapped his palm into it.
“Owl. Thanks for letting us film here. We appreciate it.”
“Anything for Lilith.” He lifted his brow and glanced at her. “She is quite special, isn’t she?”
“Very,” Spencer replied curtly.
Oh, my. Normally, when two men fought over her, she would tell them they could go fuck each other. A woman was not a prize to be won. But seeing Spencer react this way to Andrei’s negging made her insides burn in a most pleasant way.
Plus, they weren’t really fighting, were they? Spencer was jealous of whatever relationship he perceived between Andrei and her, but he hadn’t boldly staked his claim like most men would have.
“Hmm.” Andrei regarded Spencer before turning to Lilith. “I do hope you’ll join us for the feast tonight. We could…catch up…after.”
Okay, it was time she put a stop to this. Andrei sensed her bond with Spencer. She turned him centuries ago, so he could pick up on these things, thanks to the sire/child link. He always loved to needle people, to press their buttons until they snapped. He hadn’t changed a bit.
She slipped her hand into Spencer’s. “Thank you for the invitation, but I’m going to pass. I’d like to show Spencer the gardens once the sun sets if that won’t interfere with your dinner.”
“Be my guest.” He bowed.
“Speaking of the sun…” Lilith offered him the box. “I had Arachne make you a sunsuit. It’s SPF one thousand.”
He opened the box and felt the fabric. “It is exquisite. I shall wear it to the market this weekend.”
“Do you want to try it out, make sure it works? It would be a bummer to get all the way into town and pass out from the UV rays.” She tugged her sunglasses from her magic pocket. “I’ve got one on too.”
Andrei flagged over a servant and handed him the box. “I trust you. If you wanted to destroy me, you’d have done it long ago.”
Spencer stiffened at his words, and Lilith squeezed his hand, hoping to reassure him. She would never destroy one of her children unless they turned into a murderous monster. Andrei followed the rules. Murdering and instilling fear in the villagers would make it difficult for him to stay in one place.
“I’m sorry I can’t be a better host, but I have business to attend to.”
“Thanks for accommodating us on such short notice.” Spencer offered his hand to shake once more, and Lilith warmed to him even more.
“Any friend of Lilith’s is a friend of mine. Willem.” Andrei flagged over his servant. “Show them to their rooms. If your accommodations are lacking in any way, Willem will see to your needs.”
Spencer picked up Lilith’s suitcase, and Willem took it from his hand. “Right this way.”
They followed the young vampire up the stairs and down a long, dimly lit corridor on the second floor.
“For the lady, and for the gentleman.” He gestured to two different doors across the hall from each other before setting her suitcase in her room and scurrying away.
Spencer stood in his doorway, tapping his index finger against his leg. “Andrei is an interesting guy.”
“He’s quite the character. Would you like to see the gardens now? My clothes will protect me from fatigue. We could watch the sunset.”
He ground his teeth, considering her offer. “Give me half an hour to get my head straight. This is a lot to take in.”
Indeed, it was, and he was handling it splendidly. “Take all the time you need.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Spencer sat on the edge of the bed, holding the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Lilith and Andrei used to be lovers. He could tell by the way the Romanian looked at her, an ancient flame burning in his eyes that made Spencer’s owl want to gouge the suckers from his face.
