Ava used the term "New Age", which fit in perfectly with the relaxed vibe often found in parts of Austin.
"Oh, man. She made lemon scones," Callum murmured.
I sniffed and closed my eyes in pleasure. Not only had she made lemon scones, she also had snickerdoodles, my absolute favorite.
The perfume of lemon, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and coffee entwined to create the siren song of scent. My mouth watered even though I'd eaten eggs, toast, and tomatoes for breakfast just an hour ago.
Before Callum and I could approach the counter and order food, Ava came through the swinging double doors at the back of the shop.
"This way," she said, gesturing toward the back room.
"But...but..." Callum sputtered.
She gave him a stern look. "Get your ass into my office now. You can have a treat later."
I'd never seen a grown man pout, but Callum did a damn good impression of one as he followed Ava into the storeroom then further back to her office.
Now that she and Macgrath worked together more often than not, she'd expanded her office so that it held two desks that faced each other and a small four-top table where she could have staff meetings, a private meal, or rendezvous with Macgrath in the middle of the workday.
Don't ask me how I knew the last one because the memories were still a little too vivid and disconcerting.
So vivid and disconcerting that I had to suppress a wince when I saw a plate of scones, another plate of snickerdoodles, an insulated carafe, and coffee cups on top of the table. Considering what I'd witnessed the two of them doing, well, I wasn't sure I wanted to eat anything off that table.
"Don't get crumbs everywhere," Ava admonished Callum as he reached for a scone. "The cleaning staff came through last night and gave the place a thorough once-over." Her eyes met mine and twinkled with amusement.
Oh, yes, she knew exactly why I wasn't reaching for my favorite cookies and she was letting me know that my squeamishness entertained her.
Shit. Now, I had to have one or she'd just give me shit relentlessly about being afraid to eat a cookie because the plate was sitting on the table where she and Macgrath had sex.
I braced myself and grabbed one off the plate. Ava smirked as I bit into it, but I didn't look away.
So what if Macgrath's bare ass had been on this table last week?
"Why do we have to be here again?" Callum asked, his mouth still full of scone.
"First of all," Ava began. "Chew with your mouth closed. Secondly, you're here because, like it or not, you're considered vassals of Macgrath. He is your maker, therefore your ruler."
Callum grunted. "Ruler, my ass," he muttered beneath his breath.
"We know that, but vampires from other areas don't work like that. The Council doesn't work like that."
"There is no Council," I interjected. "Not anymore."
Ava's responding look was dry. "You know better than that. As soon as the fallout settled after Cornelius, a new Council was instated."
"Great, because they were so effective before."
She lifted her hands. "You don't have to tell me. I know. Bureaucracy is as immortal as vampires."
"You still haven't explained why we have to be here," Callum complained before he shoved the rest of the scone in his mouth and reached for a cookie.
"As Magrath's vassals, it's expected that you'll be here as part of his entourage when he's meeting with another vampire leader. I don't want to draw attention to ourselves and create an appearance of weakness."
I nearly choked on my snickerdoodle. I knew for a fact that Ava, and Macgrath for that matter, didn't give a shit about what other people thought of them. Or appearing weak.
Callum hooted, shooting crumbs into the air. "As if either of you give a damn."
Ava stared at him with hard, purple eyes. "What did I tell you about crumbs?"
