“I want to ensure you match with Briony. In fact, I’m going to ensure none of you clash with my girl.”
“This is sounding more and more expensive,” Beaufort grumbles.
“Don’t act like this isn’t pocket money to you, Lincoln,” Fly says, thoroughly enjoying himself. “Are you going to come too, Briony?”
I shake my head. “I’m going to wait here.” If there’s the slightest chance the Empress may change her mind and see us earlier, I don’t want to miss it.
“Won’t you need to try the dresses on to make sure they fit?” Thorne asks, making me wonder if he offered to come along because he thought I’d be going too.
“There’s no need. I have her size and measurements memorized.”
“Wanna explain how you’re intimate with her measurements?” Dray says, threateningly.
Fly simply rolls his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. “Down, wolfy. She’s all yours.”
And then he’s skipping out the door, beckoning Thorne along after him.
“Be back by six,” Beaufort calls after them.
“Yes, dad, we will be,” Fly chirps.
I glance at the golden carriage clock that sits on the mantel piece of the grand fireplace in Beaufort’s apartment. It’s four hours until six o’clock.
Beaufort spent the morning once again attempting to persuade court officials to let us speak with his mom earlier thanplanned, while Dray and I hung about the apartment playing games of cards and getting increasingly cabin-fevered.
“What are we going to do now?” I ask. “I don’t think I can play another round of snap.”
“Because you’re worried I’ll beat you?”
“I beat you, remember?!” The shifter does not have the attention span to win at cards. “What else can we do?”
“Yeah,” Dray says, “what in all the realm should we do now.” He winks at me. “I wonder how the hell we are going to fill our time.”
“You could take me on another tour of the palace?” I suggest. “We hardly got started yesterday.” Dray shakes his head. “Or show me the library? I bet the palace has an amazing library.” Dray shakes his head again. “Then, how?”
Dray rests back on his elbow, that mischief dancing in his colorful eyes. “Have you seen Beau’s bedroom, yet, Kitten?” I shake my head. I spent my night in a twin bed, Fly in the bed next to me – much to Dray’s disgust. “It has a bed big enough for all three of us.”
“Don’t get your hopes up, Eros,” Beaufort tells him. “She’s still recovering from the lightning strike. She needs to rest up, rebuild her strength ready for–”
“Bullshit, Beau!” Dray says, tapping his nose. “She’s as needy as ever. This nose never lies and I can smell her.”
Instantly, my cheeks heat. Dray certainly has a way of putting things. “I’m not needy, I’m irritable.”
“Probably all that pent up sexual frustration, Kitten.”
“Hmmm,” I say, nibbling my bottom lip. “Maybe?”
“Yes, but–” Beaufort starts.
“Yes, but nothing. It’s up to the girl. Little Kitten?” he says, with those big puppy eyes I find impossible to resist.
“I’m perfectly fine. Honestly, I feel remarkably well, like surprisingly so.” I hesitate. “And maybe that would help keep my mind off things,” and alleviate this tension, “because–”
I don’t get to finish my thought, because Dray’s on his feet and I am swept up in his arms. He skips towards the bedroom, calling over his shoulder. “Come on, lover boy, we’re going to spend our time the best way we can.”
Dray is right. The bed in Beaufort’s room is ginormous. In fact, I’m pretty sure it could fit six, not three, people in it. Above it hangs a canopy of heavy velvet and silken drapes.
“Wow,” I say, from the doorway. “That is …”
