Zane Solace might not be a true prince, but damn, did he sure look the part.
Especially right now, with his disheveled hair dripping water droplets down the side of his long neck and those intense almost charcoal eyes locked onto Pavel with suspicion. He was tall, only a quarter of an inch shorter than Pavel, in fact, with broad shoulders and a swimmer's build. He was clothed now, but picturing the ripple of lean muscle beneath the dark dress shirt was easy.
Too easy.
If Pavel wasn’t careful, he’d give himself away.
Still…
“Did you enjoy your shower?” He reminded himself that only Nate had been in Kaz’s apartment with Zane, not the other Devil of Vitality, and his momentary burst of jealousy was ill placed.
Zane would never fuck Nate Narek, not only because the guy wasn’t his type, but also because that little display of his with Kazimir earlier had all been an orchestrated stunt. A means to get underneath Kaz’s skin, so to speak.
The quiet, aloof Prince of Medicine was always doing that.
Getting under people’s skin.
“I’ll repeat the question since you didn’t seem to hear me,” Zane stated in a clipped tone. “What are you doing here, Pavel?” His gaze momentarily took in his outfit, but there wasn’t so much as a glimmer of attraction or interest reflected in his eyes. To him, Pavel had always just been another member of the Retinue. Another person he was duty-bound to interact and get along with, nothing more.
And Pavelhatedit.
His hands fisted in his pockets but he placed a devilish smirk on his face and breezily replied, “Can’t a man go for a stroll in this city? Or is that not allowed, Doctor?”
“A man?” He clicked his tongue, unaffected by the nickname the same way he always was. “Sure. But you and I both know what you really are.”
“Oh, do we?”
Zane had no idea.
But Pavel was really looking forward to the day he could enlighten him.
“Did you need something from Kaz?” Zane motioned toward the building at his back. “He’s indisposed at the moment. You’ll have to come back another time.”
To anyone else, it might have sounded like a casual statement between friends, but Pavel knew what he was really doing. It was both a warning and an attempt to lead the conversation where Zane wanted it to go.
Too bad Pavel didn’t really feel like being cooperative.
“Just out for a walk,” he kept the friendly smile firmly in place when Zane scowled, “remember?”
“Last I checked,” Zane headed toward him as he spoke, long legs crossing the distance with ease, the heels of his black loafers carrying him almost silently closer and closer, “Concealed is an hour walk from here.”
Concealed was the restaurant/club that Pavel owned. The fact that Zane knew right away he’d come from there meant the other guy had paid more attention to him than Pavel had realized. It was probably the suit. He only wore the three-piece all black ensemble when he was working.
“Forty-seven minutes, actually.” He shrugged a single shoulder. “But who’s counting.”
Just as he was about to reach him, Zane turned, passing by him, his cologne, bergamot and sea salt with a hint of sandalwood, momentarily tickling at Pavel’s nose.
Zane went straight to the wall and gripped the handle of his blade, unaware that Pavel was watching the way his back muscles rippled as he yanked the weapon free. By the time he’d turned back, Pavel was already looking elsewhere.
“Are you over this time?” Pavel’s words were spoken low, monotone. When there didn’t come an immediate reply, he risked a glance back in Zane’s direction.
“Over what?”
“Let’s skip the part where you pretend not to know what I’m referring to.”
Zane bristled. “Last I checked, I don’t have to tell you anything.”
“That’s fair.” He left it at that, waiting.
