Joshua chuckled, backing into the elevator. “Everyone you’ve ever hadrelationswith was.” With a grin at my pinking cheeks and stunned expression, he winked at me and his finger hovered over a button inside the elevator. “Any clue where your father is? He’s not answering my phone calls.”
“Ceremonial room, the last I saw,” I mumbled absently, rubbing at my forehead. Hurriedly, as he pressed the button, I mumbled, “Joshua?”
“Yes, your majesty?” Respect, he was giving it.
“Who created the extensive file on me?”
“Who else? The man who’s kept tabs on you your entire life,” he stated. Right before the doors closed, with my brows furrowing in confusion—and him using a nickname I hadn’t heard in almost a thousand years—he answered softly, “Gwenny, it’s Lord Cato.”
The doors shut, cutting off any further conversation.
“What. The. Hell.” I stood rooted in place, utterly stumped. I ground my teeth together, staring only at the elevator. I crossed my arms again, this time in frustration and embarrassment. “I’m pretty sure my fatheristrying to wreck our evening—intentionally or not.”
And I really may have to forgive Joshua for almost killing me when we were just kids. He appeared to have grown into a fine man—despite whom he worked for.
My brows puckered as a horrible thought occurred.
It…
It wasn’t fair to hold a grudge against him for almost killing his best friend— by accident—when I had killed mine—on purpose.
Fuck.
“I’m not sure if I like him much anymore,” Lord Belshazzar stated out of nowhere, crossing his own arms and scratching at his jaw, again, in deep thought and staring at the closed elevator along with me. Not even glancing down at me, he mumbled absently, “And whatever put that look on your face, quit thinking about it. Sad eyes don’t do it for me in the bedroom.”
“Sweet baby Jesus.” I rounded on him, pointing a sharp finger against his chest, capturing his attention. “Is that how you sweet-talk all those redheads into your bed? Because I have to say, it lacks in finesse, my lord.”
His right hand snaked between us and captured my digit, pulling me much closer. Red lips curved in amusement while he towered over my shorter stature. The man didn’t even say a word, simply held me against his body, his eyes laughing down at me and not trying to hide it.
I cleared my throat. “What?”
Don’t you dare say anything.
He took a different route. “How about tonight we don’t talk about who we fuck for work?”
Instant relief. “I’m a-okay with that.”
Any questionable jealousy was swept under the proverbial rug—on both of our parts since I hadn’t missed his with a certain annoying assistant.
“I thought you’d agree.” He stepped away from me, releasing my finger. He swiped a hand in the direction of the long hallway that would eventually lead to our bedchambers. “The choice is up to you.”
To go to bed with the devil or not…
It wasn’t a hard decision.
I moved past him, tossing a smirk over my shoulder. “You still haven’t told me how old you are.”
Within two strides, he’d caught up with me. We strolled down the hallway of royal bedchambers at a sedate speed, neither of us rushing. I didn’t even have to walk fast to keep up with him—my stupid short legs were a pain—because he was walking slowly to stay in step with me.
The lord placed his hands in his pockets and stared down at his bare, dirty feet, thinking silently. When he finally did glance at me, his eyes were cold and ruthless.
He stated, “Don’t ask me that again.”
I raised my eyebrows in shock.
His tone hadn’t been…friendly. Not at all.
I’d expected a teasing comment from him. Notthat.
