“I’m still learning about afternoon tea... It’s so good I find it hard to stop eating.” I smile, hoping he buys my lame excuse.
“Ah, yes. Has Leopold brought you any Nusstorte? They’re my favorite pastries,” Evander says, taking another big bite. His steak is one chest compression away from coming back to life.
“No, are they good?”
“Life-changing. We’ll have to make sure he does... well, I guess not tomorrow.”
“No, not tomorrow.” I do my best not to sigh. I stretch my foot out, and it bumps Evander. “Sorry.” I pull my legs back quickly.
He laughs. “I’m not opposed to playing footsie under the table.”
It should make me uncomfortable, but instead it just turns me on. There’s heat rising up to my cheeks. I’m glad we’re eating by candlelight. Hopefully, they can’t see how much I’m blushing, but they’re dragon shifters, so . . .
“Are you going to do anything after the boring bureaucracy?” Evander asks.
“Oh, no. I want to come back as fast as possible. I’m hoping I can catch at least the end of the installation.” I place my fork and knife together on the plate, with the fork tines facing up and the knife blade facing inward, something I learned from Sunday dinners at my grandparents’ house. I never thought it would be useful. But unlike Wren,I enjoyed dressing up and eating off of grandmother’s best China.
“Well, there’s a lot to see in Zurich. You should take the day,” Roark says. “Leopold’s got it.”
I nod and smile because, unlike Wren, I’m not a go-exploring-on-my-own kind of gal. “I guess. I’ll think it over tonight. Speaking of which... I’m going to head to my room. I have some paintings I want to research.”
“Or you could relax,” Evander says.
“Working is how I relax.” I put my napkin on the table.
Evander laughs. “You remind me of Kieren.” He stands and helps with my chair.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not bad, just?—”
“Frustrating,” Roark answers for Evander.
“Well... I don’t know what to say. I like what I do, and I want to do a good job at it.” I’ve always been a good student.People pleaser, Wren’s voice says in my head.
“Kieren says that too. But I don’t buy it from him, either.” Evander walks me out. Roark does too. But they both stop at the bottom of the stairs.
“Have a good night, Duchess,” Roark says when I’m halfway up.
“Good night.” I wave back, feeling way too much like the little girl fromThe Sound of Music, the one who falls asleep on the grand stairs of the manor. I rush by the spot that got me in trouble last week. I don’t need to be pondering their secrets any more than I am already. I just need to get the work done, save as much money as possible, and build my resumé. And most of all, stop thinking about my hot bosses. Leo might call them the gentlemen, but they are anything but.
24
ROARK
She’s long vanished up the stairs, but Evander and I are still standing in the dragon’s eye foyer.
“I’m going to the den for a drink.” Evander pivots away.
I follow him. The click of Evander’s dress shoes has me on edge. But everything has me on edge these days. Not being at Kieren’s side to protect him. My damn near obsession with the new candidate. Oh, I like females. Riding me. Hell, there was a woman from town two weeks ago...Sex—that’s all it is.
When we have a candidate in the castle, we’re not allowed to touch another female. There have been great spans of time that I’ve gone without sex. Before the lightning happens, we aren’t allowed to share a female. There have been plenty of candidates who were basically having a relationship with only one of us until they weren’t having a relationship with any of us. Even more who never received more than a hug from any of us.
I still don’t know what Raine wants. But Evander? Yeah, I can tell he wants to be the one warming her bed.
The fire in the fireplace is going. Even though the warm August breeze from the valley keeps the castle warm, it’s not warm by dragon standards.
Evander goes straight for the bar cart and pours us both a drink. I sit in the overstuffed brown chair by the fire—the one I always sit in. Evander takes the one on the other side of the fire. The couch is empty.
