My shoulder lifts in a light shrug. “I might have stayed in his castle before.”
Tilly’s gasp is sharp and she leans as far forward as her very pregnant belly will allow. “You and Arran?”
“Before you get too excited, nothing happened.” Well, not physically. My dreams ever since then are a completely different matter. “After the last karaoke night I was here for, I went to Bodin’s old apartment, but found Charlie there. He suggested I try Arran’s place. Since everyone was either asleep or busy hooking up at that time of the night, you included, I waltzedover and made myself comfortable in one of the castle’s spare bedrooms. He didn’t seem to mind, even left me water, cookies, and a lantern.”
A slow grin spreads across Tilly’s lips and her eyes spark with a familiar lick of mischief that all the women in our family possess. “Well, what do you know? Seems like Arran is full of surprises.”
I can’t help but wonder what other kinds of surprises the handsome vampire has. “Seems so.”
“At this rate, you might surprise us all by finally convincing Arran to get a generator.”
I’m already shaking my head. “Hell no. I’m not imposing on the dude like that. I’m not telling him to change anything about his home or how he lives. Besides, I’ll probably be back home before the power thing actually starts to bother me.”
A small snort bubbles up from Tilly. “Sure. We can have this conversation again in a month.”
I pull Anita up onto my chest and let her nuzzle against my neck as I sigh out, “Tilly, it’s all temporary. Once the investigators have the proverbial smoking gun, I’ll be heading home on Shinsu’s boat.”
“But there’s no exact timeline for that,” my cousin counters. “My thoughts are that it’s better to be mentally prepared foralleventualities.”
I hate it when she makes sense. “At least Arran has running water.”
“That’s a very positive outlook to have. I approve.”
“Why thank you, Nurse Tilly. Flushing toilets do make me happy.”
Tilly braces her hands on the armrests as she pushes herself up. “Now I have to get to work. Will you pop into The Bandaged Heart while you’re in town? I’d like to go over your prescriptions and order your insulin just to ensure we have enough stock on hand.”
“Sure, I’ll swing by.”
Hesitating on her way out of the room, Tilly turns back toward me. “Not to pry or anything, but when do you plan on chatting to Arran?”
“Later. Need a shower first.”
“But you will talk to him?”
“Of course.” My lips twist into a devious grin. “Can’t risk another night on the jizz couch.”
Tilly’s grin matches mine. “Who knows, you and Arran might just make your own jizz couch in the castle.”
“Don’t give me ideas.”
Chapter 5
Arran
The sun has crested the horizon and I should be heading upstairs to my four-poster bed, closing the heavy velvet hangings around me and drifting off to sleep. Yet, here I remain in my darkened parlor, staring at the bottle of vampire sunscreen while I contemplate whether to head out and find Audrey, or wait for nightfall to finally talk to her.
All night I worked on preparing Audrey’s sleeping chambers. I’ve swept the room, opened the windows to let in fresh air, and cleaned out the hearth. Her sheets are washed and the maroon drapes are neatly tied back. The sconces in her wing have been checked, melted candles replaced with fresh white ones, and the bathroom has been thoroughly cleaned. I also placed Annamae’sposy on the table in her room along with a pitcher of water and the lantern she used last time.
I hope this will be enough to make Audrey feel welcome and help her settle in.
Ifshe chooses to stay here, that is.
For barely a minute, I allow myself to imagine her in the castle, of her smiling at me as she saunters closer, wanting to show me her appreciation for my thoughtfulness.
My fingers drum on my thigh, and I entertain the thought of sliding my hand under my kilt, wrapping a fist around my cock, and—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
