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“Huh! I don’t get it. Ranger didn’t like that?”
Why wouldn’t she let this drop? “Eden, I’m in the middle of something.”
“Same here, but I still want to know what’s going on.”
“Not now. Get back to work. Shouldn’t you be flying the ship?”
“It’s on autopilot, douchebag. And I’m not one of your servants. You don’t get to boss me around.”
He turned and stared at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She tilted her head. “Like you don’t know. You’re probably used to people racing around and fulfilling your every instruction. It doesn’t work here. We’re equal partners.”
“You lost me.”
“Should I be curtsying? I don’t know what the proper behavior is around a baron.”
Blaze’s hands clenched, and every muscle in his body stiffened. “How the hell do you know about that?”
“So it’s true? When Georgia told me, I thought she was having a laugh.” Eden’s eyes narrowed.
“It is.” Blaze stared at her. He worked hard to make sure none of his crewmates knew about his family history. One or two of them had asked him questions because of his surname, but he’d dismissed the connection. And all records of him in relation to his family had been redacted. If he messed up, it would never get back to tarnish the Floridian reputation.
“Why the big secret? You should have told me,” she said.
He stalked toward her until they were toe-to-toe. Eden didn’t move. Nothing intimidated her. She never backed down. It was one of the many things about her that infuriated and intrigued him. “Why should it matter?”
She met his gaze with her own fierce stare. “Because we’re partners.”
“It’s not relevant. We’re here to do a job. You focus on the animals, and I focus on protecting you.”
“But I had no idea. I always thought your good guy behavior was an act.”
“An act? Why would I pretend to be a decent guy?”
“To get what you want.” Eden arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t know that’s how you’d been bred to behave.”
“Bred! You make me sound like an animal. Like I have no ability to think for myself.”
“Isn’t that true? I’ve been researching some Apexian royal families. You marry for duty. You form relationships because of political and social alliances. You’re cultivating your behavior because you want to get something from someone.”
“No, that’s not how it is. I’m not making out that I’m someone I’m not. Whoever I match with will know the real me.”
“Are you sure about that? How am I supposed to know who the real Blaze is? Are you the noble baron or the tough warrior?”
“Why can’t I be both? Not all guys are assholes. I don’t lie to get what I need from a woman.”
“Most of you do,” she muttered.
“Then you’re picking shitty guys to hang with.”
“Maybe I am. But if they lie to me, I don’t care.”
“I’ve never lied to you about this.”
“You kept it hidden, though.”
Blaze sucked in a deep breath. “It’s not important to our relationship.”
