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“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” If he was going to play coy and spend the whole morning spewing innuendo, I would do the same. “I don’t remember you coming at all.”
An oversight I was dying to remedy.
He stepped closer and took another bite of his beignet. I was too busy watching his mouth to protest this time. “I probably won’t see you for a couple of days.”
“What?” I blurted out. “Why?”
“Ritual fuckery, remember? He’ll use the handfasting to his advantage, so we will be fighting over terms, with Oberon and Aurora mediating.” He shoved the rest of the beignet in his mouth. “There’ll be meetings until we reach an agreement everyone can live with, and Bain will do everything he can to work every clause to his advantage, which means I need to be focused to protect our interests.”
“And Ciara’s interests?”
“Do you really think so little of me?” he asked softly. “Everything I do for my court is in the interest of my family. If the court is weak, they are exposed. She is exposed. Everything I care about is exposed. Protecting what matters comes at a price, princess.” His eyes lingered, daring me to contradict him. “And no price is too great. Even personal happiness.”
His words drew a line. I had no idea what side I stood on—in my mind or his.
“Even at the cost of what I want,” he breathed, “which is why I’m going to need that necklace.”
“What?” The question shot out of me.
“Just until a new agreement is reached with the Infernal Court. You no longer need a way to reach the court every night anyway.” He paused as if waiting for an objection, but I was too dumbfounded to come up with one. “I’ve already spoken with my siblings. Someone will accompany you when you leave the court so that there are no further incidents like the redcaps or other distractions…”
Distractions like being summoned to my bed. Heat flooded my cheeks as I unfastened the necklace and held it out. “You didn’t have to come last night.”
“Princess, I will always come for you.” There was no mistaking the sinful promise in his silken voice as he took it from me. The words glided along my skin, activating every nerve, every neuron until my entire being was focused on him. “At least when you’re in danger. But for now, I can’t be distracted by how much I’d rather just be with you, and since I’m well-practiced at denying myself when it comes to you, I can do it a little longer. But I won’t be able to stay away if you let me into that filthy, beautiful mind of yours again. I won’t apologize for that, but I’d also prefer not to explain why I’m vanishing out of meetings.”
I was going to combust. I swallowed in a pitiful attempt to wet my suddenly dry mouth and tried to respond casually. “No big deal.”
“No big deal,” he echoed, nodding slightly as he leaned closer, his breath tickling my ear as his cedar-and-spice scent hit me harder than ever before. “If you’re going into the city, even with Ciara, I want you to take that gun. Purse or holster?”
Disappointment splashed in my stomach at the fact that the verbal foreplay was already over and we were back to practical concerns. “Purse, I guess.”
“That’s a shame.” His nose touched the shell of my ear, and I shivered. “I would have liked to see where you would hide a holster.”
“Maybe I’ll change my mind.” I shifted my body away and turned to face him, raising a brow. “Too bad you’ll be too busy with all that ritual fuckery to find out.”
His eyes glazed slightly, and my heart hammered at that naked desire. He raked a considering glance around the room. “Or I could just have you on that table and end their speculation once and for all. Then I wouldn’t have to explain my priorities to anyone. Not after they saw how fucking perfect you are when you come.”
I should not be so turned on by that option, but I found myself looking at the table anyway. His dark chuckle told me he was seriously considering doing just that when Roark sidled up to the buffet, giving each of us the side-eye in turn.
Lach snarled at him, but I only rolled my eyes as I picked up a new beignet, suddenly ravenous. If he could deny me, I was certainly strong enough to do the same. I smiled sweetly at Roark. “We were just finishing a negotiation.”
Lach gritted his teeth. “I think we’re far from settling anything.”
But he had come when I commanded. So, let him go to his meetings and think about me, want me, crave me, because I decided the terms of this arrangement. “We settled it last night. Or I guess I did.”
His face went utterly feral. I half expected him to pounce and make good on the table proposal.
Roark snorted, shaking his head. “If you two are going to mount each other, don’t do it near open flames.”
He might have a point.
I was already walking away, pausing to toss Lach a smirk of my own. “Enjoy your meetings.”
I didn’t bother to turn around. I didn’t need to. I knew he was watching every step I took.
Lach might think he knew the only way to deal with the clover problem, and maybe he was right about needing ties with another court. But what would happen if things went south? If Bain refused to negotiate? It was shortsighted to only think in one direction when there were other options.
I dropped my plate off at the table, trying not to blush just at the sight of it, and glanced casually over my shoulder to find him gone—already off to deal with things the only way he knew how. I might be no closer to knowing exactly what Lach wanted out of the bargain between us, but I was beginning to understand what he needed. Giving it to him wouldn’t free me, but it would free him. So, I made my way over to where Ciara was chatting with the others.