Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
“Good,” I snapped.
“And the UTC has announced it’s forming a committee to investigate the breaches to the InterRealm Accord, along with violations within the Engagement Convention. Obviously, since that was written and agreed in 1935, there was no mention of trolls. Regardless, Arnaud attacked without provocation using what could be considered an unknown weapon and this absolutely is a violation of approved engagement.”
“That’s good too.”
“And that’s all I’ve got.”
It hit me I’d been gone awhile, and he was still in our suite, so I looked around and asked him, “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
“I do. But you and Cat tore out of here so I put it off and waited for you to return. I wanted to make sure all was well.”
Ugh!
Sometimes he was so awesome, I couldn’t take it.
“And someone had to feed the cats,” he finished.
See?
I threw myself in his arms, kissed him hard, broke it and said, “I need to get sorted and get back.”
“Do you need me to order you breakfast?”
Seriously?
I couldn’t take it!
“No, I’ve got it.” I touched my mouth to his, pulled out of his arms and dashed down the hall, calling, “I’ll comm you later.”
“Love you,” he called in return.
“Love you too,” I shouted.
Then I hit the bathroom and snatched up my Denti-Clean.
An hour and a half later, Gayle was still crashed, and Cat and I were huddled at a table by the window that was covered in our used breakfast dishes, and we were having a whispered conversation.
I was filling her in with all that had happened.
She was visibly relieved the Arnaud thing appeared to be at an end, and seeing her relief, it was the first time I realized it was at an end.
He was in custody. He was in deep doo-doo with murder and mayhem to answer for. He was about to lose his throne. And if they could prove he killed that poor young female, and all the rest, he wouldn’t be free, maybe for the rest of his life.
So outside of still being insanely pissed at Prince Cormac for being such a massive dick, I was relieved too.
And maybe, now that the Masque was over, Aleksei and I could go away for a week and chill the heck out before I was thrown into engagement party planning, wedding planning and the movie started shooting.
“Something happened last night with me too,” Cat whispered.
I came out of my thoughts and right back into the room, because her voice was weird.
“What?” I asked.
“Well…” Her eyes slid to the side.
“Cat, really. Things seem to be going our way, finally, but only after more beings died last night. If this is bad, just sock it to me.”
“I got a middle of the night visitor too.”
I stared.
“Tanyn knocked on my door last night,” she finished.
“What?” I whisper-shouted.
“What?” Gayle plain old shouted from the bed.
Cat narrowed her eyes toward the bed. “Were you pretending to sleep?”
Gayle pushed the covers back. “Not at first. But I could smell bacon and coffee, and it woke me up.”
That would wake any gal up.
I reached to the pot to pour her a cup when she made her way to us.
I slid the cup and saucer to her at the same time watching her curl, knees to chest, into a chair at the table.
Still assuming a protective position.
Yep.
And I was still pissed at Prince Cormac.
“How are you doing?” I asked her, knowing it was a stupid question.
“I feel like shit,” she replied, giving me the answer I already knew.
I loved her, but unsurprisingly, she looked like it too. She’d be under a spa-visor for an hour to get rid of that redness, swelling and those dark circles.
Totally, when Cormac came back to her (and he would), he’d better beg and crawl.
“Drink caffeine,” I urged.
She reached for the cup but said to Cat, “Spill.”
Cat drew in a big breath.
“Well, I heard the knock on the door, and I thought it was you with some news,” she said to me.
I nodded and took a sip from my own cup.
“It wasn’t. It was him,” Cat went on.
“And?” Gayle prompted.
“And…I just opened the door and stared up at him, kinda frozen in shock that he was at my door in the middle of the night,” Cat shared.
She was also probably frozen in shock that a ridiculously handsome prince was right there at her door in the middle of the night.
“And?” I pushed when she stopped talking.
“And, he said nothing.”
“What?” Gayle asked.
“Nothing?” I asked.
“Not at first. He just hooked me with his arm, pulled me in for a deep, wet kiss, and when he was done with my mouth, he let me go.”
By Lilith!
“What?” Gayle nearly shouted.
“Oh my gods!” I also nearly shouted.
“And then he said, ‘Get rid of him. I’ll be in touch.’ And he walked away,” Cat finished.
By the gods, that was hot.