Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 165618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 662(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 165618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 662(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
“Maybe,” she replied, but I could tell she wasn’t convinced.
At that point, I felt something else, looked to Tanyn and saw his gaze on me.
I read immediately he wanted me at his side.
“Sorry, but I need to ask you to excuse me. Tanyn wants me,” I said to Estra.
“And I need to find my male, because if I don’t dance while I’m in the Celestial Palace wearing a fabulous gown, which, by the way, thank you for arranging for me, I’ll never forgive myself. Uly hates dancing and he’s been avoiding it. I’m running out of time to pin him down.”
I smiled at her, bid her good luck and headed to Tanyn.
One of the few genuine smiles I saw from him that night was the one he aimed at me when I started to do so.
As such, I wasted no time as I crossed the room to get to his side.
Doing so, not knowing, two beings watched my every step.
Closely.
And malevolently.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” I asked as the lift doors closed on the member of the detail who’d been keeping watch over my flat while we were gone and we were wandering back into said flat five hours after we left it.
“What I can say is, it’s done.” He gave me a certain look. “What I can also say is, don’t take that fucking dress off.”
I’d nearly dislocated a shoulder closing the zip, even if it was a side one (maneuvering through those rectangles had been a bitch).
But that wasn’t the only reason he’d be taking it off me.
I tilted my head. “No wine tonight?”
“Get upstairs,” he ordered
I grinned.
But that was all the time I wasted before I went upstairs (however, I was me, so as I did it, I put a lot of sashay into it and was rewarded when I heard his low growl behind me).
In other words, even with that funny feeling I’d had, the engagement party went off without a hitch.
Laura looked gorgeous. Aleksei looked so proud. They were both so very happy.
And Tanyn and I were official.
So we were done celebrating Laura and Aleksei.
It was time to celebrate something else.
And I was all in.
Chapter 26
Home
My parents’ butler, Johnson, did not meet our craft when we landed at their house late the next morning.
Mom and Dad were there.
After we alighted the UtiliSport (again, on loan from the embassy)—and by “we,” that included Manny and Zyr—Mom rushed me, crying, “There’s my little girl.”
I was rolling my eyes as she hugged me like I’d been gone for five years when I’d seen her and Dad at the party last night.
Zyra, who came out on my side, was just smiling.
“And hello again Zyra,” Mom exclaimed after she let me go. “Oh my goodness, I’m so happy to host you in our home!”
Zyra got a hug (Mom was so human), but she didn’t seem to mind.
I got a cheek kiss from Dad.
Introductions had been performed last night, so this morning there were handshakes (and Mangold got a hug from Mom too), then we went inside.
As we made the main floor, all of a sudden, I had a strange feeling, one I didn’t like.
Zyra ooed and aahed over the art and décor. Dad, Tanyn and Mangold were talking and chuckling. Everyone seemed chill.
But my parents’ house was no citadel.
It was beautiful, and it wasn’t exactly cold and unwelcoming, but it was highly curated and the wealth behind it couldn’t be missed.
There were no warm, cozy fires nor throws to curl up in or even armrests to lay your head on.
So what were Zyra and Mangold going to think about my family? How I grew up?
On this thought, Tanyn was at my side, circling my waist with his arm.
“What’s up?” he asked quietly.
Of course he felt my unease.
“I want them to like each other.”
Tanyn shot me a look of surprise, then his expression softened.
“Baby, give your parents some credit,” he advised. “And Manny and Zyr some too.”
“Oh, sweet Lilith,” Zyra exclaimed, gaining Tanyn and my attention. She was standing by a sculpture. “This came from your gallery, Cat?” she asked. “It’s stunning!” she exclaimed before I could answer.
Mom was smiling adoringly at me.
Manny was staring bemusedly at the sculpture, which did, indeed, come from my gallery (Mom and Dad were two of my biggest clients, and I held zero shame at the nepotism).
The piece was made of cream limestone and consisted of some blobs with some spheres inserted into carved-out holes. It resembled a female torso, if she was listing to the side, had one detachable breast and partially melting.
It was a piece by Donetta Rothweld.
It was sublime.
And, according to me, it was worth every mark of the sixteen thousand, five hundred of them that it cost (just to say, this was not just my opinion, because I knew since they bought it, Rothwelds had increased in value).