As the debriefing ended and the Guardians headed for the exit, Anandur walked up to Kian. “Can I have a moment alone with you?”

Kian arched a brow. “I didn’t know you fancied me that way.”

Great, suddenly everyone was a comedian. Any other day he would’ve picked up the thread Kian had thrown his way and continued with the banter until the mighty regent gave up. After centuries of practice, he could go on and on until his verbal opponent conceded defeat. But not today.

Today, Anandur was in no mood for joking around.

Getting no response, Kian’s smirk melted into a frown. “What’s wrong?”

Anandur cast a glance around to make sure everyone else had left. “I need to take some time off.”

Kian let out a puff of breath. “You had me worried for a moment. How long do you need? A day, two?”

“Two weeks.”

“That’s a long vacation. But I guess we have enough Guardians to pick up the slack.”

That wasn’t a yes, but Anandur took it as one. “Thanks.”

“When do you need it?”

“Starting tomorrow.”

Kian raked his fingers through his hair. “Does your sudden need for a vacation have anything to do with Wonder?”

“Yeah, it does.”

“What are you planning to do with those two weeks?”

Apparently, Kian loved gossip as much as the next immortal. There was no harm in telling him, though. After all, they’d been friends for a very long time, or as much as a subordinate could be friends with his boss.

Anandur walked over to the door, closed it, then returned and sat down next to Kian at the conference table.

The guy regarded him with curiosity in his eyes. “Is it going to be a long story?”

“Are you in a hurry? Because we can do it some other time.”

Kian leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m always in a hurry to return to my mate, but for this, I’m willing to stay for as long as it takes.”

Busybody.

Anandur scratched his beard. “You were right. I do have feelings for Wonder.”

“I’m always right.”

“Yeah, well, you forget who you’re talking to. I’ve been your bodyguard for over nine centuries. I know you better than your own mother, or your sisters, or even your wife. And you’ve been wrong plenty of times.”

Kian shrugged. “Perhaps a handful of times.”

“Right. Anyway, I’ve been fighting my attraction to her because she’s so damn young, but when she came on to me, I could no longer resist. I’m not made of stone.”

“Good for her. I admire a woman who knows what she wants and is not afraid to go after it. It speaks of strong character.” He lifted a fist to demonstrate.

“Wonder is incredibly strong, physically and otherwise. That’s one of the many things I find so alluring about her. But she is also inexperienced and a little shy. It took her a while to gather the courage to proposition me. But when my defenses finally crumbled and I kissed her, the kiss triggered a memory of some lost love of hers.” He wasn’t going to elaborate and tell Kian that she’d called out another man’s name while kissing him.

Talk about humiliating.

Kian arched a brow. “So? I don’t see a problem with that. This should make you feel better about wooing Wonder because it means she’s not as innocent as you thought her to be. She’s been in love before.”

“The problem is that Wonder thinks she might still be in love with that guy. As long as this phantom hangs between us, I can’t have a real relationship with her. I need to get rid of the ghost love interest first.”

“Since you’re asking for time off, I assume that you have a plan?”

“Very astute of you. Yes, I do.”

Kian lifted a brow. “Care to share?”

“Eh, why not?” Anandur waved a hand. “If I told you that much I might as well tell you the rest.”

“Do you want some whiskey with your story?”

“As if you need to ask. I’ll pour us a drink.” Anandur rose to his feet and walked over to the wet bar.

“So you know how Wonder woke up from the coma in Egypt, right?” He pulled out a half-full bottle of Black Label and filled two glasses to the brim.

“Yeah, I do.”

“That means that the guy she thinks she loves is there. I want to take her back and see if she remembers any more details. If I can find the dude, I can fight him for her.” He handed Kian a glass and took a sip from his.

“Fight him how?”

“When I turn on the charm, no flesh and blood guy can outdo me. A phantom, though, is as perfect as Wonder’s imagination makes him out to be.”

Kian took a long gulp, then put the nearly empty glass on the table. “Wonder might have reservations about going abroad with you. From what you tell me, I understand that the two of you haven’t been romantically involved up until that fateful kiss. Am I right?”

Anandur nodded.

“And you also tell me that she is shy and inexperienced.”

“Right.”

“Before you suggest a trip to Egypt, you need to cozy up to her and make her feel comfortable with you.” The left corner of Kian’s lips lifted in a lopsided smirk. “We all know that she has nothing to worry in regards to you getting handsy with her. The girl proved that she can kick your butt, but she might be concerned about emotional vulnerability.”

Anandur shook his head. He was never going to live that down. From now until eternity, everyone would be making fun of him for getting caught by a girl and then tossed aside as if he were some tiny pipsqueak and not a giant of a man who weighed two hundred and eighty pounds. And that was especially true for all of his defeated sparring partners, which included Kian.

He pointed a finger at Kian’s smirking face. “If she can kick my butt, and we both know that I can kick yours, it means that she can kick your butt as well. True?”

Kian inclined his head. “Point taken. But what I was trying to say is that you should spend a few days with her as her boyfriend and not just a friend. She needs to internalize that you guys are a couple before you can suggest a trip abroad alone with her.”

Anandur emptied his glass and put it down. “I’ll play it by ear. I plan on taking her out to the city tomorrow and spending the entire day with her. If I feel she’s ready, I’ll ask. If not, I’ll wait a day or two.”