All’s Fair in Love and War
He pulls me close and we stand there in each other's arms. I try to share the feeling of calmness with him. We stand there until I feel a feeling of completeness engulfing me, and I know that feeling comes from him.
“I really appreciate you calming me. Only you can do that, sunshine. But uh...but really? Jeopardy music?”
What? “What? You heard that???”
Yeah, so okay, I play Jeopardy music in my head when I try to calm myself down sometimes. He's not supposed to know that! He couldn't have heard that! He can't hear my thoughts as well, can he?
“Yeah, of course, I can hear it...since you hummed it like that.”
I hummed it? NO!
“It's not my favorite music, but it did help distract me from my anger. It reminded me how lucky I am.” His lips twitch as he says this. “That I have a very strange and uh...funny mate.”
I wasn't trying to be funny! It was supposed to calm me. Sheeshh!
“Don't diss Jeopardy music! It's an awesome classic piece,” I defend my happy music. “And...Hey!!! I'm strange and funny???”
“Okay, sorry. Actually, you are unique...and uh...witty.”
I stare at him warily as I watch him biting his lower lip like he's trying hard not to laugh.
Then he just bursts out laughing. Unbelievable!
“I heard some laughing. Is it safe to come in now?” asks Caspian warily poking his head through the doorway.
“Go away,” I snap at him.
Caspian takes that as an invitation to come in. He steps inside and gazes around the wreckage, looking oddly excited. “Nice,” he observes with a grin. One of these days I really am going to drop something over his golden head.
“We'll get the cleaning and fixing crew in first thing tomorrow morning,” says Lazarus from behind him. Serena just raises an eyebrow in amusement as she surveys the destroyed bedroom.
“The last time we had a room looking like this was four years ago,” remarks Lazarus.
“It wasn't this bad,” Caspian quickly points out, suddenly looking glum.
“Not this bad,” agrees Lazarus. “But you did a pretty good job with your bed chamber. They had to replace all the furniture.”
“Caspian and his mother, Queen Sophia don't get along,” Serena mock-whispers conspiratorially to me, even though everybody in the room can hear her.
“It's no big secret, unfortunately.” Constantine sighs against the side of my forehead. His hand is idly rubbing my shoulder. “We thought it's a good idea to put an ocean between them after that last big fight.”
“Hey, this is not about me,” protests Caspian. “Besides, it got us here. Constantine gets to meet Genesis.”
I think there's more to the story, but I would rather get out of the destroyed bedroom. I think the others got the same idea as we make our way out of there, walking over broken furniture and pieces of drywall.
Caspian pours everybody a drink, while we take our seats in front of a big fireplace in the great room. Constantine pulls me up onto his lap. The roaring fire cast a warm orange glow over everyone.
“We've got to find out where she's gone off to,” says Constantine, grimly. We immediately know who he's talking about and the atmosphere in the room instantly becomes tense.
“Already on it,” replies Lazarus. “Our men tracked her to the airport. She took a commercial flight out to Belarus this evening.”
“She'll be back,” announces Caspian, staring into his glass solemnly.
“Find her. Get our men to find her exact whereabouts and keep us posted,” says Constantine tugging me to him. “I don't want her anywhere near my mate.”
I ended up spending the night at their place anyway. I texted my mom, telling her that everything's fine now and that I was spending the night here.
He holds me close to him all night. It's like he needs to reassure himself that I'm safe with him.
I wake up lying half on top of him with my cheek pressed against his solid chest. His arms wrapped around me and our limbs tangled together. I had the best night sleep I've had in a while despite everything that happened last night.
His bed is the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. Well, I've been lying on top of him as well...so, he can be a very comfortable pillow substitute. I don't know if I should tell him that.
Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, his bed. It is the most comfortable bed ever. It's like sleeping on a soft warm cloud. Not that I know what sleeping on a cloud feels like, but if I were to imagine it, this is what it would have felt like.
“What are you smiling about?” His voice is deep, husky and sexy. Oh, who am I kidding? Everything about this lycan prince is sexy.
“I think I'm in love with your bed,” I sigh.
I feel, rather than hear the deep rumble of laughter in his chest.
He suddenly flips us, so that I'm lying underneath him instead of on top of him.
“Sunshine, you're in love with my shower, now you're in love with my bed...and I'm pretty sure that you're in love with me.”
“Pretty sure?” I gasp as he playfully nips my earlobe with his teeth.
“Ummm... yea, quite sure,” he mumbles as he rains tiny kisses along my jaw down to the side of my neck. “There's only one logical thing you need to do...”
“What's that?” I gulp as tingles of heat and fireworks erupt all over my body.
“Move in with me.”
“Is this how you....plan to...convince me to...ummm... gosh... move in?” I manage to choke out as his mouth manages to find that spot behind my ear.
“Ummm... Is it working?”
Oh yes, it's working, but he doesn't need to know that yet. At least not until he feeds me breakfast.
***
Constantine wasn't kidding when he told me that he sleeps au naturel.
I avert my eyes when he gets up from the bed. He laughs and saunters unhurriedly to the bathroom as I cover my face with a pillow. Don't look! Don't look!!! Well, maybe a little peek.
Last night he reluctantly taught me how to hide some of my feelings from him. It involves conditioning my lycan, Ezra, to keep my emotional volume down. I did it after a little practice. Of course, I can't keep everything from him. He would still be able to feel strong emotions coming off of me.
The thing is, when I hide my feelings from him, I can barely feel his emotions as well. I understand why he doesn't like this. I don't plan on hiding my feelings from him all the time. Only some of the time...like right now...when I'm thinking of his naked body...
I wonder what time it is, but I'm too lazy to even try to reach out for my phone. I just lie back and listen to the sound of the shower going in the en-suite, then I realize that he didn't even close the bathroom door! Steam rolling in from the open door.
Gah! That man! I think teasing me is his favorite past time.
It doesn't help that he has the most glorious body I'd ever seen.
How can I go back to sleep when there's a completely hot, naked Greek God with water running down his body in the next room, showering with the door wide open. You slept just fine draped all over his glorious naked body last night, I remind myself. Why am I so weird?
“What are you muttering about, sunshine?” Of course, now he's walking around in a little towel tied low around his waist.
“Nothing,” I mumble against the blanket I just pulled over my eyes.
“Come on, get up, sleepy head!” He chuckles as he yanks the blanket down. “I can smell breakfast from here.”
I sit up on the bed at the mention of food. Yes, I can smell food!
I yelp and cover my eyes when he casually drops the towel as he strolls into his walk-in closet. I can hear his laughter from behind the closet door.
***
Lazarus and Serena are already sitting at the breakfast table when we get into the kitchen.
They both look up and smile. Serena gives me a wink as she shoves a mouthful of fruit into her mouth. A huge serving of fresh fruits topped with yogurt and a generous drizzle of strawberry sauce sitting in front of her.
There is a man in his late twenties standing by the stove.
“Good morning,” greets Lazarus with a smile. His dark curls are tied back this morning. “Genesis, meet our new cook, Duncan.”
“I decided to hire a real cook, rather than let Caspian employ one of those blow-up doll airheads again,” explains Serena.
“Hi!” I smile at the man. A human, by the smell of him.
“Hello, Genesis,” he returns my greeting. He's a bit shorter than I am. Average looking man, but he has a pair of kind blue eyes. I decided that I like him right away.
“What would you like me to make you this morning?” Yup! I definitely like him.
“Anything you're making, Duncan. Whatever it is you're cooking, it smells good.”
“I’m making Benedict Trevino, it's my family's all-time favorite,” he says with an easy smile. “I'm betting on my first born son that you will like it.”
“Oh, you have a son?”
“Nope, not married either, that's why I'm betting on a son. I'm not betting on anything that you can really take away from me!”
That leaves Serena and me giggling. I find it very easy to talk to and joke with Duncan.
Serena and I are laughing and bantering back and forth with Duncan when Caspian decided to make an appearance in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. He's yawning and stretching. His golden hair is sticking all over the place. I guess if I agree to move in with them, I would have to get used to seeing naked or half-naked gorgeous men parading around the place.
Caspian takes his seat at the table, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He almost looks like an adorable five-year-old like this, except for his muscular body and chiseled appearance. His heavy-lidded eyes survey the room once and he grins mischievously.
Duncan serves us his creation of poached eggs topped with Hollandaise sauce, smoked cheese, and some other stuff that look like chopped sausages or something and tomatoes over English Toast.
“This is amazing!” mumbles Serena after taking the first bite. “You're amazing!”
“Oh, Duncan... Uummm....” I close my eyes and moan over a mouthful. Ohhh, yes. I'm having a foodgasm.
I sigh with contentment and am about to compliment Duncan again when my eyes fall on scowling Constantine and Lazarus. Caspian is sitting back in his chair, watching Constantine and Lazarus with a wicked smirk on his face. He looks like he's thoroughly enjoying himself.
Surly looking Lazarus loudly scrapes his chair back to leave the table. I think I heard him mumble under his breath, “I think I'd let Caspian do the hiring next time.”
Constantine who isn't looking much happier brusquely wipes his mouth, tosses the napkin onto the plate then leaves the table right after Lazarus, mumbling about having some work to do.
Serena looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
“So, can I have what they're having and some coffee too now?” asks Caspian, turning to Duncan with a big grin.
***
“Hey?” I push open the office door and cautiously peek inside where Constantine has been working all morning. The house had been bustling with workers cleaning and fixing what used to be Milan's bedroom.
He's sitting behind a big dark mahogany table glowering at the computer screen.
“Hey,” he answers sullenly, not even taking his eyes off the screen. He scrawls some words onto a writing pad in front of him. I think he's using more force than necessary, I'm surprised that he hasn't broken that very expensive looking pen yet.
“Can I come in?”
He shrugs his broad shoulders nonchalantly, but sulkily says, “I thought you'd rather be flirting with the new cook than talking to me.”
“I wasn't flirting with him,” I protest.
“Oh, really?” He stops writing to finally look at me.
“Yeah, really.”
“Then what about, “Oh, Duncan... Oohhh... Ummmm... Ahh..” He badly mimics my voice followed by a high pitch moaning. “You're practically moaning like... Well, you can go back to talking to him and ignore me. I have things to do anyway,” he adds, sounding like a five-year-old boy about to throw a tantrum. Oh boy, he looks so hot when he's jealous.
I bite my lip and hide my smile behind my hand. “I can?”
“No!” he growls. “You're my mate, you're supposed to want to spend time with me! Only I'm allowed to make you moan like that.”
“Oh, honey, you look so hot when you're jealous like that,” I sigh breathlessly. Ooppss! I didn't mean to say that out loud. For a few seconds, the both of us stare at each other speechless. Neither of us could believe I just said what I just said. Goddamit!
The corners of his mouth suddenly twitch like he's about to burst out laughing. He shakes his head disbelievingly while biting his lower lip. “Oh, that is not fair,” he mutters.
Hah! I think I could use this to my advantage. So I step behind the big heavy desk and climb to straddle him.
“I’m still mad at you,” he says, but without any conviction at all, since his lips sexily curl up at the corners like that.
“Are you really?” I ask him as I drop a kiss at a corner of his lips.
“Yes. This is not fair...Genesis,” he protests, but I can see that smile.
I rain tiny kisses along his perfect jawline. “Are you still mad at me now?”
“Yes,” he mutters, closing his eyes.
“Now?”
“Yes, very much,” he says, settling back comfortably in his chair as I move lower, kissing down his neck.
“What about now?” I lick and suck the lower part of his neck just underneath his Adam's apple. Umm...love his taste. I let my fingers trail down and start unbuttoning his shirt.
“Oh, yes...still.” His voice grows husky.
“Ummm... now?” I push his shirt wide open, slipping my hands inside it while I slide down his body, kissing, nipping, licking, sucking his magnificent hard chest down to his cut abs.
He groans while his hands come up to grip my upper arms and pull me back up onto his lap. His mouth swoops down to take mine in a searing demanding kiss. I wind my arms around his neck, returning his kiss.
I could kiss him forever. I'm so lost in his kiss that I barely register the soft knocking at the door.
“I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to you, Constantine,” says Lazarus from the doorway. The door is just slightly open.
“This better be important,” warns Constantine. He closes his eyes and rests his forehead against mine while trying to get his ragged breathing under control.
“Yes, it's important. You would want to know about this,” confirms Lazarus.
I get off him and lean against the big office table. Constantine unfolds himself off the chair. He buttons up his shirt without taking his eyes off me. His silver-gray eyes are warning me that this isn't over.
Ooohhh... I'm shaking in my boots or rather converse. Not! I roll my eyes. His lips curl up into a sensual little smile like he knows exactly what I'm thinking about.
Then he walks out the door, disappearing with Lazarus into another office.
I look around the room for the first time. This is a very manly man's office. All heavy dark wood furniture, dark wood wainscoting walls, and dark hardwood floor. Floor to ceiling bookcases dominating half the walls. The heavy drapes over the windows are light cream and gold. The only bright colors in this room are from three big, semi-abstract paintings on the wall behind the office table. I take it this is Constantine's office, while the one across the hall they just went into is Lazarus's.
Then I feel a sudden anger. Constantine. Something is making him furious.
Serena is sitting, almost lying down on the sofa in the living room by herself. Her feet are resting on the ottoman in front of her. A drink in her hand.
She looks up and places her drink on the side table next to her when she hears me coming. Her beautiful heart-shaped face looks serene as usual, but I can sense her inner turmoil. Probably it has something to do with the anger I feel coming off Constantine, and the sound of voices coming from Lazarus's office. These rooms are soundproof, but I can still hear their muffled voices.
“What's going on?” I ask as I sit right next to her. She rests her head on my shoulder and sighs heavily.
“Genesis, we're not ever going to let anything bad happen to you,” she whispers.
“O-kay... well, that doesn't sound weird or anything at all.” I speculate, trying to make sense of what she's saying. I feel, rather than see her smile when I feel her cheek moves against my shoulder.
The door to the office opens suddenly and grim-faced Constantine, Caspian, and Lazarus step out. Serena suddenly looks alert and sits up to face the three men.
Constantine lifts me off my seat and buries his face in my neck. All sorts of feelings coming off of him. Anger is predominant. My scent and my touch calm him.
“We lost her. Milan. We lost track of her,” says Caspian, running his hand through his golden locks.
“Our men tracked her down and found her in Minsk. She took a train to Ukraine, but our men never saw her coming out of the train in Kiev,” informs Lazarus.
“So we lost her between Belarus and Ukraine?” asks Serena. “She could be anywhere by now!”
“Tell us something we don't already know,” mutters Caspian.
“But how?” questions Serena, sounding both, perplexed and troubled.
“Apparently she knows how to mask her scent,” sighs Lazarus, dropping himself onto the sofa next to her. “We've assigned more men to look for her now.”
“I'm sorry, sunshine. I've failed you. It should have been easy. We sent our best trackers and still, we failed,” says Constantine. His arms are still tightly wrapped around me.
“Hey, we'll find her. You didn't fail me, Costa. Besides, she's somewhere in Europe, and I'm right here with you.”