“It shouldn’t matter to you what I feel.”
He put his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. “I don’t hate you any more than you hate me. You and I are cut from the same cloth, and that’s why all the friction. That’s not an admission I like you either—I don’t have love for anyone. My heart is too black to feel such a whimsical emotion. If I can put the memory out of my mind, why can’t you?”
“Yes or no?”
Christian lifted my chin with the crook of his finger. “Aye, I’ll do it.”
“Don’t go poking around in there erasing other stuff. Just the kiss and this conversation. I don’t ever want to find out about it. Don’t joke about it or allude to it; just pretend it never happened. Give me a chance to do my job.”
Maybe it was just a kiss to him, but I hadn’t been able to put it out of my mind since. It hadn’t been such a big deal at the time because Viktor had already thrown me out. But things were different now—I was different. I’d never be able to partner with him as long as we had this memory lingering between us like a sticky cobweb.
When Christian gazed deep into my eyes, a sweet rapture pulled me closer until the entire world blackened and all I could see was him.
“I’ve never met a woman quite like you,” he said on a soft breath. “And I don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult. How old are you?”
“Timeless.”
“Hmm. You’re going to be a handful in a few hundred years. Hold still, lass,” he said, his voice smooth and velvety. “This won’t hurt a bit.”
“Christian?”
“Yes?”
“Why do you call me precious?”
He drew closer, his hand curving around my nape. His tone was smooth and innocuous. “You don’t read much, do you? The idea came to me when you were trying to steal my onion rings. There’s an interesting book about a shiny little ring that drives men mad.”
Our lips almost touched. “Be sure to erase that too.”
“Aye, precious.”
Chapter 28
After strolling through the mansion and deliberating Viktor’s offer, I finally headed down to the dining room with my bag in hand. I passed the empty booths and turned left, confronted by the expectant eyes of everyone in the house.
The crystal glasses on the table glimmered beneath light that emanated from the candles on the iron chandelier and lanterns alongside the wall. Several bottles of wine were open, some empty, and the ambiance in the room had an Old World feel, as if I’d stepped back in time. Viktor had made a fair observation about natural light; it was like a living organism that could affect your mood and frame of thought, making you feel more present.
Christian swallowed his entire glass of red wine and sat back.
Viktor’s eyes swam down to my bag, and he rose to his feet, his glass high. “Let us make a toast to Raven and wish her a safe journey.”
I dropped my things and strode forward. “No need to get up. I’ve considered your offer, Viktor, and…”
Everyone looked on with bated breath.
“And?” Wyatt blurted out. “I hate suspense.”
“I accept.”
Several of them drummed their hands against the table, creating a riotous sound of applause.
Viktor took his seat, a smile softening out all the hard lines of his features.
When I moved toward my chair and pulled it back, Niko placed his hand in the seat.
“You can’t sit there.”
The right side of the table got up and moved one down so that the chair to Viktor’s left was empty.
“This is not a special seat,” he said, wagging his finger. “Otherwise I would not have Wyatt on my right. I like to keep an eye on the new ones, so you will stay close to me.”
Gem gave me a bright smile, her mouth open with excitement as she raised her glass.
“I thought you didn’t drink,” I pointed out.
“Grape juice.”
Wyatt snorted. “She likes the berries before they’ve been devirginized.”
Viktor rose from his seat and turned around, getting something at the short table behind him. Curious about Christian’s expression, I risked a glance. We’d had a brief discussion earlier, but some of the details were fuzzy. I guess I had too much going on in my head to pay attention.
Wyatt looked three sheets to the wind. He removed his hat, slid it onto Shepherd’s head, and then laced his fingers together while eyeballing Christian. “So how do you feel about your new partner, Mr. Poe?”
Christian draped his hand over the back of my chair. “She’ll change her mind before the week’s over. Not even her eyes can decide what color they want to be.”
I smiled up at him. “If I have to do your laundry this week, I might have to agree.” I leaned in and sniffed audibly.
Gem chortled. “It looks like Christian’s met his match.”