There would be no fighting tonight.
Cato snorted, also perusing my features. He placed his cell phone down on the table and tapped his fingers on the hardwood. “I don’t believe coffee is what she needs right now. There are tea and whiskey on the lower shelves.”
I must look as wonderful as I felt if my long lost asshole of a father could read my expression that plainly.
I didn’t even bother disagreeing.
I merely searched the bottom shelves until I did, indeed, find a bottle of whiskey and tea bags. I set about boiling water and then dropped a tea bag inside a mug with the scalding water. Then I rested with my forehead on one of the white cabinets, my back to the two overlords, and stared…stared…stared at the black speckled counter as if it had all the answers I searched for.
Maybe if I stared long enough, I’d figure this out.
A voice, a voice I knew too intimately, asked gently at my ear, “Are you hogging the whiskey?”
I screamed, jumping in place, like a damn child waking from a nightmare. I twisted in a blur, my hands gripping the counter behind me, my knuckles white. My chest heaved in enormous, labored breaths, pumping up and down as I stared at the new overlord who had joined the “party” in the kitchen. Eyes wide on my face, my cheeks paled under the blue and direct regard staring right into my soul.
From his perch at the table, Lord Xenon groaned and rubbed his temples. His voice was dry and not amused. “It’s too late for screaming. Please don’t startle her again.”
Lord Belshazzar took a step closer to me, our bare toes almost touching. An even tone flowed past his lips, even while his gaze held mine without mercy. “Scared, not startled.” His head cocked, his long, black hair slipping over his naked shoulder, the man barely dressed in only black dress slacks. “Did I catch you deep in thought about something?”
I swallowed. Or tried.
My fist flew up in front of my mouth as I coughed through my attempt to wet my dry throat. I peeked at him from under my lashes.
Caught glancing at him, his remarkable gaze never left mine.
I rubbed my forehead while we eyed one another. He was not a man I wanted to see tonight, a man who was plaguing my whacked thoughts.
In the end, I threw my shoulders back, finding my backbone—finally. I grumbled, “Yes, you did.”
His head was still cocked. He asked plainly, “I’m intrigued. What was it about?”
I ground my teeth together, not pleased with his line of questioning. He knew damn well what was upsetting me—some of it, anyway. But I kept my answer smooth. “I found pleasure tonight with someone, and that wasn’t the plan. I actually had…fun.”
“Ah.” Lord Belshazzar took a step back and crossed his arms. A tiny smile began to flirt with his lips. “Just to be clear, you’re only talking about sex, correct?”
I nodded.
Now I was curious what he would say.
He was older.
He had more experience than I had.
The overlord shrugged his right shoulder, his arms still crossed over his perfect chest. “Would it have been easier if your partner was bad in bed?”
My mouth opened. Then snapped shut.
My black brows puckered. “No. That would have been terrible.”
“And you expected it to be terrible?”
“Yes.”
His eyes flared red for a beat, then turned normal once more, unseen by the other overlords. Pleasure flittered over his features at my answer but swiftly disappeared, hidden behind his normal persona. He chuckled quietly under his breath. “Then you—”
Cato, the unwanted, cut him off, leaning on an elbow, grouching, “Why the hell would you have sex with someone if you thought it would be terrible?”
I instantly held up a stopping hand in his direction, not even glancing at him. I kept my eyes on the overlord in front of me. “Please continue.”
“I was saying that you got off easy.”
I blinked in instant confusion. “Huh?”
Lord Belshazzar unfolded his arms. He pointed at himself, then jerked his left thumb over his shoulder to the other overlords. “Do you know how many times we’ve had horrible sex with someone? Just so we would benefit in some way in the long run? Too many times to count, that’s how many. It’s part of the life we lead—its many deceptions as a leader—and your partner or partners will know that. Or they should if they’re halfway intelligent. What is best for me? What is best for the crown? What is best for our people? If you actually had good, fun sex, then you got off easy. If you’re not mated, hardly any sexual acts are for pleasure alone once you become a ruler.”
Lord Xenon’s eyes glazed over, quiet in his response. “He speaks the truth. There have been…,” he visibly shuddered, “…well, be thankful if it was pleasant.”
Even my asshole father sat back, peering off into the distance. “Be very, very thankful.”
I almost gagged, quickly turning my head away from my father and his sexual memories. “Okay. Okay. I get it.”
But he didn’t stop talking!
“No, listen, my sweetling—”
“I’m not your anything,” I spat.
“You see, my sweetling, Lord Belshazzar forgot to mention the most important part.”
My nostrils flared.
Though, I waited. Silent.
Cato continued, “The most important part to remember in sexual intrigues is to never let your heart get involved.”
Gradually, I turned back around to my tea and scratched at my cheek in thought. Curious advice.
I lifted the little string on the tea bag and pulled it free of my mug. My tea should be ready by now. I tossed the tea bag in the trash, firmly ignoring the extending silence—and a specific overlord who hadn’t moved from directly behind me, his heated stare blazing on the back of my head.
I could literally feel their disappointment in me.
Cato eventually cleared his throat, stating ever so carefully, “She has much to learn yet. Give her time. We didn’t have it all figured out either when we were candidates.”
I sighed and glanced over my shoulder, glaring at each of them in turn. “I didn’t say I had feelings for this man.”
Lord Belshazzar returned, “You didn’t deny it either. That’s why it really bothered you that it wasn’t terrible. You wanted it to be horrible, but it wasn’t. It was…fun.” He shook his head, rubbing his chin roughly. Then he pointed with a fast finger at the whiskey. “I have no patience for this tonight. Hurry up and pour what you want so I can have the damn bottle.”
My forehead scrunched in revulsion. “I’m not some lovesick woman who can’t keep her feelings in check after sex—even good sex. I’ve used sex before to take down men and women. Hell, I’ve taken down a kingdom once with it. Sex is easy. I just didn’t expect to have fun, that’s all.”
His eyes flashed red, and his response took a good long moment like he was considering each word. He finally growled, “Like I said, then you got off easy.”
I crossed my arms and eyed him.