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The three men looked put out.
Tor crossed one leg over the other. The dark linen of his pants stretched over his thighs, his bulging quads straining the material.
Shona gulped and looked away.
“You haven’t been able to use this stretch of water for years,” Tor pointed out. “If I buy the island you’ll have guaranteed access to seas to the south. You’ll be able to haul in your own nets, not just buy from selkie fishing boats. I’m not one for beating about the bush or long, drawn-out deals. I want this settled fast and I don’t have time to play ping pong over price. I’m offering to have the waters adequately policed for human boats three times a week. And this sum—” Tor grabbed a pen, scribbled a figure, then handed it back to Isaac with a flourish, “is my final offer.”
The men all stared at the paper silently.
Tor stood up. “I guess you think being an orc, I’m desperate to close the deal. That I will settle for anything you humans throw at me, grateful and groveling, cap in hand. I did too many years of that. So I advise you to think hard, gentlemen. Times have changed. And from what I’ve heard about the financial problems the human towns are currently having, you need me to take that island off your hands. Not the other way round.”
Simon Jordak’s face twitched. Isaac adjusted his neck tie, and Levitt put the paperwork in his briefcase. Then they stood up. Shona noticed that none of them looked nearly as confident as when they walked in. “We’ll take your offer back to the Counsel meeting. Isaac here will contact you after the decision is made,” Simon said stiffly.
“Dove Realty is acting on my behalf from hereonward. Please speak to Shona. I will only be involved once the deal is ready to be signed. Now, if you don’t mind, I have things to discuss with my realtor. Alone.”
The three men stalked toward the door and Shona showed them out to their waiting hover cab.
Tor grinned when she walked back in. “I think we gave them a run for their money. You see, they’ll agree to that final offer you and I agreed was the bottom line.”
“There is definitely cause for optimism.” She smiled, beginning to sort her papers and tidy up plates, simply because being alone with Tor was messing with her head.
He grabbed a couple of plates and followed her to the tiny kitchen. “Tomorrow we will be celebrating.”
“They haven’t accepted your offer yet, Tor.”
He grinned disarmingly as he handed her the plates. “But they will.”
“How do you know?”
“I know because I saw avarice and desperation in equal measure. The Counsel of Towns need the money. I’ve had my team do more research on them. They desperately want to fish to the south where the giant tuna run, but they know the kraken would delight in turning over their boats. They need my help on that.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“The tables are turning, Shona. Twelve years ago when I left Motham, you as a human would never have worked here and I would never have been sitting with you in a designer suit brokering a deal with Tween high society.”
“Though their manners were disgraceful.”
He shrugged. “I’m used to it. And not all humans are the same…”
His eyes held hers and, flustered, she said the first thing that came into her head. “Talking of designer suits…”
She took a step forward, gazing at his suit so she didn’t have to look at his gorgeous face. “It’s stunning. Silk and linen, I bet.” She reached out and slid her fingers over the hem of the jacket, stroking it. How easy it would be to just let her hand slide up higher, around the collar to find the thick column of his neck, take a step closer, then go up on tiptoes and nibble at the green striated muscle of his neck.
She sensed Tor’s gaze fixed on her. “You really miss the fashion industry, don’t you?”
I miss you.
Alarmed at the dragging sweetness invading her belly, she stepped away quickly.
“No, I’m happier in real estate. I’m much better off out of that scene.”
“Away from those prick vampires—I’d agree with that.”
She paused, biting her lip, remembering the shadow she’d imagined earlier in the street.
He looked at her sharply. “Has something happened?”
She shrugged. “Oh, it’s just I imagined… no, I didn’t. Seeing Vlad the other night kind of brought back a lot of bad memories, and then suddenly I’m seeing vampires where there are none.”
