I pictured one of those courses where dogs ran under, over, or around various obstacles. Whatever it took, I was all for it.
Still, I had to wonder. What were they training for? Gordon had been vague about what these men did for him, but that was par for the course with my godfather, who ran dozens of businesses in as many countries. He’d mentioned something along the lines of elite bodyguards he hired out to various associates. And, hell. It would be hard to beat a vampire, tiger, dragon, or lion shifter in that role.
“Excellent,” I said, mimicking the clipped tone of a military commander. Something Roux was definitely familiar with.
As for the other three… Well,disciplineclearly did not top their résumés.
We reached the west wing — a boxy annex connected to the central part of the building by the long hallway. That construction was mirrored on the east side of the château, where my suite of four rooms was. A distance I was doubly glad for now.
Before heading down the spiral staircase to the ground floor, I pointed out the window.
“In terms of outdoor space, you can use the courtyard of the stables and the grounds outside the west wing.”
Everyone peeked out. Bene moved a curtain for a clearer view, and I prayed it wouldn’t tear. The fabric was that old.
“Oh! A hedge maze! Can we use that too?”
I nearly said no, but maybe they would lose themselves in there for a while.
“Sure.”
“What about that lake?” Roux asked.
I considered, then conceded. “Just don’t bother the ducks.” Then I motioned over my shoulder to the opposite end of the house. “The croquet lawn and gazebo are off-limits.”
Bene sniggered. “Croquet lawn?”
I shot him a look. I was neither a rich snob nor hopelessly old-fashioned. But, heck. A château was a château. It had more than one lawn, and one of them was for croquet.
“What can I say?” I shrugged. “It was a thing in the old days.”
We spiraled down, where I showed them around the lower level of the west wing, made up of four huge, airy rooms, two to the front and two to the back. I waved around the first room facing the south lawn.
“The rooms on this level are your quarters. A shared living room…”
A worn couch faced the fireplace. I’d set up a kitchen niche in one corner, with a mini fridge, microwave, and a few other necessities.
Bene made a beeline for the coffee machine, inspecting it while Henrik peered out a window, taking in the wide lawn and fringing forest. I did my best to keep them moving, directing their attention to the beautiful oak floors instead of the sagging wallpaper.
“The other three rooms can be configured as you like. I’ve put two beds in each room and left the third as an additional lounge, but you can rearrange any way it suits you.”
This was the only part of the château that wasn’t cluttered with mementos and furniture. My grandmother had cleared everything out years ago in hopes of renting the space, though she’d never followed through. I’d picked up where she’d left off and had busted my butt to make it habitable. I’d only dragged in the fourth bed and mattress the previous evening, in fact.
Boy, did I deserve a coffee, mypain au chocolate, and some downtime. I sighed.
“Bathroom?” Bene asked.
The château had over forty rooms, but only a handful of bathrooms. Luckily, my grandmother had had two installed in this level of the west wing…in the 1980s.
“They’re a little dated,” I admitted, flicking on the lights in one, then the other.
Bene and Roux crowded in to peek over my shoulder, and all that prime man-flesh made a warm flush spread over my cheeks. Clearly, I’d had far too long a dry spell.
My mind wandered to Clement, while my eyes drifted over Roux, Bene, and Marius. Not that I was considering my options. Just, er…fantasizing a little.
Then Henrik leaned in, instantly quelling my libido. His eyes focused on my neck rather than the bathroom fixtures, and my skin crawled.
“I’ve seen worse,” Roux announced.
