Page 148 of Dark Night of the Soul

Oh.

Bad move.

Kincade straightened. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet enough that the room leaned toward it.

“You’re confusing tolerance with permission.”

Ludwig tilted his head, still smiling—but his dark eyes had sharpened now. Calculating.

“And you’re confusing interest with ownership,” he shot back, eyes fixed on Kincade. “She doesn’t strike me as a woman who would tolerate either.”

Uh oh.

Kincade gave me a quick assessing glance, then turned back to Ludwig.

“She doesn’t need handling,” he said. “She needs respect.”

Ulrich cleared his throat. “Ludwig—”

“No,” Ludwig said, holding up a hand. “I’m enjoying this.” He leaned back in his chair, lazy, provocative. “So, tell me. What happens if I don’t?”

Kincade didn’t raise his voice. “Then you leave.”

Ludwig chuckled. “And if I don’t feel like leaving?”

Kincade smiled. It wasn’t warm. “I think you know the answer to that. I can find someone else.”

Silence. The kind that wasn’t empty—final. Ludwig studied him for a long beat. The smile on his face didn’t disappear.

But it changed.

“Noted,” he said at last.

I took a sip of my coffee. Bitter. Perfect.

“Great,” I said. “Now that the testosterone summit is adjourned, are we going to move along with the planning session?”

Kincade’s mouth twitched.

Ulrich winced.

And Ludwig—

Ludwig laughed.

“Oh,” he said, eyes gleaming as he looked at me. “I like her.”

I rolled my eyes. “Can it, Charming.”

Kincade smirked.

After that, things settled into something resembling professionalism.

Ludwig pushed the blueprints toward me, turning serious. “Since you’re part of this mess, you should know what we’re walking into.”

I pulled up a chair.

As I leaned over the table, Ludwig’s gaze landed on my hair.