Page 79 of Plug and Claim

“No, thank you,” she said coolly, glancing at the sitting area Nathaniel pointed to. More dark furniture, a small fireplace where the fire had grown low. Beyond it, a door sat ajar, revealing an ensuite with a clawfoot bathtub, rainfall shower head, and marble countertops.

“Wow,” she muttered, indicating the grand room. “This is…”

“Excessive,” Nathaniel finished. “I know. All our rooms are like this.”

“I guess it pays to be a vampire.”

“Sometimes. It pays to be on the winning side of a civil war, anyway.”

Kira bristled, unsure what he meant by that. She was tempted to pick a bone with him about it, but that was not why she’d come, and the luxury of the room distracted her. She tried hard not to stare, but she couldn’t help it. Every aspect of the room, from the high ceilings to the polished tiles beneath her feet, added an overall mystique to the space. A mix of metallic wallpaper and embroidered tapestries adorned the walls. In the corner was a cosy nook with velvet cushions and a stack of books, which looked like it would be a good place to read.

Focus.

Kira spun back to face Nathaniel, but he’d disappeared behind a screen.

“What are you doing?” she called.

“Getting dressed,” he replied. “Please, make yourself at home.”

Before she could respond, a towel was flung over the top edge of the screen. She stared at it for several moments before averting her eyes, ignoring the heat flooding her face. Nathaniel was completely naked on the other side.

Why is this so much harder than going down on him was?

“So…” she began. “You haven’t summoned me.”

“I didn’t say I would.”

“You heavily implied that you would.”

Nathaniel didn’t immediately respond. She was right, and he knew it.

As the seconds ticked by, he drawled, “Did you want me to summon you?”

“What I want is for you to explain why you went out of your way to so-called claim me if you had no intention of doing anything…” she stopped herself just in time before she could add ‘to me’. This was not how she’d rehearsed her speech at all.

Nathaniel peered over the top of the screen. “That sounds like you wanted me to summon you.”

“No. That’s not what I said.” She began to pace the room, her voice carrying an edge. “You ruined any chance I had of fitting in. Do you have any idea how I feel?”

Silence met her ears. Even the rustling of clothes had stopped.

And then…

“I have an inkling.” She heard him resume getting dressed. “I’m not oblivious to the effect my actions have had on you.”

His voice was calm, and she didn’t know what to make of that. It wasn’t an apology, but he didn’t sound indifferent either. It was simply an acknowledgement.

Kira sighed. “Since we’re on the subject…why didn’t you summon me?”

Nathaniel emerged, he was fully dressed in dark charcoal-grey pants, brown leather belt, and a crisp white shirt with a subtle herringbone pattern. He exuded sophistication and confidence as he stood straight, feet slightly apart as he rolled up his sleeves. The sight of his bare forearms had a similar effect on her to seeing him bare-chested had, especially now that she knew how defined his biceps were beneath his shirt.

He stopped before her. “I didn’t summon you because I didn’t have to.”

“What does that mean?”

“I knew that you would come find me sooner or later. And I was curious how long that would take.”

Kira narrowed her eyes. He was riling her up on purpose—probably to disguise the fact that he was lying through his teeth. “Bullshit.”