as Hugh was about to say something, he shook his head and spoke. “Perhaps it would do me
good to get out of the house around then. I’d go to the mountains, if given the choice. I’m not
the type to lounge in the sun—I burn far too easily to tan, and beaches tend to be packed with
people, who I’d rather avoid, if possible. I’d much rather the quiet that comes with an isolated
cabin on a forested peak.”
“I thought that was what you’d choose.” Hugh sat back in his chair and picked up his fork to
poke at his quiche, but only because he was sure that if he kept looking at Finch, he’d make a
fool of himself. The omega was far too stunning. It was a crime he wasn’t a Disgrace. “You do
seem like the type who’d appreciate a good mountain. I imagine you curled up with a book in
a comfortable chair in front of a window overlooking an ocean of evergreens. Is that something
you would do?”
“Yes.”
“So you enjoy reading?”
Finch’s lips quirked in what might have been a smile, had he not been so stubbornly
professional. “Yes.”
“What kind of books do you like?”
Finch raised a brow and picked his fork back up again. “I’m starting to feel as though this is an
interrogation.”
“It isn’t!”
“I know, sir.” He paused to eat his morsel, then added, “I read fiction.”
“Really?”
“Yes, sir. Romantic comedies, to be more specific. I especially enjoy novels set in the Victorian
era, although I’ll never pass on a novel set during classical antiquity. But for the most part,
romantic comedies are written in contemporary settings, so they’re the ones I read most often.”
Fascinating. Hugh divided a forkful of quiche from his slice and considered eating it, but
paused. There had to be a question that could get Finch talking. If only he could find it…
Inspiration struck.
“How does a man like you end up working as an Attendant?” Hugh asked as he prepared his
bite to eat. “Your tastes are sophisticated enough that I’d assume you’d want to pursue higher
education, not shackle yourself to the world of dragons, no matter how alluring the