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I set down my empty tumbler. “Seems to be.”
Cutting a look to the beverage cart, I considered a refill. The smoky, amber goodness wasn’t taking the edge off that I needed it to. Curling my fingers over the leather arms of the chair, I cursed under my breath. The physical reaction to my enemy’s daughter had been pushed aside while I’d gone to work. But the moment I was speeding back into the city on my motorcycle, her flavor came creeping back over my senses, and the alcohol was not helping to eradicate her memory.
She’s a witch. Already under my skin.
I bared my teeth and sat forward. At my sudden movement, Adrian turned and considered me. His eyebrow jerked in question, but I shook my head.
“‘Never interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake,’” I paraphrased. Since I hadn’t formalized my own offensive stratagems, I’d not told my cousin that if the daughter walked into this house of her own free will, I could finally have a link to the untraceable Beaumont clan. Talia would be the key to gaining access and putting a bullet between her father’s eyes. The family hid in plain sight, and even I couldn’t find them to end them—a most unfortunate disadvantage.
Adrian snorted. “You damn quack. Have you told your sister? She’s still in Paris, right?”
I swallowed hard. “No, I haven’t.”
“Oh, lord almighty!” Adrian clapped his hands together. “Please, please! I’m begging you, let me be there when you tell Iryna.”
I gave him a dry look. “Fuck you.”
“You know she’s going to fucking flip!” He rubbed his hands together. Actual glee saturated his face.
“It’s a good thing she’s in Paris.” I narrowed my gaze. “In fact, she might even blame you, since I’m your responsibility while she’s away.”
Adrian’s eyes widened. “No.No!”
I shrugged. “C’est la vie.”
Throwing back the rest of his drink, my cousin stalked to my desk. He set his tumbler down and snatched his leather jacket and helmet from where he’d dropped them in my executive chair.
“You should stay over tonight,” I suggested. “Your room’s always ready for you.”
“Nah,” Adrian responded, scrunching his face in disgust. “I haven’t had that many.”
“Four.” And however many he had before. I rose from my seat and stepped between my cousin and the door. “Stay, or have Philip drive you home.”
Adrian ran his tongue over his teeth as he fidgeted with the helmet strap. While he debated fighting me on the issue, I remained still, unmovable.
He released a breath. “Fine. Is Philip awake?”
Relief brushed through me. “He is.”
I snatched my phone off the side table and shot my driver a message. “Thank you for coming, cousin.”
“Always.” Adrian propped himself on the edge of my desk, right leg swinging in the air. “You’re going to fucking do it, aren’t you?”
I shrugged. “I’m undecided.”
“Liar.” He looked me up and down. “Does she have golden titties or something?”
I frowned. “No.”
“Oh, Conny.” He chuckled, bouncing the helmet against his knee. Smacking him over the nickname seemed like too much work at the moment, so I let it slide. When he saw he wouldn’t get a rise out of me, Adrian added, “Well, I’ll avenge you when you don’t wake up after the adder sinks her fangs into your dick.”
“I appreciate it,” I ground out. The appendage in question stirred at the thought of those crimson lips. A terrible reaction.
Mercifully, Philip messaged me then to say he was bringing the car around. We moved down to the front door. After a quick handshake and a few last jabs, my cousin disappeared. I closed and locked the front door before trailing back up the sweeping staircase. At the breezeway, I paused.
If I married, and it was still an ‘if’ at this point despite what my cousin thought, I wouldn’t let Talia share my room. I looked to the opposite hall. Four guest rooms were down there. She would take one of them. I turned to where the master suite was, the only room at this end of the breezeway. It would be odd having someone room up here with me. When at home, my sister had her own space above the garage. I was the only one up here on the second floor. Was I really about to change that?
Advancing to my rooms, I cast a look at the door. It was a standard lock. I would need more protection than that if I brought a wife to stay up here with me. I was a light sleeper, but I couldn’t make it easy for her to slip into my rooms at night.
