“Not really, no,” I say carefully, playing with his tie.
“Oh,” he says flatly. “I think perhaps you should leave it alone.”
Curious. Does he know something? I shrug. “I have bigger issues to deal with anyway.”
“Indeed,” he mutters. “Sebastian and I worked out what we are going to do next week.”
I look up at him. “What did you decide?”
He sighs. “He will follow us to Ponte on Tuesday morning and have you for two hours. Then he will leave.”
Wait. That sounds exactly like what they decided in my dream. No. Stop it, I scold myself. There is nothing in it.
“Okay,” I say sitting up, and unable to stop myself I add, “Better to get it out of the way, I suppose.”
His eyes snap to mine and he adopts that impassive look that I wish I could master. “Precisely,” he says carefully. “Also, you must feed before you come back to me. The Vampire way,” he adds.
This is just spooky. If my dream was real, then he is betraying me. I just can’t think that he is, he swore to me that he would wait, but this is the second time I have dreamed this: that he is getting Sebastian to spell me so I will leave Cole. No, I won’t believe it. That damn creature is probably laughing at me as I struggle with this. I change the subject to something that has me curious.
“CK, why did you start calling me ‘my sweet’?”
He looks at me, bewildered. “Of all the questions I thought you might ask me, that was nowhere near the top of the list. Why on earth do you ask?”
“I’m just curious,” I say offhandedly but I think I already know the answer: because of the first rose he gave me, and I muttered “so sweet” after I thought he had left. The other me and other him never met under the bell tower, because she was already turned and on her way to Normandy by then. That’s why he never called me that when I was over there.
“Because of the first rose I gave you. You sniffed it and said, ‘so sweet.’ That is exactly what I thought about you. My sweet Aefre,” he says and smiles at the memory and I lean forward to kiss him. He kisses me back briefly but then gently pushes me away, taking it no further as not only am I in my marital bed, such as it is, but also that I have Cole’s scent all over me. And probably the girl’s as well, which no doubt has him confounded as he won’t recognize it. “Your plans for the day?” he asks.
“Underworld, Grimoire…in fact, I should get up and get ready. Xane will be here at 6:30.”
“As will Ramon,” he says sternly, and I smile at him as I head to the shower.
I find him seated right where I left him a few minutes later, which intrigues me but not for long.
“You brought a human to your bed last night?” he asks idly, brushing imaginary lint from his suit pants.
“Yes. A girl,” I say, hiding my smile.
“Oh,” he says, relieved. “Oh,” he says again in realization. “I thought that wasn’t something he was open to?”
“He is more open-minded than you give him credit for. He accepts Devon in our bed. It is only fair he should get to play too,” I say, only a bit uncomfortable discussing this.
“Devon? The three of you share a bed?” he croaks out before he clears his throat.
“Yes,” I say slowly but then remember that he wouldn’t know so I add, “Since after we got back from Castle Black.”
“I see. So, he has accepted the way of life?”
“Why are you so interested?” I ask with a smile. “Ah, wait. I see. You are trying to find out if he fucked the girl last night.” I tilt my head at him, and he looks away.
“Well?” he asks.
“None of your business,” I say smartly and turn towards the door as there is a knock. I assume Ramon, as Xane would just Astraport in.
He follows me quickly to the door and is hovering as I open it to let in Ramon. I step back into him and throw him an irritated look. “A bit of space, please.”
“Sorry,” he mutters as he gives me some room.
What is with him today? He is being weirder than usual.