“I know that, but I have to take precautions. When you and Aefre divorce, you will not be entitled to a penny of the money I have shared with her today. It will be up to Aefre to offer you a settlement from her own funds that she had accrued when you got married.”
Cole takes great offense to that remark and I don’t blame him. “You use the word ‘when,’” he sneers at CK. “If you think for a second that now that you are also married to her you are going to push me out of this arrangement, you have another thing coming.”
“That is not my intention,” CK says mildly. “But I do know a thing or two about sire/charge relationships.”
Cole looks like he is about to commit murder, so I step in to placate him. “Cole,” I say to him. “I love you and I have no intention of divorcing you,” I add with a firm look at CK and he shrugs, unaffected by my words and slides a pen across to Cole anyway. Cole signs it and throws the folder back to CK, who l
ooks pleased he is getting his own way all over the place this morning.
“Have a look at the ‘T & Cs,’ my sweet, and be sure to let me have a copy of your own,” CK says, now relaxing back in his chair with his coffee.
I nod briskly and take another peek. There was something in the old ones that now that I am CK’s wife, I will protest against if it is still in here. I turn the page and halfway down I see it has been removed. I flick quickly through the rest and see that it isn’t there. I look up at him, slightly amused and he grins at me.
“To your satisfaction, I assume?” he asks.
“Definitely,” I say. “What changed your mind?” I always have to poke the ancient Vampire, but I want to know.
“The curse,” he says, and I nod. Seems he is accepting of my relationship with Lincoln now that there is no chance of a child between us. I wonder where that leaves his opinion on Sebastian and me? Of course, the thought must pass across my face and he frowns.
“Something we need to discuss,” he says quietly.
I nod and smile at Cole who is looking furiously lost as usual throughout our private exchange. He grimaces at me, so I take his hand.
Seeing as I wasn’t expecting this arrangement, I have no “T & Cs” to give CK. I am going to have to get on that. I wonder if Jess would help me. I can hardly ask Cole to sit with me and help think of things that I want CK to do, or not do, as the case may be.
“I have something to say,” I declare then and get their full attention. “As you will be aware, the three-month deadline has come and gone for us to meet and decide what we plan on doing when we move on.”
By the blank stares it is quite clear to me that, no, they weren’t aware of that, so obviously, no input of where and what to do from them then.
I shake my head at them and continue, “When everyone has returned later today, I plan on making an announcement, which I will share with you now as you are now both my husbands and deserve to know of my plans before the others.”
Two happy faces look back at me.
“I am going to suggest that we all move to the Underworld. It is the perfect place to go about our business as we are, no need for Shifting or name changes or isolated mountain cabins. Plus, I get to exert my authority and rule from a place of power.” Oh, and by 'suggest' I mean agree or suffer my wrath, I add silently.
“Agreed,” CK says immediately. “It is perfect.”
I smile my thanks at his support and turn to Cole who is looking a bit less than impressed.
“You want to go and live closer to Xane?” he asks me.
That thought had apparently missed CK’s usually impeccable catch rate, and I sense now his disapproval.
“That is not what this is about,” I say, trying not to lose my temper. Over the last three months, Cole’s jealousy of Xane has been growing steadily more and more intense. I have given him no reason to be jealous or even suspicious of me and our secret on-and-off whatever it is we have, but he has a bee in his bonnet about it and he won’t let it buzz off.
“I have explained my reasons, quite clearly, and the fact that Xane happens to live in the Underworld anyway had nothing whatsoever to do with my decision.”
My change from the word “suggest” to “decision” doesn’t go unnoticed by either of them and they know the score.
“Fine,” they both say in unison with matching sulky faces.
I take it as a done deal and beam at them both happily. “Great!” I exclaim and neither one can be cross with me anymore. Until I open my mouth again, of course.
“I said on the jet that I needed you two to stop with the competition,” I say. “I cannot have you fighting over me, and CK, you can’t always go first.”
Cole snorts into his hand, spluttering coffee everywhere in the process. I am unsure whether he is appalled or amused by my words.
CK is quite clear about his feelings on the matter though and says, “I don’t play second fiddle, you know that.”