Page 71 of Dark Prince

He shoots me a questioning glance, and I shake my head slightly.

Not the supernatural stuff, don’t you dare.

First, she’ll think you’re crazy, then she’ll think I’m crazy. Then she’ll sleep on it a while and decide that if we aren’t crazy we should prove it to her, then she’ll have her first demon experience and have a whole Buffy complex about it and get herself killed.

I don’t know how much of that gets across to him, but hopefully he gets the gist of my worries.

“Ask away,” he tells her with an inviting smile which somehow manages to be utterly asexual.

“Did you hire my sister so that you could sleep with her?” Cassidy demands, leaping right into the deep end.

I almost laugh. He wouldn’t have had to go that far if that was what he wanted from me. In fact, we probably would’ve gotten to that point faster if he wasn’t my boss.

“Absolutely not,” he says, his amber flecked eyes glittering with amusement. At least I hope that’s amusement. There’s something a little off about his undertone, like he’s suppressing some powerful urge.

“Okay, then why did you? Going from waitress to high-powered executive assistant is a massive leap. Don’t get me wrong, she’s plenty smart enough to work for you or anybody else, but how did you know that?”

His smile is genuine and brief. “Competent people who are interested in my world, willing to learn about it, and ready to compromise, are few and far between. When I find one, I hire them. Sophia also happens to be exceptionally sharp-witted, attractive, and—if I do say so myself—completely into me.”

I swallow a surprised laugh, trying not to interrupt. I’m too interested watching him shift his personality as easily as he shifts his skin. It’s as concerning as it is fascinating. He’s playing the perfect character to put Cassidy’s mind at ease, while also being as sensually bland as unseasoned tilapia. As if he can sense what I’m thinking, he shoots a smoldering look in my direction, instantly turning my knees to jelly.

“Is she? Are you sure about that? Tell me how you can be sure she’s into you and not just the money when you keep throwing it at her?”

He looks shocked. “Are you suggesting that Sophia is a gold digger? That’s harsh, coming from her only sister.”

Cassidy stutters for a moment, flushing. “I didn’t say that. I know Sophia would never go after someone just for their money, but you barely met her when you started pouring on the cash. I’m asking how you decided it was a good idea to get all kissy faced with her after flashing your money around like that. Don’t you think some people would see that as a bribe or something?”

He thinks for a moment, then looks at me. “Sophia, did you feel bribed or coerced into sleeping with me?”

“Not even a little bit.”

He turns back to her and spreads his hands. “There you have it. I trust her.”

Cassidy stews for a moment, then starts rattling off a barrage of questions, barely waiting for his answers before speaking the next. “Would you ever hit her?”

“No.”

“If she gets pregnant, will you disappear?”

“No.”

“What do you like more, her brain or her body?”

“The whole package.”

“If you had to pick one?”

“Brain.”

Her defensive stance reminds me ridiculously of an angry chihuahua my neighbor used to own. She has no idea who she’s dealing with, and I’m sure as fuck not going to tell her. I love that she’s so determined to protect me—even from a demon who’s protected me from things bigger, scarier, and meaner than anything she’s ever encountered.

“Do you intend to keep whisking her all over the world without notice?” Cassidy asks, seeming a little more intense about this question than the others.

“Oh, absolutely,” Lucas says smoothly. “But I will always ensure that she can get in touch with you one way or another. There’s nothing more important than family.”

She’s got her arms crossed as she fixes him with a piercing look. I can see the wheels turning in her head, as if she’s trying to find a flaw in his answers or to come up with more difficult questions. After a minute or two, she seems to come to the conclusion that he’s passed whatever test she’s been leveling at him, and she grins at me.

“I like this one,” she says in a stage whisper. She turns back around to face him, pasting the glare back on her face. “All acceptable answers. But don’t think you’re off the hook yet, mister. I’ll be watching.” She steps around him sideways, keeping that glare locked on her face, and points two fingers at her eyes before jabbing those fingers at him. “Always.”

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