t day at the Hohenzollern estate. I had done more than merely survive th

al validation was concerned. She had simply stopped beside my workstation while reviewing the condition report in

insufferably, ridiculously pleased with

" Anika broke the silen

om my terminal

at a blan

product

t a normal human response. You're terrifying. Anyway, just wanted to let you know to head to the south courtyard for the staff shutt

ve a

ay."She waved and disap

ed my cardigan over my arm, and headed to the elevator. Late-September sunlight spilled through the massive we

uniquely exhausting about walking into a place where everyone already understood the unwritten rules,

re. I turned down the hall leading toward the south court, then gradually slowed my pace. The faint scent of tobacco smoke was drifting through a

idn

in my tracks. The image was so unexpectedly, jarringly human that for several

s, too. He turned his head before I could make a de

ning pressure beneath my

exhaling a slow plume of smoke. "Miss.

enzollern,"

the cigarette held be

ok disap

like a bucket of ice wat

cigar

mean to st

u d

his tone. If anything, he s

igher on my shoulder, squaring m

hy

e I didn't

om

s,

his jaw sharpening as he pulled the smo

sub-basement earlier, though 'relaxed' seemed like an overly g

ppropriately comme

aled the smoke out toward

atic as

to remain e

t dismiss you f

I had the chance to smother it. "I would pre

ude

two steps forward onto the terrace. Enough distance remained between us that anyone glancing ou

ed for

s,

s fencing jacket sur

well, a

Cor

smile tugged at the

d with you." It

thrown. "How on earth did y

ably pleased with themselves afte

smile. Failed. "She to

raise i

d sarcast

once rejected twenty-six pages of my university thesis because I cited a secondary transl

reviewed your

rofessional boundaries have never

e Dashiell with a red pen instantly bloomed in my mind. Th

wn that this afte

id back to

een slightly le

, or C

the second the trap sp

ia

head toward the gardens, desperately trying to ignore the ridiculous, bliste

accused of

agine

ned over and crushed the remainder of his cigaret

told me y

na

our ful

st felt far more intimate

Borghese,"

. Not the awkward, hesitant approximation

my spine. I cleared my throat, forci

enc

mother's p

terested in a row of oak trees by the

uldn

ple don't

eople a

eyebrow. "That is an extraordinar

inacc

for a fraction o

there

d into his trouser pocket and pu

you a que

oing reasonabl

ed my lips. "Is smoking permitt

d another unlit

compromised lung capacity

mans, werewolve

boration. He offere

ly don't car

harp, dangerous shift in the air where I became acutely aw

quickly, taking a half-step

n his fingers, his gaze holding mine

r less than a day, M

nd

Dashiell von

cern you considera

e with basic situa

gizes every time th

ve better employ

lingly attractive that it did someth

"Do you always worry this much abo

responde

k brow

" I amend

A

career very

u should stop looking at m

in my head evaporated

trying to decide w

my entire face. "I am

N

, s

flirting with me. Worse, he knew that I kne

" he mu

osing battle with something far m

back toward the open glass doors. "This has been a

s i

ust catch m

cou

ied nod I could manage under emot

ning, Zhe

errace doors. By the time I reached the el

complete

ook economically theoretical. And, unless every major news network in the country was lying, he was practically engaged to Lady Evad

. Tomorrow, I would work. If I ran into him, I would be polite, professional

hissed open. Dashiell von Hohenzollern and I were going

ave been far more convincing if a small, traitorous voice i