Page 29 of Locking Down Qetesh

"No problem. I'll see you at breakfast?"

I nodded and turned to my door.

"Oh, and Tesha?"

"Yes?"

"If you really don't want Ella to know that you're into her brother, maybe be a little less obvious about it." She walked off before I could question her further, leaving me staring after her and not really knowing what else to say.

I wasn't being that obvious. Was I?

Chapter 12

QETESH

I pulled my suitcase out of my room and wrestled it into the lift. There was still a slight lingering smell that made my stomach churn, but it was only a short trip down and I didn't want to have to navigate the stairs with my suitcase.

The doors opened quickly enough, and I hurried out, going to put my suitcase in my car before I returned for the last breakfast of the weekend.

Everyone was milling around, chatting and eating some delicious-looking pastries.

Without even fully meaning to, I searched the room until I spotted Jacob, and drifted over to him.

His welcoming smile was enough to let me know that I'd made the right decision. Not that we hadn't spent a lot of time together this weekend already. I didn't know most of Ella's friends, and the ones I did know, were more like passing acquaintances, while Nadia's were even more like strangers. From what I'd gathered, Jacob was in the same position of not knowing very many of them, though he had done a good job of pointing out the exes I needed to know about, which had been helpful.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning," I responded. "What's good?" I looked over the buffet table, my stomach rumbling as I did.

"The almond croissants, I tried one yesterday. Not the best I've ever had, but they've got to be up there."

"Then I guess I'm having an almond croissant."

"Get me on too, and I'll grab the drinks?" he checked. "I'll meet you at that table?" he nodded to one at the back.

"Sure. Anything else?"

"Maybe a yoghurt? I can't just eat pastries for breakfast," he said.

"Sure you can, it's a holiday. But I'll get you one." I headed over to the buffet and grabbed two plates, adding a croissant to each of them, along with a pot of Greek yoghurt that looked like it had fruit at the bottom. It wasn't normally something I ate for breakfast, but they looked good, and that was enough of a reason to have one.

Satisfied with my choices, I headed over to the table where Jacob was already sitting with two coffees. It wasn't until I got there that I realised it was kind of impressive that he knew what I liked already, but I supposed we had been able to drink a couple of coffees at work, as well as those he'd seen me drink this weekend.

I set the plates down on the table and joined him.

Ella's laughter filled the room, and I looked over to where she was talking with a couple of people and not paying us any attention.

"I'm guessing Nadia didn't tell her that she caught me leaving your room," I said.

Jacob laughed. "Probably not, or she'd have demanded an explanation from one of us and definitely would have said something suggestive at least once."

"Even knowing you're ace?"

He shrugged. "She knows I have sex, we've talked about it."

"Isn't that weird?"

"We don't talk about the details," he assured me. "And never will. But it was something that bonded us when we were in our early twenties and working things out. She was figuring out that she didn't like men at all, while I figured out the ace thing."

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