Page 293 of Night's Fall
“Because, apparently, he isn’t open to it,”Catanswered for her.
“He doesn’t knowIexist,”Gaylesaid miserably. “Okay, he does, since he’s been introduced to me.Andhe’s been cordial, but distant.Tohim,I’mjust a female that’s important only becauseI’myour friend.”
“Not even a spark?”Iqueried.
She shook her head. “NotthatIcan tell.”
It was luckyIread up on mates becauseI’dlearned just this.
Though, somewhere insideCormac, he had to know, but perhaps due to all that was going on, he wasn’t tapping into it.
That said,Gaylefelt it and…
Dang.
That had to sting.
“I’m so sorry, honey,”Iwhispered, reaching out to take her hand.
She squeezed it and said, “Now,Idon’t know what to do.Ican’t be me, a huge nobody, and walk up to a prince that will one day be a king and say, ‘Hey, we’re supposed to spend the rest of our lives together.Youwanna start doing that now?’”
No, she couldn’t do that.
My attention drifted to the entrance to the alcove. “MaybeIcan talk toAleksei.”
“No!”Gaylecried.
I looked back to her.
“I don’t…Iwant it to happen like…”Sheshook her head. “Heshould figure it out himself.”
“But ifAleksei?—”
“Aleksei knew right away,” she reminded me. “Hecalled you to him, what?Maybefive minutes into us being at the club?Andthen you gotCaptainJacques’sand after, all of this…”
She explained “this” by flitting her hand toward the ball, thePalace, and also my dress.
She ended with, “Iwant that,Laura.Allof it.”
I couldn’t sayIblamed her.
“All of it” was danged awesome.
Still.
“Cormac isn’tAleksei,”Inoted.
“Well, he better pull his head out of his magnificent, tight, muscular ass, or he’s going to have some groveling to do,”Catdecreed.
This was true, and in the romance novels, the groveling was the best part.
ButGaylelooked no less miserable, which, of course, was why the male had to grovel.Itjust never occurred to me how miserable the female had to be to deserve it.
I didn’t want that forGayle.
Alas, we could speak of it no longer, nor couldIget intoTanynwithCat, becauseBashandAlekseijoined us carrying two piled-high plates between them, so we could all munch.
This we did, and it was good to have this fortification beforeAlekseiturned to me and said, “I’msorry, love, but our respite is over.I’mafraid we have to mingle.”
