Page 52 of Power Shift
“Cheap coffeeispoison,” Caelan pointed out.
“No. It might taste like shit, but it’s not poisonous.”
“It’s poisonous to my sensibilities,” Caelan grumbled.
“That’s because you’re rich as Croesus and sleep in a bed made of gold where servants wearing pristine white offer turn down service and leave expensive candies on your freshly fluffed pillows.”
Caelan laughed. “Don’t knock turn down service. Besides, you’re rich, too. Or you will be, if you charge every Lord the same way you charge me.”
“I don’t do work for other Lords.”
He turned but not before I missed the pleased smile on his face.
I rolled my eyes. Men.
Once the coffee finished brewing, he poured us both mugs and brought them over to the coffee table, setting mine before me.
Instead of taking the chair opposite, he kicked off his shoes and sat right beside me, turned to face me, one leg propped sideways on the couch. It was the most relaxed I’d ever seen him.
But…his eyes were still golden. He might look calm and composed on the outside, but the Shifter Lord still fumed.
I kept my eye on him as I picked up my coffee.
“Is she dead?” he asked.
Coffee sloshed over the edge of the mug and burned my fingers. I hissed in pain and set the mug down with a loud clack. Caelan reached over and took my fingers, lifting them to his lips.
Cool breath washed over them, golden eyes locked onto mine. My blood thickened, pulse slowed to a thud.
“Is. She. Dead.” Each word clipped at the end, my face awash in golden light. Caelan’s power rumbled through the room.
I swallowed and considered lying, but he’d smell it on me. We were in close quarters and would scent the untruth on me before I finished telling it. “Yes.”
Caelan’s eyes shut for a long moment. He still held my hand, his warm calloused thumb stroking the back of my hand, sending tingles down my spine with every touch. “How?”
His behavior was weirding me out. Was he pissed? Was he about to kill me? Happy about her death? Sad? The glowing said one thing, him rubbing on me said something completely different.
And men talked about women giving mixed signals!
“I don’t know,” I said finally.
Caelan’s brow furrowed as he digested that. “You aren’t the one who killed her,” he murmured after a moment, his expression clearing.
I blinked. “What? No!” I yanked my hand away. “You thought Imurderedyour fiancée? What the hell, Caelan?”
He sipped his coffee and studied me. “I thought it was a romantic gesture. Violent and unexpected. Just like you.”
What was happening right now? “I’ve never killed anyone! That’s not how my power works. Murder is the antithesis of Floromancy.” I shook my head. “And you’re the only one who makes me violent!”
If I had a pillow, I’d strongly consider smothering myself to get out of this bizarre, maddening conversation.
“Finn makes you violent,” he said, the glow in his eyes turning deeper, a warmer molten gold.
“Because Finn is trying to murderme. You just…piss me off.”
Caelan’s delighted grin made me want to smack him. “Can we please be done with this conversation?” I begged.
His rumbling laugh made my lips tug into a hesitant smile.
