Page 79 of Marked By Moonlight
“You’re right,” I murmured. “I owe you.”
I leaned back against the door, calculating how to protect Mina from Celeste. Because that succubus was always up to something.
Chapter Seventeen
MINA
“And here I was, thinking things couldn’t get worse…” I grumbled.
“Just keep your cool,” Marius murmured, as much to himself as to me.
Because, crap. Now we had Celeste to deal with too?
It was almost ten a.m. the next morning, and we were arranging things in the new suite, where we expected Anastasia and the first of the potential bidders any minute.
Correction — Celeste was arranging things, because this was her suite.
Yes, a whole suite to herself, with me crammed into the adjoining one with four men. But they were just as adamant as I about keeping their distance from the succubus. Even Henrik.
Feel free to move in with Celeste,Gordon had phoned to say the previous evening.
Over my dead body,I’d nearly barked.
Could he really imagine us painting our nails and giggling over girl talk?
As if.
Oh, no thanks,I’d said as casually as possible.I’m already unpacked and settled in my room. You know, with my dresses…shoes…hair products…
I had exactly two dresses and two pairs of shoes (including my running shoes), plus a brush and a couple of scrunchies, but Gordon didn’t need to know that.
“You might want to check your hair,cherie,” Celeste said, fussing over the flower arrangement.
The flower arrangementI’dpicked, dammit, and it was perfectly fine. Like my hair, I decided after a glance in the mirror.
“Ignore her,” Marius murmured through clenched teeth.
Dealing with Celeste on her own would be bad enough. Dealing with Celeste and Marius at the same time was downright hellish. I could practically see the emotional baggage piled up in the room. Suitcase upon suitcase of it, threatening to tip over and crush us.
And while I disliked Celeste — strongly — she downrightdespisedme. Truly, thoroughly, bitterly. Any chance she found to rub her past with Marius in my face, she grabbed and scrubbed violently.
“Here. Let me fix your tie,” she told him, shooting a knowing sigh in my direction. “Every time we went out, I had to do this. The man can’t dress himself.”
Her playful tone hinted that she’d done a lot of undressing too.
Now I was the one holding Marius back and grittingmyteeth, wishing myself back to my room and away from this nightmare.
A window opened in my mind, along with a perfectly clear vision of how I could walk through the intervening wall if I wanted, and even take Marius with me. I blinked at thatbrushed-by-moonlightmoment and nearly held out a hand to test it.
Then someone banged on the door, and that window came crashing down again.
Bene called through the door. “Pizza delivery.”
I held the door open while Bene and Henrik carefully maneuvered in a huge crate and carried it to the easel we’d prepared.
“Pizza?” I scolded.
Bene grinned. “The Frank Marc special.”
