“Ah, is my dearest husband being all protective? I would’ve thought you’d be praying for an assassination attempt. What are you going to do? Kill him with a bookmark? Knock him out with a book?”
I ignore her dig at me being a scholar—she isn’t the first person to look down on the fact that I prefer research to brute force. In fact, she’ll have to stand in line behind my father and uncle to get her jabs in. I walk to the door and swing it open with a scowl, which is returned by who I presume is Tony.
I don’t say anything as he looks past me to see if Esmerelda is all right. I don’t like the fact that it puts my mind at ease that her guards really are jacked up. It saves me from having to worry about her. If anything happens to her, I’ll no doubt be public enemy number one, and I don’t have time for that bullshit right now.
While he’s looking at her, I size him up. His bulk doesn’t come as a surprise. The Lovells are known for their brawn over their brains. He’s probably exactly Esmerelda’s type. He’s an inch or two shorter than me, but where those inches are lacking in height, he more than makes up for in width. It just means he’ll be slower. His light brown hair is scooped up in a bun at the top of his head, and his emerald eyes are fixed firmly on my wife. It’s not only protection I see in them. And the musky scent coming off him is a clear indicator he’s turned on by her. It doesn’t matter to me that I don’t want my wife. He will have respect for what’s mine.
My wolf paces inside, restless and eager to break free and show Tony that we respect by not gawking. Well, I’ve got news for the guard, he’s going to find himself in a whole different job very soon. I can’t have my wolf acting territorial when I have more important worries.
“Tony, thank you for coming. Do you have the pants?” Esmerelda crosses the room. I’m surprised she humored me andwaited for me to open the door. Because let’s face it, she did humor me.
“Sure do, Esme.” He shoulders past me into the room and hands her the pants. I clench my jaw. What’s thisEsmebullshit? I’m standing right here, and the pants are for me. Am I invisible to this prick?
The air crackles with tension, and it’s as though Esmerelda and Tony can both feel my energy change because they look at me at the same time. Esmerelda hands me the pants and quickly turns back to Tony. “Thank you, Tony. I appreciate it. You can head back to your post now. Tell Paul I say hi.”
He trains his gaze on me, a not-so-subtle warning in his narrowed eyes, then nods to Esmerelda and leaves. The moment he exits the room, I relax, but my wife looks tense again.
I head into the bathroom and quickly exchange the wet pants for Tony’s before heading back into the room to tell Esmerelda we should head back down to the reception, but the minute I walk back into the suite, Esmerelda spins on her heels. “I hope you’re not expecting any sort of consummation tonight, because it’s not happening.”
I stop dead in my tracks. Crossing my arms, I narrow my eyes at my bride, the tick in my jaw almost painful. What the hell? I replay her words in my mind. Did I hear right? But then her scent hits me, and I can smell apprehension, aggression, and the slightest hint of fear. Shit. She thinks I’m going to force her to have sex with me, and here I am only thinking about my bruised ego. What a jerk!
I sit on the couch and indicate to the chair across from me. “Esmerelda, please sit.”
She hesitates before taking a seat and crossing her arms, a challenge in her eyes. If it wouldn’t get me castrated, I’d smile at how, despite her fears, she doesn’t back down.
“Esmerelda, aside from when we have to put on a show for the council members, I will never, ever touch you without your permission. You have my word on that.”
Her shoulders relax, then immediately tense again. “What about producing an heir? The council will eventually expect one to unify our families.”
I shrug. “They’re hardly going to do a paternity test, so we can cross that bridge when we get there with a lover or a donor.” The idea of Tony being the one to give us an heir has my wolf clawing against me, desperate to get out and make sure Tony doesn’t have the means to give Esmerelda a child.
She looks at me with wide eyes, and I want to lean over and close her mouth for her, but I value my fingers too much. I try not to be offended by her shock. What must she think of me and my family to be surprised that I won’t be forcing her to consummate our marriage?
“Does that settle things?” I ask.
“It does.”
I stand. “Good, let’s get back. People will be wondering where we are.”
Esmerelda stands too. “If the council members think we were up here getting fruity, they may lay off us for the rest of the evening.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Getting fruity?”
“Yeah, you know. Knocking boots. Having hot jungle sex. Banging like bunnies.”
The chuckle that escapes my lips surprises me. “That’s a colorful way of putting things.”
“Humans have loads of colorful expressions.”
I raise my eyebrows as we leave the room. “You’ve had human interactions, I take it.”
We nod to the guards and Esmerelda replies. “Yeah. When I was in college. I take it by your surprise that you haven’t interacted with humans?”
“Nope. Still a virgin when it comes to that.”
“Yeah, and that only. Your reputation precedes you, husband.”
“As does yours, wife.”