“Holy shit.” Her butt hit the edge of the bed. “How did you get those numbers?”

He shrugged. “I did some artwork for the Gray Palace.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Of course you did.” She grabbed the phone out of his hand, choking when she read the name of the song he’d assigned as the High King’s the ring tone. “Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The Iceman’.” She cradled his cell in her hand, her gaze glued to his face. “Interesting choice.”

“Interesting man.” Shane could see the star of her left eye contract and expand. He hid his panic. He could just imagine what would happen if she snuck a peek at the High King. “I wouldn’t if I were you. If looking at Robin knocked you out for a week, what do you think checking out Oberon would do to you?”

“Damn it.” She flung his cell phone back on his bed and flopped back and across his legs. “Poo.”

He laughed softly. “Nobody lets you have any fun, huh?”

“Oh yeah. I haven’t killed a Black Court asshole in…” She held up one hand as if counting. “Days.”

“Gods above, a bored dragon. Whatever shall I do?”

She reached out and smacked him in the stomach. “Let me get to work, you sneaky bastard.”

“Hey now. My parents are married, thank you.”

Akane rolled her eyes and stood. Her hands swept through her hair, settling the black, curly mass around her. “Shane?”

“Hmm?” He was awake now, the visions gone, worked out in glass and metal the night before. He could use a cup of coffee and a taste of the woman standing at the end of the bed, idly playing with his footboard.

“Thanks. For my party.” She darted a quick glace from under her lashes. “Even if you ditched early.”

Pleasure curled through him, better than any sex he’d had with anyone else. He’d given her a taste of what life could be like if she accepted him, and she’d liked it. “You’re welcome.”

A shy smile darted across her face before she dashed from the room with an evil laugh. “Coffee’s all mine, Farm Boy!” The door slammed shut behind her with a bang, but not before she cried out “COLD!” The door opened and shut much quieter the second time. He assumed she’d reached back in and grabbed her coat.

Shane curled back up in bed and snickered. It would be better all around if he waited to make his way to the main house until after he could wipe away the smug smile on his face.

Akane caught Tristan’s attention with ease. The diner she’d gone to was near Henri Malmayne’s estate, so she wasn’t surprised to find that he wasn’t the only Malmayne Sidhe eating there. She was surprised to find that he had a number of what she was calling the Malmayne Malcontents with him.

Whispers had reached her ears that some of the Malmayne clan had begun asking questions about the Gray Court. Whether they’d made similar inquiries about alternate clans within the White she didn’t know, but found it an interesting development nonetheless. Most of the Malcontents seemed to be young, below a hundred years old and, surprisingly, each and every one appeared to defer to Tristan.

Fascinating.

Tristan finished up his business and waved away the posse of young Sidhe. He headed for her table with a smile. “Hello again.”

She gave him her most flirtatious smile. “Hello to you too, handsome.” She waved toward the empty seat across from her. “Care to join me?”

Behind her Etienne fidgeted on his pleather stool, their signal that he was aware the target had been hooked. Now all she had to do was reel him in.

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm, and studied him. He was gorgeous, she had to give him that, but he held none of the hot fire Shane did. This man would burn with cold flames much like his cousin Duncan did until someone came and warmed him from the outside. “We never did introduce ourselves.” She lifted her head and held out her hand. “Akane Russo.” They’d agreed she wouldn’t lie to him. If he’d seen her on that video he’d know who she was anyway.

He hesitated a moment before holding out his hand. Perhaps he hadn’t seen her after all. “Tristan Malmayne.” He gave her a puzzled frown. “May I ask why a Blade would still be in Nebraska?”

She grinned. “My partner is living here now, so I’m back for a visit.”

There was a flicker of something in his eyes that she didn’t quite catch before it was gone. “I see.”

The star in her iris widened as Akane opened her inner sight. She could see the power swirling around him and realized he was much older than he looked. Conflict swirled around him, some dark, some light, mingling at the center into gray. Figures danced within the mist, writhing and gesturing, anger and confusion rampant. “Jaden Blackthorn. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”

He leaned back in his chair, his expression closed. “You did roll me last night, didn’t you?”

Crap. She put her palm to her chest. “Do I look like a Sidhe?” She allowed a brief puff of smoke to exit her nostrils, enough that he caught it but not enough to get in trouble with the very human wait staff.

His lips slowly curved up in a smile. “A dragon. I can’t remember the last time I met one of you.” His genuine delight dotted the gloomy mist around him with a happy silver and gold glitter. Some of the darkness around him receded, a figure of a man with glowing red eyes shoved out of the picture. “I’m going to make a wild guess and say your temperament is fiery?” She tried to focus on him while Tristan spoke, but the image faded too quickly for her to latch on to it.

“Good guess.” She studied the figures around him, noting faces, expressions, anything that might help protect the Dunnes.

He thanked the waitress for refilling his coffee cup and waited until she’d gone. “You seem different than the woman I saw on the video feed.”

“That was business.” She ran one finger down the back of his hand and batted her lashes. “This is pleasure.”

He relaxed a bit more but she could sense the tension still in him. “Nice to know you find my company a pleasure.”

She took a deep breath and prepared to lure her little fishy in. “Want to go some place private? Somewhere we can…talk?” She licked her lips, smiling when his gaze glued itself to her mouth.

“I’d love to, but unfortunately I have other plans.” He took hold of her hand. “However, if you would be willing to join me for dinner, I’d be more than willing to discuss…talking…further.” He pressed a kiss to her knuckles, an open invitation clear in his eyes.

Akane suppressed a shiver. She didn’t like his lips on her skin, the way his finger caressed her palm before letting her go. “It’s a date.”

She waved as he took his leave. What the fuck was wrong with her? She’d wanted to gag at the feel of Tristan’s mouth on her, his breath so close it stirred the fine hairs of her arm. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed Etienne leaving the restaurant. She’d wait about fifteen minutes before following him out. They couldn’t be seen together, not now that she’d hooked their fish.

Besides, there was still pie left on her plate.

Shane followed his father into the tack room and grabbed one of the leather harnesses that needed repairing. His father could move from one edge of his property to another in the blink of an eye, but Sean Dunne loved horses and rode them simply for the joy of it.

“Why haven’t you Claimed her yet?”

Shane studied the harness and gathered what he’d need to repair it. “She’s skittish.”

“Then you need to break her in.”

He shot his father a look before turning the harness in his hands. “She needs a gentle touch.”

“She needs to be ridden.”

Shane choked on thin air. “I am not discussing this with you.”

Sean Dunne frowned. “Why not?” The man could have easily been a model; at four-hundred-and-twenty-five years of age his Seeming still had the looks of a twenty-seven year old human, a gift from his bonding his Sidhe mate. His true appearance was even more stunning. When Sean Dunne allowed his inner leprechaun to show, those sapphire eyes glowed with power. His skin would show the brown whorls of his earthy heritage and his dark hair would grow, landing at shoulder length. The strength of the earth itself flowed in Shane’s father, and there was no one he admired more.