Page 87 of Dark Princess: Shadows

She wasn't like Rob's ex. She would never manipulate someone's feelings or use them for personal gain. But Rob hadn't saidanything about falling for her, and one little kiss didn't mean that he would.

Was she so desperate for a connection that she was clutching at straws?

"No." He reached for her hand. "You're nothing like her. You're real. What you see is what you get, and I love that about you."

He really shouldn't throw the word love around like it meant nothing.

"Tomorrow night, then?" she asked. "I make a mean coq au vin."

His eyebrows rose. "Impressive. I don't even know what that is, but should I bring wine?"

She smiled. "Do you have a vehicle to drive to the city? Because there is nowhere in the village to buy wine."

He winced. "I don't, but I could ask Mia to give me a lift."

"Don't worry about it. You don't have to bring anything." She took his hand. "Just bring yourself and a healthy appetite." She gave him a mock stern look. "When I cook, I expect my guest to eat."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I can definitely eat. Whatever that dish you mentioned is."

Gertrude studied their joined hands. "It's a French dish of chicken and mushrooms braised in wine. It sounds much fancier than it is." She looked up at his hopeful eyes. "It's just dinner, Rob. No expectations and no promises. Just two people sharing a meal and some nice conversation and seeing where it leads them."

His answering smile was like sunshine breaking through clouds. "I can work with that."

55

BRANDON

After Ell-rom and Kian had finally arrived and lunch was served in the dining room, Brandon couldn't focus on the delicious mushroom gnocchi on his plate, let alone on what was being said around him. Every small movement Morelle made sent electricity crackling through his awareness—the hesitant way she handled her silverware, watching Annani and imitating her sister, the way her throat moved when she swallowed, the occasional brush of her arm against his when she reached for something.

The connection between them sizzled like a living current.

He wondered if she felt it, too, or if these sensations were completely foreign to her. She wasn't emitting any scents of arousal, but then she didn't emit any emotional scents, probably because of her Kra-ell genes, so he was left guessing, and it was a humbling experience even though he wasn't completely clueless.

Thankfully, after many decades in the entertainment industry, he had learned what to look for. On movie sets, actresses had to fake feelings of attraction toward their male costars even whenthey detested them, which happened more often than people realized.

Big egos clashing and all that.

So, he knew what to look for and wasn't fooled even when he couldn't rely on his sense of smell.

Still, Brandon could empathize with human males who couldn't rely on scent to tell them whether a woman was attracted to them and had to figure it out from what she was saying, how she was saying it, and her body language.

Morelle, on the other hand, was a complete novice who hadn't even seen others engage in flirting. She had grown up in a temple surrounded by celibate priestesses, and her only companion had been her twin brother.

She needed to learn everything from scratch, and the thought of being her teacher in the carnal arts thrilled Brandon, sending heat coursing through his veins. He wanted to introduce her to every possible pleasure and watch her discover not just the world around her but her own desires as well.

"How is Jasmine doing?" Annani's question pulled him from his increasingly dangerous thoughts.

"She's grown a whole inch," Ell-rom reported, worry creasing his brow. "Bridget says that it's an excellent sign that she is doing well, but Jasmine might not like that when she wakes up."

Annani's musical laugh filled the dining room. "I'll gladly take that inch if she doesn't want it."

"You're perfect exactly as you are, Clan Mother," Brandon said, meaning it. Annani's petite stature did not diminish herpresence. "Your greatness comes from the brightness of your soul."

"And your beauty," Ell-rom added.

Kian just nodded while refilling his plate with more of the delicious mushroom gnocchi.

"Such charming males you two are." Annani's eyes twinkled as she accepted the compliments.