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A Caress Of Twilight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 49 из 236What had been happening behind the scenes of Kane and Hart to put such hardness in his voice?
Whatever it was, it was enough, because Ethan started moving down the steps. Frank followed him. Doyle and Frost watched them for a moment, then slowly followed them around the room. Ethan sat on the section opposite me. Frank sat down like he wasn't sure he was allowed. He placed himself far enough away from Ethan not to crowd him.
Doyle sat on the other side of me opposite Julian. He'd made a point of sitting there and forcing Frost one seat over. He'd murmured, "Meredith needs to concentrate." It hit me suddenly that he'd been calling me Meredith for a little while. I was usually "the princess" or "Princess Meredith," although he'd called me Meredith at the beginning when he first got to L.A. He'd distanced himself with language about the time he distanced himself physically.
Frost was clearly not happy about the seating arrangements, but I doubted that anyone but one of us noticed. The slight stiffness to his shoulders spoke volumes if you knew what book you were reading. I'd spent a lot of time learning to read this book. Doyle knew all his men's moods like any good leader. Kitto might have been oblivious, but it was hard to know what the little goblin noticed and what he didn't.
Julian stayed pressed to my side, a lot closer to me than Doyle was sitting, though he moved his hand to let Doyle's shoulder touch mine. It also put Julian's hand on the back of the couch, touching Doyle's back.
Julian was in love with Adam, I knew that, but I also knew that he wasn't entirely kidding about me sharing my men. Maybe he and Adam had a special arrangement, or maybe no one could be around the sidhe and not wonder. Maybe.
Julian was stiffer, quieter beside me now, as if he were concentrating on not moving his hand too much. Doyle would tolerate the touch, but not if it was too much. Doyle had the same rules for uninvited men as for uninvited women. A thousand years of forced celibacy had made Doyle, and many of the guards, make very unfeylike rules about casual touching. If you couldn't complete the act, then teasing was too much like torture. Rhys had always had different rules, as had Galen: They preferred something to nothing.
Ethan looked at the two guards, his scowl deepening. His eyes flicked to Kitto, and disgust showed on his face.
"What's your problem, Ethan?" I asked.
He blinked and glared at me. "I just don't like monsters, no matter how pretty they are."
Julian took his arm off the couch and sat forward, leaning toward the other man. "Am I going to have to send you home?"
"You're not my father … or my brother." That last was said with a lot of heat.
Whatever it was, it was enough, because Ethan started moving down the steps. Frank followed him. Doyle and Frost watched them for a moment, then slowly followed them around the room. Ethan sat on the section opposite me. Frank sat down like he wasn't sure he was allowed. He placed himself far enough away from Ethan not to crowd him.
Doyle sat on the other side of me opposite Julian. He'd made a point of sitting there and forcing Frost one seat over. He'd murmured, "Meredith needs to concentrate." It hit me suddenly that he'd been calling me Meredith for a little while. I was usually "the princess" or "Princess Meredith," although he'd called me Meredith at the beginning when he first got to L.A. He'd distanced himself with language about the time he distanced himself physically.
Frost was clearly not happy about the seating arrangements, but I doubted that anyone but one of us noticed. The slight stiffness to his shoulders spoke volumes if you knew what book you were reading. I'd spent a lot of time learning to read this book. Doyle knew all his men's moods like any good leader. Kitto might have been oblivious, but it was hard to know what the little goblin noticed and what he didn't.
Julian stayed pressed to my side, a lot closer to me than Doyle was sitting, though he moved his hand to let Doyle's shoulder touch mine. It also put Julian's hand on the back of the couch, touching Doyle's back.
Julian was in love with Adam, I knew that, but I also knew that he wasn't entirely kidding about me sharing my men. Maybe he and Adam had a special arrangement, or maybe no one could be around the sidhe and not wonder. Maybe.
Julian was stiffer, quieter beside me now, as if he were concentrating on not moving his hand too much. Doyle would tolerate the touch, but not if it was too much. Doyle had the same rules for uninvited men as for uninvited women. A thousand years of forced celibacy had made Doyle, and many of the guards, make very unfeylike rules about casual touching. If you couldn't complete the act, then teasing was too much like torture. Rhys had always had different rules, as had Galen: They preferred something to nothing.
Ethan looked at the two guards, his scowl deepening. His eyes flicked to Kitto, and disgust showed on his face.
"What's your problem, Ethan?" I asked.
He blinked and glared at me. "I just don't like monsters, no matter how pretty they are."
Julian took his arm off the couch and sat forward, leaning toward the other man. "Am I going to have to send you home?"
"You're not my father … or my brother." That last was said with a lot of heat.