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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 230 из 338The human "pets" always misunderstood the casual nudity of the guards.
The blonde stalked toward us putting a swing in his step. The pun was intended. It wasn't the nudity that made me uncomfortable. It was the look in his eyes.
"I take it he's new," I said.
Andais watched the man with cool eyes. He had to be very new not to realize what that look meant. She was not happy with him, not happy at all.
"Tell him what you think of his display, niece." Her voice was very quiet, but there was an undertone to it that you could almost taste on your tongue like something bitter in among the sweet.
I looked him over from his bare feet to his fresh haircut and every inch in between. He grinned as I did it, drifting closer to me, as if the look were an invitation. I decided to take the smile out of his step.
"He's young, he's pretty, but Eamon is better endowed."
That stopped the mortal and made him frown, the smile returning to his face but uncertain now.
"I don't believe he knows what 'endowed' means," Andais said.
I looked at her. "You never did choose them for their intellect," I said.
"One does not talk to one's pet, Meredith. You should know that by now."
"If I want a pet, I'll get a dog. This… " I motioned at the man, "is a little too high-maintenance for me."
The man was frowning, looking from one to the other of us, obviously not happy and also confused. Andais had broken one of my cardinal rules for sex. No matter how careful you are, you can end up pregnant. That's what sex is designed to do, after all. So, never sleep with someone who's mean or stupid, and ugly is a judgment call, because all three may breed true. The blonde was cute but not cute enough to make up for the frowning puzzlement on his face.
"Go with Eamon. Help him dress for the banquet," Andais said.
"May I come to the ball tonight, my lady?" he asked.
"No," she said. She turned back to me as if he ceased to exist.
He looked at me again, and there was a sullen anger there. He knew I'd insulted him but wasn't quite sure how. The look made me shiver. There were people at court a lot less pretty than her new "pet" that I'd have slept with first.
"You disapprove," she said.
"It would be presumptuous of me to approve or disapprove of the actions of my queen," I said.
She laughed. "There you go again, saying exactly what you should say but making it sound like an insult all the same."
"Forgive me," I said and started to drop back to one knee.
She stopped me with a hand on my arm. "Don't, Meredith, don't.
The blonde stalked toward us putting a swing in his step. The pun was intended. It wasn't the nudity that made me uncomfortable. It was the look in his eyes.
"I take it he's new," I said.
Andais watched the man with cool eyes. He had to be very new not to realize what that look meant. She was not happy with him, not happy at all.
"Tell him what you think of his display, niece." Her voice was very quiet, but there was an undertone to it that you could almost taste on your tongue like something bitter in among the sweet.
I looked him over from his bare feet to his fresh haircut and every inch in between. He grinned as I did it, drifting closer to me, as if the look were an invitation. I decided to take the smile out of his step.
"He's young, he's pretty, but Eamon is better endowed."
That stopped the mortal and made him frown, the smile returning to his face but uncertain now.
"I don't believe he knows what 'endowed' means," Andais said.
I looked at her. "You never did choose them for their intellect," I said.
"One does not talk to one's pet, Meredith. You should know that by now."
"If I want a pet, I'll get a dog. This… " I motioned at the man, "is a little too high-maintenance for me."
The man was frowning, looking from one to the other of us, obviously not happy and also confused. Andais had broken one of my cardinal rules for sex. No matter how careful you are, you can end up pregnant. That's what sex is designed to do, after all. So, never sleep with someone who's mean or stupid, and ugly is a judgment call, because all three may breed true. The blonde was cute but not cute enough to make up for the frowning puzzlement on his face.
"Go with Eamon. Help him dress for the banquet," Andais said.
"May I come to the ball tonight, my lady?" he asked.
"No," she said. She turned back to me as if he ceased to exist.
He looked at me again, and there was a sullen anger there. He knew I'd insulted him but wasn't quite sure how. The look made me shiver. There were people at court a lot less pretty than her new "pet" that I'd have slept with first.
"You disapprove," she said.
"It would be presumptuous of me to approve or disapprove of the actions of my queen," I said.
She laughed. "There you go again, saying exactly what you should say but making it sound like an insult all the same."
"Forgive me," I said and started to drop back to one knee.
She stopped me with a hand on my arm. "Don't, Meredith, don't.