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“It’s a scratch at best.I’m fine,” Xavier reassured her, responding in English even though her questions were spoken in French.

“You’re speaking English,” she replied, following his lead.“Why?”

“Because I’m not alone.”

The admiral narrowed her eyes.“Explain.”

“I’m in love.”

She acted exactly as Xavier expected.“Finally!”

Colum and Annie exchanged a confused look that he enjoyed way more than he should.

Xavier shot them a wink.

“And they’re there?”she asked.

“They are.Would you like to meet them?”he asked, just to watch them panic.

Annie shot him a dirty look as she tugged the duvet up to her neck, and Colum—naked as the day he was born—ran around the room in search of pants.

“Mais bien sûr,” she replied, also as he expected.Of course she wanted to meet them.

“Introductions will have to wait.I’m afraid they’re indisposed at the moment.”

The admiral sighed.“You’re in bed with them.”

Xavier chuckled, not bothering to reply.The admiral knew him well enough he didn’t need to.“There’s a problem—several problems—we need to resolve before we can be together.”

Her shoulders straightened, as she took on the appearance of a woman ready to set the world on fire.“What problem?Tell me so I can fix it.If you mean they’re not in my territory, that’s fine.I have plenty of ways to bargain with the other admirals for one or two of their members if that’s who you want.”

Xavier barely managed to hold back his bark of laughter when Annie mouthed the words, “What the fuck?”to Colum, who shrugged, totally bemused.

“That’s not necessary.This problem requires something more, and I think you’re going to like my proposed solution.Because it will give you something you’ve always wanted,” Xavier said with a smirk.

“I’ve been patiently waiting for a great many things when it comes to you,” she replied.

Xavier didn’t need to hear the list.He knew exactly what she wanted because she’d told him countless times over the years.

“I’ll take the job.”

She studied him at first in surprise, then suspicion.“Do you need money?”

“No,” Xavier said with a shrug.“I want the job.”

“But you’ve always turned it down, sworn you’d never accept it.”

Xavier lifted one shoulder casually.Hehadalways said that, and until he met Colum and Annie, he’d meant it.He preferred words to dollar signs, even if he did have the Midas touch when it came to making money.

“I accept the position,” he said formally.

“Very well.”Her eyes narrowed.“Justthatposition?”

Xavier swallowed hard, then looked at Annie and Colum.They were worth it.“No, I accept it all.”He was fully aware that comment was going to lead to a much larger inquisition, one he didn’t really want to go into in front of Annie and Colum.“But I’m afraid I don’t have much time.Is the position mine?”

She smiled brightly, clapping her hands together in delight.“You know it is.As soon as you return to Paris, you begin your work as a finance minister, and your training to become the next vice admiral, and then admiral of France.”

Annie’s mouth fell open as Colum ran a hand through his hair, muttering something in Irish, and while Xavier didn’t know what the words meant, they were spoken with undeniable awe.