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What had he been thinking?

He had no intention of ever drinking from her. Of completing the mating bond.

If this meeting had been avoidable, he wouldn’t have attended. With the Gathering in less than three weeks, the various departments met twice a week to discuss the progress and any issues. Despite plenty of others seated in the room, his attention locked on Leah, who inclined her head to the left.

Her brunette hair flowed down in waves around her heart-shaped face. Her lips shone dark pink with gloss that made him wonder what she’d taste like. The jade silk blouse brought out the green tints in her hazel eyes and accentuated her figure without being revealing.

With effort, Julian tore his gaze away to focus on the task at hand.

Marek, seated next to him, raised his brows. He knew. Even though Julian slowed his heartbeat, trying to hide the fact he’d found his mate was a wasted effort.

Should we leave?Marek asked, his mental voice just as amused as if he’d spoken out loud.Give you two some alone time?

No need. Let’s get on with it.

Julian sat down in the chair at the head of the table and steepled his fingers. “Marek, you first.”

He had trouble paying attention to Marek’s update. With Leah so close, her honeysuckle and cinnamon scent filling the room, he struggled to concentrate on anything else but claiming her. His vampire instincts fought against the rational human side of him.

When Leah stood up to give her presentation, his cock hardened at the sight of the tight skirt hugging her hips. He recalled how he’d had his hands around her rounded ass only a few days ago.

She scowled at him, even though she couldn’t read his mind. He schooled his face to one of mild disinterest.

When she spoke, her cultured voice twined through him and soothed the need of the vampire to claim its mate. She was here. Next to him. Within reach. It would do for now.

Leah’s presentation was clear, concise, and informative. The amount of details, information, and background were impressive considering she’d been here less than a week.

“You mentioned redecorating the floor for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. How will that impact our budget? Why wasn’t it done correctly the first time?” Patricia, the representative from the Treasury Department, asked. She was only about fifty in vampire years but looked like a forty-year-old professional lawyer. A few others had been unhappy when Julian had chosen her for this job. Marek had vouched for her, and she’d proved her worth several times over.

“There was some miscommunication regarding the duke’s needs earlier,” Leah replied without missing a beat. “We salvaged a lot of the previous build to fit the new requirements. It would have gone over budget by about 5 percent, but because we’re using the same tile for the Spanish and Italian suites, we received a larger discount on materials. In the end, we’re only over about 1 percent, which I believe is within the margin of error allowed by the Treasury Department?”

Julian resisted a grin as Patricia nodded with satisfaction. Leah’s capabilities matched those on her résumé, making him wonder which part of her professional background was fake. A part of him wished she wasn’t intelligent or competent. That would’ve made resisting her easier.

As Leah returned to her seat, her curved back and that skirt mesmerized him. Did she know what that did to him? He shifted in his seat.

“I think our meeting rooms should have windows in the future, ones we can open,” Marek said with a wide grin. The ones who had worked for Julian the longest laughed while a few gave uncomfortable chuckles.

Julian growled. Marek shrugged. He’d butted heads with Julian enough to disregard his grumblings.

“It gets stuffy in here. Leah, don’t you think so?”

Leave her out of it.Julian glowered at Marek. Next time they sparred underground, he’d make Marek regret this.

Leah glanced between them, confusion written over her lovely features. “A window would be nice. I love the view.”

“Then you do it.” Julian instantly regretted his outburst. Damn Marek. The mating bond, the need to claim her, it made him as volatile as a case of fireworks.

The glare she shot him was as sharp as the scalpel. Her acerbic tone could slice his neck off. “Fine. Tristan, add that to my to-do list.”

“Yes, Miss Davis.”

The room was quiet as everyone’s gaze darted between him and Leah, waiting for one of them to make the next move. The last time some of them had so much fun was when Vegas had been under siege during the Riots fifty years ago, when human mobs had engaged in a concentrated effort to kill all vampires and destroy Vegas.

Julian took a deep breath through his mouth so her scent wouldn’t invade his already muddled senses. He slowed down his heartbeat again, which wanted to match Leah’s. He needed this meeting to be over ASAP so he could get away from her.

“Who’s next?”

Steam practically came out of Leah’s ears when she received the email from Marek.