Page 20 of Dark Shaman: Love Found (The Children Of The Gods #99)
TAMIRA
T he pillowcases full of clothes were whisked away by efficient servants, leaving them empty-handed in the foyer. The house was delightfully cool and dry after the oppressive heat and humidity of the outdoors, but at the same time stifling after the morning's taste of freedom.
"I guess we are staying for lunch," Elias said after Areana had gone up the stairs.
"It would seem so." Tula cast Tony a meaningful look. "I need to freshen up, but I won't be long. Will you two be waiting for us in the sitting room?"
Tony nodded. "Where else? I don't think the lord wants us to wait outside. At least I hope he doesn't."
The butler turned to the men. "The gentlemen can wait in the sitting room and help themselves to the bar while the ladies get ready for lunch. "
"Thank you." Elias dipped his head. "That's much appreciated."
"I should change," Tamira said, glancing down at her dress, which showed signs of their morning excursion. The fabric was clinging to her sweaty body, and its condition was far from pristine.
"We all should," Liliat agreed.
Tamira cast one last look at Elias before he and Tony had to follow the butler to the sitting room and start up the stairs.
There had to be a way to steal some time alone with Elias. The gazebo had been wonderful, but too brief and not private. They had barely dared to hold hands. The harem wouldn't be habitable for weeks, and she couldn't bear the thought of waiting so long to touch him.
After the quickest of showers, she pulled one of her beautiful gowns out of a pillowcase, but it was so wrinkled that she couldn't wear it to lunch. Instead, she opened the wardrobe and chose one of those contemporary linen dresses that were supposed to keep her cool in the heat but didn't.
Why did it seem like everything old was better than new?
Like this house, which had been converted from a beautiful and warm Italian-style villa to a cold and stark modern art museum—surely there was a way to bridge the divide and create a modern style that was warm.
Areana's words from breakfast about the stored treasures in the basement echoed in Tamira's mind. The remnants of the house's previous incarnation were stashed there, and Areana had gotten permission from Navuh to sift through the boxes and redecorate as she pleased.
It was perfect.
The perfect excuse to go somewhere private and secluded and bring Elias with her.
The sitting room doors stood partially open, revealing Elias and Tony conversing with the butler, who had apparently been assigned to entertain them. Either that or they thought to pump him for information, which would be futile.
The man couldn't share anything useful even if he wanted to.
"Excuse me," she said from the doorway. "Elias, may I have a word?"
The butler's eyes narrowed slightly, but Elias rose smoothly. "Of course, Lady Tamira."
She led him a few steps down the hallway, still within sight but hopefully out of earshot. "Remember what Lady Areana said about the former decor of the mansion that is stored in the basement?"
Understanding flickered in his eyes. "You want to take a look?"
"Lord Navuh said that we could. We can do a quick assessment before lunch and then continue after." She pitched her voice to carry back to the sitting room. "I want to see what might be salvaged to make this place feel a little warmer, more inviting. "
"That's a wonderful idea," Elias replied, matching her formal tone. "I'd be happy to assist."
The head butler appeared as if summoned by their conversation, which was what she'd intended.
"Forgive me, Lady Tamira." He inclined his head. "I couldn't help but overhear that you wish to go down to the basement?"
"Lord Navuh said that we can look through the furniture and decor items in storage," she said, allowing a touch of Areana's serene authority to color her voice.
"Elias has an excellent eye for Tuscan-inspired decor, and I thought we'd take a look and assess what could be reintegrated into the current decor. "
The butler's jaw tightened. "I see. When would you like to schedule this...assessment?"
"Now would be ideal," Tamira said brightly. "Just a quick look to see what we're working with."
"Lunch is about to be served, my lady."
"Lady Areana and Lord Navuh are still in their meeting," Tamira countered. "And lunch can't begin without them. I'm not talking about a lengthy exploration. I just need a few minutes to peek into some boxes and get a sense of the scope."
The butler's reluctance was written in every line of his rigid posture, but since Lord Navuh had given his permission to Areana and, by extension, to her ladies, refusing Tamira's request was not an option without an iron-clad justification that he didn't have.
"Very well," he said after a pause that stretched to just shy of rude. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you where the furniture and decor are stored."
He led them through a heavy, reinforced metal door that was hidden behind the main staircase, which Tamira assumed led to the basement.
The butler flicked a switch, flooding the space with harsh fluorescent light that made Tamira blink. A staircase covered in glossy black tile was revealed. It led down into a dark cavern.
"Mind your step," he cautioned as they descended. "The stairs can be treacherous."
They were quite wide and easy to navigate, but the shiny surface was indeed slippery and disorienting.
Tamira wondered what happened to the interior designer who had created this barely habitable house. She had a feeling that the poor guy was no longer among the living because Navuh probably executed him after seeing the results.
Her master was not the forgiving or understanding type.
She should remember that when she took risks with Elias. Navuh might not mind their relationship and even encourage it, but if she humiliated him by getting caught, he would not show her mercy.
Not her and not Elias .
The temperature dropped noticeably as they went down, the climate control working overtime to combat the heat that tried to seep in even here. The walls were plain concrete, utilitarian but clean and pristine like the rest of the house.
"It's easy to get lost down here," the butler said as he flipped another switch, and light flooded the enormous basement.
It stretched out in all directions with corridors branching off in several directions. Ceiling lights marched away into the distance, revealing space that seemed to extend far beyond the footprint of the house above.
"It must go under the garden and the front yard," Elias murmured, coming to the same realization she had. "That's why the trees…"
"Stay shallow-rooted, yes," the butler finished. "The foundation extends considerably beyond the structure."
They passed through what felt like a maze of corridors, some areas open, others sealed behind heavy doors. Metal mesh blocked certain sections while still allowing air circulation, and through one, Tamira glimpsed what looked like active construction.
"What's being built there?" she asked, pausing to peer through the mesh.
The butler's expression shifted minutely. Was that fear? "I couldn't say, my lady. I'm not privy to such things."
"Surely you must have some idea," she pressed. "As the head butler, you oversee the household?— "
"I oversee what Lord Navuh wishes me to oversee," he interrupted, then seemed to catch himself. When he spoke again, his tone was more polite. "My lady, in Lord Navuh's home, it is unwise to ask questions about things that don't directly concern you."
Tamira exchanged a quick glance with Elias. That had definitely sounded like advice rather than a threat, a warning delivered as kindly as the butler dared.
"Of course," she said. "You're absolutely right. It is true everywhere, I guess. We shouldn't poke our noses where they don't belong."
Relief flickered across the butler's features before his professional mask reasserted itself. "No apology necessary, my lady. This way, please."
They continued deeper into the basement maze until finally reaching a large storage area filled with furniture draped in dust covers, boxes stacked to the ceiling, and the accumulated detritus of the house's previous incarnation.
"The villa furnishings are primarily in this section," the butler said, gesturing broadly. "Decorative items, artwork, and smaller pieces are in the boxes along that wall. Furniture is covered but accessible."
"Perfect," Tamira said. "We'll just look around for a few minutes, get a sense of what's here, and head back up."
The butler hesitated. Clearly, leaving them there unsupervised went against every instinct, but what else could he do? Stand and watch while they poked through dusty boxes when he had a lunch service to supervise ?
"I'll return to collect you when lunch is ready to be served," he said finally. "Please don't venture beyond this immediate area. The basement is confusing for those unfamiliar with its layout."
"We'll stay right here," Elias promised.
The butler's footsteps had barely faded before Tamira grabbed Elias's hand, pulling him behind a massive covered piece of furniture that might have been an armoire or a bookshelf—impossible to tell beneath its shroud.
"Finally," she breathed, and then her mouth was on his, hungry and desperate.
The kiss was everything their careful public interactions couldn't be—raw need and profound relief. His hands tangled in her hair while hers clutched at his shoulders, pulling him closer.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Elias rested his forehead against hers. "I've been dying to do that all morning."
She smiled. "I've been dying since the moment you left for the hotel."
"Tamira..." He pulled back slightly to look at her, and the emotion in his eyes made her chest tight. "This is torture. Being so close and having to pretend that we are no more than acquaintances."