Page 29 of Feeding Frenzy (Crimson Coven #3)

TWENTY-NINE

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The hallway exiting the bedroom was long and winding. Other doors littered the halls, but they remained closed.

“There are so many rooms.”

“All empty other than beds,” Asher announced cheerfully. “Yours is the only one fully furnished.” He kept pulling me after him, but fortunately, I’d gotten him to slow down.

“How big is this place?”

“This is the fourth floor. There are three levels with this same layout, barring the room I’m about to show you, and then the first floor, which is different.”

My bare feet padded across the smooth wood surface of the floor. The slap, slap, slap of my feet echoed down the bare, unfurnished hall. A dead end came up, and at the sharp right there was a narrow staircase. I only had a peek of the steps, because he pulled me past them and into the adjacent hall, heading directly for the two doors facing us. They were wider than all the others I’d seen, but just as tall.

He peeked over his shoulder to grin at me.

An antsiness hovering over my psyche spilled through my veins. Excitement. Genuine excitement I had not experienced in so long—or maybe ever—at least not at this level. Asher’s grin was infectious.

“This is your new office,” he announced and yanked down the handles to push the doors open with a flourish. The flush-mount ceiling fixture smack in the middle of the office was wide enough to cast soft light over the entire space. The brightness flared and then dimmed again.

“It’s adjustable.” Asher stood by the door, fiddling with the round knob. “Now that you’re a vampire, it’ll be easier on the eyes. Not going to lie, this one was Ren’s idea.” He pursed his lips, chagrined. He stopped messing with the dial and left it at a lower setting.

I grinned and bounced onto my toes to throw my arms around his neck. They’d put thought into the room. He laughed, arms banding around my back. Just as quickly, I let him go, wanting to scope the room out.

“No way,” I breathed, staring.

Now this, this was definitely my style.

Unlike the rest of the house, the wood floors were a lighter gray, and the walls were a cream shade, including the floor to ceiling bookshelves . . . and the ladder with wheels at the base to reach the higher points of the shelves.

Although I wrote, I’d never collected books, it would have been too difficult to tote them around while on the run. As it was, the small number of items I took place to place was difficult to handle.

Writing had always been an outlet I could sink into, and second to that was reading, but I seldom had enough time for it. But not now that I had forever.

Emotion clogged my throat, and I squeezed Asher’s hand. He grunted and I loosened my grip sheepishly. I peeked up at him under my eyelashes. He studied me with a soft expression.

“I love you,” the words spilled from his perfect, pouty lips in a rush. His eyes widened and pink flushed the bridge of his nose and spread to his cheeks.

I struggled to spit words out, but I could only gawk.

Asher grimaced, his eyes shifting side to side. I’d never seen him so discombobulated. It smacked me out of my daze, and I threw my arms around his neck again. His arms slowly slipped around my back and his nose nestled into the crook of my neck. He breathed in audibly.

The thick knot in my throat didn’t allow me to say anything. I attributed it to fear and emotions. I squeezed him tighter, and he mimicked my grip.

“You keep rubbing against me like that, I’m going to fuck you before I show you the best part,” he said gruffly.

Thank God, I was about to fall apart in Asher’s arms.

“All you think about is sex.” I rolled my eyes, trying to make light of the heavy moment. He seemed more relaxed now that we moved away from the topic.

“You’re much too delicious not to,” Asher grumbled and turned me in a circle to face the wall beside the doors. There was another floor to ceiling shelf, but this one had a row with books already neatly organized.

“Those . . . I wrote those.” Blood flooded my cheeks. “How did you find out my pen name.”

He grinned.

“You guys had me investigated?” I asked sharply.

“Just some light invasion, Pet, nothing to get your panties in a twist over.” I glared. “That aunt of yours was nothing more than a figure head.” He tsked. “You’ve been relying on yourself for much too long.”

I raised Peter. I’d been all he could rely on.

“I don’t blame her for needing to focus on her family,” I mumbled, walking over to the shelf. Asher leaned his shoulder against the side of it. He plucked one of the books from the shelf.

He wiggled his eyebrow up and down, waving the man chest cover toward my face.

“I’m a little jealous, but I’ll let it be.” He sniffled in sharply.

“Pft.” I plucked it from his fingers and tucked it back in place. I turned away from the probing glances. I felt raw and flayed open. I licked my lips and took my time taking in the rest of the room. Asher didn’t stop watching me, and it made me more self-conscious than I anticipated.

No windows.

My tastes swung more along the basic spectrum. Neat, simple, and elegant were good descriptors of my fashion sense.

Deep burgundy accents littered the room. The chair behind the desk, the abstract rose painting on the wall. I ran my finger along the smooth surface of the cream-colored desk.

“You will no longer have to worry about a thing. We will take care of you.”

The words felt like he’d reached inside me and squeezed my stomach. I used the desk as a prop for my suddenly weak knees. The part that couldn’t rely on anyone for so long writhed inside me, frightened. But the much larger part in me that craved belonging, swelled.

“Stop,” I muttered, not facing him. His thumb rubbed my cheek.

“How long have you been planning this?” Jax’s sharp voice sliced through my musings.

When I turned, Jax stood an inch from Asher, not looking happy. Asher didn’t seem bothered by his brother’s ire. He lifted his hand to inspect and pick at the cuticle.

“While you were up Imogen’s ass,” he drawled.

Jax stiffened. The bunch of his arm, the cording of his neck. He was going to hit Asher. I moved forward too quickly. My head spun, but I managed to catch Jax’s fist, before it slammed into Asher’s face.

“Do not start fighting in here,” I chastised. “You ruin one inch of this office and I’m—” Jax raised an eyebrow. “You won’t like what I do.” I poked my nose higher in the air, but instead of looking intimidated, Jax only smiled. He tapped the tip of my nose.

I scowled up at him, pouting my lower lip out.

“Are you two good now?” Asher’s eyes seemed too bright.

“Yes.”

“Trial basis.”

Jax and I spoke at the same time. I glared at him. “Mighty sure of yourself, bloodsucker.”

“Determined.”

“What have you done with my twin?” Asher gasped, pressing his hand to his chest.

“Don’t get too excited,” I mumbled, tossing them a warning look and backed away to continue taking in my new desk. My laptop sat on the surface, ready and waiting for me.

“When did you have time to do all this?” Jax asked, pacing the room as he took everything in.

“Ren helped and we tasked a vampire we knew would have nothing to do with Imogen. Talia was too busy to burden with all this.” Asher turned to me. “You’ll meet Baron later; she helped us get everything organized.”

“Baron?” Jax snapped, multiple expressions sifted over his features, all of them negative. He turned toward me and was next to me in the next second. He took my hand and yanked me to face him. I caught myself before smacking nose-first into his chest.

“I didn’t fuck her.”

I blinked up at him. “Ever.”

“Uh, okay,” I said hesitantly.

His lips pursed.

“I have never and will never care for another but you, Catalina.”

I frowned up at him. He seemed desperate to make me believe it.

“You’re seeming more suspicious with your passion, Jaxon,” Asher chortled.

“You should not have chosen her to help,” Jax snapped.

“I had to work quickly.” Asher sobered up, his lips twisting.

“Some more explanation would be nice?”

Jax let my hand go after a quick squeeze.

“She’s someone I turned.” I knew that bit.

“What are you trying to get at here, Jax,” I asked wryly.

He ran his palm over his face. More than anything, his reaction put me on edge.

Asher tossed his arm over my shoulder.

“He’s nervous,” Asher whispered exaggeratedly into my ear. Jax sneered at Asher. “I had a talk with her. She knows to be on good behavior.”

They both looked chagrined.

“Fine,” Jax muttered.

Asher was right, this was definitely a new Jax.

“I want to see the rest of the house.”

“Your wish is my command,” Asher said, hooking an arm with mine and pulling me from my new office.