Page 44 of Immortal by Morning (Argeneau #37)

Crispin’s panicked voice reached the kitchen a heartbeat before he did. That panic was also on his face, until Lucian pointed

her way and he spotted her still in the corner between the window and the refrigerator.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked with surprise, hurrying over to catch her arm and usher her toward the hall, making sure to position himself be tween her and the windows. “You should not be out here now that the blinds are open.”

“I know,” she said with a little exasperation. “But I was thirsty. I also got us some snacks. I thought we could eat them

while we watch a movie,” she told him and when he glanced at her empty hands, she said, “I already took the snacks into the

office, but the drinks are on the island and I didn’t get glasses or ice cubes.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, I put your suitcase and overnight bag in the bathroom across the hall from your office so that you can change

and do whatever women do before bed in there when you are ready. But in the meantime, a movie sounds good.”

“Actually, I think I’ll take a quick shower and put on some pj’s now to be comfy while we watch the movie,” she announced,

breaking off from him to enter the bathroom as they reached it. “That way if I fall asleep during the movie I won’t have to

wake up enough to do it then.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Crispin said with amusement. “I will go back and get the drinks while you do that then.”

“Okay,” she said lightly, and smiled at him before easing the bathroom door closed. She waited until she heard his footsteps

moving away up the hall, and then turned to peer at the items he’d set beside the sink counter.

As he’d said, Crispin had brought both her suitcase and her overnight bag, and both were full.

He hadn’t just packed her clothes, which were very neatly folded by the way, he’d also gathered all her items from the bathroom, from her toothbrush and Waterpik, to her face soap and lotions.

She didn’t think he’d missed a thing. Not only was the man fast, but he appeared to be as detail oriented as she was, Abril thought to herself as she turned on the shower.

Abril wasn’t someone to relax and take her time over her bedtime ritual. She was usually exhausted by the time she started

it, and rushed through everything to get it done and get to bed. It was no different tonight. Not because she was exhausted,

but because she knew Crispin was probably waiting for her. All told, she probably only took fifteen minutes in the bathroom,

and that included her shower. She then closed up her suitcases and set them in the hall just so the bathroom wouldn’t be so

cramped when he wanted to use it.

Pulling the bathroom door closed, Abril then hesitated outside the closed door to her office, suddenly shy about entering.

“Stop dillydallying and get in your office,” Lucian suddenly barked from the kitchen.

“Oh my God!” Abril snapped as she reached for the door handle. “Is it possible to have any privacy at all around you people?”

“No,” Lucian said promptly.

Glaring at the back of his head where he sat at the island, she opened her office door and entered.

“Lucian can be difficult,” Crispin told her with sympathy, letting the blinds slide back into place from where he’d tugged

them aside to look out at the side yard where the excavations were taking place.

Abril pushed the door closed and shrugged. “He’s not as scary as he thinks he is.”

Crispin’s eyebrows rose slightly and amusement pulled at his lips. “He will be crushed to hear that, I am sure. I am also

sure most people would not agree with you.”

“Most people didn’t grow up with my father, Agustin, and Agustin’s father,” she said dryly as she crossed to the bed and then stood there uncertainly.

“I like your pajamas. They are quite nice,” he said after watching her get settled. He was still hovering by the blinds that

covered the sliding doors, looking like he didn’t know what to do with himself she noted, but smiled faintly at the compliment.

She was wearing pajamas she’d got from Costco that consisted of long pajama bottoms in a pretty pale green and pink floral

design, a sleeveless top with a green and white lattice pattern on it, and a housecoat that matched the pajama bottoms. She

thought it was attractive, but it was also comfortable. It was something she wouldn’t be self-conscious about wearing around

the house, despite the men presently filling it. That was part of the reason she’d chosen it. But she’d also chosen it over

the sexier, slinkier nightgowns she’d brought with her because Lucian had ordered Crispin to remain with her tonight. She

hadn’t wanted him to think she was intending to jump him or something.

Not that she was opposed to them making out again. In fact, the very idea sent tingles through her body. But she didn’t want

to seem too forward or fast. Besides, now that she knew Lucian would no doubt hear every sound that came from her office,

she was thinking that making out might not be a good idea.

Apparently taking the fact that she hadn’t yet got into bed as a sign that she was uncomfortable, he offered, “I can spend

the night in your office chair if it would make you more comfortable.”

“No,” Abril said at once. “My desk chair isn’t very comfortable at all. I think Gina bought it with the thought that the discomfort would keep me from falling asleep on the job.”

When Crispin chuckled at the claim, she asked, “You aren’t expected to stay up all night watching the side yard, are you?”

“No. Cassius is in Gina’s office doing that,” Crispin told her.

Abril’s eyes widened and shot to the wall behind her desk. It was the wall between her temporary office and Gina’s. There

was definitely going to be no making out tonight.

“Well, then,” she said, her voice a little squeaky. “There’s no reason for you to sit up all night in my torturous desk chair.

Besides, I wouldn’t be able to sleep with you sitting up, staring at me anyway, I’d feel too guilty. We can share the bed.”

Crispin nodded, and then glanced from the office door to the blinds covering the large window on the outer wall, before saying,

“I am not sure which side of the bed you prefer, but I think it would be better if I sleep on the side closest to the window

just in case the intruder does try to break in through this room.”

Abril nodded, and then removed the robe covering her pajama set, and quickly tugged the sheet and blanket aside and climbed into bed on the side closest to the office door.

She settled on that side with her pillow stacked behind her back so that she could watch Netflix on her computer and then realized she couldn’t turn the movie on from where she was.

Tossing the sheet and blanket aside, she shifted to her knees and crawled to the end of the bed to grab her mouse off her desktop.

She then crawled quickly back to her original position and pulled the sheet and blanket back over her before glancing to Crispin.

He had sat down on the end of the bed and was removing his shoes and socks. He then stood, turned toward the bed, and hesitated.

“You aren’t going to sleep in your clothes, are you?” she asked. “Didn’t Lucian say something about Roberts bringing your

go bag? Doesn’t it have pajamas in it?”

“No pajamas,” he said apologetically as he shrugged out of his suit jacket.

Abril considered him, but when he then started to climb onto the end of the bed, she said, “You are not going to be comfortable

enough to sleep in your shirt and pants. You’ll also wrinkle them terribly.” She hesitated, and then finally said, “You could

just sleep in your boxers. I trust you.”

Crispin raised one eyebrow. “And how would you know that I wear—” He paused for the briefest moment and then smiled wryly.

“Right, you changed my laundry from the washer to the dryer after the pool incident.”

Abril nodded with a grin. “I thought they were adorable.”

She wasn’t surprised when Crispin blushed. His boxers had cartoon ducks on them and the words butt quack on the back down the middle.

“My sister will appreciate that. They were a gift from her last Christmas. She has an interesting sense of humor and would

feel injured if I did not wear them.”

Abril chuckled at the claim, but felt a tinge of melancholy that she didn’t have a relationship like that with her own sister. Or any of her siblings for that matter. She was kind of jealous actually.

Turning toward her desktop monitor, she fiddled with the mouse briefly to give him privacy as he stripped off his shirt and

pants, and commented, “It sounds like you have a good relationship with your siblings. You humor your sister, and seem to

get along with Cassius too.”

“I am close with all my siblings,” Crispin admitted, sounding distracted, and she could hear the rustle of clothing as he

undressed. She didn’t dare glance at him until the bed depressed as he climbed into it. She sensed rather than saw when he

then pulled the sheet and blanket over to cover himself.

When she finally looked over, he was adjusting his own pillow behind his back. Her gaze swam over his beautiful naked chest,

and then she quickly forced her gaze back to the monitor to avoid the possibility of drooling like a dog over a biscuit. The

thought brought Lilith to her mind though, and concern immediately licked at her. Turning to him, she asked, “How much longer

until this Valorie person gets here?”

“I am not sure,” Crispin admitted solemnly. “But I am sure she will be here as quickly as she can. I am also sure that Lilith

will be all right. I stopped to check on her while I was gathering our items and her breathing seems fine. She appears to

simply be sleeping.”

Abril gave him a grateful smile, her eyes traveling downward of their own volition to caress his chest. Damn, it was fine!

It was just as beautiful dry as it had been in the pool. Mouthwateringly so. Giving her head a shake, she forced herself to

look at the monitor again and asked, “What kind of movies do you like?”

Crispin finally finished arranging his pillow to his liking, and then glanced toward the monitor. “I am not sure. I have not spent a lot of time watching movies and such. Only occasionally when my younger sister stayed with me.”

“What kind of movies do you watch with your sister?” she asked with curiosity.

“Cartoons when she was a child. Horror when she was a teenager. But lately she appears to be into what she calls tragic romances.”

“Tragic romances, huh?” Abril asked, trying not to wince.

Crispin nodded. “Although, I will never understand why she likes to watch things that make her cry.”

Abril smiled faintly. “Yeah, I’ve never understood why people would want to watch those myself. Life is sad enough without

adding something else to cry about.”

He grunted an agreement and then offered, “I did enjoy Pixels when we watched it though.”

Abril kept that in mind as she glanced through the movies available on Netflix until her gaze landed on Mr. Right . Clicking on it, she said, “You might like this. I do. I guess we’ll see if you do.”