Page 61 of Night’s Fall (The Four Realms #1)

“We’ve run into some trouble with Mardel’s schedule.

We thought we could get him out of a commitment, but they were having none of it.

Bodi is dedicated to Mardel for the part, so now, I’m afraid, everything’s going to have to be pushed back six weeks, giving him time to see to this other project.

We’ll have a new shooting schedule, shooting around him for two weeks before he can join us.

But he’s our hero, that’s all we can do before we have him on set.

Unfortunately , we’ve no choice but to postpone production. ”

I was sure this was bad news for him, but it was crazy good news for me, and it came with the best timing in the history of the world.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, not sounding very sorry at all.

The thing was, Dyt didn’t seem sorry either.

“It’s a nuisance, but this kind of thing happens all the time.”

He wasn’t wrong about that. This had happened on other productions I’d worked on.

Scheduling talent was a nightmare.

The weird part about this was, normally, some assistant would comm, or they’d just send me a mail to explain things.

“It’s my understanding you have the fittings scheduled.

We’ll carry on with them unless you need to postpone them too.

You have time,” Dyt continued. “ And can I say, we are just so delighted with your recent mating. Thus , we’re thrilled that this nuisance can be a boon for you as we’re sure you need some time to get used to your new situation. ”

I was such an idiot.

I’d been so in the thick of all that was happening in my life, I hadn’t realized practically everyone else was in the thick of it too.

I was carving out time to spend on watching social tapes, and it hadn’t escaped my notice that the work I’d done before was being alternately exalted and reviled, and this meant more people were watching those vids and shows so they could have an opinion.

Not to mention, there was quite a bit of speculation about my work on the current vid, which was nothing but good PR for Dyt and Bodi .

“That’s very kind of you,” I said.

“We’ve found a little wiggle room in the budget, so we’d also like to offer you the use of a personal assistant on the production. Someone qualified to see to your duties if you should be called away.”

What he meant was, they were worried my new situation might make me quit, and in order to keep me and what I offered their vid by being the new me, even though they were going to bleed money on this postponement, they were finding some to give me a personal assistant I didn’t need ( I’d have two assistants when it came to dressing the actors) so I wouldn’t quit.

However, I was not going to let the weird feeling he was so blatantly kissing my behind stand in the way of a good thing.

“This would be lovely,” I told him. “ I must admit, things are very busy for me.”

“Of course, of course,” he intoned. “ And you’ll be directly involved in hiring.”

“I appreciate that.”

“And we appreciate you.”

“Thank you for personally sharing this information,” I said. “ But I’m afraid I need to let you go. I have a busy afternoon.”

He chuckled, and if he twiddled his fingers like a mad, greedy business mogul, I wouldn’t be surprised, as he saw the future of the credit line he was tapping for this production expand when beings flocked to the vid I designed the costumes for, partially because of what I was busy doing that day.

“Indeed, you do. Thank you for taking my comm, Laura .”

“My pleasure, Dyt .”

He smiled blindingly.

I disconnected.

“Kiss ass,” Antheme muttered.

I burst out laughing.

Oh yes.

I totally loved when Antheme was Antheme .

“I suppose I have to get used to that kind of thing,” I remarked.

“As far as I can tell, Aleksei is the total shit. That male has it all together. But I think his greatest talent is not hurling when people line up to try to shove their noses up his ass.”

I watched as she descended to land in front of the gleaming, black, severe, one-hundred-and-fifty story, pointed spear of the famous Spire Building .

It was new, only about a year old, and had changed the skyline of Nocturn in what I thought was an awesome way.

Was Aleksei’s office in the Spire ?

This question led me to the uncomfortable realization that we’d been together for weeks, and I didn’t know where Aleksei’s office was. Or , really, what he did in it.

Because I hadn’t asked.

Oh gods.

Was I making us all about me?

“A sobering thought,” I murmured in reply to Antheme , but it was also a note to self, as she set down on a spot on the street that had indisputably been cleared just for us.

“ My life has changed a lot in a short period of time,” I pointed out the obvious (considering that spot was indication of just that).

The craft powered down, and I noticed members of my detail positioned outside the building. I usually had four, including Antheme , Fannon , Diablo and Geleena .

Fannon was coming toward my door, when Antheme spoke.

“You’re doing great.”

I turned to her. “ You think?”

“Aleksei’s a male I could get a serious hard-on for,” she stated bluntly.

I couldn’t stop my surprised chirp of laughter.

“But I’d never do it,” she continued. “ Even before he found you, because getting involved with my charge screws with my ability to do my job. Also , he isn’t into females like me, so I’d never have the shot.

But mostly, his life is a nightmare. You either gotta get off on the attention, like the princess did, or you’re in for a world of hassle.

You didn’t have a choice. You had to accept the hassle.

Honestly , I didn’t think you had it in you.

But you do. And you make him happy on top of that. So a double score.”

It meant a lot more to me than I would have expected, having Antheme’s approval.

I didn’t say that because she wouldn’t care.

Instead, I said, “ You really don’t beat around the bush, do you?”

“Nope.” She said that hilariously popping the P .

I laughed again as she jutted her chin toward my side window and my door opened.

I caused quite a stir, not only on the pavement, but in the busy lobby of the Spire , and it wasn’t the first time I noted how uncomfortable it was to simply walk through a space and be the object of everyone’s attention.

I totally got what Antheme was saying.

And I couldn’t imagine how Anna would like this kind of thing all the time.

Of course, we didn’t bother with any of the public areas.

Instead, I was directed around a corner to a private lift.

“The hand thing again,” Antheme said once we were in it.

I put my hand on the palm plate, felt the prick, smiled to myself that Aleksei had programmed me in to get to his office, and the lift zoomed upward.

The doors opened to Muriel , who smiled, came out from behind her console desk and took charge of me. After giving me a warm cheek brush, she guided me to a set of stairs, and up them, to the next floor.

From the view, I assumed it was the one-hundred-and-fiftieth one, just below the pinnacle of the spear.

The entire floor being Aleksei’s office.

Plush, charcoal-gray carpet.

Another console desk, this one lacquered black and massive.

Interesting art on plinths situated in the perfect spots.

A holo conference table that was twice as big as the one in his office at home.

Three-hundred-sixty degrees of the view of the city.

Aleksei rose from his desk, smiling at me.

I didn’t go to him.

Feeling a little shy and a lot like a bad mate, I went to a window, tucked my clutch under my arm and crossed both of them, staring at Nocturn , the off-coast islands, the Sceptred Isle and the white caps waxing and waning on the blue of the Dolphin Sea .

This wasn’t Prince Aleksei’s office.

This was Aleksei Knightstar’s office.

He earned this.

I turned to him to see he was resting a thigh against his desk, and his arms were crossed too, but his eyes weren’t to the view. They were on me.

That tall, broad, handsome man casually leaning on his expensive desk belonged here.

Because he worked to put himself here.

“So, you don’t have an office in the Spire Building , you have the office,” I remarked.

“That’s what happens when you own the building.”

Of course he owned it.

“So, I’m not meeting you at your office because your day is busy and it helps you out. I’ve met you here because you’re a big showoff,” I quipped.

His grin was cocky (and panty melting). “ I’m always busy, darling. But I’m also showing off.”

I turned back to the view.

He had a lot to show off.

“I know about the dock project on Thoth , but what do you do that gets you an office like this?” I asked.

He didn’t hesitate to reply. “ I have three arms of interest. Commercial real estate, development and lettings. Other construction projects. And tech with a focus on communications. For instance, one of my labs developed that tablet I gave you.”

Of course it did.

I looked back at him and asked quietly, “ I can’t believe I didn’t know this. Has it been always all about me?”

His expression grew soft. “ Darling , for me, everything is always all about you.”

So sweet.

“You know what I mean,” I replied.

“I’d say you have a fair bit more to get used to in a life with me than I do having you in my life.”

This was true.

Even so.

“But on the whole, no. It hasn’t always been about you,” he finished.

That was being kind.

I mean, I didn’t even know he owned the Spire and had his office there.

“You’re pretty fascinating, Aleksei .” I indicated the room with a sweep of my arm. “ I’ve been missing out.”

“Most people think what I do is tremendously boring. They’re only interested in the amount of money I make doing it.”

“Well…” I said no more but I did make a show of taking in his incredible office, something his money bought him.

He chuckled.

I walked to him, tossed my clutch on his desk and rested my hands to his chest, my weight into them, as he curled his long fingers around my hips.

“I’m duly impressed,” I said.

“I hope so,” he replied.