Heir of Fury

Chapter Ten

Chapter TenIn the morning Zantry made omelets with lots of pepper and cheese. The smell was heavenly, the taste even better. I'd awoke with a start, not because of the loud New York traffic, not because of the sound of Zantry moving around in the apartment. No, it was the wonderful smell of grease hanging in the air, causing my stomach to gurgle and ache that had jolted me awake.

“Stop watching me and eat,” I grumbled, “or you won't find anything left.”

“I enjoy watching you eat, knowing I'm the reason you have that expression of pleasure.”

A blush crept up my neck and I scowled. “Now I'll be conscious of the expressions I make when I eat.”

He chuckled, the sound more wicked than humorous, made more so by the sharp intensity of his eyes. “Is that so? I didn't mean to make you blush.” He lowered his head and dug in then, his loose, wet hair almost brushing his broad shoulders. He'd shaved too, his cheeks smooth, begging to be touched. His shaving kit sat on the bathroom counter, right beside my stuff.

“You can watch me, but I can't watch you?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, payback is a bitch.” I pointed my fork at him. “Do you have a house in the city?”

Another eyebrow went up. “Thinking about giving me the boot already?”

“If you keep watching me while I eat, maybe.”

A smile played over his lips. “Not anymore, I don't.”

“Not anymore?”

“Yeah, as used to in the past but no longer in the present. My absence left the place abandoned for too long. It was confiscated about a decade ago and sold for a good price. A nice family lives there now.” He chuckled at my crestfallen expression. “I have other properties that are still mine, some money tucked in safes here and there. I'm far from homeless and destitute, if that's what you're wondering.”

“I didn't wonder that low. I just wanted to know.” I lowered my eyes and shoveled in more food, conscious of his eyes on me.

“I'm here because I want to be here,” he said quietly, waited for me to look up before continuing, “I stayed here, and hoped you didn't mind, because I wanted to be here when you returned.”

I put my fork down and straightened. “Thank you. I don't mind. In fact, I appreciate it very much.” I didn't know what to make of the array of emotions in his eyes, most of which I couldn't sense in the shifting energy around him or through the bond. He had more control of his emotions than I'd guessed, more than I did.

I picked up my fork, ate another bite of eggs and melted cheese. Because one of the emotions I'd recognized had been guilt, I added in a casual tone, “But you don't have to stay here and safeguard me. Now that I'm back, you can go on with your life, see all the things you missed while you were away in the PSS. What happened to me wasn't your…”

Zantry's eyes narrowed and I trailed off.

“I'm doing exactly what I want to do, Roxanne. I'm exactly where I want to be.” He hesitated a moment before adding, his eyes searching mine. “Unless you want me to go. In that case, or if you need space, I will go.”

“Why?” I scrutinized his tells, my senses open wide, trying to feel him out. “Why do you want to stay here?”

He shrugged. “I enjoy being around you. And you're mine.” A thrill went down my spine, killed by his next words: “I claimed you as part of my clan, however non-existent.”

“That doesn't mean you need to watch out over me, or that you have to live here if you'd rather not.”

“No, that's not what I meant. I'm fairly sure you can take care of yourself on your own. Especially after all these years with Remo. I'm here simply because I enjoy your company, nothing else. I just want to stay close to you.”

Because his words stirred something in me I didn't want to acknowledge in his presence, I put on the sarcastic. “Put it like that, I can use the company.” I raised a finger and added sternly, “But the moment you turn caveman or start nagging that I should come home early, you get the boot.”

He fisted a hand over his heart. “I promise I'm not going to bash you on the head with a club and drag you home by the hair.”