unnerving,” she said.
“Everything about the animal is. Rogan loved the beast, so I advise you not to trust it.”
“Can you trust a cat? I mean, like, ever?”
He chuckled, stood and offered her the chair.
She was tempted. Her shoulders ached. Her legs throbbed. She glanced at her watch and discovered that her nine-thousand-dollar Franck Muller had stopped working. She had no idea how long she’d been here, trapped in the castle or perhaps even in this dream, but the experience had drained the last of her energy. She dropped to the ground, and sitting, as her nanny used to say, “crisscross, applesauce,” she stared up at Damon, who looked entirely shocked by her collapse.
“Please, my lady,” he said, extending his hand.
“Sit down,” she said, crossing her arms.
“I will not allow you to sit on the floor.”
“See, that’s the best part of the twenty-first century. You don’t get to allow me to do anything. I make my own choices. And I’m tired. And right this second, I’m comfortable, so I’m not moving.” He scowled, so she added, “But I thank you for your concern over my comfort. Sometimes, it just feels right to sit on the floor.”
After a moment of deep consideration, Damon plopped down beside her and, after examining her position, twisted his limbs until he was sitting in the same fashion. “I do believe I was much younger the last time I attempted this.”
Alexa tried not to laugh. “I’ll see to it that my next Crown Chandler property offers daily yoga. You’ll enjoy it.”
He shook his head. “There are so many words you speak that I do not understand. Plastic. Yoga. Car. That’s how you knew how to heal my shoulder. The accident in the…car?”
Alexa yawned. “It’s a mode of transportation. A horseless carriage.”
Damon’s brow arched. “This I’d like to see.”
She shook her head. “Not on this island. We’ll probably use golf carts.”
His face reflected his additional questions, but he remained silent.
Alexa grinned and patted him on the knee. “Okay, Damon Forsyth, I get the hint. You’ve got a lot of history to catch up on. Got anything better to do tonight?”
His grin bordered on sinful as his eyes darkened sensually. “That is entirely up to you, my lady.”
She slapped his knee again, this time harder and with obvious denial.
“Then why don’t you magic us up some coffee. It’s time for a history lesson, and two hundred and sixty years’ worth will clearly take us the rest of the night.”
Nine
“This ruler of yours, also George, you’re sure he’s not the king?”
Alexa instantly burst into laughter, leaving Damon to wonder what he’d said that was so amusing. He was merely making an assessment based on the facts she’d provided. Over the course of the night, he’d done precisely as she’d asked, conjuring a collection of cushions on the floor for them to lie upon while they imbibed pot after pot of brewed coffee, a drink he’d learned to appreciate during his travels to Italy. As they drank, he listened while she ran down the basics of technological and political advancement over the past three centuries. Her knowledge of the British, outside their failed battle to squelch the revolution of the colonists, was less than comprehensive, and yet she was laughing at him ? He failed to see the reason for her amusement.
She noticed his displeasure and quickly rebounded. “I’m sorry, Damon. Honestly, you’re not the first person to ask that question and you likely won’t be the last. But unlike in a monarchy, we have—”
“Elections. Yes, I understand your two-party system and the basics of a representative democracy. Thank you. Perhaps we should take a break from any further explanation of politics,” he said, sliding his empty china cup away from where he’d reclined on the carpet surrounded by thick, tasseled pillows. The setting he’d conjured using Rogan’s magic was much more conducive to seduction than instruction,
“Everything about the animal is. Rogan loved the beast, so I advise you not to trust it.”
“Can you trust a cat? I mean, like, ever?”
He chuckled, stood and offered her the chair.
She was tempted. Her shoulders ached. Her legs throbbed. She glanced at her watch and discovered that her nine-thousand-dollar Franck Muller had stopped working. She had no idea how long she’d been here, trapped in the castle or perhaps even in this dream, but the experience had drained the last of her energy. She dropped to the ground, and sitting, as her nanny used to say, “crisscross, applesauce,” she stared up at Damon, who looked entirely shocked by her collapse.
“Please, my lady,” he said, extending his hand.
“Sit down,” she said, crossing her arms.
“I will not allow you to sit on the floor.”
“See, that’s the best part of the twenty-first century. You don’t get to allow me to do anything. I make my own choices. And I’m tired. And right this second, I’m comfortable, so I’m not moving.” He scowled, so she added, “But I thank you for your concern over my comfort. Sometimes, it just feels right to sit on the floor.”
After a moment of deep consideration, Damon plopped down beside her and, after examining her position, twisted his limbs until he was sitting in the same fashion. “I do believe I was much younger the last time I attempted this.”
Alexa tried not to laugh. “I’ll see to it that my next Crown Chandler property offers daily yoga. You’ll enjoy it.”
He shook his head. “There are so many words you speak that I do not understand. Plastic. Yoga. Car. That’s how you knew how to heal my shoulder. The accident in the…car?”
Alexa yawned. “It’s a mode of transportation. A horseless carriage.”
Damon’s brow arched. “This I’d like to see.”
She shook her head. “Not on this island. We’ll probably use golf carts.”
His face reflected his additional questions, but he remained silent.
Alexa grinned and patted him on the knee. “Okay, Damon Forsyth, I get the hint. You’ve got a lot of history to catch up on. Got anything better to do tonight?”
His grin bordered on sinful as his eyes darkened sensually. “That is entirely up to you, my lady.”
She slapped his knee again, this time harder and with obvious denial.
“Then why don’t you magic us up some coffee. It’s time for a history lesson, and two hundred and sixty years’ worth will clearly take us the rest of the night.”
Nine
“This ruler of yours, also George, you’re sure he’s not the king?”
Alexa instantly burst into laughter, leaving Damon to wonder what he’d said that was so amusing. He was merely making an assessment based on the facts she’d provided. Over the course of the night, he’d done precisely as she’d asked, conjuring a collection of cushions on the floor for them to lie upon while they imbibed pot after pot of brewed coffee, a drink he’d learned to appreciate during his travels to Italy. As they drank, he listened while she ran down the basics of technological and political advancement over the past three centuries. Her knowledge of the British, outside their failed battle to squelch the revolution of the colonists, was less than comprehensive, and yet she was laughing at him ? He failed to see the reason for her amusement.
She noticed his displeasure and quickly rebounded. “I’m sorry, Damon. Honestly, you’re not the first person to ask that question and you likely won’t be the last. But unlike in a monarchy, we have—”
“Elections. Yes, I understand your two-party system and the basics of a representative democracy. Thank you. Perhaps we should take a break from any further explanation of politics,” he said, sliding his empty china cup away from where he’d reclined on the carpet surrounded by thick, tasseled pillows. The setting he’d conjured using Rogan’s magic was much more conducive to seduction than instruction,
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