Cinaed was scowling, but he quickly checked out the place, looking for lurking demons probably. Lucian’s face was likewise showing his contempt for her humble office as he closed the front door behind him. Sure, it wasn’t a luxurious dragon castle in the sky, but come on… she did mostly pro-bono work for the abused. What did he expect?
Rachel’s mouth was hanging open. “Holy hell,” she breathed. Then she dropped her voice. “I thought you were fighting the flu, not winning the man lottery.” It was spoken in a whisper-hiss to Arabella, but it wasn’t like the place was big enough that the men wouldn’t also hear.
“They’re my bodyguards, Rach,” she hissed back. The last thing she needed was Rachel lusting after dragon-shifters. That was not a conversation she wanted to have. “I told you about them on the phone.”
“Yeah, but day-um, girl.” She couldn’t be any more obvious.
Cinaed threw a smirk to Lucian, but his expression was unchanged. He glanced back at the front door and ran a hand along the broken-and-repaired door frame around it. The hinges were shiny compared to the dull gleam of the metal trim—they’d had an irate ex-boyfriend kick it in six months ago. Yeah, it looked like shit, but it was twice as secure now.
Lucian’s judgmental look was getting under her skin. “It may not look like much, but it keeps out the riff-raff.” She folded her arms and challenged him with a lift of her chin.
But he just tipped his head to her and spoke to Cinaed. “I’m a little concerned.”
The man looked affronted. “The only one to worry is the one who dares enter without my blessing.”
Lucian smiled a little. “Don’t leave us a mess, Cinaed.”
Cinaed rolled his eyes, but then his gaze landed on Rachel, who seemed to stop breathing because of it. He pulled in a breath of his own and let it out slow. “I’ll do my best to stay out of trouble’s way.”
Oh no. Was Lucian’s right-hand-man putting the moves on her friend? Arabella unlocked her arms and was about to stride over to break up whatever spell Cinaed was casting on Rachel, but Lucian stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
He dipped his head to whisper in her ear, and that fixed her in her spot faster than almost anything on the planet could. “I’ll make arrangements to forward some funds to your account right away.”
What? She pulled back to look at him. “But we haven’t finished…” She didn’t really want to talk about their little agreement in front of Rachel, not that her friend was paying any attention—she’d already fallen down the rabbit hole of staring into Cinaed’s green eyes.
“Call it an advance,” he said quietly, just for the two of them. “You need better security for the work you do here.”
She couldn’t argue with that. In fact, she’d already mentally earmarked Lucian’s money-promise for a close-circuit camera and a security alarm system. Assuming she could get any kind of private security company to come to this part of town.
The soft look Lucian was giving her, combined with the promise of support… her skin was heating again, but it wasn’t anger or irritation. “Thanks.” She swallowed down the awkwardness. “You better get going.”
There was a pinch of disappointment in his eyes, which made her cringe. She didn’t want to appear ungrateful. He leaned back and spoke louder, for Cinaed’s benefit. “I’ll return soon.”
That seemed to break the spell of whatever staring contest he and Rachel were engaged in. Thank God.
Cinaed nodded. “We’ll be here.”
Lucian gave her one last look before slipping out the door. It closed solidly behind him. Arabella went to set the locks, then turned back to Rachel and Cinaed.
“So you’re a bodyguard, huh?” Rachel was asking, practically drooling on their cheap linoleum.
Oh, dear God. Here it comes. Rachel’s patented love-em-hard-and-leave-em routine.
Cinaed had a half smile on his face, eyes alight for her. “At the moment, yes.”
“You can guard my body any—”
“Okay, that’s enough.” Arabella cut her off before Rachel could arrange a hookup of her own while Lucian was off having his hookup. Everyone was having sex but her. Which was fine—she’d long ago given up on that being a thing for her—but she really didn’t need the reminder.
“What?” Rachel asked as Arabella strode over and grasped onto her arm.
She tugged her best friend, practically a sister to her, toward the office, but directed her words to Cinaed. “Please excuse us a moment.”
Cinaed’s flirtatious look dissolved into a slightly alarmed one. “I’m not to leave you unattended.”