“Ahoy, matey. Going sailing?” Although I was still mindful of his sudden change in temper earlier in the evening, I couldn’t help but push it a little. That was my nature.

He put his arm around me, a gesture so familiar and strong that I had to force myself to pull away. He paid no mind to my reaction. “I was just brushing up on my defense. Roger is a wonderful fencer, aren’t you, Roger?”

The guard nodded sharply. “It’s Robert, sir. And yes, I am.”

I didn’t engage myself in the conversation and flipped a few pages in the magazine.

Cyrus leaned in close under the pretense of reading over my shoulder. “That’s quite an interesting look. I’ve never cared for women with too much eye makeup, but it certainly would look striking on you.”

“I’ll have to remember that in case I ever feel compelled to impress you.”

Despite my best efforts, I felt my body react to the pull of the blood tie. Everything about him seemed appealing, pirate shirt aside. He smelled wonderful. He felt even better pressed to my side. Then I thought of him with Dahlia. He’d been doing God knew what with her all day, slipping away periodically to “check” on me. I wasn’t hurt by his unfaithfulness, and rather surprised myself for expecting fidelity in the first place.

I flipped another page, hoping to cover my emotions with sarcasm. “Captain Hook called. He wants his shirt back.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re angry with me.”

There was no denying it. He could feel it through the blood tie. “Yeah, actually, I kind of am.”

“Because of our fight?” He circled his arm around my shoulders again, holding me fast when I tried to shrug him off. “All couples fight. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Couple? “I was single last time I checked.”

He smiled and twisted a strand of my hair around his index finger. “Then why are you so upset that I spent time with Dahlia?”

I sniffed. “Am I that transparent?”

“It’s not hard to tell. Jealously is practically radiating off of you.” He put his hand on my knee. “You’re aware of the role Dahlia plays here.”

“Executive knob polisher?”

“That’s a rather crude way of putting it, but yes. There’s no need to feel threatened by her. You’re my blood.”

“How can I help but be threatened by her? She’s your favorite.” I pushed him away and got up.

He looked me up and down, not bothering to disguise his lustful stare. Turtleneck or not, I felt naked. I covered my face in frustration. “Never mind. You won’t understand. I hate being jealous and you aren’t even listening.”

“I am listening,” he insisted.

“No,” I said as I ran a hand over my hair. “I’m just being stupid. I’ve been trained since birth to be competitive and Dahlia brings out the worst in me. But you’re not helping.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way. Let me make it up to you,” he suggested, standing to guide me back to the couch.