Fucking someone at work, for Etienne, had always been akin to shitting where one ate; it was something he had never done, and it was why he had been determined to have another night with Spencer without having to reveal himself.
But now that the truth had come out...
Etienne pressed the doorbell of apartment 7A, and a moment later, he heard the distinct voice of Spencer's roommate say, "I think I'm hallucinating, Spence."
"Huh?" He listened to her footsteps as her scent grew stronger. "What are you talking about?"
"I went to see if it was the 7B kid pranking us again, but..."
A few moments later, he heard Spencer gasp. "What the---"
"So it really is him?" the other girl squeaked. "Let me see---oh, shit, it really is him!"
Etienne's lips slowly pressed together in an effort to suppress his smile. Although Spencer already knew he wasn't human, it was obvious that she still didn't understand what this truly meant or just how different humans and Caros were.
For one thing, his senses were extraordinarily acute, and in this case it allowed him to her the whispers she and her roommate exchanged despite the thick concrete walls standing between them.
"Let me handle this," he heard Spencer decide.
"Ah."
"What do you mean ah?"
"So Mr. Hirsche is here because of you?"
"It's not---"
"Oh my God. You guys are dating, aren't you?"
"Will you---"
"Who said what first?" Etienne heard Kiernan ask excitedly. "And how?"
"It's nothing like that!" Spencer's mortification was evident in her tone.
"Then how?"
"It's just---"
Etienne thought it prudent to press the doorbell again at that moment, and the sound caused both girls to gasp.
"He doesn't look pissed," Kiernan reported.
The commotion that followed made Etienne imagine the two girls taking alternating turns at looking at him through the peephole, and it was a struggle to keep his face expressionless.
"But I doubt Mr. H is used to waiting---"
"Then go away so I can answer the door," Spencer retorted.
"Not until you answer one question first."
"Oh my God, Kier---"
"Does he know you're in love with him?"
Spencer waited until Kiernan had gone back into her room before grabbing her bag from the couch and flinging the door open. A part of her still wasn't sure whether she wanted her boss to still be waiting outside her apartment, but when her gaze collided with his---
Yup, you're still horribly in love with him.
---and this meant she did want to see Mr. H, even if she wasn't exactly sure it was a good idea to do so.
"Good morning, mi vavli."
Spencer's heart skipped a beat. What language was that, anyway? His voice had always been sexy, like cold, hard, naked ice that could make you shiver for the very best reasons, but ever since he started speaking in that Latin-sounding language of his, well...
She saw his gaze slowly dip down and knew without looking that he could only be staring at her breasts, which had not only grown heavy and swollen at the first sound of his voice but now sported shamelessly erect nipples as well.
Etienne watched Spencer's cheeks turn pink as she quickly crossed her arms over her chest. Too late, he thought. Much, much, too late, after what her roommate Kiernan had unknowingly let slip in his hearing.
"Stop staring at me like that," Spencer muttered. "So it's obvious I find you sexy. It's no big deal."
Things would be much easier if it were true, Etienne thought. But it wasn't, and sometime soon, he would need to figure out what to do about her...feelings, if they turned out to be real.
"Everyone thinks you're sexy." Spencer knew she was blabbing, and even though she hated herself for it, she just couldn't stop herself. "I'd be weird if I didn't---" She bit back a yelp when long, hard fingers suddenly twined with hers.
And then Mr. H started walking, fast, and she had no choice but to catch up or have her boss drag her along with him.
"Will you please let go?" Before I do something I regret, Spencer thought worriedly, like getting turned on just because you're holding my hand.
But her boss only smirked. "Make me."
She let out a gasp. "That's unfair."
"Being born a Caro has nothing to do with fairness, mi vavli."
And there went her heart again, she thought with a mixture of irritation and giddiness. Why did his voice always end up sounding a hundred times sexier whenever he spoke that unknown language of his? She had actually tried getting Google to translate it last night, but absolutely nothing had come up.
"What does it mean?" she could no longer keep herself from asking as they descended the stairs of her apartment.
"Nothing you'd like to know," he said smoothly, "for now at least."
"You just said that to drive me crazy, didn't you?"
"Does it?"
"You know it does," she growled.
"Good."
"No." And because she was just stubborn that way, she tried tugging her hand out of his hold again."It's not---"
"I enjoy driving you crazy," Etienne murmured. "But if you do not like the way I'm doing it right now, then there are, of course, other ways..."
She caught his gaze flicking to her mouth. Oh no. "Actually," she said quickly, "I think I'm good with this."
Etienne's lips swiftly pressed together as he literally heard Spencer start gnashing her teeth, the sound of which oddly complemented the way her heart was pounding faster and harder against her chest.
If it had been any other woman, he would have dismissed these things as mere signs of lust. But because this was Spencer...
Could the other girl's words be true then?
Was Spencer truly in love with him?
But if she was...why had she chosen to sell her virginity instead of giving it to him?
Spencer noticed her boss suddenly start frowning. "What?"
"Have you ever had any lovers before me?" he asked abruptly.
Whoa! Spencer literally tripped over her own feet at the suddenness of his question. "Where did that come from?"
"Have you?"
"None of your business."
Dark eyes blazed at her. "You're my woman---"
Don't get excited about that, Spencer! Don't!
"Everything about you is now my business."
A couple of possible comebacks to this immediately sprang to mind, but when she saw that they were about to step out of her apartment building, panic immediately kicked in, and she yanked him back. "Wait!"
Etienne stiffened, seeing the frantic expression on her face. "What is it?"
"The s-sunlight," she muttered jerkily. "Won't it...hurt?"
Ah.
He could see how hard she was struggling not to look concerned for him, but the haunted look in her eyes completely gave her away. And that was when he knew.
Spencer couldn't help feeling self-conscious about the way her boss was staring at her again. "Okay, fine, I'm concerned. But again, it's no big deal. Okay? I may be a bitch, but I'm not completely without feelings---"