saw the little violet. He
leaned down and looked at the soft, velvety leaves and thought of her skin. The
tiny little flowers reminded him of her eyes, the darkest purple he’d ever
seen. He asked that one of those to go as well.
They ended up having a quick lunch and
went to the mall. This place was huge. After making several stops they called for
the limo to come back, they had filled the trunk as well as most of the back
seats with them. Both he and Walker had bags on their laps as it was. The
driver said he’d have them brought in. Khan carried one bag in himself.
She was still asleep when he got there. The
maid had informed them that Mr. Marshall and the president had left just after
two in the morning and that the young miss had been up when she’d come in and
that had been at six this morning. It was just after two in the afternoon.
Khan went to the room where she was and
saw that the flowers had been brought in. He picked up the violet, took it to
her bedside table, and set it there for her. He put his pink bag on the floor
beside her and sat down.
Her face was healing nicely, and the
swelling had gone down. He touched his finger to her skin and smiled when he’d
been right about the flower he’d gotten her. When she stirred a little, he
moved back to the chair to watch her. A few minutes later, she woke.
“Hi. How are you?”
She looked around the room, but didn’t
say anything.
“I bought you some flowers. I’ve never
bought flowers before.”
He sounded lame even to his own ears.
When she stretched, he noticed how the shirt she had on cupped her breasts and
he looked away. He wasn’t here to make love to her, but to beg her to forgive
him.
“I have to get up. I want you to go
away. And I don’t want to argue with you about it either.” She pulled the sheet
up over her and frowned. “How long have you been here?”
“Not long. I’d like to…I need to speak
to you first. If you don’t mind. I have some things I have to explain to you.”
She snorted. “If you mean you have some
orders to dictate to me, then no thanks. I’ve had enough of you treating me
like a subhuman. I’m a real person, just like you are.”
Perfect opportunity, he thought. “Not
really. I mean, I’m not a real person. Not like you anyway. I’m a bit more.”
She cocked her brow at him. “Oh, is that
right? You’re better than me. Well, how fucking fantastic for you. Then you won’t
mind if I tell you to stay away from my less than perfect self. Get out.”
He’d fucked that up royally. “That’s not
what I mean. I’m more than you because…I’m not really human.”
“I won’t argue with you there.”
He glared, but tried again. “I’m a
panther.” There, he’d told her. Not the way he’d planned, but now she knew. He
waited for her to ask questions, but all she did was stare at him. Just when he
was going to explain what he meant, she spoke.
“I’m pretty sure they disbanded in the
eighties. And not a group I would have associated you with. Especially since
you don’t seem all that political.”
It took him several seconds to realize
what she’d meant. He supposed it might have been funny had he not been trying
his best not to get pissy and to keep her from leaving him. He was pretty sure
that laughing right now might get him killed. And not by the woman his brother
had married either.
“Not a Black Panther, but a real one.
The kind that walks on four paws. My entire family is. Including Caitlynne.” He
watched her for signs of fear. But she looked…amused.
“Okay. And I suppose, oh, I don’t know,
the president is a bat and his aide is a dragon. You’re insane if you believe
that.”
“No. It’s true, and the president is a
white Bengal, as is the aide. But I think he’s golden, not white.” He stood up
and started unbuttoning his shirt. “Would you like to see him?”
~~~
Monica was shaking her head even as he
took off his shirt. When he had it off, she expected to see
leaned down and looked at the soft, velvety leaves and thought of her skin. The
tiny little flowers reminded him of her eyes, the darkest purple he’d ever
seen. He asked that one of those to go as well.
They ended up having a quick lunch and
went to the mall. This place was huge. After making several stops they called for
the limo to come back, they had filled the trunk as well as most of the back
seats with them. Both he and Walker had bags on their laps as it was. The
driver said he’d have them brought in. Khan carried one bag in himself.
She was still asleep when he got there. The
maid had informed them that Mr. Marshall and the president had left just after
two in the morning and that the young miss had been up when she’d come in and
that had been at six this morning. It was just after two in the afternoon.
Khan went to the room where she was and
saw that the flowers had been brought in. He picked up the violet, took it to
her bedside table, and set it there for her. He put his pink bag on the floor
beside her and sat down.
Her face was healing nicely, and the
swelling had gone down. He touched his finger to her skin and smiled when he’d
been right about the flower he’d gotten her. When she stirred a little, he
moved back to the chair to watch her. A few minutes later, she woke.
“Hi. How are you?”
She looked around the room, but didn’t
say anything.
“I bought you some flowers. I’ve never
bought flowers before.”
He sounded lame even to his own ears.
When she stretched, he noticed how the shirt she had on cupped her breasts and
he looked away. He wasn’t here to make love to her, but to beg her to forgive
him.
“I have to get up. I want you to go
away. And I don’t want to argue with you about it either.” She pulled the sheet
up over her and frowned. “How long have you been here?”
“Not long. I’d like to…I need to speak
to you first. If you don’t mind. I have some things I have to explain to you.”
She snorted. “If you mean you have some
orders to dictate to me, then no thanks. I’ve had enough of you treating me
like a subhuman. I’m a real person, just like you are.”
Perfect opportunity, he thought. “Not
really. I mean, I’m not a real person. Not like you anyway. I’m a bit more.”
She cocked her brow at him. “Oh, is that
right? You’re better than me. Well, how fucking fantastic for you. Then you won’t
mind if I tell you to stay away from my less than perfect self. Get out.”
He’d fucked that up royally. “That’s not
what I mean. I’m more than you because…I’m not really human.”
“I won’t argue with you there.”
He glared, but tried again. “I’m a
panther.” There, he’d told her. Not the way he’d planned, but now she knew. He
waited for her to ask questions, but all she did was stare at him. Just when he
was going to explain what he meant, she spoke.
“I’m pretty sure they disbanded in the
eighties. And not a group I would have associated you with. Especially since
you don’t seem all that political.”
It took him several seconds to realize
what she’d meant. He supposed it might have been funny had he not been trying
his best not to get pissy and to keep her from leaving him. He was pretty sure
that laughing right now might get him killed. And not by the woman his brother
had married either.
“Not a Black Panther, but a real one.
The kind that walks on four paws. My entire family is. Including Caitlynne.” He
watched her for signs of fear. But she looked…amused.
“Okay. And I suppose, oh, I don’t know,
the president is a bat and his aide is a dragon. You’re insane if you believe
that.”
“No. It’s true, and the president is a
white Bengal, as is the aide. But I think he’s golden, not white.” He stood up
and started unbuttoning his shirt. “Would you like to see him?”
~~~
Monica was shaking her head even as he
took off his shirt. When he had it off, she expected to see
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