Dark Princess: Shadows (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance #89)

53. Rob

53

ROB

R ob balanced two coffee cups and a paper bag of sandwiches as he left the café, planning to surprise Gertrude with lunch. Hopefully, she hadn't eaten yet and would be glad to see him. His game was rusty, and he had never flirted with an immortal before, but she seemed to like him.

He'd barely taken two steps when a familiar voice called out.

"Hey, stranger!"

Lusha sat at one of the outdoor tables, her dark hair gleaming in the sunlight. She'd been friendly since his arrival in the village, maybe a little too friendly considering that she was dating a Guardian, but maybe that was just her style, and she didn't mean anything by it. She was smart, and she knew a lot about the village, given that she hadn't been a resident long either. He liked talking to her, and he hoped she wouldn't be too put off by him pursuing Gertrude.

"Hi, Lusha." Rob stopped beside her table. "How are you?"

She gestured at the drinks in his hands. "Are you meeting Margo?"

Was he so pathetic that the only person Lusha could imagine him meeting was his sister?

"No, actually, I'm bringing lunch to Gertrude at the clinic."

"Oh." Lusha's eyebrows rose. "Is something going on between you two?"

"Not yet," Rob admitted. "But I'm hoping there might be. She's..." He searched for words that wouldn't sound too eager. "She's fun." And beautiful, and warm, and assertive without being overbearing .

He really liked Gertrude.

Something flickered across Lusha's face—disappointment? Annoyance? "Well, good luck." She waved a hand. "Just don't get too attached." She looked around and then leaned toward him and whispered, "These immortals are so promiscuous. They love having a variety of lovers."

He'd heard the same from Mia, but Gertrude didn't fit the profile.

"Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind." He shifted the drinks. "Say hi to Alfie for me."

"I will." She gave him a saccharine smile.

What was her deal?

He'd deliberately kept things purely in the friend zone with Lusha despite her occasional flirting, respecting her relationship with Alfie. Perhaps she liked to keep her options open and collect male attention, like insurance policies, just in case her current relationship didn't work out.

Rob had known plenty of women like that, including his former fiancée.

No, that wasn't right. Lusha wasn't like that. Perhaps she just didn't like Gertrude for some reason, though he couldn't imagine why. Gertrude was awesome, and unlike some of the immortals who seemed to float above it all, she felt really approachable.

Maybe it was time to stop overthinking everything and just ask her out on a proper date.

As he entered the clinic, he found Gertrude sitting in Bridget's office, and when he walked in and put the coffee and sandwiches on the desk, she laughed.

"Are you trying to win my heart through my stomach?"

"Is it working?"

"Definitely. I'm starving, and the café makes the best turkey club in existence."

He frowned. "How did you know that was what I got?"

She tapped her nose. "Immortal sense of smell." She rose to her feet. "But we shouldn't eat here. Let's move the party to the waiting room."

"Of course." He handed her a cup and lifted the other one and the bag. "Will Bridget get mad if we eat in here?"

"She will give me the look, and I'd rather avoid it." Gertrude sat on one of the chairs. "But seriously, it would just be disrespectful."

"True." Rob suddenly noticed how quiet the clinic seemed. "Where is everyone?" The doors to both patient rooms were open, but the princess wasn't in hers, and Ell-rom wasn't sitting by Jasmine's side.

"Big changes today," Gertrude said, unwrapping her sandwich. "Morelle was released this morning, and she is moving to the Clan Mother's house."

Rob blinked in surprise. "That was fast. She just opened her eyes yesterday after thousands of years in stasis."

He was still trying to wrap his head around those numbers. The princess was nearly as old as human civilization, but since she'd spent most of that time unconscious, did it even count?

"Morelle is doing remarkably well. She's half goddess, after all, so that's not surprising. She just needed a jumpstart to take off like a race car."

Rob laughed. "I like the analogy. Are you a racing fan?"

"Not really." She took a sip of her coffee and sighed. "I needed this. Anyway, Brandon took her on a tour of the village first, and then they are heading to the Clan Mother's, or maybe they are already there because Ell-rom left a while ago to join them for lunch." She took another sip. "So, now it's just me watching over Jasmine. Bridget took advantage of the quiet to handle some paperwork in her other office." She took a big bite of her sandwich and moaned in pleasure.

The sound did all kinds of things to him that were too embarrassing to admit.

"Sounds like an opportunity for mischief," he said teasingly, but his pulse quickened at the thought.

Gertrude's eyes met his, and the way she slowly licked a crumb from her bottom lip sent more heat rushing through his body. "What kind of mischief did you have in mind?"

The invitation in her voice was unmistakable. Before he could overthink it, he leaned in and pressed a quick, soft kiss to her lips.

When he pulled back, Gertrude studied him with an unreadable expression, and he prepared to apologize for misreading the situation. But then she carefully placed both their cups in the tray on the side table next to their sandwiches, and the next thing he knew, her lips were on his again.

It was no gentle peck, though. This kiss was fire and sweetness and need all rolled into one. Her hands came up to frame his face as she deepened the kiss, and Rob saw stars behind his closed eyelids.

When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing heavily, and Gertrude's eyes were darker than usual, her lips slightly swollen. She looked even more beautiful than before, if that was possible.

"I've wanted to do that since I saw you training in the gym," she admitted.

That was a big surprise.

"Really? Even when I was pretending to know how to box?"

She laughed, the sound rich and warm. "Especially then. You were so earnest about it, even though we both knew I was holding back."

"I knew it!" He grinned. "I kept wondering how an immortal could punch so weakly."

"I didn't want to bruise your ego." She traced a finger along his jaw. "Or the punching bag, although the thing is probably specially designed for immortals, so I shouldn't have worried about it."

The casual reminder of her strength sent a shiver through him that had nothing to do with fear. "I appreciate your valiant effort to save my ego, but I assure you I have no problem with a female kicking my butt, as long as it's by besting me in something and not by cheating on me with her ex."

He didn't know why he had blurted it out, but now it was too late to take it back.

"I would never do that to you." She cupped his cheek. "I mean about the cheating. I abhor dishonesty in all forms, and that's what cheating is."

Rob swallowed hard. "Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?"

She smiled. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yes, I am."

"I'd like that." She leaned in again, her breath ghosting across his lips. "But right now, I need more of this."

The second kiss was even better than the first, and Rob lost himself in it. The softness of her lips, the strength of her hands, and the perfect rightness of holding her.

He'd kissed plenty of women before, but none of them had made him feel like this—like he was falling and flying at the same time.

A door opened somewhere in the clinic, and they jumped apart. They were both trying to look innocent as footsteps approached. But it was just one of the Odus going about his cleaning routine.

"Good afternoon, Mistress Gertrude, Master Rob. May I clean the doctor's office?"

"Yes, please," Gertrude said.

He bowed, collected his cleaning tools, and walked into the office.

"I forgot about Onidu," Gertrude whispered. "He always comes to clean the clinic on Wednesdays, which was probably why Bridget left to work in the office building." She lifted her sandwich and coffee cup. "We should finish our lunch."

"Probably wise," Rob agreed, though his appetite had shifted to something food couldn't satisfy. "I hope we can continue our discussion later."

Her smile was humorous and playful wickedness mashed into one sexy-as-hell look. "I'm counting on it."